Intelligent Loop Announced a Web-Enabled Tool Tracking and Management App for Android Devices

July 26, 2012 - PRLog -- Intelligent Loop announces the Tool Manager app for assigning equipment to jobsites and to personnel, and for tracking maintenance, warranty and depreciation information. Intelligent Loop is a mobile enterprise software development company that provides easy to use applications to solve pressing business problems.

Tool management software eliminates time spent searching for equipment, cuts the cost of replacing misplaced tools, and handles the logistics of assigning tools to jobsites and checking tools out to personnel. Beyond tool tracking, the Tools Management app also tracks warranty expiration information, scheduled maintenance dates and various financial information such as supplier and depreciation.

The Android app is available from Google Play / Android Market by searching for Intelligent Loop then selecting Tool Manager. Registration is required at http://www.intelligentloop.com/Tool-Management-Software.html.

Traditionally, a tool tracking solution is packaged with special purpose hardware for scanning barcodes and collecting data. The Intelligent Loop solution leverages a smartphones ability to scan barcodes, acquire GPS, and touch screen data entry with dropdown menus to eliminate costly special purpose hardware. The smartphone app helps personnel in the field and the tool crib to rapidly assign and return tools.

The management and reporting software is hosted in the cloud and securely accessible from any standard web-browser. Cloud-computing, or the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model eliminates the need to install and maintain complex server software, further cutting the costs associated with traditional tool tracking solutions.

The ease of use of well designed apps eliminates the need for specialized training. Traditional solutions have three (3) primary distribution problems to deal with:
1.   Getting the special purpose barcode scanning hardware and data collection devices into the hands of end-users.
2.   Software updates/upgrades on those special purpose devices.
3.   Installing and maintaining the server software that manages tool data, user information and location data

Addressing these distribution issues represents 85% of the cost of traditional solutions. With no special purpose hardware or training, the Intelligent Loop solution is completely free to try with no upfront costs. The efficiency of app delivery and cloud-computing allows solution to be delivered for about $75.00 per month for a medium sized organization. Full pricing information for this solution can be found at http://intelligentloop.com/Tool-Management-Software-Prici...

This model and cost savings is not unlike other SaaS enterprise offerings such as that offered by SalesForce.com. The capabilities of a smartphone carry this concept one-step further by eliminating special purpose hardware from a solution where that hardware has traditionally been the core component of the solution.

Modern smartphones support the same barcode scanning capabilities provided by special purpose hardware. App stores represent an efficient platform for initial software installation with updates being practically automatic. The third big hurdle in traditional tool track solutions is the management software. Cloud-computing enables software to be available to end-users, requiring nothing more than a web-browser. This concept of software-as-a-service greatly simplifies deploying a tool management solution across multiple users and multiple job sites. The personnel that are responsible for tool management at the jobsite or a tool crib, download the smartphone app, configure their credentials and the organization is ready to go.

A smartphone based tools management system puts the location and status of the assets in an organization at the fingertips of those who need the information, when and where they need it. Managers can rapidly determine who has what tools, which jobsite they are issued to, when they are due back, as well as depreciation over time, maintenance history and warranty expiration dates.

The “Tool Manager” app is available in the Android marketplace or Google Play. Search for Intelligent Loop then install the Tool Manager app. Registration at www.intelligentloop.com/Tool-Management-Software.html is required. Web-based interface allows multiple users in an organization to view transactions such as equipment checkout/check-in, depreciation and service. Users can securely generate reports of equipment details and historical transaction data from a standard web-browser in a myriad of formats including PDF, Microsoft @ Excel, Microsoft @ Word/RTF, HTML, plain text or in CSV format for import into a database or other application.

The web-based counterpart to the Android app allows secure access to your data from any standard web-browser.

“Smartphones with GPS and barcode scanning capability, coupled with cloud computing technology, enable businesses to incorporate productivity enhancing tools that were previously associated with high costs, high complexity and high time commitments just to get started” explained Intelligent Loop’ president, Antonio Ransom. Antonio has been at the forefront of mobility since 1987. He was a developer at Bells Labs on the first generation cellular systems, a lead designer and architect for some of the most widely deployed 3G systems, and an architect for pre-commercial 4G systems.


About Intelligent Loop
Intelligent Loop Inc leverages advances in wireless, the web and computing to deliver easy to use productivity applications. Their mission is to link people and things that consume information, with people and things that collect, process, and disseminate information. For more information, visit http://www.intelligentloop.com or call 815-577-2024.