College Inventory Management Has Never Been More Vital

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Transitioning to an online class format invites various challenges for higher education institutions, professors, students, and parents alike. College inventory management – especially concerning IT fixed assets – has perhaps never been more critical. In the wake of the coronavirus, several U.S. colleges have decided to shut down temporarily in favor of online classes. If schools are going to keep classes running as smoothly as possible with minimal interruptions, they need an accurate, reliable college inventory management system to monitor their IT assets.

 Including college inventory such as:

  • their servers
  • software
  • school-issued laptops
  • any many more

The Benefits of a College Inventory Management System

Assuming that these colleges already have an infrastructure for online education, implementing solid college inventory management procedures can help minimize or eliminate disruptions to classes and communication – among institutions, faculty, and their students.

Why Use a Higher Education Inventory Management System?

Even before this recent potential global health crisis, colleges were challenged with how to track and manage a substantial volume of inventory. Within any institute of higher learning are IT fixed assets, including laptops, desktops, and/or tablets to projectors, software and software licenses, and, often, online libraries and online textbooks. Keeping that inventory in tip-top shape is imperative to ensure that classes run smoothly due to budgetary constraints and grant qualification criteria.

A good college inventory management program can also help reduce security vulnerabilities. By having access to real-time fixed asset data, colleges are much more likely to stay on top of preventive maintenance and critical updates that help lower the risk of hacking. They can also more easily track and service IT assets that are student-issued for the academic year(s) or loaned to students on a short-term basis.

Inventory Management Helps You Save Time and Money

Any college that tracks IT fixed asset maintenance on an Excel spreadsheet will find it nearly impossible to keep up with the maintenance schedules of every asset. Outsourcing that function allows users to set up customized alerts and other reminders, so they never miss preventive maintenance. Your institution's IT assets that are appropriately serviced on schedule last longer, run faster, and are more secure.

Like all fixed assets, IT assets have value, and colleges should report each asset for accounting and compliance purposes. A college inventory management system can usually track depreciation accurately and efficiently, eliminating guesswork and the potential for mistakes, fines, and other penalties.

Technology Asset Use Will Rise for Colleges and Higher Education Institutions

Setting the coronavirus aside momentarily, IT fixed asset management only promises to become a more critical function at colleges with each passing year. According to a report by the Institute of Education Sciences/National Center for Education Statistics, total enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions should increase by 3 percent between fall 2016 and fall 2027. The use of technology as a fundamental learning tool is here to stay and will only expand – and it must if colleges hope to prepare their students for the demands of the modern workplace.

Asset Panda's College and Higher Education Inventory Management System

Mobile technology makes it easier than ever for colleges to centralize the entire lifecycle of each IT asset in one convenient location. A completely customizable approach to college inventory management is as near as your smartphone or tablet. Asset Panda’s free mobile app includes a barcode scanner and eliminates the need for additional hardware, software, or expensive software licenses.

If you want to learn why Asset Panda is one of the best asset management software solutions, get your free demo and try our college inventory management system free for 14 days (no credit card required)!

You’ll receive full access to user guides, video tutorials, free mobile apps, and call-in and live chat support from our amazing Asset Panda support team!

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