Saturday 22 December 2012

Asset Management Software and You

By Darren Folkes


Asset management software is a name that you have probably heard over and over again, but you may not be sure what it does, or even why it is necessary. To start, this is a type of software required by virtually any company that works in manufacturing, sales, distribution, and virtually anything else. Even if you simply work with customer support, non-physical assets are a concern. Do you want to keep track of it all? If this is really the situation, then you will want to start using asset tracking software.

asset management software will keep a record of every single asset that you want to monitor. It holds a number of different items, for example maintenance records, service schedules, depreciated value, replacement schedules, etc. Each of these are critical. A replacement schedule will help you to determine when a specific item is to be replaced. The software will signal when then item is to be replaced, and it might even make the order. Using this, you can have a cosntant supply line.

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. That being the case, the human element will always be needed, no matter how automated the system happens to be.

What about emergencies? This is clearly something that you will need to think about, especially with an asset management system. For example, what happens when a satellite location needs and asset that you happen to have? Can you redirect your assets using the software you have? You might want to think about a redesign!

Have you thought about intangible assets? How do they work into your business plan? Unlike other assets, they are not physical or monitary. These have been created through different efforts, and they could be copyrights, patents, accounts receivable, and computer software.

You must figure out whether or not you need asset tracking software before you buy it. Remember that asset management software can be expensive, especially when it is for an entire company. 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. Have you considered the users? How many employees do you have in your company that will be using the software? Is the software scalable? These are all things that you will need to ask, and providing the answers might prove to be difficult. Asset management is very important for a larger business. Not only does it make life easier, it cuts down on manpower. This will be a perfect time to investigate asset management, especially if your business is growing. The end result will always be worth it!




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment