1. You’ve got many back-up tools
If your tool park is full of equipment that's not being used, this may indicate a larger issue with your tool inventory. While it’s essential to have enough tools to complete the specific task, having too much equipment can be a bad investment.
Having considerable capital tied up in excess equipment can be damaging to your business’ profitability. This is because it pulls valuable resources away from other areas of the company where the capital could be invested more effectively. If you do have a large number of back-up tools, it’s important to ask whether this capital is invested well.
With an oversized tool park, money isn't just tied up in the equipment itself, but is also spent on maintenance. According to the PAT testing guidelines, all tools - even those not in regular use - must be kept regularly serviced and tested to ensure they are in safe working condition. This means tools will need to undertake PAT testing every 3-6 months on average, which needs to be regularly scheduled and tracked. Such consistent maintenance on unused equipment costs both time and money, as tools cannot be used on-site without testing.