From installation
to everyday operation.

Quick start

ToolPass connects three things: the employee’s identity, the unique RFID ID of each individual tool and movement through a defined doorway. The result is an issue assigned to a person and a traceable return.

1. Prepare your equipment and employee lists, doorway photos and network details.
2. Mount the RFID antenna above the door and a camera tablet or card reader beside it.
3. Label each tool and pair every tag with the record of that individual item.
4. Assign access permissions and test both an issue and a return.
5. Start normal operation once reading has been verified and the team trained.

Prepare your store

Before installation

• Record the doorway dimensions, frame material, traffic direction and tablet location. The antenna should cover the doorway, not the nearest rack.
• Provide power and networking for the selected equipment. Protect cables from damage and keep them clear of walkways.
• Prepare an asset list: internal number, name, make/model, serial number, store and initial status. Each physical drill needs its own record.
• Prepare the employee list, nominate an administrator and provide compatible cards or fobs if you prefer them to the camera.
• Define who may borrow equipment, how transfers between colleagues work and who resolves exceptions.

Your existing doors and racks can stay. We adapt equipment positioning to the doorway width, metal surfaces and surrounding tools.

Mount and connect

1. Define the reading zone. Select one controlled doorway and verify the normal walking route. Define outbound and return directions.
2. Overhead antenna. Fit the square antenna to a suitable bracket above the door. A technician sets its angle, height and reading power using on-site tests.
3. Slim wall tablet. Position it before the entrance, with a clear view of faces and a convenient card-tapping point. Consider workwear, reflections and accessibility.
4. Reader and connections. Connect the antenna to the reader assembly, power and network according to the supplied configuration. Label and secure cables.
5. Software setup. Create the store and reading zone, assign devices, and verify time settings and administrator access.
6. Calibration. Test empty passes, single and multiple tools, in both directions. Verify that tools remaining on nearby shelves are not included.

Connectors, power, fixings and network settings follow the documentation supplied with the actual hardware. Installation must preserve door operation and clear passage.

Attach and pair tags

Industrial on-metal tags with 3M adhesive are suitable for metal tools and offer high abrasion resistance. Tag designs can be adapted to the surface and operating conditions. We verify the selected variant’s durability and suitability before installation.

1. Choose a protected position clear of the grip, vents, moving parts and service access. Do not label a removable battery if the asset being tracked is the tool body.
2. Clean and degrease the surface with a product suitable for its material, then let it dry. Follow the specific tag’s temperature and adhesive settling requirements.
3. Remove the liner, press the label flat and check its edges.
4. Open or create the individual tool record. Read the tag’s unique ID in pairing mode. Keep only the intended item in the reading area.
5. Check the name, asset number and serial number, save the ID → item association and verify it with a fresh read.

Replacing a damaged tag

Verify the physical tool and open its existing record. Retire the old ID, assign the new ID to the same item and test reading again. Do not create a second asset just because its label changed; retain the item’s history.

Software workspace

The working overview reflects the last confirmed movement. Each item should clearly show whether it is available in the store, issued to an employee or awaiting exception review. Screen names and optional features may vary with the delivered configuration.

At the start of a shift

Check that the terminal is ready, review unresolved events and open issues. When a status is unexpected, check the physical item and the last record first. An issue assigned to a person records a handover; it does not continuously locate the tool throughout your premises.

People and permissions

1. Create each employee with a unique internal number. Identical names must not result in mistaken identity.
2. Assign the employee’s card or fob, or configure camera identification for the selected solution.
3. Grant access only to required stores. Employees use the terminal; supervisors review records and exceptions; administrators manage configuration and permissions.
4. Revoke access when a card is lost or an employee leaves. Review their open issues and arrange returns.

Do not share cards. Camera identification and existing access cards require compatibility checks and agreed data-handling procedures before launch. Card identification is available as an alternative to facial recognition.

Issue and return

Borrowing a tool

1. Identify yourself at the tablet using the camera, card or fob. Wait for access confirmation.
2. Select labelled equipment. Walk through the designated doorway at a normal pace, following site procedures.
3. The RFID antenna reads the tag IDs. Software associates them with items, the employee and the direction of movement.
4. Check the issue confirmation. If it is missing or the item list is wrong, follow the exception procedure; do not leave an ambiguous record unresolved.

Returning a tool

Identify yourself and walk back through the same controlled entrance. Once the return is confirmed, put the equipment in its designated location. Report damaged tools and separate them from available equipment.

Handing a tool to a colleague

Keep transfers in the records. Return the tool and create a new issue, or use the approved handover procedure supported by your configuration. Handing over a card or a tool alone does not change the recorded responsible person.

Exceptions and troubleshooting

When reporting an issue, provide the event time, store, asset number, RFID ID, expected result and actual result. Never send passwords.

Handover and acceptance

Before launch, run the acceptance test with the responsible supervisor and retain its result. The goal is to identify the correct individual tools and employee, not merely count tags.

• Employee with no tools: no false issue is created.
• One labelled item and several different items: the list matches the physical equipment.
• Issue followed by return: the record opens and closes correctly.
• Unknown tag, invalid card and simultaneous passage: the system or operator follows the agreed procedure.
• Tools left near the doorway: they are not included in someone else’s issue.
• Connection loss and recovery: the fallback procedure and subsequent records are verified.

Handover includes the device list, antenna position, paired asset list, administrator access, support contacts and operator training. Record outstanding points with an owner and due date.

Routine care and checks

During normal operation

Keep the reading zone clear, clean the tablet and camera, and check for lifting label edges. High abrasion resistance does not replace sensible tag positioning. Replace damaged labels using the procedure above.

After changes to the store

Repeat test passages after moving racks, changing doors, adding metal structures or introducing a new type of tool. Do not increase reader power on your own simply because one item is hard to read.

Regular operational review

Compare selected physical assets with their records, review long-open issues and current permissions. Set the review frequency according to activity and store responsibilities. Agree a maintenance window and verification procedure before software updates.

Data, integrations and support

The foundation is a set of asset, employee and movement records. Before importing data, verify unique internal numbers, remove duplicates and define clear field mappings. Import, export and ERP integration formats are agreed for the selected configuration.

Multiple stores require clear location identifiers and transfer rules. Agree history retention, access, backups and recovery with the responsible administrator before launch. This guide does not define a public API or guarantee features outside the agreed delivery.