Finding the Right Inventory Tracking Freeware

Managing assets or inventory is a demanding task. You are responsible for knowing all the data about the entire lifecycle of an asset or item in inventory at any given time. Being prepared is of utmost importance and having an inventory management system in place will help workers achieve that. Finding the right inventory tracking freeware used to be easy – just write it down or put it in a spreadsheet. That’s no longer the case.

Today’s business environment has gotten even more competitive due in part to the advances in technology and mobile devices and apps that make tracking inventory and assets easier. Thankfully, modern inventory management systems are accelerating efficiency in most organizations by giving employees an accurate, real-time picture of what inventory a company holds. Workers no longer have to guess about what they might have on hand or if they have the assets available to move the inventory from place to place. Employees can breathe a sigh of relief that they know where their inventory or assets are at all times, who has them, when the stock may arrive or is to be checked out, and if needed, repair history on fixed assets.

Unfortunately, the most common inventory tracking freeware, spreadsheets, don’t provide near that detail, and they are costing companies money and employee time. Just because something is free doesn’t mean that it’s a good fit.

Spreadsheets (aka Excel documents or Excel sheets) have been a simple solution for analyzing basic data. However, this common inventory tracking freeware is not an ideal solution for tracking assets and large quantities of inventory. In fact, the use of spreadsheets can actually lead to problems as the amount of information grows over time.

The act of using spreadsheets is long and time-consuming. Just think of the time spent manually keying in every single letter/number for every asset across multiple columns for hundreds or possibly thousands of lines. Without built-in data validation for key fields it is very easy, and very costly, to make a data entry error. Just one incorrect keystroke that isn’t immediately caught can make an asset “disappear.” And when that asset is needed and can’t be found, companies may consider it lost or stolen and just replace it. A complete waste of money when the item has been there all along – just had the wrong number attached to it!

In tracking inventory, customers want their items right away or they will find another supplier who has what they need. Having an employee manually enter in every item that is received or goes out and associated quantities is not a good use of time. With so much data to enter, inventory and asset tracking software is a much more efficient and cost-effective way to track and keep up with growing inventory numbers and constantly moving assets.

And speaking of moving … if the assets or inventory you’re managing do not stay in one place, then the people who need to manage them tend to not be in one place either. Employees need to be ready to perform tasks related to inventory and asset management anytime/anywhere. When an employee uses an asset or inventory in one facility or takes it out, they simply just have to scan a barcode (or QR code) on the item with their smartphone, and instantly they have recorded all of the critical data about that particular tool or piece of equipment. Other employees have instant data on where an asset is and who has it, or if a particular inventory item is in stock and where it’s located. Try doing that with a spreadsheet!

Asset Panda is the best inventory management tool on the market today, ideal for any organization, of any size, in any business. Whether online or through our Mobile App, our intuitive interface makes it easy to work from anywhere, on devices you’re already using. That means everyone in your organization has quick and easy on-demand access to everything they need to know about your assets.

With unlimited fields and reconfigurability, Asset Panda can change as your needs change so that it’s always the perfect platform to meet goals or solve problems. Users can quickly integrate with legacy systems. Seamlessly import data from existing spreadsheets. Create customizable reports for relevant, contextual insights. And with  world-class customer service, you can trust the Asset Panda team to quickly and efficiently answer questions or troubleshoot problems.

It’s time to get rid of that outdated inventory tracking freeware. Let Asset Panda be “Your Platform For Working Smarter.” See why companies are leaving spreadsheets behind and try us with a free 14-day trial. For more information, visit www.assetpanda.com.