Most asset loss is not theft. It is weak custody, patchy offboarding and disposals nobody wrote down.
Asset loss covers theft, unexplained shrinkage and items that simply vanish from the records. The cost runs well past the replacement price: downtime, delayed projects, audit findings. Prevention is a mix of deterrents, detection and someone being accountable.
Find out where it goes
Break losses down by location, department, asset type and how long people have been in post. A spike after a reorganization, or during a stretch of rushed offboarding, points at your process rather than at a thief.
Separate deliberate theft from poor custody. Each needs a different answer.
Physical controls
Secure the storerooms, tool cribs and data halls with access control that fits what is inside. High-value items may need a locked cabinet, a cage or a checkout desk.
Cameras and badge logs put off casual theft and give you something to work with when an item does go missing.
- A compulsory checkout for portable high-value items
- Restricted storage with logged access
- Unannounced spot checks
- GPS or telemetry on fleet and field kit where the value justifies it
Policy and habit
Write down what people may use and how to report something missing. Staff should be able to report a loss and expect help rather than blame when the process failed them.
Managers set the tone by completing transfers and returns promptly when someone changes team.
Catching it early
Reconcile cycle counts against the register often enough to see drift. Investigate any variance above your threshold, and do it the same way every time.
Whether insurance and the police get involved depends on value and evidence. Document the incident either way.
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.