Thursday 11 October 2012

The Role of Asset Management Software

By Darren Folkes


You have probably heard of asset management software at one point or another, but you might not understand it. First of all, this type of software is needed by any company that deals with manufacturing, distribution, physical sales, and many other sorts. Even if you are dealing with customer support, you still have non-physical assets to deal with.

Do you want to find a way to keep track of it? If this is really the situation, then you will want to start using asset tracking software.

Your assets will be tracked carefully via the asset management software. It holds a number of different items, for example maintenance records, service schedules, depreciated value, replacement schedules, etc. Each of these is critical. With a replacement schedule for example, you will be able to determine when a particular item must be replaced. Asset management software will trigger an event alarm when the time comes to order replacements, and in some cases even make the order. A constant supply line can be established through this method.

Even with good asset management software, it is only as good as what is entered into the database. Even when using some of the best asset tracking software, the human element is still a requirement. What we mean of course is that if someone uses an asset or breaks it without making a report, the system will not know a replacement is needed. With that being understood, you can see why the human element is always necessary.

Have you considered emergencies? This is clearly something that you will need to think about, especially with an asset management system. What happens for instance, if you have a remote location that needs an asset? Can you redirect your assets using the software you have? Some redesign might be in on the horizon.

What about intangible assets? How do they work into your business plan? Intangible assets are non-physical, and they are non-monetary. These have of course been built through various efforts, amounting to accounts receivable, patents, computer software, and copyrights.

Before you buy any asset tracking software for your company, you should figure out whether or not you need it. When your asset management software will be used for an entire company, it will be expensive. One of the most important things of course is going over the cost as well as the level of functionality that you are going to need in your software. What about the users? How many employees will be using it? Can you scale the software? You need to find the answers. Asset management is very important for a larger business. It will make life easier and cut down on manpower. If you find that your business is growing, it might be a good time to investigate asset management. Once you get started you will find that it is all worth it.




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