The industrial power tool system includes a controller physically disposed in a predefined location within an assembly line work station. The controller has a first radio frequency transceiver that propagates a digital communication signal at a predefined power. A human operable portable power tool has a second radio frequency transceiver configured to communicate with the first transceiver, providing a signal strength datum indicative of the received signal strength. A processor circuit causes the tool to perform a sequence of predefined assembly job steps that are mediated by the processor circuit according to a control loop running on the processor circuit. The processor circuit compares the signal strength datum to a predefined signal strength threshold to determine if the distance between the first and second radio frequency transceivers is less than a predefined distance that defines a home area proximate the controller. The processor circuit uses the test of this distance as at least one operative step in the control loop that mediates the sequence of predefined assembly job steps.