When speaking about Asset tracking, we are talking about the process of recording the information of your company's physical assets and the locations and users that are associated with them. Another term used for this is asset management. There are software companies out there that create asset tracking solutions for both schools and businesses.
Information that is collected in some common asset tracking solutions are:
1. General Information (warranty, model, vendor, ect).
2. Purchase date and cost.
3. Who is the asset checked-out to?
4. Status of the device(deployable, deployed, broken, ect).
5. Maintenance Scheduale.
6. Device history(maintenance, check-out, ect)
What are your Physical Assets?
Physical assets are defined as any items purchased by your company that are to be used for an extended period of time. These can also be known as fixed ot tangible assets. For these types of items, it is a common occurance for them to have asset tags fixed to them by the company.
Examples of physical assets inslude:
1. Phones(cellular or lan-line)
2. Buildings
3. Vehicles
4. Computers
5. Furniture
6. Equipment(copiers, printers, ect)
7. Machinery
A complete asset management system should have to capabilities to log all of these different types of assets, while technology asset management systems will log all of you technology based assets. For these systems, it makes things easier if everything is tagged with an asset label and has a defined life cycle.
Why Track Asset?
The goal of using an asset tracking system is to save you both time and money. This ensures that the company has information that allows them to optimize the usage of assets, prevent theft and perform preventative maintenance. The goal of using asset tags with barcodes on them is to help lost items be returned and provides a way to keep your equipment organized.
If you are not using software to tracking your assets, how do you know where all these devices are? What do you use to keep an accurate assement of who has checked-out what items and when? This system should enable you to look up what items have been assigned to anyone who submits a request for new equipment. This will help to stop all those unnecessary purchases.
When companies know how their assets are being used, the efficiency that they gain by reducing the amount of time spent looking for assets and amount of they save by decreasing items that are duplicates increases.
Who Should Use Asset Tracking?
Healthcare: Keep track of computer, Ipads and medical equipment.
Offices: Keep track of records for all employee assigned devices.
Education: Check-out laptops and Chromebooks to teachers and students.
How do you Implent Asset Tracking?
When people say there are many ways to track assets, they are generally referring to the numerous ways people do this through spreadsheets.
However, the best and most efficient way is to use an asset tracking software that fits you company's needs.
Start tracking today! AssetRemix allows you to track up to 50 assets for free.