Tools that "disappear" are rarely stolen. They are usually with a colleague, in a service van, or on a site nobody quite remembers. This guide covers tool loans from your phone: you scan the QR code on the tool when you take it, and scan again when you bring it back. In between, the app knows who has what — and where it belongs.
- Scan the QR code on the tool.
- Take it out — tap Take yourself, and the tool is registered to you.
- Give it back — scan again and tap Give back.
- Confirm the checklist — the tool is home and free for the next person.
Before you start
Two things need to be in place before the first loan:
- The tool must be registered and carry a QR label. Unlike materials, where the label sits on the shelf, a tool label goes on the tool itself — it travels with the item.
- The app must be installed and you must be signed in as yourself. It is the login that decides who the tool is registered to.
Step 1: Scan the QR code on the tool
Everything starts with the scan. You do not need to look the tool up in a list first — the code opens the right card directly.
- Open the Scanner tab at the bottom of the app.
- Tap Scan Item and hold the camera over the QR code on the tool.
Step 2: Take the tool out
Once the code is read, the tool card opens, with the tool's number and name at the top — for example 124: Cordless drill #2.
Two fields matter most day to day:
- Its home location — the fixed place the tool belongs to, for example A 1.2.
- Checked out by — when the tool is in, this shows the location. When it is on loan, it shows the name of the person who has it.
To take it out, tap Take yourself. The tool is now registered to you, and everyone else on the team sees the same thing when they look it up.
Step 3: Give it back
The return runs the same way: scan the QR code on the tool again. The card now offers Give back instead of the loan button.
- Tap Give back. A return dialog opens, showing the tool number, name and home location at the top.
- Work through the Checklist and tick the items: Complete, Clean, Functional, and a final tick confirming the tool is physically back in place.
- Tap the green Return button.
Afterwards Checked out by shows the home location again, and the button on the card is back to Take yourself — ready for the next person. The whole return takes a few seconds.
Why a checklist on return?
The checklist is what separates "the tool has been returned" from "the tool is ready to use". Without it, the next person inherits the problem: they collect a drill with no battery, and find out on the roof.
- Complete — case, charger, battery and bits are all there, not just the machine.
- Clean — the tool is in the state you would want to find it in.
- Functional — it still works, and picked up no damage along the way.
- Back in place — it is physically at its home location, not still in your van.
If something is not right, do not simply leave the box unticked — report it with the Broken button in the return dialog, so the next person knows before they go to fetch the tool.
Seeing who has what
The point of scanning is the overview it gives everyone else. When someone looks the tool up — by scanning the code or finding it under Lists — they see:
- Checked out by — the name of whoever took it, or the home location if it is in.
- Its home location — where the tool goes back to.
- Return Date — when it is expected back, if a date has been set.
- A history of the bookings made against the tool.
This is what replaces the round of phone calls. Instead of ringing three colleagues to find the big hammer drill, you look it up and read the name.
When something is broken or missing
Damage is almost always noticed by whoever had the tool last — and it is far cheaper to record it there and then than to let the next person discover it.
- Alert Defect — on the tool card, usable at any time, not only on return.
- Broken — in the return dialog, for when something is wrong with what you are handing in.
- Add Task — puts a task on the tool, for example a service, calibration or "needs a new charger". The team finds these again under the Tasks tab at the bottom of the app.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between tools and materials?
Tools are lent out and come back — one specific unit is followed over time, and the system tracks who has it. Materials are consumed, and it is the quantity that is booked in and out. That is why the QR label goes on the tool itself, while a material label goes on the shelf.
Does every tool need its own QR code?
Yes. If two identical drills are to be told apart — which is exactly what you want when one of them is out — they need a code each. That is also why tools carry their own number and name, such as 124: Cordless drill #2.
What happens if someone forgets to scan?
The tool still shows as being in, and the overview no longer matches reality. That is the one habit that has to stick. In return, it is the whole job: one scan out, one scan in — quicker than signing a sheet on the wall.
What do I do if the tool is damaged when I return it?
Return it anyway, but tap Broken in the return dialog instead of ticking Functional. The damage is then recorded against the tool, and the next person sees it before they go to collect it.
In short
Tool loans on the phone come down to two scans: one when you take the tool, one when you bring it back. In exchange, the team stops guessing where things are, damage gets recorded by whoever caused it, and tools that do not come back become visible while they can still be found.
Try Lagerdrift free for 30 days →Stuck? Email us at kontakt@lagerdrift.no — we answer within 24 hours, and support is always free.