Habitat & ShareMyToolbox

Building Affordable Homes with Habitat for Humanity

We at ShareMyToolbox believe that everyone should give back to their communities in order to build a better world. As part of our giving back we have consistently donated ShareMyToolbox to numerous non-profits and community development groups. One of the most common places we donate the system are local Habitat chapters who need to track tools across jobs, employees and volunteers. Recently a chapter in Canada did a very nice blog post about how they are using ShareMyToolbox to manage tools and be good stewards of the donations that paid for their tools. We are re-publishing this post and linking it to our network in the hope that it encourages others.

Thanks to those who donate their time and talents to Habitat Chapters everywhere!

Sincerely, Chris & Chuck

 

Building Affordable Homes With ShareMyToolbox Tool Management

July 2, 2021 | Category:Donor Spotlight | 3 min read

ShareMyToolbox has made cataloguing tools like these easier for Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga-Dufferin since 2020.

Simple is Better. That’s a motto that ShareMyToolbox lives by.

ShareMyToolbox saw the need for a simple tool management system and they delivered. Initially, the tracking software that would become ShareMyToolbox was developed for Viewpoint Construction to innovate how contractors work through digital technology. They developed  a software with full digital access on a tablet or smartphone, and using barcode technology to catalogue tool inventory.

Since its development, ShareMyToolbox has become its own company separate from Viewpoint Construction. Today the company is co-owned by Chris Wirtz and Chuck Elyea. Chris and Chuck want the software to be efficient and straightforward for contractors and non-profits alike.

“As we began working with Habitat for Humanity we were surprised that the need for small tool tracking and management was even higher than at for-profit enterprises,” says Chris Wirtz, co-owner of ShareMyToolbox, “The mixture of volunteers and the tight budgets of the nonprofit enterprise increased the need for efficient tool management.”

As one of our partners, Chris and the team at ShareMyToolbox understand how when we rely on neat and orderly tools so that the construction process can be as fluid as possible.

This is why at Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga-Dufferin we are happy to announce that ShareMyToolbox has partnered with us through the donation of their tool management software.

How Tool Tracking Assists Us

Before using ShareMyToolbox, we used spreadsheets to track all of our tools. With almost 600 power tools, updating and maintaining the spreadsheet was tedious, prone to errors and lacked visibility with tool users.

The software is helpful for construction because it allows us to track each piece of equipment needed for a project, including its location, condition, and quantity. Once we scan a barcode the tool is in the system – it’s that simple.

Tracking equipment helps us better manage our resources, save money by keeping an accessible record of our tools, save time to focus on our goals, and establish accountability so everyone can have the correct tool for each job. It’s a lot to do, and our volunteers and donors can attest to how much we care.

“Habitat operates much like a modern contracting company with many people working on many projects which require tools and equipment to get the job done. ShareMyToolbox saw a need for the same tracking technology contractors use at Habitat Chapters,” says Chris after getting to know what we’re all about at Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga-Dufferin.

Our recent project, the Bristow-Law Build in Mississauga, is one example of this tool tracking software at work.

It takes a lot of tools and materials to construct a Habitat home. ShareMyToolbox makes organization and tracking of our tools quick and easy.

Tracking tools is crucial for everyone at each step of the construction process because:

  • Team leaders can manage time effectively
  • Volunteers can contribute meaningfully instead of fussing over tools
  • Our chapter won’t need to re-purchase tools as often

There’s more than just the build  to consider, though.

Recently, ShareMyToolBox added a great new feature – an Audit function to an already robust program.

At first, we expected our volunteers to have some difficulty adjusting to the new system. Fortunately, we haven’t had trouble getting everyone adjusted to the new system. The ShareMyToolBox smartphone app’s scanning and search features, our team now handles borrowing and returning actions as if they’ve been doing it forever.

ShareMyToolbox and Giving Back

Chris’s passion for helping communities shows. ShareMyToolbox has assisted multiple Habitat affiliates in North America. Here in Ontario, Habitat for Humanity Niagara has also started using ShareMyToolbox for its construction projects.

“We believe that affordable housing is foundational to the community. Families need safe and affordable places to live in order to grow and prosper,” says Chris, “We love the local approach that Habitat for Humanity takes to building communities across North America.”

We extend a big thank you to everyone at ShareMyToolbox for providing the software tools to help us build stronger communities. With partners like ShareMyToolbox by our side, working together, we can build a stronger future for the next generation.

To support our build programs or learn about other ways you can donate to Habitat HMD, click here.

Check out our other amazing partners who support Habitat HMD’s mission to build local, affordable housing.

To learn more about ShareMyToolbox, visit their Tool Tracking Made Simple Website

By: Tessa Butty of Habitat HM

To learn more about how ShareMyToolbox makes small tool and equipment tracking SIMPLE please visit our website at www.ShareMyToolbox.com. You can also find many free resources on tool tracking and tool inventory control at Tool Tracking Tips. Here is the link to the Post on Habitat HM’s site: ShareMyToolbox and Habitat Halton-Mississauga-Dufferin

Click here to Learn more about Habitat Halton-Mississauga-Dufferin and please consider supporting their mission or your local Habitat chapter.