Introduction to Fixed Asset Management

There are obvious advantages to implement and maintain a registration and control over assets. The savings can be achieved by being able to see both the current distribution of the assets and in order to maximize their use. Monitoring reduces the unauthorized use or misappropriation and to ensure that employees who leave a few productive assets back under their control. In some cases, a system is in compliance with government regulations, loan terms, the terms of public subsidy, the conditions of insurance, etc. A person can maintain and manage all assets of a company if they have software to help them. Computer systems and software available to reduce complexity, save time and avoid errors. Why use a software asset management program?

While the methods of paper and pen can be used, software programs assist in the maintenance of registration, and the control of activities. This saves time and gives a clearer picture of the activities from sorting and viewing in different ways is simple and fast.

The most basic 'solution' would be using a spreadsheet like Excel. Even after migrating to software specifically designed for asset management, there are times that a spreadsheet can still be useful.

What is good?

What you call a property often depends on your activities. The first thing that comes to mind is fixed assets such as computers, manufacturing equipment, office furnishings, etc. You might also want to consider employees as assets or even to service and maintenance contracts. A flexible software asset management program can provide a way to keep track of the many things that most of us are not considered assets.

What are my first steps in creating a system or 'solution'?

1: Decide what assets will be managed.

The activities work more than the system configuration. Limit your activities to only those who in the course of a certain dollar value is a good idea.

2: Decide what are the characteristics of activity, it is important to register the software.

Your choices have an effect not only on the amount of work required, but also the extent to which you can manipulate and display information about resources in the field of sorting information assets or a combination of fields.

For example, if you set a field to the 'location' can then sort the data to see what activities are in every place. If you have a field 'type' or 'class' then you can further sort and view to display only certain types of assets such as computers in one or more locations.

As in every aspect of life you must make difficult choices between what is ideal and what is feasible. Your choices have an effect on data entry when new capital, and the collection of information on existing resources. Choices you make will also have an impact on your choice of software as some can not handle everything you want. One such limitation is found within the program AssetTrakker TrackitSoftware Pro software does not provide a method of tracking depreciation because it was felt that too much added complexity requires the collection and storage of data much more. Moreover, they felt, the manipulation of depreciation requires higher knowledge of government laws and regulations beyond the skills of those same people who are to benefit most from asset management. Accounting services already calculate and provide for depreciation. * Some software does not promote the calculation of depreciation, but offers only limited functionality, which in most cases is not the way demand regulations.

Some help!

Below is a list of 'fields' attributes of the goods for your consideration. Do not you want to use them all for their 'solution' and may have additional ones needed.

Asset #: The identification of keys used to track assets. Numbers can be straight or a number with an alphabetic prefix. (0001 or A001). This number is used for audit purposes and, perhaps, for the cross-reference.

Brand: Manufacturer

Model: useful when you can organize the purchase of services or components. Useful as a grouping allows the model type.

Serial #: identifying specific activities. Necessary when making warranty claims or insurance.

Cost for Ric:. Estimated replacement cost of an asset. Useful for planning, risk assessment and insurance.

Cross Ref. #: Number of the reference or tie together a group of assets.

Type: Can be used for a general grouping, such as furniture, computers, ships, etc.

Condition: good to see what is likely to require replacement or to decide on service needs.

Description: Another addition to the particular make, model and serial number.

Memo: Additional information on the property. If a computer you might want to list the details of specific hardware and the programs installed on it.

Department: This is useful to sort the tasks by the department to assist in the audit.

Location: in a good field for a search / sort may give you a clear view of where assets are located.

Used by: Needed if you have resources in the personal possession of an / or employees and assets away from business premises.

Date assigned: Useful if the activities are moved around or to say how long a property has remained in its current location.

EOL provided: the date when the asset is no longer useful.

Financed by: Sources of funds, if provided by the Bond, or external funds (loan) or a grant.

Cost: The total cost of acquisition of an asset.

Date of acquisition: It helps to give some idea of ​​when it might need replacing.

Arranged: Indicates a resource was deleted.

Date Prepared: Date asset was disposed.

% Business Use: Used if an asset is not used full time by the business to reduce asset utilization. Not for everyone, but a field that imagination could find a use is essential.

OUT: Used for the instrument / device location,

Taken By / In From: Used for the instrument / tracking device to indicate that you are taking or referral.

Date of expiry: Used for the instrument / tracking device to show when a well is due to return.

Value Recovery: net proceeds from the sale of an asset.

Disposed Detail: Notes on how and when an activity has been disposed of.

Warranty: Indicates whether the property is covered by a warranty or may be used if covered by a service / maintenance contract.

Warranty expiration: It 's good to see what deadlines are approaching for the maintenance or monitoring of service agreements. Helps prevent pay for the service covered by warranty, and ask for the repair of items before the deadline.

Image: may help to identify activities or where the 'look' is an important feature. Useful in the event of a claim ever made.

Value: You may amount the asset is assured. Exposure to risk control.

Leased: helps you keep track of leased versus owned property.

Lease End: used to warn when assets have to be replaced or the lease must be renewed under the terms of the lease.

Lease Start: Date of commencement of the lease on equipment leased.

Co Location: The name of the company which is in a good location.

Revision Date: This column records the data were performed scans batches of activity for audit purposes.

Mayor: Record the name of the person who performed the audit.

And after?

By now you have a good idea of ​​what the resource information that is being monitored. Before examining the various software packages available you should consider how many people will be entering data and how will access the data. For a small organization is likely that only one person will be involved in big business, but perhaps many will want to participate. Your situation may require you to purchase more than one software license and software must support multiple users.

Use a barcode scanner?

A scanner of bar codes can be used to speed data entry and control. This adds to support costs, and most software packages at lower prices for the limited supply of barcode scanners. When properly incorporated into the software a scanner can provide great value and save a lot of time, in particular for the annual audit.

The following describes the types of bar code scanners with software asset management.

A 'dumb' linked CCD scanner is more convenient and purchased for about $ 70. This can only be used when connected to the computer and acts like a keyboard in which you scan a barcode and is put in jail or any place where you are

A tethered scanners 'laser' is more money, but will be able to scan bar codes smaller and perhaps have a deeper field of view (easier to scan a bar code quickly).

A CCD or laser scanner, which has built in memory so scans can be made and then the scanner can be set and connected to a computer, and uploaded the scans. This is extremely useful for audit purposes. For maximum utility, the software should be optimized to take advantage of this feature 'lot' of memory. A unity which can be obtained for about $ 150.

A laser scanner with built-in memory, as well as an input screen and keys, which means that after scanning a bar code you can add additional information. These are more expensive and once their use has to be integrated into your management software. While prices are falling you are looking for units in the price range pocket pc plus the cost scanners. It is usual for software using these units also, for some reason, be a higher price.

Software Asset Management

The range of prices for the asset management software is $ 200 to $ 10,000 and all require you to do data entry existing capital, and some settings for your needs. Some offer telephone advice at an additional cost, but their hands for assistance is only with expensive packages (this level of software requires expensive sales force and marketing expenses in order, perhaps the price for the features provided, may seem high).

The criteria for buying a lot of people seem to use. You can have more.

1: 2 Price: Ease of implementation of the system 3: Ease of use 4: Ability to fit the business at 5: Feature 6: to manage potential growth

What can you get for a reasonable price

A full program of relational databases such as MS SQL Server Express, or the open source database. Today there is no reason to settle for less power or quality. Microsoft SQL Server 2005 provides their 'Express' DB version at no cost.

A program that allows you to attach images of activity. Although not required for all is something that one day you might want to use.

A program that integrates the use of scanner memory 'game' cheap barcode as, if not now, at some point in the future to an accessory will save you time and money. Used in auditing ensures an asset was actually seen as a barcode has been scanned.

A program that will allow the management of 10,000 + Activities. With the memory in your computer and a decent speed of the motor complete relational database there is a lot more and a limitation, but some functions might slow down a bit 'even a low-cost needs to handle more than 10,000 assets.

A program that is flexible in order to exploit the capabilities later, instead of having to implement all at once.

* If more than one person is to have access to the database then you should ensure that different levels of access can be set for different users to prevent unauthorized changes to data.

What you can get, but not cheap.

A program that integrates directly into the current accounting system.

This program has full professional depreciation calculations.

A program that runs directly on your company server (software low cost workstations and runs away while a central database may be located on the server and accessed by individual workstations is not the same be with the complete software-based server applet workstation.

Hand holding house and training to get your system up and running. There are companies who will sit with you and ask all the right questions, configure the software, audit and list all the resources and then train your staff how to operate and maintain the 'solution'. Most of my knowledge, it is recommended that an intermediate software at a high price, because it is easier to sell (even higher commission) for them and easier to install thanks to their familiarity with it.

Nuts and bolts

Collect Your Information Asset As you do this depends on your situation. In our discussion below assumes that you do not have existing information assets in an existing Excel spreadsheet or other format. If you do then you would save the job of exporting / importing data to asset management software.

From Ad Asset and numbered from zero

This is an advantage because they are limited by constraints inherited. Of course it's more work, as you can not just load the information on existing resources, but must collect everything yourself.

The collection of information on resources in terms of time. Obtaining this information accurately, with as little work as possible is important. Wondering how to do the work and planning will help make this big job easier.

Below is how I recommend you do this, but you can have your own, perhaps better plan.

Create data entry sheets that you will write to persons information about assets under their control. Your asset management software can create these or you could make an excel spreadsheet to obtain them.

Try to get a little 'buy in' from the department or location manager with control over assets. The nearest well is possible to allocate a share of responsibility, such activities will be better controlled. 'It's good my department' is a powerful incentive that 'she is she's Asset Department'.

Final stages

After entering the data, the cooperative manager helped you get, it's time to work with the data within your asset management software. It should not take time to familiarize yourself with how you can submit information to the user on the screen and in reports.

Now sit back and enjoy how easy it is to administer your assets ....