OP here...thanks for all the great discussion. I should've been more explicit about the situation in my original post.
I run a mechanical test lab. I have two technicians who work for me in the lab, using the tools every day. We are part of the R&D department, so we occasionally have engineers (mostly mechanical, some electrical) come to the lab to do some work and use our tools.
Up until now, we've had "the company tools." It's one giant chest that never gets locked. One of the engineering teams also has a well-equipped portable box that gets used for field installations/testing. It's always a challenge keeping the commonly used things around, like tape measures, clamps, etc. I am changing the way my techs work in the lab. They each have a roll-away type toolbox and I just got keys for them. They will each have their own set of tools in their boxes. We will also have the company tools in the giant chest that include the less commonly used things - wrenches over 3/4", metric tools, etc. The challenge comes when working on a big project - people grab whatever tool is closest to them to get the job done, then set it down, and it gets left there or picked up by someone else. Then confusion about whose tool and which box it goes to ensues.
Having a roll-away box for each of my techs will (I think) help them work more efficiently because they are more likely to have the tools they need for a job already close at hand instead of walking across the plant or the lab to get the right tool. Having their own tools locked up prevents the last tape measure from walking away to someone's desk when they need it. In less than 4 years, I've bought enough tape measures to equip every person in our department with their own, but somehow we still only have 3 tape measures in the lab.
I'm less concerned about recovery of the tools after theft and more concerned about being able to easily and quickly identify which box a tool goes to after they've all been mixed up.
I run a mechanical test lab. I have two technicians who work for me in the lab, using the tools every day. We are part of the R&D department, so we occasionally have engineers (mostly mechanical, some electrical) come to the lab to do some work and use our tools.
Up until now, we've had "the company tools." It's one giant chest that never gets locked. One of the engineering teams also has a well-equipped portable box that gets used for field installations/testing. It's always a challenge keeping the commonly used things around, like tape measures, clamps, etc. I am changing the way my techs work in the lab. They each have a roll-away type toolbox and I just got keys for them. They will each have their own set of tools in their boxes. We will also have the company tools in the giant chest that include the less commonly used things - wrenches over 3/4", metric tools, etc. The challenge comes when working on a big project - people grab whatever tool is closest to them to get the job done, then set it down, and it gets left there or picked up by someone else. Then confusion about whose tool and which box it goes to ensues.
Having a roll-away box for each of my techs will (I think) help them work more efficiently because they are more likely to have the tools they need for a job already close at hand instead of walking across the plant or the lab to get the right tool. Having their own tools locked up prevents the last tape measure from walking away to someone's desk when they need it. In less than 4 years, I've bought enough tape measures to equip every person in our department with their own, but somehow we still only have 3 tape measures in the lab.
I'm less concerned about recovery of the tools after theft and more concerned about being able to easily and quickly identify which box a tool goes to after they've all been mixed up.
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