Why you need low-tech

Your phone isn't enough

Having a phone is obviously a great tool to keep on you during the workday. Being able to send and receive pictures, documents and important messages will always be beneficial. That said it is still limited. Phones have certainly come a long way. The variety of apps and software that can make your life easier is unquestionable. Of course, you can take notes on your phone, you can even draw diagrams with a stylus, and you can share these all with the touch of a button. But what about when you can't?

Anything with a battery can die. You might have forgotten it in the shop or your car, and you're not allowed to go to the parking lot during your shift. You're trying to make a repair but there's a bird's nest of wiring that you need to clean up before you even start. A picture would certainly make this easier. So can drawing a diagram.

Laptops and tablets also fail

Like with your phone, both these battery-powered devices can and will die. They are also bulky, leading to them not being carried to and from the work area as often as a phone. Many rely on proper internet connectivity to the local network to work. Yes, you can still take pictures, take notes and make diagrams if the power is out. But when all your schematics are stored on the cloud or the local network, you always risk being unable to access that vital information.

Not every square inch of a property will have proper internet access. Often areas of neglected coverage will house some important equipment. The equipment itself may interfere with your connection such as radio equipment. Your fire could be located outside the main facility in a metal building, blocking most radio signals from reaching your device. If the power goes out, and your facility doesn't have a generator, you're SOL.

Writing Tools

Paper, pencils and prints

Having your notebook handy you can draw a schematic and make special notes much quicker and more easily than with your phone. You also retain information better when you physically write it down. Small notebooks can fit right in your pocket, are cheap, and don't require power or Wi-Fi to work. Sharing information is as simple as ripping a page. 

A machine throws out an error you don't recognize. You normally search for it online, but IT is doing an update so the internet is out. Luckily your manager made sure to keep manuals of all the equipment in a readily accessible space. You can look it up and solve the issues without worries. 

The importance of having hard copies of prints and manuals only becomes apparent to those with an overreliance on technology when the technology fails. 

A way of helping to prevent this issue from happening in the future is making copies of the error codes. Whether you write a note or make a photocopy is up to you, but be sure to take this paperwork and put it inside the machine cabinet. Most big machines have at least a set of electrical prints inside their cabinets. Clipping it to other relevant paperwork for better organization.

Accessible and organized information will always allow you to work more efficiently and solve complex issues that would otherwise require intimate knowledge of a particular piece of equipment. Making notes for your future self and other mechanics may save you a headache down the line.