Tips for Implementing Barcode Scanning Equipment, Asset Tracking Platforms

After a lot of frustration, wasted time and money, you’ve finally decided to purchase barcode scanning equipment for your office, along with a broader asset tracking system. That’s a smart decision, especially if you've been relying on manual asset tracking procedures up until now. Excel spreadsheets are the most common format for manual asset-tracking, and their disadvantages and inefficiencies are numerous. For starters, they’re one-dimensional; you can’t consolidate changes from multiple employees. Second, they can’t track your data in real time. An Excel spreadsheet depends upon an already busy employee to keep it updated, and because your data is changing all the time, that’s very difficult to do. Third, they’re error-prone. Because we’re human, we’re going to make mistakes – a typo, an inadvertent omission – and those can throw off your recordkeeping. Fourth, manual systems open the door to loss and theft. If you don’t have a way to track your assets in real time, anytime, and those assets often change hands, a loss is likely. In the worst-case scenario, companies aren’t even aware that assets are missing or stolen, and unwittingly continue to pay insurance for them. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, then, by finding yourself reliable barcode scanning equipment and a good asset tracking platform.

When you begin your search, there are several things to keep in mind, all of which can help you determine the right solution for the unique needs of your organization:

First, define what you’re looking for. What are your goals? There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach that works for every organization. You want to be on the lookout for a solution that addresses your needs now, and is flexible enough for you to make adjustments as your needs change in the future – which, inevitably, they will.
Ease of use is everything. Your asset tracking efforts are only as good as your employee buy-in. You want every stakeholder involved in the lifecycle of your assets on board. Communication gaps will only result in errors, so it’s vital that everyone stay connected. Therefore, you want to be looking for a system that’s intuitive and easy to use. If it’s too complicated and your employees have to sit through hours of training, they won’t use it.

Find a solution that integrates easily with existing systems. Acclimation to your new system should be smooth and without hassles.

Find barcode scanning equipment that’s simple and cost-effective. Some asset tracking platforms require you to have separate barcode scanners, which can be handheld scanners or computers, or even fixed mounted devices, depending upon the nature of your business. The easiest and least expensive type of barcode scanner, though, is mobile and served up through an app, therefore eliminating the need for these separate devices, and enabling you to scan items using your smartphone or tablet.

Here's how easy it is to add a new asset on your smartphone or tablet using Asset Panda's mobile app:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93zh6PFn0hM

Look for customization. This one ties in with ease of use. You want to be able to set up your own parameters for who can see what, and you want to be able to organize and display your data in the way that makes sense for your organization. The best systems provide you with robust, totally customizable features.

Consider labels and tags. You’ll want to determine what kind of asset labels and/or tags your company will need, and find yourself a resource for getting them produced.

Asset Panda provides the most powerful, customizable and easy-to-use mobile asset tracking platform in the world. Our barcode scanning equipment comes built into our free mobile iOS and Android apps, and we provide our customers with an asset tag/label solution via our online store, BuyAssetTags.com.

The best way to discover Asset Panda is to try it yourself free for 14 days.