This article is part of Construction Junkie’s coverage of Groundbreak 2020, Procore’s annual technology conference. Milwaukee Tool will be in attendance in the virtual exhibitor hall. More details can be found below.
In 2015, Milwaukee Tool, the company famous for their large selection of red power tools, announced the release of ONE-KEY™, a web-based mobile tool management solution. While the systems 3 core pillars (Inventory Management, Tool Tracking, and Smart Tool Technology) remain unchanged today, the company has continued to develop and enhance the capabilities of the system in many different ways.
Inventory Management
There are very few contractors that work on only one project at a time and managing the quantities, locations, and history of their tools and equipment can be a huge challenge. One of the key features of ONE-KEY™ is its free, online, inventory management system, which helps companies organize their entire fleet of tools onto one platform.
In addition to the inventory dashboard, users can view details of each tool, including serial numbers and purchase information, which can be extremely helpful for insurance claims and warranty repairs. ONE-KEY™ can also help you manage service reminders, through repeating alerts based upon the frequency you request, and track the history of repairs.
All of this information can be managed through the web-based application, or on-the-go through the ONE-KEY™ application from your tablet or smartphone.
Tool Tracking
When Milwaukee® first rolled out Tool Tracking, users could view the last known location of their ONE-KEY™ enabled tools or when another ONE-KEY™ user came within Bluetooth range of one of your tools. While the system still has that same functionality, there are even more ways to track tools today.
Expanded Community Bluetooth Tracking
As Bluetooth range is typically within 100 feet, it was evident at the beginning that the more people that used ONE-KEY™, the more powerful the system could become at helping others find their missing or stolen tools. A few years ago, there were about 30,000 location updates each day within the application and now there are roughly 5.5 million updates every single day.
TICK™ Tracking Devices
For the tools and equipment, you own that aren’t ONE-KEY™ enabled, like ladders, generators, compressors, etc., Milwaukee also has an external tracking device available, called TICK. Stick it onto your tools in a discreet location using fasteners, glue, or ties and enjoy many of the same tracking benefits as ONE-KEY™ enabled tools.
Geofencing
A couple of years ago, Milwaukee expanded the tracking abilities of their ONE-KEY™ enabled tools and tracking devices with the introduction of geofencing. By setting up a virtual boundary around a tool storage area or jobsite, users will receive alerts if a tool leaves the confines of those boundaries.
Asset ID Tags
For a more economical option for smaller tools or equipment that doesn’t require location tracking, like shovels, hand tools, batteries, etc., Milwaukee has recently released Asset ID tags. Each Asset ID tag is equipped with a barcode for easy scanning and is resistant to water and chemicals, has fade protection from UV light, scratch resistance, and the adhesive is durable through significant fluctuations in temperature.
courtesy of Milwaukee Tool
Smart Tool Technology
In addition to tool tracking, Milwaukee’s extensive lineup of ONE-KEY™ enabled smart tools offer a ton of additional benefits. Through the app, each tool can be customized for a variety of different settings, such as RPM, LED light settings, anti-kickback and bind up controls, and even torque settings. For even more protection, users can lock their tools out, basically turning them into a paperweight until unlocked by the app or through a Milwaukee Service Center. If a service center receives a locked tool, Milwaukee will track down the original owner and return it to them, if it’s not the person who brought the tool in.
With experienced tradespeople being harder and harder to find, the customization features of ONE-KEY™ can put new employees in a better spot to succeed, by limiting torque settings as to not over fasten into metal or reduce chipping when drilling into fragile materials with reduced RPMs.
Milwaukee’s inventory of ONE-KEY™ enabled tools has expanded to 50 different options currently, including all of the light equipment in their new MX FUEL™ lineup and the new M18 Fuel Sawzall (model #2822-22), which will be available in November.
The new M18 Fuel Sawzall with ONE-KEY™ (model #2822-22). Courtesy of Milwaukee Tool
Milwaukee Tool + Procore
In January, Milwaukee Tool announced an integration with the construction management platform, Procore. In the integration, Procore users can send portfolio and directory data to ONE-KEY™ for automated creation of places and people. Reporting and alerts data from ONE-KEY™ can then be sent back to Procore’s Daily Log for automated daily reporting.
Interview with Andy Lambert, Group Program Manager of ONE-KEY™, and Kris Lengieza, Director of Business Development for Procore
To discuss the evolution of ONE-KEY™ further, I recently had the opportunity to speak with Andy Lambert from Milwaukee Tool and Kris Lengieza from Procore, which you can watch in the video below. We discussed the benefits of the ONE-KEY™ system and Procore’s new partnership with the tool brand.
Find Milwaukee Tool at Groundbreak 2020
Groundbreak will be held virtually this year on October 27 and 28. For those interested in finding out more about Buildr, the sponsor showcase hours for the virtual exhibitor hall will be held:
Tuesday, Oct 27 - 11:10am - 12:30pm
Wednesday, Oct 28 - 11:10am - 12:30pm
There’s no doubt that one of the most important aspects of managing a construction project is being able to quickly and easily analyze your financials. There are a ton of moving parts on each project, from the estimate, to ordering materials and equipment, to billing, and having that information where and when you need it can make all the difference.