28 位库存和资产管理专家揭示了组织跟踪高价值资产的最有效方法
如果您的公司管理着高价值资产，您就会知道有效的资产跟踪有多重要。规模较小的高价值资产通常容易被盗或转移，而较大的高价值资产（如设备）通常需要定期预防性维护，以使您的投资在其整个生命周期内保持最佳运行。有效的资产管理只是一种良好的商业实践，通过确保您从每项资产以及所花费的每一美元中获得最大价值来保护您公司的投资并提高底线。
但追踪这些高价值资产的最佳方式是什么？就您的初始投资和长期结果而言，实施错误的资产跟踪系统是一个代价高昂的错误。虽然没有适用于所有企业的万能解决方案，但有一些行之有效的方法可以跟踪高价值资产。为了找出最适合当今组织的方法，我们联系了一个库存和资产管理专业人士小组，请他们回答以下问题：
“组织跟踪高价值资产最有效的方法是什么？”
认识我们的库存和资产管理专家小组：
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继续阅读，了解我们的专家对跟踪贵公司高价值资产的最佳方法的看法。
内特·马斯特森
@MapleHolistics
Nate Masterson 是 Maple Holistics 的营销经理。
“我们通过一个故障安全的机械化系统进行操作，该系统......”
从本质上讲，对我们来说，如果一件事出了问题，那么另一个故障保险装置就会启动，以防止事情发生横向变化。我们的卡车就是一个例子。司机对每一步都亲自负责。
他们使用员工编号检查钥匙是否上锁、解锁车库并规划路线。这样每个人都知道他们为什么拥有卡车以及用于什么目的。除此之外，每辆卡车都有一个跟踪器。这种故障安全机制可以防止任何事情出错，以至于无法轻易解决。
Ashish Chona
@ORBCOMM_Inc
Ashish Chona 负责 ORBCOMM 企业物联网软件解决方案的销售和业务开发。他的经验和兴趣领域包括移动、基于位置和识别的技术和服务、互联网和中间件技术、机器人技术、企业软件和嵌入式系统。
“有效追踪高价值资产的关键是……”
启用使用多种技术的解决方案的能力，以确保供应链中每一步的完全可见性。随着供应链变得更加复杂，可能会出现漏洞，特别是在不同利益相关者流程相遇的交接过程中。交接过程通常是手动的，并且通常缺乏可见性和控制力，从而导致可能对下游产生严重负面影响的错误。以高价值货物的冷链流程为例，它可以具有出色的卡车内温度控制，但可能会因仓库门打开太久等简单的事情而受到影响。
这就是物联网 (IoT) 技术和自动化可以更轻松地实时定位和解决错误的地方，确保从源头到目的地的合规性和资产完整性。通过使用可以使用物联网和其他技术（RFID、BLE、WIP、条形码、Wi-Fi、GPS、RTLS、蜂窝和卫星）跟踪设备和单个组件的综合物联网平台，运营和供应链管理人员可以获得更准确、更精细的信息知识不仅仅是资产位置和更高级别的指标。
杰夫·斯托尔曼
Jeff Stollman 是落基山技术营销部的首席顾问。他是一位技术未来学家，就开发新技术的可行性和策略向客户提供建议。他还协助区块链初创公司制定战略和白皮书，包括用于支持初始代币发行 (ICO) 的白皮书。
“跟踪资产的最佳方式取决于资产的类型……”
资产类型的一些示例是：
- 私人数字资产
- 公共数字资产
- 独特的实物资产
- 可锻造的实物资产
私有数字资产通常是指高价值资产的标签，其价值并非来自公开展示（例如加密货币）。私有数字资产通常可以在区块链上有效追踪。区块链不需要明文识别资产；它可以使用资产 ID 的哈希版本（哈希是用于命名资产的标识符的单向转换）。这可以防止它被知道和复制。
公共数字资产是通过公开展示获得价值的资产（例如作品或艺术品，包括文本、音乐、照片和视频）。区块链可用于跟踪此类资产的所有权，但很难防止此类资产被非法复制（如果它们受版权保护）。数字版权管理 (DRM) 等计划旨在防止未经授权的复制和使用此类资产，但它们难以实施，并且在其预期目标上效果不佳，新电影和新电影的广泛黑市证明了这一点。盗版音乐。
独特的有形资产具有物理形式并且可以单独标记（例如，雕塑、绘画、钻石、处方药瓶）。要跟踪此类资产，首先需要对其进行唯一标识。这通常通过某种形式的标记来完成。切工钻石有一个内置标签，因为它们包含微小的缺陷，可以使用高放大倍率独特地绘制出来。一旦被唯一识别，切割钻石就可以在区块链上进行追踪。对于人造资产，需要为资产添加标签。这可能是物品或其包装（如药品）上的纸质标签（通常带有条形码）。或者它可能是一个复杂的标签，可能使用包含独特化学特征的墨水或以独特图案压在一起的微型塑料珠的组合。一旦资产是唯一可识别的，就可以在区块链上跟踪其所有权。 Everledger 今天为切割钻石提供这种区块链跟踪服务。 TBSx3 跟踪葡萄酒。许多公司正在开发用于跟踪药品的区块链解决方案，包括 Rocky Mountain Technical Marketing、RXTransparent、Chronicled 和 iSolve。
可延展的实物资产是没有独特尺寸或形状的大宗物品（例如贵金属）。这些资产不能被唯一识别。即使是印有序列号的金锭也可以熔化并重新编号。或者，它的刨花可以被移除并潜逃。可以通过称重锭来检测去除情况，但可能无法跟踪去除的金属的下落。此外，铸锭可能会被熔化并去除一些材料，而剩余的材料会掺入另一种金属并重新铸造以达到相同的重量。在这种情况下，需要对锭进行化验以确认其是否已被更改。此类资产的跟踪目前由受信任方维护。例如，金矿将使用获得许可的装甲车运输车将新开采的黄金运送给客户。区块链可用于按重量或体积跟踪此类材料的运输，而无需标记材料的每个原子。但可能仍然需要在接收端进行测试。 Peerledger 正在开发一种区块链解决方案，以防止冲突矿物进入合法开采材料的供应链。
安娜·克内泽维奇
@M8A_解决方案
Anna Knezevic 是 M&A Solutions Ltd. 的董事总经理。Anna 是私营部门中小型企业的顾问。她在资本和金融领域发表过论文，并在数据分析的帮助下持续研究模型简化。 Knezevic 女士在超过五个国家拥有工作经验。她是一名特许金融分析师和精算师。
“让我们分解一下什么是高价值资产。可以是……”
无形的——软件、专利、信息：具有自己加密的独立自主访问系统应确保信息对普通黑客无法破译。如果失败，信息中的水印质量（例如，Mountweazel）应表明盗用您财产的人当前所在的位置，并使您能够取回您的财产。
人——技能、才能、声誉：不受欢迎的意见——数据挖掘社交媒体。这可以帮助您跟踪公众对关键人物的看法，以及与您的业务相关的任何潜在情绪变化。这有两个后果：1）一个快乐的员工是一个将继续工作的员工； 2）如果其他具有相同特征的人可用，您可以替换该资产，如果它离开了。
有形的——财产、厂房、设备：物联网是你的朋友。安装和安装由 Raspberry Pis 或 Andruinos 制成的小型定制跟踪设备非常便宜，可以实时告诉您资产在哪里以及它的运行情况。从土壤的盐度到生产的布料的米数都是可能的，而且很容易创建。
帕特里克·J·斯威尼二世
@PJSweeney
Patrick J. Sweeney II 是 RFID for Dummies 的作者 ，以及为物联网 (IoT) 如何在标签和阅读器之间进行通信创建协议的国际标准机构的共同贡献者。在 2012 年出售该公司之前，他还是全球领先的 RFID 软件和服务公司的首席执行官。
“最有效的资产跟踪取决于资产的大小和移动性……”
没有一个完美的答案。例如，所有留在医院内的大型医疗设备都可以使用启用了 Wi-Fi 的跟踪系统，其中的标签又大又贵，并且包含电池。像订婚戒指这样的小型昂贵物品通常留在商店内，可以使用价格低廉且非常小的无源射频识别标签 (pRFID)，可能包含数百万美元价值的多式联运集装箱可以使用与 GPS 跟踪相结合的有源 RFID 标签。您必须检查用例以确定跟踪资产的最佳方式，并且您需要一个允许多种类型标签的操作系统。
史蒂夫·王
Steve Wang 在人力资源部工作了 15 年以上，担任招聘经理和招聘人员。他还是一位连续创业者，从零开始帮助建立了 Mock Interview 和 CareerCo 等公司。
“The single most effective way for organizations to track their high-value assets is to…”
Incorporate a real-time tracking solution in their company. Things like passive and active RFIDs are used to automatically track assets as they come in and out of warehouses or delivery trucks. If you need to track your high-value assets’ exact location in real-time, RTLS (Real-Time Location Systems) be can be used in conjunction with RFIDs or barcodes to further monitor your assets’ status. By incorporating a real-time tracking solution to your business, you’ll be able to more precisely track your assets as well as discover new ways to improve asset management and reduce operational inefficiencies in this area.
Uwe Weinkauf
@mw2inc
Uwe Weinkauf is the CEO of MW2 Consulting, experts in Enterprise Application Development, Ecommerce, IT Outsourcing, and IT Operations that deliver valuable solutions for global business needs.
“When trying to track your company’s assets properly, you need to consider a few things…”
Such as how you are going to evaluate and prioritize your company’s requirements. To do this, you need to first define and prioritize what you are looking for from a software package to meet these needs. Second, evaluate the degree to which each product is able to meet your requirements. Lastly, before purchasing the software, take it for a test drive which will allow you to make sure that it’s actually a good fit.
Damon Shinnie
@findmeagift
Damon Shinnie is the Finance Manager at Find Me A Gift.
“The most effective way to track your valuable assets is to…”
Keep a register of the assets in question, which should include who has the asset, where they are using it, and when they are due to return the asset. The register should be signed by the employee who holds the asset and counter signed by their manager, and a copy of the register should be scanned and stored in a backed up digital format (in case the paper copy is lost or damaged). The register should be reviewed at least once a month to ensure that all assets have been returned by the due date.
As part of your process for dealing with employees who leave your employment, the register should be reviewed by either the HR department or the manager responsible for the employee to ensure that any assets they hold are returned before their employment ends.
Matt Man
@indusaiHQ
Matt is the CEO and co-founder of construction intelligence company, indus.ai. He is a serial entrepreneur with a passion to invent disrupting technology solutions on how future infrastructure will be built and managed.
“In order to track high-value assets effectively…”
Organizations should be utilizing a paradigm called Data-Driven Development. For the construction industry (as well as other project-based industries), having access to data is key to driving projects forward.
Eric Hobbs
@techassociateNC
Eric Hobbs started in 1991 as Network Administrator for a professional liability insurance carrier and was later promoted to IT Manager. In 1997, Eric started Technology Associates with the mission to provide ‘Big Company IT’ to businesses who didn’t have an IT staff. Over the years, Eric has worked with businesses large and small to help leverage technology for a competitive advantage.
“Having a proceduralized process is everything when it comes to high-value assets…”
From the logistics of every phase of the process, having an application that logs times, dates, notes of any changes made is key. Having a platform where all of these specifics are logged and easily accessed across all of your team involved is pertinent. If you can’t document the process, if you have missing inventory or an asset isn’t built out correctly, if you can’t identify which part of the process failed, you’re losing time and energy to inefficiency. Have a set-in-stone, trackable process to make sure your assets are efficient and profitable, from production to release.
Devin Pickell
@Devin_Pickell
Devin Pickell is a Content Marketing Specialist at G2 Crowd.
“It’s hard to pinpoint a single best way to track HVAs, but…”
Collaboration across departments and getting everyone involved is always useful.
A newer solution I’ve been seeing for asset provenance is through the use of blockchain technology paired with IoT and data analytics.
Sensors are smaller and cheaper than ever before, and they help link the physical world to the Internet. What’s the benefit of that? The use of data analytics. If we’re talking about tracking HVAs, imagine being able to use geospatial and telematic data to give you real-time insight on that asset.
Feeding this data into a blockchain ensures maximum transparency and traceability for everyone along the cycle for tracking HVAs (from shippers to the logistics department). Blockchain technology is immutable, which means the blocks of data on there can never be tampered with or destroyed.
As a matter of fact, a company called Everledger is currently using a similar process for tracking 1 million diamonds.
Ken Stalcup
Ken Stalcup is the Senior Director at Houlihan Valuation Advisors, Inc.
“There’s no one single way, in my opinion…”
The answer to this question depends on the nature of the asset.
I’ve had banks as clients. Cash is locked up in a safe, counted every day, and remains under the control of two people…dual control. No one person can access the cash alone. It always takes two people. Those are pretty good controls for cash. But the answer is different for other assets.
The ACFE (Association for Certified Fraud Examiners) compiles statistics on occupational frauds. Every other year, the ACFE surveys their membership (CFEs / Certified Fraud Examiners) and captures information on three classes of occupational fraud:financial statement frauds, cases of corruption, and asset misappropriation schemes. By far, asset misappropriation schemes are the largest percentage of cases. According to the ACFE’s 2018 Report to the Nations, asset misappropriation schemes represent approximately 89% of the occupational fraud cases reported by the CFEs.
There are several things businesses can do to prevent or detect these thefts:
To prevent thefts:
- Secure high-value assets in a controlled area. Maintain an inventory of and ID number for each asset. Periodically reconcile the inventory listing to physical assets.
- Develop a bullet-proof code of conduct for the employees. Establish a zero-tolerance for employee theft.
- Train employees. Identify bad, unacceptable behaviors and clearly state the company’s expectations.
To detect thefts:
- Consider the creation of an anonymous tip hotline. The ACFE notes this is THE most effective way to catch not only asset misappropriation schemes, but it is the number one way of detecting financial statement fraud and corruption.
- Have a very visible effort to control asset loss. Make it known to the employees that these assets are being watched. Have internal auditors or management reviews. Consider surprise audits.
- Develop other controls for assets. For example, no one person is allowed in the supply room…two people have to be there. Now, the flip side of this is that you can’t create a $10,000-a-year control to protect $10 in paper clips. The cost of the controls can’t exceed the benefit.
Jinesh Patel
@UptimeHealth
Jinesh is the Founder of UptimeHealth, a CMMS and asset management platform dedicated to helping healthcare facilities reduce cost and improve equipment management.
“The most effective way for organizations to track their assets…”
Especially the high-value assets, is to employ a computerized asset management software. This can be in the form of a CMMS or IWMS.
We always recommend our clients put anything they have of value into the software. Even if the device does not require maintenance or repair, it’s good to have a system generate a work order on a regular basis just to check on the asset and its health. The more important the asset is to the business function, the higher the check frequency should be.
Having a CMMS-type system automate a reminder to find and evaluate the device helps keep track of the assets health, cost, and improve the accuracy of depreciation calculations.
Steve Pritchard
@BenSherman1963
Steve Pritchard is a Business Consultant for Ben Sherman.
“Several real-time location systems work with technology such as…”
Bluetooth and barcodes to keep track of high-value assets. They also utilize Wi-Fi technology to provide extremely accurate location data, whether your assets are in transit, in another building, or just in another room in the company.
Real-time asset management means you can avoid unnecessary asset purchases because you are always aware of where your high-value ones are. You are also able to quickly identify any irregularities or problems.
Steve Kurniawan
Steve is an Indonesian-born serial entrepreneur and marketer. He has launched and runs tech and F&B companies. He is responsible for content marketing and growth strategy of Nine Peaks Media, a performance-based digital marketing agency. He’s addicted to great stories and creating great content.
“One of the most effective methods to track high-value physical assets today is…”
Using Bluetooth beacons, especially due to the fact that they are now relatively affordable compared to other options like RFID, and more reliable than barcodes. Setting up a beacon system, however, can be quite complicated at first, especially if you have a lot of different products where you will need to create a complex map interface. However, even if you are a small business, there are affordable options if you want to use a Bluetooth beacon, and a lot of them offer the option to track your assets with just your smartphone.
Kevin Dugan
@ApexSupplyChain
Kevin Dugan handles global communications for Apex Supply Chain Technologies, the world’s leading provider of self-serve automation. He is an award-winning professional with experience spanning marketing communications, public relations, content marketing, and social media. Dugan has more than 25 years of experience helping companies big and small tell their stories.
“Ultimately it takes a mix of people, process, and technology…”
Self-serve automation is one technology contributing to supply chain optimization by eliminating time-consuming tasks and allowing employees to focus on more valuable work. By helping manage, track, and control vital warehouse/DC equipment like handhelds, picking wearables, and other mobile devices, self-serve automated lockers help lower costs and increase productivity.
Smart locker solutions offer a straightforward process for managing high-value equipment. Facilities can come to a complete standstill without handhelds and picking equipment, but most companies do not manage or control it. This creates a variety of issues, including device hoarding and loss. This results in low employee productivity, wasted time, and frequent repairs and device replacement.
By providing a secure environment to protect a company’s significant investment in mobile devices, the process improves dramatically.
- Decrease Costs:Costs decrease with a more productive workforce and less-frequent asset replacement. In fact, companies see as much as a 40% reduction in device replacement costs.
- Increase Employee Productivity:Automating the device check-out and return process increases productivity, as assets can be deployed at the point of work throughout a facility. This also reduces “walk-and-wait” time.
- Make Devices Available 24/7:Employees check out assets using personalized ID cards or codes. This ensures they have access to the tools needed to do their job, and these tools are ready when they need them.
- Managers Work Smarter:Managers can focus on more important tasks since they do not have to help locate missing assets. If devices are not returned at the end of a shift, or if a device needs service, managers automatically receive alerts. Management can easily access the platform through a secure web portal or mobile app.
Grant van der Harst
Grant van der Harst, Managing Director at AngloLiners.co.uk, a leading road marking company providing a wide range of services to improve road conditions throughout the UK.
“Asset management can be tough, but…”
Thanks to recent changes in technology, assets are fast becoming a lot easier to manage than ever before.
Bluetooth Beacons are a great way for organizations to track high-value assets, since their location can be broadcasted, and added smart sensors, including vibration and GPS, make items a lot easier to manage and to locate once they leave your sight.
These beacons can be simply placed on assets leaving your organization and from that moment on, they can be easily traced by wireless location.
Sean Pour
@sellmaxusa
Sean Pour is the co-founder of SellMax.
“The single most effective way for organizations to track high-value assets is…”
By implementing Real-Time Location Systems, or RTLSs. They are a best choice for a business to make due to the efficiency of the system. RTLSs are able to leverage an established WLAN connection, saving time and money for the organization. Most importantly, RTLSs are compatible with all other high-value tracking systems:barcodes, passive RFID, active RFID, and Bluetooth beacons. In this way, RTLSs are able to work alongside other useful high-value asset trackers.
Dr. Scott Newton
@TeleTracking
Dr. Scott Newton is the Director of Product Management at TeleTracking. He has more than 30 years of experience in healthcare – working as an EMT, a nurse, an educator, and a patient flow command center leader. He is also a trusted adviser and thought leader.
“A real time locating system is the single most effective way for organizations to track high-value assets…”
In healthcare, this system enhances patient care and throughput by optimizing asset management. With the ability to pinpoint not only the location, but also the status of mobile equipment, real time location systems are critical to improving asset utilization and operational efficiency.
Kevin Lawton
@kevin_lawton
Kevin Lawton is the founder of the brand new distribution and logistics blog called TheNewWarehouse.com, which focuses on warehouse startups, transitions, and change. He has been in distribution operations for six years and has been part of starting four new distribution centers for three different companies as well as on teams for multiple automation and system transitions, with his focus being on inventory control.
“The best way to track high value assets is to…”
Use a unique identifier for each unit, such as a serial number or other type of unique code. This code must be built into your system to prompt scan on each transaction. From the time the product comes into the facility, it must be scanned into the system, and then that unique identifier must follow that product from put away, to bin moves, to picking and then ship confirmation. Additionally, all high value assets should be stored in a centralized area with high visibility to management and, if possible, security cameras placed in that area. In some instances, a locked caged area may be warranted depending on product and size. From an inventory perspective, these assets should be cycle counted with a very high frequency. In previous experience, I have had high value assets counted completely once a week.
Chris Wiegand
@Jibestream
Chris Wiegand is the CEO &Co-Founder of Jibestream. He started the company with a vision to change the way people engage with indoor spaces by fusing business data with maps. Chris has led Jibestream’s incredible growth from an idea to a globally recognized leader in the indoor mapping world.
“Having geospatially accurate maps of facilities is integral for any organization looking to track high-value assets…”
With maps, organizations can visualize assets to display and track their location and movement in the context of a map. Without geospatial context, any assets being tracked throughout a building will only appear as blue dots. Indoor maps are the difference between seeing an asset moving on a device with or without any meaningful location-awareness. An indoor mapping platform also opens the doors to additional complimentary use cases that provide valuable insights into behaviors and space utilization. For example, geofences can be used to create virtual boundaries and trigger alerts or notifications based on assets entering or exiting specified areas.
Rory Crawford
@BevSpot
Rory Crawford is the co-founder and CEO of Bevspot. Prior to co-founding BevSpot, Rory spent four years in San Francisco doing technology banking and investing at J.P. Morgan and General Atlantic, respectively. Rory graduated from Tufts University and spent one year at Harvard Business School before taking a leave in 2014 to pursue BevSpot.
“If you are in the restaurant or bar business, nothing is more important than…”
Keeping track of the food and beverage (F&B) you order and what your customers consume. Product waste equals profit loss and is a key reason why 60% of restaurants fail in their first three years and 80% over five years.
All-in-one F&B program management software is the most effective way to track your high value assets. It helps owners, managers, and chefs take control of their entire operation – from the bar to kitchen – on any device. The software takes inventory, tracks orders, and provides sales data instantly backed up to the cloud and accessible anywhere.
By using this kind of software and spending less time on back office functions, owners and managers can spend more time actually running the business and helping avoid the pitfalls that can doom their enterprise.
Kacper Brzozowski
@zety_com
Kacper Brzozowski is the Technical Founder at Zety. He started coding at the age of 8 in Visual Basic 6. His technical skills allowed the company to develop into what it is today.
“We use both Windows-based laptops and Macs…”
Find My Mac will let us locate and track all devices (we’ve got them all signed up with an Apple account before distributing the laptops), while Find my Device allows us to control Windows-based laptops. Those systems will handle locating, locking, and if needed, erasing the laptop’s hard disc’s content. When it comes to other expensive equipment (i.e., high-quality cameras) we install a specialized GPS tracking device that is designed for a suitcase carrying the device.
Jeff Sameth
@MTpestsolutions
Jeff is the president and owner of Masters Touch Pest Solutions. Jeff is involved in every aspect of the business from field training to sales to maintaining supplies. He makes sure his company is kept up to date with certifications and licenses to provide our customers with the most recent treatment techniques and safety requirements.
“Because of the nature of our work, tracking HVAs is an incredibly important part of our business…”
As a small business, we can’t afford to lose equipment in avoidable incidents such as car accidents, forgetting them at stops, and more. As a home services company, trust is a huge factor in our business. We don’t want people to feel like our techs can’t obey the speed limits, much less protect their home from pests.
We have a lot of challenging assets to manage and track simply due to the nature of our work. In order to do their jobs, our technicians need a vehicle, large inventories of expensive tools, and chemicals.
When our technicians are given a company vehicle, we expect them to obey the rules of the road and to not use it for personal use during working hours. We also expect tools to remain in the truck and to be returned in good condition at the end of the workday. As for chemicals, because we have to go through so much training and sit through a licensing process, the use of chemicals is strictly regulated so our business doesn’t lose its license.
Barcodes and GPS is the easiest way to track assets like ours. With GPS on company phones and attached to trucks, it’s easy to see where our technicians are at any given time and for how long. We could even check to see how many times they had an event, such as hitting the brakes or checking their phone while driving. We could remotely monitor speed and make sure technicians aren’t speeding during their route – paying special attention to speeds in neighborhoods and school zones.
Attaching barcodes to our chemicals and equipment, we could easily see who has checked out a piece of equipment and not returned it. We could also keep an inventory of our chemicals to ensure that an appropriate amount is being used for each service and some aren’t going missing.
By using these real-time asset management techniques, it’s possible improve our asset utilization and gain much-needed visibility into the status of our HVA, like our trucks and equipment.
Francisco Castro
@MarketingMaven2
Francisco Castro is a fractional CFO and owner and founder of AnalytIQ, a financial planning and business analytics firm. Francisco helps companies start businesses and guides them to a becoming a viable enterprise and to making profits.
“Tracking high-value assets in the early stages of an organization is often an overlooked component…”
And it can be detrimental if not taken seriously early on. In a smaller organization where assets tend to be of lower value, we’re lucky to see any type of tracking system. More times than not, you’ll normally find a Google Sheet or Excel file that maintains all their assets. However, for companies with higher value assets (i.e., cranes, construction equipment, antennas, etc.), tracking these assets can be a crucial component of their business, not only for operational purposes but also for accounting and tax benefits. The basic tracking systems normally use labeling, and in some more advanced situations RFID, to keep track of their assets. Reporting for these assets tends to be the next major obstacle to overcome as the data provided for these systems still requires strong oversight for effectiveness. Finding a flexible platform that can scale with your organization for the future needs to be based in the cloud, have solid integration capabilities with third-party platforms, and provide geolocation capabilities (if applicable to your business). Finally, a nice to have functionality but not necessarily mandatory for all scenarios is the ability to provide a depreciation schedule for these assets. This will make your year-end close much smoother and keep your accounting team happy.
Murray Quibell
@aqurussolutions
Murray Quibell is the Founder of Aqurus Solutions. Murray brings an executive-level, business-oriented approach to information and technology, management information systems, and compliance. As a Chartered Accountant with a specialization in IT, Murray has a passion for financial software solutions.
“The single most effective way for organizations to track intangible (data, customer information, etc.) and tangible (inventory, equipment, etc.) high-value assets is through…”
Cloud-based ERP software. We are in the midst of a radical change in technology preferences. Businesses are changing how they engage with customers, the speed at which they deliver products and services, and how they innovate. Choosing to upgrade or purchase cloud-based ERP technology is a necessary step for growing your business in today’s competitive market.
In terms of intangible high-value assets, the cloud offers secure gateways for remote access, document management systems that prevent the download of sensitive data, and on-site archival of sensitive information to avoid it falling into the wrong hands. Document retention is built into the cloud so that companies can be sure that they are compliant with government standards in their industry.
Likewise, tangible high-value assets like inventory and equipment occupying various locations or warehouses are also better tracked and monitored in the cloud. For example, any business that operates within a supply chain knows that supply chain requirements are constantly fluctuating and becoming increasingly complex. Modern business owners need a software solution that provides accurate, company-wide inventory data and lets you create proactive, responsive replenishment operations and minimize inventory costs.
Cloud-based inventory management software allows users to control system-wide inventory to efficiently manage their processes without losing track of costs. It allows users to receive stock to a specific location and drill down to change an item’s lot/serial number, valuation method, accounts, and more.
Cloud-based ERP solutions help streamline processes while gaining visibility over all high-value assets of an organization to accelerate business growth. With full mobile access from anywhere, on any device – it’s no wonder everyone is moving to the cloud.
Pratibha Vuppuluri
Pratibha Vuppuluri is the CEO of She Started It, a complete resource guide for working moms. Pratibha has more than ten years’ experience in the financial services industry, including seven years in the Healthcare, Private Equity Secondary Market and Technology Investment Banking space at both UBS and Deutsche Bank.
“The most effective way to track an organization’s high-value assets is to…”
Keep a record of your assets as they come in.
It may sound old-school, but it is still the most efficient. Companies may also opt to invest in software that has reporting and analytics functions. It is most helpful in collecting metrics that need to be measured.
Bijan Abdi
Bijan Abdi is the President and CEO of Freedom National Insurance Services, a managing general agent based in CA. He has over 30 years of experience in preferred, standard, and non-standard auto insurance. His background includes experience in sales, underwriting, program design, and maintenance, as well as managerial and executive duties.
“When asset tracking and trying to understand your company’s needs, it’s important to…”
Define and prioritize your company’s requirements from a fixed asset software package. Next, evaluate each product regarding the way it measures against your needs. Lastly, take the product on a test drive, so you can see first-hand whether the features that come along with the software are a good fit.
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