Asset tracking answers three questions: what do we own, where is it, and who has it.
Tracking connects physical items such as laptops, vehicles, tools and stock to accurate records. Without it, organizations buy things they already own, fail audits, and cannot say who was responsible when something disappears.
What is worth tracking
Not every stapler needs a serial number. Tag what sits above your capitalization or risk threshold, and start with the high-value, mobile, regulated or shared items.
That register then feeds depreciation, insurance claims, maintenance scheduling and the checklist you use when someone joins or leaves.
- IT hardware and mobile devices
- Fleet and field equipment
- Tools and calibrated instruments
- High-value stock and spare parts
How to tag it
Barcodes and QR codes are cheap to print and scan with a phone. RFID reads many tags at once, through obstacles, which is what makes it useful in a warehouse or a data hall.
Match the tag to the environment. Outdoor equipment needs weatherproof labels, and sterile or hazardous areas often require particular materials.
Processes and owners
Define what happens on check-out, transfer, maintenance and retirement. Each of those events should update location, custodian and status in the register.
Give each department an owner who reconciles the physical count against the system on a regular cadence.
Keeping finance in step
The operational register has to reconcile to the fixed asset subledger for anything on the balance sheet. A disposal in the field must reach accounting.
Keep an audit trail of who changed what and when. Many organizations need it for SOX and for insurance.
Written by the team at Ambivo, a business platform that keeps CRM, accounting and ERP on one customer record. This article is general guidance on the topic rather than a description of Ambivo features.