When you’re managing a fleet at a construction site—such as bulldozers, cranes, trucks, and heavy machinery—you’re not just doing that with the machines themselves.
You are responsible for tracking, maintaining, and properly allocating an entire inventory of high-value assets across several job sites.
Keeping track of your tools and materials isn’t quite as easy as it sounds.
It’s about having an idea as to where your equipment is, how often you use it, when you should service it, and making sure your investment is not being left idle or misplaced.
While it may be tempting to do manual tracking on spreadsheets or emails and telephone calls, it is error-prone and not very efficient.
Lack of or misplaced equipment can lengthen projects and raise needless expenses.
Projects can be stalled if the inventory-to-equipment ratio is poor and equipment is either unavailable or underutilized.
Catastrophic failures due to lack of maintenance oversight can be very sloppy, and costly, requiring repair and more downtime.
If you’re a construction company that works with yellow iron assets—the high-value, high-duty equipment that keeps your projects moving—then a construction equipment inventory management system is not just nice to have, it’s a necessity.
To make sure you are getting the best from your fleet and still protecting your bottom line, it is a necessity.
The term heavy equipment inventory management refers to processes and systems that are used to track, maintain, and control the physical assets of a fleet of activities with heavy machinery.
This includes bulldozers, cranes, excavators, trucks, loaders, and all other kinds of heavy machinery.
A key goal in heavy equipment inventory management is to maintain full tracking and optimum productivity of each heavy piece of equipment.
Both traditional inventory management and heavy equipment management, however, are not concerned with stock or raw materials like traditional inventory management, but with tangible assets, such as heavy equipment that are generally high cost, high value, and critical to the project's success.
However, these assets often need special consideration for their intricate maintenance needs, their high operation expenditure, and long expected lifetimes.
Best For: Real-Time Equipment Tracking and Inventory Management
In construction precision, efficiency, and seamless coordination are impossible to ignore – Clue is an industry leader in inventory management software, designed specifically for projects of all sizes that require definition and precision in everything you do.
Its value proposition lies in what it can do: it can unify, simplify, and make inventory management processes more efficient, so your team can work more accurately, cost-effectively, and with more focus on project success.
Clue brings all inventory data (materials, tools, and equipment) into one centralized intuitive interface.
With its ‘Single Pane of Glass', you don't have to deal with disparate systems, manual spreadsheets, or fragmented workflows.
This gives users a holistic view of inventory across multiple projects and geographies and allows users to make informed decisions quickly and with confidence.
Clue is designed around user experience, simplifying what otherwise would be complex tasks of inventory management.
Its layout is intuitive and reduces training time, making it easy for site managers, or procurement teams, to use the platform.
Clue eliminates friction in use thereby reducing errors in tracking inventory and maximising productivity.
With Clue, your inventory management can be done anywhere, anytime.
It’s perfect for construction environments where field accessibility is crucial because teams can check stock levels, log transactions, or reorder items directly from their smartphones or tablets.
It guarantees real-time updates and powerful collaboration among office and site teams.
Clue adjusts easily to the size and complexity of your project, large or small.
It has a flexible architecture that works well for simple and complex inventory needs that grow with your operations instead of needing disruptive system overhauls.
“It is very user-friendly and my field guys can easily navigate through the app.”
Alfonso H., Project Manager
“If you're in search of an effective solution for monitoring equipment, managing real-time data and locations, handling audit and inspection forms, managing work orders, and Utilization, I would highly suggest considering Clue as a viable choice.”
Jeremy S., Shop Foreman
Check out Clue for Pricing.
Best For: Visual and simple inventory tracking for construction materials and tools
Optimized for construction professionals, Sortly’s construction inventory management software provides an easy-to-use platform with real-time visibility and control over materials and equipment.
With its intuitive interface, the system is simple to use and does not demand lengthy training, so teams can adopt the system quickly and streamline inventory time.
Mobile accessibility allows users access to manage inventory in other job sites with iPads and Smartphones and keep track of inventory accurately regardless of location.
Thanks to the software’s visual inventory system with high-resolution photos and customizable fields, items are easy to identify and organize in an overall more efficient way.
“There is physical inventory management and tracking that helps with the entire organization process, speeding up processes that could take a long time before and not have exact data. I can easily search for the data I need through the folders that are created with the exact inventory information.”
Caroline B., Bachelor in Supply Chain Management
“My only negative feedback about Sortly is the limited pricing options. They seem to have too large of a jump in options. We have a larger inventory but we do not need any additional features that are available in the next step up for cost. We are limited to 2,000 entries and we need, approximately 500-1,000 more. The next step up provides 8,000 more entries (10,000 total) but it is 300% more expensive per year. We cannot justify the cost as a small company but we would gladly pay 50% more just to add another 500-1,000 entries.”
Tina O., Owner and Principal Engineer
Contact the vendor for pricing.
Best For: Managing heavy equipment inventory and jobsite materials
Equipment360 is HCSS's construction inventory management software that allows shop managers and mechanics to manage equipment parts at different locations and helps them do so in an efficient manner.
The real-time alerts for low inventory and parts utilization help in maintaining optimal stock levels and avert the cost of project delay.
This software enables the process of purchase orders, invoices and receipts to be streamlined to help improve the efficiency of operations.
The user-friendly design allows for quick setup via Excel imports thus making integration of existing data seamless.
“This program is great for heavy equipment Creates work orders and can handle inventory Does good payroll.”
Riccardo F., Business Process Manager
“So far I have not experienced any cons with this software. The only thing that is annoying is that only 3 users can be logged in at once, and one time I was kicked out when I was in the middle of updating.”
Rochelle M., Receptionist
Contact the vendor for pricing.
Best For: Real-time tool and equipment management across construction sites
AlignOps’ ToolWatch is a comprehensive construction inventory management solution that allows our customers to keep track of and manage tools, equipment, and materials on every job site, and in every storage location.
It provides an easy-to-use interface with mobile capability, allowing real-time updates so that all teams can get their hands on important asset information on the fly, cutting downtime and increasing productivity.
ToolWatch uses the latest smart technologies like RFID, GPS, and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to simplify asset tracking by automating reporting and reducing losses and mismanagement of resources.
Also, the scalability along with effortless integration with the already existing systems assist it in being deployed by businesses of all sizes with an integrated solution for hassle-free operations.
“I like how easy it is to keep track of tools across multiple jobs, warehouses, and corporate divisions. The customer support is receptive and responsive.”
Luis H., Equipment Coordinator
“The only aspect I've struggled with so far is the billing browser and understanding the dates involved.”
Sarah M., Office Administrator
Contact the vendor for pricing.
Best For: Fleet and equipment maintenance tracking
With Parts & Inventory Management, Fleetio lets fleet managers keep spare parts in check to avoid overspending on inventory while also letting them know if they’re running low on a specific part to keep the maintenance on their vehicles.
Fleetio also provides real-time tracking of part quantities and usage so that you’re always aware of what to reorder and when to prevent stockouts and reduce vehicle downtime.
The user-friendly interface and mobile access ensure that teams can manage inventory easily anywhere and all at once, increasing operational efficiency.
By integrating with barcode scanning technology it provides inventory updates with no manual errors and expedites the process.
Fleetio centralizes parts data and automates workflows to enable better-informed decision-making and substantial cost savings as well as improved fleet performance.
“Drivers input of issues transform to work orders so easily. We used to wait for the paper inspection to come in to schedule work to be done. By the time you received the inspection sheet that problem has been needing repair for over a week. Now that the truck operators input the issues directly to the system our shop sees the issue that day and schedules the work for that weekend. Efficiency is way better now that we have been running the Fleetio Software.”
Kenny S., Vice President of Operations
“Although a great deal of Fleetio's settings are customizable, there are some features that would be more convenient if they had a customizable option. For example, there we have to pay HVUT on a few of our larger trucks, and Fleetio does not have an option to create a custom vehicle renewal reminder for this.”
Amanda D., Operations Coordinator
Contact the vendor for pricing.
Best For: Managing asset tracking for construction equipment
UpKeep's parts and supplies software gives maintenance teams full control over how and what they'll spend while maintaining a balance between stock supply and overhead.
Its mobile-friendly platform lets the technicians do real-time processing of the inventory data.
This ultimately reduces downtime as well as increases productivity.
UpKeep automates inventory counts by automating the paperwork and integrating the barcode scanning, reducing the number of manual errors and speeding up the process of reordering inventory.
The analytics from the system provide actionable insights into parts consumption and cost trends that can be used to make data-driven decisions.
UpKeep allows for a reliable inventory system for organizations to keep up and run a smooth maintenance operation.
“It fits very well with the small brewing ecosystem we have. The facility management control and equipment maintenance schedule and frequent service schedules are automatic. By the time I place a work order for each time I use a machine, the observation of how often the tools are adjusted and transformed is very clear. The program could easily be expanded, making it possible for several individuals to monitor each job and assist in keeping up with routine repairs and damage.”
Gabriela L., Managing Vice President, Head of Marketing
“If a fragment or resources are found/listed in a sub-location, as is the case of a production factory, they would at least have to be visible if searched elsewhere in the centrality and even updated requests for help. in the original position or against it. Usability to introduce elements that are already in the database. For example, grouping new locations within the same central. It should have the ability to choose a set of locations and move them to the main location.”
Daniel C., Principal, Commercial Growth Operations Leader
Contact the vendor for pricing.
Best For: Comprehensive asset tracking with strong reporting capabilities
Asset Panda’s inventory management software provides the complete solution for any organization looking to gain real-time visibility and full control over their inventory.
The cloud-based platform allows users to track stock levels at multiple locations to maintain accurate and up-to-date inventory data.
Mobile accessibility coupled with barcode scanning makes the system easy to track and manage inventory for any team from any location and thus makes the system more operationally efficient.
Asset Panda brings businesses together by consolidating inventory items, locations, and employee information into a single customizable system which streamlines workflows and enhances accountability.
Organizations with robust reporting capabilities and automated alerts can make informed and data-driven decisions to stop downtime and spend less than they should.
“Overall, this is an excellent piece of software, and I highly recommend it to anyone needing an easy but effective way to manage their assets.”
Verified Reviewer., IT Manager
“The user interface can be a bit overwhelming at first, and it took some time to get used to the navigation and layout of the software.”
Ana Z.., It Administrative
Contact the vendor for pricing.
Best For: End-to-end fleet and asset management
With real-time visibility and control of their valuable assets, businesses can improve security and operational efficiency with Fleet Complete’s asset-tracking solutions.
Fleet Complete uses GPS technology to provide precise monitoring of equipment, vehicles, and other assets to deliver maximum utilization and minimal downtime for companies.
Proactive management is easy through the user-friendly interface and customizable alerts which can prevent theft and unauthorized use.
It is seamlessly integrated into solving virtually any industry's asset management needs with solutions tailored to meet any industry's needs for a comprehensive asset management approach.
With Fleet Complete, organizations can substantively trim costs and elevate onshore productivity with the ability to track and manage their fleets effectively.
“Very user friendly after initial setup, lots of tabs and customizable options for assets and recourses.”
Mark L., Mgmt Oil & Energy
“Some of the reporting software is not as simple as I thought.”
Melissa G., Office Assistant
Contact the vendor for pricing.
Best For: Equipment management across multiple locations
Using SmartEquip’s inventory management solutions, equipment owners and suppliers gain the ability to streamline parts buying and service support efforts, increasing equipment operational efficiency and lowering equipment downtime.
The platform taps into real-time data from more than 700 supplier brands to ensure accurate parts identification and a supply of parts, so there are no errors and in turn delays in the procurement process.
With support for mobile access, technicians can access interactive parts diagrams and service manuals while they're on the go to keep service and maintenance up to date.
The system however seamlessly integrates with existing ERP and fleet management systems, which automates workflows, reduces administrative workloads, and keeps data accurate.
SmartEquip’s network and technology offer organizations a way to control inventory and increase productivity while saving costs.
Visit Capterra for up-to-date reviews
Contact the vendor for pricing.
Best For: Integrated construction inventory and equipment management
Construction professionals using Procore’s Equipment Management solution use a single platform to manage their equipment assets so that they are used most effectively and operations are as streamlined as possible.
Centralizing the equipment data gives you the ability to automatically assign equipment to a job site and view usage, schedule inspections, and control maintenance on multiple devices.
This made it possible to integrate telematics data for real-time insight into equipment location and operational metrics to inform decision-making and proactively reduce downtime.
This holistic approach not only makes equipment available, but it makes the project teams work together, and together, that leads to better outcomes and cost efficiencies.
“Great service and user-friendly for the most part. Grateful to have an easy way to access General Contractor's files.”
Michael V., Specialty Contractor
“Great set of features tailored to construction projects.”
Mark T., Design Engineer - Systems Integration Lead
Contact the vendor for pricing.
If you are involved in the construction of inventory, then you know that many construction companies struggle with managing their inventory because of poor software systems in place.
Good solutions for tracking and managing construction assets include Sortly, HCSS - Equipment360, and ToolWatch by AlignOps; while Fleetio and UpKeep are great solutions for fleet-centered operations with strong maintenance and inventory tools.
With the customizable tracking of assets, Asset Panda is distinct, and SmartEquip shines with procurement and service management.
While Fleet Complete pairs asset tracking with operational intelligence, Procore takes equipment management in stride as part of a broader construction workflow.
But Clue is by far the most comprehensive and easy-to-use system for managing construction inventory.
Clue outshines most with its real-time inventory tracking, single-pane-of-glass interface, and mobile friendliness — equally suited to large, complex projects, small operations, and everything in between.
With advanced analytics, supporting preventive maintenance scheduling, and seamless system integrations, it is a leader in driving efficiency, reducing costs, and assuring that construction projects remain on schedule.
If you are ready to take your construction inventory management to the next level and get rid of headaches of manual tracking or disjointed systems, Clue is your best bet.
Don’t let inefficiencies hold you back—experience the Clue difference today. Get started with Clue.
The four main steps in inventory management are demand forecasting, inventory procurement, inventory tracking, and inventory control. Demand forecasting involves predicting the quantity of inventory needed to meet customer or project requirements. Inventory procurement ensures the timely acquisition of stock. Inventory tracking monitors stock levels and locations, while inventory control ensures optimal levels are maintained to avoid overstocking or stockouts.
The three major types of inventory strategies are Just-In-Time (JIT), Economic Order Quantity (EOQ), and ABC Analysis. JIT minimizes inventory by ordering only when needed, reducing carrying costs. EOQ calculates the optimal order quantity to minimize ordering and holding costs. ABC Analysis prioritizes inventory management by categorizing items based on their value or importance.
MRO inventory refers to Maintenance, Repair, and Operations inventory, which includes the tools, equipment, and supplies needed to support production and operational activities. These items are not part of the final product but are essential for maintaining efficient operations.