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Should I have more tools on hand than not enough?

I am a job corps student in automotive mechanics and I was wondering should I bring more tools than not enough if the job site is not a cooperative job site and I'm underneath a vehicle by myself. #first-job #student #entry-level

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Waldir’s Answer

Hello Cyrus,

Nice question!

For decades I have being fixing hydraulic machines in customers on different areas of Brasil.
Brasil is a large country, different regions and sometimes places with few resources.

In the beginning, I always forgot some tools I needed.
A while later, I started to transport almost my entire workshop.
Both situations are not the ideal.

Finally, after some years, the experience of so many difficults during technical assistance in the field, improved the ability to plan the work to be performed, the variables and unforeseen events that were more likely to happen.
I finally reached a better accuracy preparing the tools list for every job.

I use to do like this:
a. Plan in your mind the job you will be executing, phase by phase like a movie;
b. List all necessary tools;
c. List the problems more common that can happen ( This is the point that the experience help you).
d. Include the necessary tools for each problem;
e. Plan auxiliary tools as safety equipments, measuring tools and one of the most important point, cleanning staff to leave your space better than you found it;
f. Plan also the documents that eventually your custmer or the organization that you will work for, can request you. Example: your ID, hiring contract, list of tools, certificate of safety trainnings, certificate of the safety equipments and final reports of the work you did. There are some companies that do not ask for these documents, but I already lost days by not planning the necessary documents to execute the job.

Just as curiosity, two memories of my great grand father. He was reponsible for the workers on construction sector of houses, and buidings, etc..., on the nineteenth century:
1. He hired people checking the tools they had. New tools normally indicate low experience and poorly maintened tools were indication of low quality work;
and
2. The good worker should be able to sawing with the hammer and hammering with the saw.
:)

Another aspect that I would like to complement of the interesting question that you have, is that we can also make a parallel with other postions in the company.
The definition of how much resources you need to solve a problem, is part of the work day of all leaders.
When you have the responsablity of a team, sector, department or a company, you need to define dayly the resources you will need:

How many workers for specific activities should I plan;
If one get sick, how can I solve the problem;
How many machine hours should I schedule for that product;
If we have a machine down, how can I keep deliveries;
How much stock should I have;
How many spare parts should I have in stock;
How much money for the investments next year....

All of these questions have the same root ... define the minimum resources.

I hope I could help you.




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Hassan’s Answer

Absolutely. I firmly believe it better to have and not need than to need and not have. There are likely things you can't do without access to the right tools.
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