DEWALT, a Stanley Black & Decker brand and leader in total jobsite solutions, has announced the launch of the DEWALT Tool Connect Partner Network, a first-of-its-kind ecosystem that integrates leading technology providers to deliver the most comprehensive jobsite asset tracking solution in the construction industry.

According to a study of the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)¹, construction site theft continues to impact the U.S. industry, with annual losses ranging between $300 million and $1 billion in stolen equipment alone. Alarmingly, recovery rates remain dismally low — often under 25%, and in some cases below 7% — leaving most stolen assets unrecovered. Tool-specific losses are also substantial: U.S. construction sites lose tools valued at approximately $100 million annually.

The Tool Connect Partner Network builds on DEWALT's existing connected solutions, including mobile devices equipped with the DEWALT Tool Connect app, as well as the DEWALT Construction Asset Gateway (DCE082), a Bluetooth-enabled cellular gateway that attaches to job boxes and tool rooms to detect and locate nearby DEWALT Tool Connect tools and tagged equipment. Partner integrations extend this detection capability by leveraging each partner's existing infrastructure as additional detection nodes — capturing DEWALT tool and equipment locations wherever partner hardware is present. Partners include the following:

• Geotab: A global leader in connected operations, video telematics and AI-powered insights that will detect and report the location of nearby DEWALT Tool Connect tools as they move across their customers' fleet.
• Trackunit: The construction industry's leading telematics and intelligence platform for off-road equipment, enabling Trackunit-connected machines to detect DEWALT Tool Connect tools on and around heavy equipment and machinery on the jobsite.
• BoxLock: Innovator in intelligent access control solutions, enabling BoxLock-secured storage units to serve as detection points that log DEWALT tool location when tools are accessed or nearby.

"Our customers have told us that the network is the largest challenge in deploying tool tracking at scale," said Eric Loeliger, director of product management, DEWALT. "The Tool Connect Partner Network solves this by turning the infrastructure customers already have — their fleet vehicles, their heavy equipment, their smart locks — into a tracking network for their DEWALT tools. They get a single view of where their tools are, with significantly less effort. This is the broadest network of its kind in the industry."

Today's construction professionals face the challenge of tracking assets across various locations — trucks, worksites, warehouses, and heavy equipment — using fragmented systems that can lead to gaps in visibility. The Tool Connect Partner Network solves this by consolidating premier technology providers into one connected platform. Additional partners — including telematics providers and platforms spanning ERP, estimating, and other critical workflows — are expected to join the network in the coming year.

Existing Tool Connect customers can activate partner integrations today through the Tool Connect website.

For organizations new to Tool Connect, create your account at https://toolconnect.dewalt.com/create-account or contact [email protected] or your DEWALT representative to get started.

¹http://ascpro0.ascweb.org/archives/cd/2019/paper/CPRT247002019.pdf Location of tool dependent on accuracy of third-party partner technology.