Weifield Group

How one company uses Reftab for tool tracking across multiple states

Challenge

John Marchesi of Weifield Group has his hands full as a manager responsible for purchasing, keeping track of, and managing all of the tools his electricians are using across Colorado, Texas, and Tennessee.

The problem was the asset management system he was using was inefficient, unnecessarily complicated, and hard to manage.

“It was very unfriendly,” says John. “It was hard to just keep track of anything. It made no sense the way it was set up.”

This wasn’t for lack of trying either. John spent hours upon hours watching trainings, asking colleagues, and trying to customize the setup.

“No one could figure out how to work it,” he said. “And I went through trainings, and it did not do what I wanted it to do.”

Discovering Reftab

Eventually, he started watching tutorials on YouTube and asking around to find another system that was easy for him to manage and even easier for his electricians, who aren’t all computer savvy, to use when reserving tools.

That’s when he discovered Reftab.

“An 8-year-old could use this,” said John. “It’s super simple. It’s probably one of the easiest software I’ve used in a long time, and that’s what I wanted.”

In fact, he went as far as to compare Reftab to Amazon. It wasn’t just easy for his electricians to use, but this also applied to the setup process.

“It’s made it [Reftab] easier to track and see where tools are. . . It just reminds me of Amazon; you just go click, and your info is there, along with everything. It’s a lot easier than using a spreadsheet where you have to search for the info.”

For instance, he configured Reftab to meet the specific needs of his operations, setting up categories and features that make tool management straightforward. He did all of this without needing any coding skills.

In addition, he was also able to set different user permission levels to control who can add or edit asset details within Reftab. This helps maintain data integrity and ensures that only authorized personnel make changes to the system.

Improving operational efficiency

One of John’s biggest value adds was the time he was able to save by streamlining workflows and eliminating duplicate data entries.

For instance, he uses the clone asset and tool rental features to reduce redundant work and provide clear financial tracking of tool usage.

“What I really like is this clone asset that helps, so you don’t have to type this info again,” said John. “You just clone it, put your asset number in, save it, and it’s there.”

He’s also in the process of setting up rental pricing for tools. This feature will help track the costs associated with tool rentals on projects, which is critical for financial oversight and planning.

On the topic of financial planning and oversight, he also uses Reftab’s built-in reporting features to monitor tool usage. Reports are generated automatically and help ensure tools are properly maintained and accounted for across job sites in all three states.

For instance, he said,

“These reports I use the most are these tool reports for all the jobs. It runs on the second of every month. So every month, they have ten business days to go through the report and then get it back to me to say, ‘Hey, we got more tools on site that are on this list, or these were sent back, and they’re never checked in here, so we need to see where the discrepancy is from the report. I also have [routine] calibration reports.”

Reftab as a partner

Reftab has proven itself to be more than just a valuable asset management system for John. They are also a true partner.

With Reftab, John has been able to transform the complex and cumbersome process of managing thousands of tools across multiple states into a streamlined, efficient, and user-friendly system.

Not to mention, in the rare times where he runs into an issue, Reftab’s customer support has always gone above and beyond.

“They’re prompt,” he said. They reply within 24 hours, and they’ll send screenshots of what I have questions about, how I can fix it, and tell me how to do it that way as well.

In fact, John is looking forward to expanding his Reftab use cases, such as implementing tool rental pricing in the near future.