ASSET

TRACKING
eBOOK
A practical guide for tracking hardware
and other fixed assets

www.amitracks.com | [email protected] | 877.297.7618

2025 First Ave. Suite 1212 | Seattle, WA 98121
Table of Contents

SOUND FAMILIAR? 4

FIGURE OUT YOUR REQUIREMENTS 5

Define Your Business Goals 5
Create User Stories 7

DOCUMENT YOUR REQUIREMENTS 8

Create Your Data Dictionary 9
Identify Required Reports 10
Create Report Mockups 11
Create the Field List 12
Define Asset Life-Cycle States 13
Identify Transitions Between States 15
Map Fields to Processes 15

STRUCTURE FOUNDATIONAL DATA 16

Define “Asset” and “Consumable” 16
Locations 17
Categories 18
Models 19
Users 19
Organizations 19
Purchase Orders 20

ASSEMBLE TOOLS 21
Asset Database 21
Asset Tags 22
Barcode and RFID Scanners 23
Tags 23
Barcode and RFID Device Types 24
Asset Tracking Software 25

ESTABLISH A BASELINE INVENTORY 26

Step 1: Tag Locations 26
Step 2: Plan Inventory Locations 26

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Table of Contents

Step 3: Select a Pilot Location 27

Step 4: Prepare Your Data Collectors 27
Step 5: Perform The Inventory 27
Step 6: Reconcile Inventory Data 28

AUTOMATE ASSET TRACKING PROCESSES 29

Receive Assets 29
Design Considerations 29
Prepare Receiving Personnel 30
Receive Assets 30
Track Assets 32
Deploy Assets 32
Move Assets 32
Check In 33
Retire Assets 33
Dispose Assets 34

PERFORM AUDITS 35
Audit Types 35
Develop Scope and Schedule 35
Perform a Location Audit 36

ADVANCED TOPICS 37
Reconciling Data Exceptions 37
Use Advanced Shipping Notices (ASN) 37
Consider RFID 38
Integrate Your Tracking and Auto-Discovery Tools 39

TAKEAWAYS 40

CONTACT US 41

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Sound Familiar?

• CIO: “We failed another audit, and might pay huge fines.”

• CFO:​“People are asking me for additional budget. How can I know if people are
effectively using the budget they already have?”

• Security​: “We don’t know which devices have sensitive data nor where they are.”

• IT Director:​“Are we paying maintenance costs for assets we no longer use?”

• Finance: ​“Have we paid for computers we didn’t receive?”

• Asset Manager:​ “I can’t get our techs to update the repository when they close
tickets!”

• Asset Manager:​ ”How can I manage software when I can’t keep track of
hardware?”

If so, this document is for you. ​Inside you will find guidelines to build an enterprise
asset tracking solution that solves these problems and more. It’s intended for asset
managers responsible for achieving compliance, savings, availability, and security ​via
complete, current, and accurate asset data.

With an effective asset tracking process, you’ll become

confident your asset inventory is complete, current and
accurate at all times.

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Figure Out Your Requirements

Too often, solutions are implemented before the problems are truly understood. Make sure
you and everyone else involved knows the problems you’re attempting to solve. Below you’ll
find a simple process, with examples, of how to identify and document requirements.

1. Define the business goals​you want to achieve

2. Create user stories ​that describe how each goal is achieved
3. Create report mockups​to discover data requirements and get input from
stake holders
4. Extract a list of fields​from the report mockups to define required data
elements
5. Define lifecycle states ​as assets move through their life
6. Define transitions ​where the state of an asset changes
7. Maps data elements ​to lifecycle states, processes and reports

Define Your Business Goals

Your executive sponsors want to know why the business needs to track assets, not how. Your
stakeholders need confidence that their needs will be met. Solution architects need clear
direction to build and maintain the solution efficiently. End users need to understand the
reason why they have to track assets.

Start by making a list of the specific goals of the asset tracking solution that, if implemented,
delivery tangible value to the business. Invite all stakeholders to contribute to this list to
identify everyone’s goals.

Need help determining your requirements? We can help.

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Consider the list below as a starting point.

Related To Receiving Assets

● Minimize maintenance costs​by linking assets to warranties accurately
● Minimize over payments​by paying only for received assets
● Succeed audits​by linking assets to purchase orders
● Quickly correct​a problem by knowing when a shipment does not match an order
● Save time ​tracking assets by registering and tagging correctly at receiving
● Get people to contribute​sooner by getting them their assets now

Related To Tracking Assets

● Know where each asset is located to reclaim,​service, optimize, replace or dispose it
● Minimize risk of losing sensitive data b​y knowing when assets go missing
● Plan budgets accurately ​by maintaining accurate inventory
● Minimize maintenance costs​by knowing which assets are coming off warranty.

Related To Auditing Assets

● Avoid financial penalties​by knowing chain-of-custody control of assets
● Grow executive confidence​by proving our asset data is trustworthy
● Show external auditors​your assets and processes are accurate and robust
● Save time​by eliminating the need for manual inventories
● Enforce employee accountability​via regular auditing of asset tracking history

Related To Disposing Assets

● Protect company data​by ensuring assets are properly wiped before disposal
● Minimize taxes​, maintenance and insurance​by getting unused assets off the books
● Recover residual value ​by selling assets for cash

Develop your list of goals and share with all stakeholders

to ensure everyone’s needs are known.
Create User Stories
Next, write requirements in a user story format. User stories identify who has the need, what
that user wants to do, and why the business benefits. Expressing requirements in user story
format ensures you communicate the value of the asset tracking solution in natural language
that everyone can understand.

User stories have a specific format that defines a role, action, and outcome. “As a [role], I
want to [action], so that I can [achieve an outcome].” This format makes it easy to know what
users will perform what functions and whether the system successfully meets the user criteria.
Best of all, user stories remove all the technical jargon which do nothing but to confuse
people.

A few examples of user stories can get you started in building your own list:

● As an accounts payable agent,​I want to see all received assets for an order,
to know we paid only for assets we received.

● As the CIO​, I want to see all assets assigned to a specific maintenance

contract, to identify contracts to renegotiate.

● As an asset manager,​I want to see all assets in inventory, to avoid buying

assets we already have in available stock.

Expressing your requirements this way will help you define success from a stakeholder’s
perspective. If these user stories come true, your asset tracking system is delivering value.
If not, your asset tracking system is an unnecessary cost.

User stories are a common and valuable method to capture

business requirements. They are written from the user’s
perspective, using a simple, narrative approach.
Document Your Requirements

The requirements from your stakeholder needs to be captured in one place for all to see. This
is important in ensuring goals are met, as well as to ease the administration of the technology
you deploy.

A Data Dictionary​will help you map your various reports to data fields and processes you
design. It ensures technical staff know how to configure tools, end users know how to test and
use the system, and that future changes to underlying technology don’t break things. We
typically use a spreadsheet to capture the data dictionary information. A template is provided
that you are free to use.

To create the Data Dictionary, we will follow this process:

1. List the business goals.

2. List the reports​needed to achieve the goals.
3. Compile a complete, clean list of the data fields ​needed for reporting
requirements.
4. Identify each state​of an asset’s life.
5. Identify the transitions​between each stage. These are your life cycle processes.
6. Determine which processes​will update required data fields.

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Create Your Data Dictionary
Create a new spreadsheet in a shared location to which all stakeholders have access. List
the users and their stories you defined above in the first tab of the file. For each user story,
list the particular user, and the action that user is to perform. This file will become your data
dictionary.

AMI offers a free example data dictionary that you are free to copy

A data dictionary will help you collaborate with the team to identify
what reports, data fields and processes are needed, and why.
Identify Required Reports
For each user story, c
​ onsider what reports are required​to achieve the goal. Don’t
worry about specific details of the reports yet. Just imagine a report you would need to view
to achieve the a goal and give it a name and a simple description such as “See all assets
coming off warranty next year.” Later, we’ll flesh out the fields needed on these reports.

Consider using the example below​as a way to map your user stories to the reports.
Often, the same report can address more than one story.

Example mapping user stories to reports

Each organization has unique reporting needs. AMI Asset

Management experts can help.
Create Report Mockups
Next, ​Create a mockup​of each report. This will help you identify the information you need on
each report. Keep it simple. Create a spreadsheet listing the fields needed in each report to
achieve each your goals. Insert some dummy data. Share the mockups with your
stakeholders to determine if the reports contain all required data.

Here’s an example of a report showing assets coming off warranty next year. It addresses
the user story, “As an asset manager, I need to see a list of all assets coming off warranty
next year so that I can keep all assets under warranty with the minimum budget.”

“See a list of all assets coming off warranty,” describes a report, which I’ve mocked up
below using Google Sheets.

Sample Report Mockup

In this mockup, I discover I need nine data fields. This will become essential to building the
master field list, which will come next.

By creating dummy report mockups you will discover needs for

specific data.
Create The Field List
Now that you’ve identified reports to satisfy your goals, combine all the fields from all the
reports into one giant list of fields. Then, merge any duplicate fields that contain the same
data. This becomes your master field list​.

Add your field list into your data dictionary.​For each field, provide a unique name, a
label, a description, a data type, and any rules that apply to data in the field. This will ensure
everyone understands the purpose of each field to prevent duplicates.
Define Asset Life-Cycle States
Every field in your master field list must have data captured at some process in the asset life
cycle. To understand an asset’s life, we must list the states an asset can have from cradle to
grave. Understanding asset states will help us know where in the lifecycle our solution must
capture required data.

Below are some common asset life cycle stages. Consider these as a starting point to define
your asset lifecycle.

State/Sub-State Description

Ordering
Requested Someone has a need and requested to use a new asset

On Order Procurement created a purchase order to buy the requested

asset

In transit An ordered asset, in transit from the vendor to receiving location

Received A receiving clerk has taken physical possession of the asset,

shipped from the vendor (or, an asset returned from a remote
employee). This asset is ready to be stored in a warehouse or
stockroom as ‘in stock’.

In Stock
Installing A received asset, awaiting to be configured for use (e.g. a laptop
imaged with appropriate software). Next stage would be ‘available’.

Repairing An asset sent to a vendor for repair. Once fixed, this asset will
be returned to your company (entering the ‘received’ state.)

Retiring An asset deemed ‘no longer of use’ to your company and ready
to be wiped of data (if applicable.)
 State/Sub-State Description
Ready for Disposal An asset that has been wiped of data (if applicable) and ready to
be retired

Disposing An asset In transit to disposal company

Available An asset stored (in a warehouse or stockroom), prepared and

ready to be used by the end user

Reserved An in-stock asset, reserved for a specific end user

Defective An in-stock, defective asset

In Use
In Use An asset in use by the end user

Retired
Donated An asset donated to another entity

Sold An asset sold to another entity

Disposed An asset received and confirmed with an official certificate from the
disposal company. This asset is removed from the books, yet remains
as a record in the asset repository for reporting purposes.

Once you’ve identified and defined your life-cycle stages, you’re ready to assemble the tools
(e.g. tags, scanners, imports, tracking software, cmdb) to update your repository for each
asset life-cycle stage. Document this to ensure your people know how, and do, use a
common process to keep your repository up-to-date.
Identify Transitions Between States
Processes are the activities that change the state of an asset. These are the processes that
you must standardize and automate. Come to an agreement with your organization on
process names, and provide instructions for end users.

Map Fields To Processes

In the tab that contains your field list, add the ​processes​appropriate for your environment
(see, Define Your Asset Life-cycle​) as columns. This will allow you to determine during which
process each data field is captured or updated.

Use the data dictionary to show which process will update each field. Work with your stake-
holders to identify the most appropriate places to update these fields. Ensure that every field
is updated ​at least once​in the asset lifecycle.

Talk with our experts about your current asset tracking

processes.
Structure Foundational Data

To make your reports understood​by everyone, store asset information consistently,

recognizably and centrally. Use the same locations, categories, employee lists, vendor lists,
etc. across the enterprise. You can ​identify existing sources of information​such as HR,
Facilities, and Purchasing systems.

Schedule regular feeds​from these systems into your asset tracking database. This will
ensure you can share your asset information with the rest of the enterprise.

Don’t reinvent the wheel. ​To share asset data with other business systems, share the
foundational data as those systems.

Define “Asset” And “Consumable”

Carefully decide what kinds of things are important to track in your organization. In certain
cases it may cost more to manage a certain type of assets then the cost of doing nothing.
However, there should be clear items that you know to be required to achieve your business
goals. These are your ​Assets​.

Any other items you use but don’t track are ​Consumables​. While extremely important,
consumable management is the subject of another document.

An Asset is an item with a unique identifier, that you track through

its life-cycle.

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Track just what’s needed.​For instance, do you really need to track keyboards and mice?
How about Monitors? Here are some criteria for determining whether something is an asset
worth tracking.

● Value:​An item over a certain dollar amount

● Risk: ​An item containing sensitive company data

Focus only on high-value things at first.​This can limit the scope of initial tracking solution
deployments, so that you can more easily train users and receive valuable feedback. Once
successfully with initial asset types, you can expand and mature your asset tracking process
with little risk.

Here are some typical definitions of assets and consumables in US enterprise IT.

● Assets: Desktops, laptops, servers, network printers, switches/routers

● Consumables: Personal printers, PDAs, phones, monitors

Locations
To assign assets to a location​, your data collectors should select items from a list of
existing locations. Do not permit end users to collect non-structured, random location data or
you will be unable to generate accurate reports.

Use existing Location data.​Most organizations have a master location list defined in a
facilities system or elsewhere. Don’t reinvent your own location list, or you won’t be able
to easily share asset location information with other systems. If you have external master
location list, setup and automatic feed from that system so that your asset location list will
always remain in sync with the rest of the organization.
Use location codes.​​If possible, share location codes that uniquely identify location
records with the external system. This way location descriptions can change in the remote
system without changing the location hierarchy in your trackings system. You can also print
these as barcodes to make selecting locations easy for your data collectors.

Create a location list if needed​. If you do not have an existing master location list, create
one. The location list needs to be as simple as possible while still achieving the business
goals. A flat list of location is where you should start. If reports require that you group
locations together, then considering building a ​location hierarchy​. Consider the following
when building your location list.

● Reporting.​If you need to group multiple locations together in your reports, consider
creating a location hierarchy. (e.b. two-level hierarchy ​State​-> B
​ uilding​)

● Data entry.​Will users be able to select a correct location easily? - If you have
thousands of discrete locations, it will be challenging for your users to select the
right one. A hierarchy can help organize locations to make it easier for users to
select the location they need.

Categories
Categorize your assets to assist with reporting and data segmentation needs.

Create categories required for your reports. ​If you require a report listing all “IT assets,”
you can create a simple category called “IT asset.” However, if you need to run reports of
all laptops separate from servers, desktops, mobile devices, etc., then you need to create
additional categories so you can filter records in reports.

Protect access to data. ​Often organizations need to limit access to certain categories of
assets. Establish categories for your assets that enable you to grant permissions to
certain classes of assets to certain groups.
Categorization hierarchy.​Like locations, start simple. Define a flat list of asset categories
need for reporting and data segmentation purposes. If necessary, you can define a
category hierarchy. For example, have a top-level category to separate IT assets from
Facility assets. Under each top-level category, define sub-classes.

Models
When creating assets, ​your data collectors should select items from a list of existing
models (e.g. “Dell Latitude D610”). Pre-populate your database with all known models in
your organization to support fast and accurate data entry. If possible, integrate models from
aprocurement system to easily determine if ​you received what you bought​. As with
locations, ​if you do not have an electronic system​, create something simple to build your
list of unique models.

Users
Import user data from HR systems​, active directory, PeopleSoft, SAP, or perhaps your
SSOprovider to ensure assets are assigned to known individuals. ​Import a unique user id​
(e.g. abarcode on the user’s badge) for each user to make data collection and reconciliation
easier.

Import end user location data when available.​Use the source system (e.g. PeopleSoft,
Active Directory, SAP) to identify each employee’s location. Then, i​mport this data ​into your
tracking system on a regular schedule. Your tracking solution can use location data to filter
reports and limit access to records to reduce bandwidth and storage requirements. This
filtering will improve performance and increase accuracy on the employee’s data entry
devices.

Organizations
Your system should ​associate assets to organizational units​(e.g. division, business unit,
cost center) if reporting requires it. This will help you ​develop accurate reports​across
the organization. This is also ​required for proper charge back​. Your administration will have
defined this data hierarchy. Maintain this in your tracking system.

Purchase Orders
Import purchase order data from an ERP into your asset tracking system to:

1. Accurately pay invoices. ​Don’t pay for assets never received.

2. Receive faster. ​Users don’t have to select model information at the dock.
3. Improve asset data accuracy.​Users don’t have to select model information at
the dock.

Purchase from a catalog when possible. ​When creating purchase orders, choose model
information from the same model catalog used by your asset system.

Procurement people don’t like catalogs.​It slows them down. Often they can’t find the
product they want to purchase in the catalog. Often the product doesn’t exist in any catalog.
This means a purchase order line item doesn’t have a model understood by your asset
system.

Reconcile model exceptions before importing purchase order line items. ​Purchasing
people don’t like to order from catalogs. Often what a company buys is too complex to
categorize as a distinct line item in a catalog. What this means is, your asset system may
not know the model referred to by a specific line item. Ensure you have a process to identify
purchase order line items with unclear model information, and have an asset manager
assign the correct model before importing the line item into your tracking solution.
Assemble Tools

To review, you’ve identified goals, wrote requirements, developed reports, and defined the
triggers to update your asset repository.

You’re now ready to make some decisions about the available

hardware and software tools.

Asset Database
Many products exist to store your asset information centrally, from off-the-shelf applications to
enterprise-class, IT management suites. We recommend choosing a product that scales as
you grow your solution and allows asset managers to review, validate and approve collected
data, before applying it to the database. You should be able to customize fields and forms,
perform robust search and export functions and use the product API to integrate with existing
systems.

Some popular options for ITAM/CMDB systems are below:

● ServiceNow​- The cloud-based ITIL software suite from ServiceNow is one of the
most popular choices on the market as of the writing of this letter. AMI has had great
experience working with the ServiceNow platform. It is powerful and very flexible,
which is also its shortcoming. You need to be careful with how you configure
ServiceNow as tthe platform does not guarantee data quality for you.

● HP Asset Manager​- A long-time leader in the market, HP Asset Manager is the most
fully featured ITAM system on the market. It’s expensive to run and manage, though,
and often scary to new implement. That said, you can do extremely high-volume
asset management with HP Asset Manager, which is why it’s been around for so long.

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 ● Ivanti - Ivanti offers a mid-range asset management solution that is
comprehensive, including software deployment, discovery, patch management, and
asset management. Ivanti is very popular for mid-size organizations at a price
point that is highly attractive. Ivanti recently hired Patricia Adams, one of the
pioneers of IT Asset Management, so we expect great things from the Ivanti
product line.

● AMI AssetTrack​- To manage hardware asset inventory without all the complications
of CMDB, AMI offers AssetTrack as a scalable, yet simple asset tracking database
that works seamlessly with AMI’s AssetTrack barcode and RFID software.

Asset Tags
Every asset must have a unique identifier for you to track it through your environment. This
“asset tag” must be readable using a barcode and/or RFID label, for the asset to be
automatically updated in the database. This improves speed and accuracy for collecting
your asset data.

You can certainly use the manufacturer’s serial number tags to uniquely identify your assets.
However:

● Serial number is often difficult to find ​and scan vendor serial numbers tags
● Vendors choose where ​to place these tags, not you
● Each vendor uses their own​serial number schemes

By creating and using your own tags, you can:

● Place tags on assets to easily scan​and collect data as you receive them.
● Create a consistent serial number scheme​across all company assets.
● Improve accuracy when collecting data​by scanning your own tags, known by
your tracking system.
Don’t print your own barcode labels​. Pre-printed barcode labels cost less, are higher
quality, and are guaranteed to be unique. Self-printing labels is far more trouble than it’s
worth.

Barcode And RFID Scanners

Using barcode or RFID scanners​, you can easily, quickly and accurately collect data for
many assets within a large physical area. You’ll achieve better compliance of tracking
procedures and less errors than using spreadsheets and other manual data entry methods.

Tags
Barcode systems​use lasers or cameras to read barcode labels. These systems are
reliable and affordable but require line-of-site access to manually scan and read the labels.

Barcodes just work.​They’ve been around for a long time, cost less than RFID, are
efficient to use with scanners, easy to establish a consistent barcoding scheme, and
excellent for scanning a single asset (where RFID could inadvertently scan multiple assets).
However, barcodes require a human being to perform line-of-sight scanning, which can be
less efficient in certain use cases.

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)​uses radio frequency to sense and read tags
within its field. Many RFID readers and tags exist, supporting a wide variety of sizes from a
few centimeters (NFC), to a loading dock door (Passive RFID), to hundreds of feet (Active
RFID).

RFID is a fast, accurate, automated approach for collecting lots of data​, even for things
you can’t see. You can equip a data center with a fully automated RFID solution to track
assets down to a rack location. RFID technology is also an expensive (particularly hardware)
and complex solution, with a vast set of options. Do the math to determine if the cost will
save you money for the improved speed and accuracy for your data collection process.
 Use pre-printed barcode labels from a professional barcode label
manufacturer. Self-printing leads to more inconsistencies and
errors, costing you time and money.

Learn more about tagging.​For more information about choosing and implementing asset
tags, see A
​ MI’s Free Asset Tagging Guide​.

Barcode And RFID Device Types

Choose the correct scanning hardware for each environment.

For high-volume warehouses and stockrooms,​you need dedicated scanning hardware

with lasers and imagers. Ruggedized mobile devices withstand drops and harsh conditions.
Zebra is a long time leader of ruggedized scanner hardware. A particular favorite of AMI is
the ​ZebraTC75​Android rugged scanning device.

For field technicians​roaming around your environment (such as break/fix technicians)

iPhone and Android smartphones work well. Technicians can install and use asset tracking
applications on these devices, without having to carry around additional hardware.

Fixed RFID readers​can monitor doorways and stockrooms to provide automated,

​real-time inventory data​as assets move. RFID fixed readers require no human intervention,
which greatly saves time and improves accuracy. However, ​RFID systems are fallible​and
can be gamed, so be careful before using RFID readers as a security solution. The bad
guys can still sneak through your RFID gateways.

Scanning via a camera works well for large, easy-to-read barcodes

in good lighting conditions. Otherwise, dedicated scanners work
best.
Asset Tracking Software
Asset tracking software receives input​from various end points such as smartphones,
dedicated scanners, RFID readers, or automated feeds,​​and​merges that data into your
Asset Database​. You can either purchase available products from an asset tracking
vendor, or you build one yourself.

Asset tracking software must be ​flexible, scalable, centrally-managed, and easy to

integrate with your Asset Database. It must give your asset manager the control to
customize workflows,validation rules, and security.

Most importantly, ​it must be easy to use​for your end users.

Some consideration when selecting asset tracking software:

● Allows configuration of fields, validation rules and workflows.

● Supports all modern device types available to end users (smartphones,
scanners, RFID readers).
● Operates offline when a network connection is not available.
● Provides error detection and reconciliation by asset managers.
● Integrates in real-time with your backend asset management database.

Learn more about AMI AssetTrack software.

Establish a Baseline Inventory

Now that you’ve established your goals, requirements, lifecycle and tools, it is time to ​
establish a “baseline inventory”​. Without this your database will not reflect what assets you
currently own and where they reside. Below are the steps for developing a baseline to keep
your database accurate and current. Document this and keep it simple and accessible for
your staff to easily follow the steps.

Step 1: Tag Locations

Barcoding locations will yield big efficiency gains. As with assets, assign unique and patterned
location codes for users to scan when choosing locations. This improves data collection
speed and accuracy. AMI suggests a standard tagging scheme below, which enables
scanning tags inany order:

Asset tag pattern:​“A” plus eight digits. (A00000001, A00000002, A00000003,...)

Locations tag pattern:​“L” plus eight digits. (L00000001, L00000002, L00000003,...)

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Step 2: Plan Inventory Locations
To plan your baseline inventory, estimate the number of IT users for each location in your
“locations list”. Use these estimates after running a pilot to schedule visits for each location
to perform your baseline inventory.

Step 3: Select A Pilot Location

Select a pilot location to determine how fast each person can collect asset data. Use this to
estimate the number of people needed to inventory the rest of your environment. We
recommend inventorying 1000 assets for your pilot.

Step 4: Prepare Your Data Collectors

Ensure each data collector for your pilot project has a mobile device with scanning software,
and a roll of pre-printed, unique barcode labels. Inform each data collector which location(s)
to visit and which assets types to collect. Also, instruct each data collector on how to place
asset tags on assets (​see this guide to learn how​).

Step 5: Perform The Inventory

You’ve planned and selected locations, and prepared your data collectors. You’re now ready
to inventory your assets.

As a data collector:
1. Enter the room or cube to visually ​identify the assets to be inventoried.
2. Apply a unique asset tag to each asset​. Make it easy to find and scan later.

Using your mobile asset tracking software program:

3. Specify location information ​(scan the location barcode to identify your current
location).
4. Specify the end-user for the assets in this location.​Some tracking software will
find the user as you type in the first few characters. Or, if present, scan the barcode
of the user’s employee badge to select the assignee.
 5. Specify the model, manufacturer and asset type​for the first asset.
6. Scan the asset tag​for the specified model.
7. Scan the serial number​of the laptop. See that the asset is added to your list.
8. Repeat the above steps​for each asset in this location.
9. Save the record​and move to the next cube or room.

When finished scanning all assets for a given location:

10. Return the device​to your asset manager -or-
11. Upload the data​to the data collection server​.

Step 6: Reconcile Inventory Data

Use a reconciliation process to cleanse collected inventory data before applying it to the
database to:

● Find and normalize duplicate models, locations and assignees

● Identify which data collectors need training
● Identify locations not present during the inventory

Software such as ​AMI AssetTrack​allows asset managers to review and approve collected
data before applying it to the database. You can also create and apply validation rules to
automate this publishing process.

Request a demo of our industry-leading AssetTrack software.

Automate Asset Tracking Processes

Now that you’ve established your goals, requirements, lifecycle and tools, you can ​design an
automated asset tracking process​. We’ll examine the core processes​receive, track and
dispose assets​to save your company time and money, know where your assets are, who’s
using them, and to protect yourself from assets lost downstream of your disposal process.

Receive Assets
Receiving is the most critical process in the asset management lifecycle: when you take
possession of, and are responsible for, the ownership of assets showing up at your dock.
Design this process to be simple, easy and accurate for your receiver to accept and record
assets.

Design Considerations
Some considerations for designing your receiving process:

Can you export purchase order information from your procurement system to a file?
And does it share the item catalog (used by your buyers) with your asset tracking system?
If so,import this into your procurement system to ​buy only what you need​and ​pay only for
what you received​.

Do your vendors provide Advanced Shipping Notices (ASN)?

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With ASN, you can import electronic feeds of shipped assets into your asset repository
before they arrive. Your receivers will spend less time entering data at receiving having
useful information (e.g. model, serial number, cost, and PO number) already in your tracking
system.

Do you receive all assets in a centralized location?

If not, because vendors ship assets directly to your users, then your receiving process will
breakdown and suffer. End users will ignore any process instructions you send them. AMI
recommends you receive assets centrally. This ensures all assets you receive are logged
in your database, avoiding “rogue” assets. Many people feel drop-shipping saves time and
money. It does, until you are audited.

Do your vendors ship assets with scannable serial numbers on the boxes?
If not, you’ll spend time opening boxes on the receiving dock, to scan barcodes on the
assets. A real time sink and perhaps time to work with a new vendor.

Prepare Receiving Personnel

AMI recommends using mobile scanners to receive assets fast and accurately.​For each
receiving location provide at least: (1) a mobile scanner; (2) roll of pre-printed barcode asset
tags and; (3) scan sheets (if using AMI AssetTrack for each receiving location).

Receive Assets
AMI recommended steps to receive assets, using a mobile device, as they arrive on your
dock:

Step 1: Group received assets ​by purchase order (PO), then by model. This will
make it easyfor receivers to scan assets with a mobile device.

Step 2: Specify the purchase order number​. If you imported PO data into your
receiving system, scan the PO number barcode or select it from a list of POs.
Otherwise, manually enterthe PO number.
 Step 3: Specify receiving location​. You should only have to do this once as
location information should remain on the form for each PO group. Ideally, use a
solution like AssetTrack that supports scanning location barcodes.

For Each Asset Group:

Step 4: Specify manufacturer and model.​If you imported purchase order data that
includes model information, you can skip this step. However, without integration with
your purchasing system, your receiver will need to choose a model for the received
assets. Choosing the wrong model is a big source of pain for asset manager, so be
sure you train your receiving staff onhow to find and select the correct model for your
received assets.

Step 5: Scan the serial numbers​for all assets in the group. This will add the asset to
a ‘received’ list

Step 6: Repeat steps 4 and 5 ​for each remaining group of assets.

After receiving all assets​, you’ll want your asset manager to process this information. A
quality system allows receivers to upload mobile data directly to the server and into a queue.
Then, your asset manager can review, approve or change asset data, before committing it to
the database.

Apply Asset Tags, Or Not

We’ve described receiving assets scanning only serial numbers. Thus, received assets will
not be associated with any asset tags in your database. We recommend this approach to
save time by ​not​opening each box at the receiving dock. Instead, place asset tags on the
equipment (e.g.laptops and monitors) when preparing these for end-users (such as installing
the OS, applications, security agents, etc).
 Some customers require their receivers to place asset tags at
the dock. With less people responsible for tagging, one can know
where to go to improve the process. If you must tag at the dock,
capture the asset tag and serial number to associate these values
with the asset.

Receive Assets
Tracking assets allow you to know where your assets are and who’s using them as they flow
through your environment. This helps you reclaim, service, optimize or replace assets
efficiently. This also helps to maintain an accurate inventory to budget and plan effectively.

Deploy Assets
When deploying assets to end users, you’ll update the database with user and location
information. Also (as mentioned earlier), this is the best time to apply asset tags to the
equipment.

To track assets as they are deployed, using a mobile device:

1. Apply an asset tag​label on the equipment where it can be easily scanned once
the equipment is installed.
2. Select the location​for the deployed assets, ideally by scanning a location
barcode.
3. Choose the user ​assigned to this assets, ideally by scanning a user barcode.
4. Scan the serial number barcode​of the first asset.
5. Scan the asset tag​you just applied, to associate the asset tag and serial number
with this asset.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5​for all assets to be deployed.
7. Save ​and ​upload the data​from the mobile device to the server for all deployed
assets.

Move Assets
Assets move to new locations for many reasons:
● New assets get deployed from inventory
 ● Assets get replaced during a break/fix call
● Users and departments move to new locations
● Assets get refreshed (thus, replaced)

You should record when an asset moves to keep your database accurate and complete.
Otherwise, you must perform an elaborate and regular audit process of locations to know
where assets were moved to.

When moving assets, use mobile devices with scanners to track assets as they move:
1. Scan or enter the location​for the new destination
2. Specify new user information
3. Save and upload the data​to the server and into a queue for your asset manager
to review before applying these changes to the database

Check In
Assets that are returned to from the field must be checked into stockroom inventory.
Capture the stockroom location, the data, and choose the appropriate sub-state depending
on the stateof the returned assets.

● Available​for assets that can be redeployed

● Send for Repair​for assets that need repair.
● Retired​for assets that need to be wiped and disposed.

Retire Assets
Assets that are done with useful life must be removed from your environment in a controlled
way. Always retire assets first prior to disposal, to ensure assets are processed according to
business policy.
Dispose Assets
Track assets you send to your disposal vendor ​so that you can compare to the disposal
report they send back. This is how you ensure your disposal vendor properly disposes
assets.This proves you disposed assets properly, shifting responsibility to the vendor for any
assets lost downstream of your disposal process. This will save money and reduce risk by
avoiding any fines.

To properly dispose assets:

1. Collect the assets​to be disposed

2. Destroy any data​using a ​Department of Defense​compliant process
3. Select the D​ isposed​life-cycle stage​using your mobile device and tracking
application
4. Scan each asset’s asset tag​to update your system. Any undetected asset should
alert the user to collect any additional asset information.

If you track asset changes accurately and as changes occur, you

should never have to perform another baseline inventory.
Perform Audits

No asset tracking solution will catch everything.​Users grab monitors from unused desks.
Technicians deploy, move and dispose assets without using the tracking system to record
these stages. Performing regular audits, using a quality tracking system, allows you to quickly
correct errors and identify missing assets in your database due to human error or theft. This
will give you confidence that your asset database is ready to generate reports to make wise
business decisions.

Audit Types
There are different ways to audit your database.

● Spot audit​- Visiting a location and searching for specific assets randomly selected by
audit software.
● Location audit​- Scanning everything at a location to identify missing assets and
correct location information.
● Sample audit ​- Capturing all details for a random sample of assets to compare
data accuracy field-by-field

Develop Scope And Schedule

AMI recommends performing audits for a portion of your environment on a regular cycle. Audit
cycles and scope depend on the size of your organization and available staff and tools. As a
good starting point, consider auditing 1/12th of your asset environment each month. After a
year, you will have audited your entire asset inventory. Repeat this yearly. Whatever schedule
you choose, performing regular audits will help you detect missing assets, return them to their
proper locations, and keep your database up-to-date.

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Perform A Location Audit
Follow these steps for performing audits at regular intervals:

Step 1: Collect Audit Data

At a given location, capture each asset found at the location. Optionally capture assigned
user, lifecycle state, and cost-center, if those data points are important to confirm. You do
not need to capture static fields for an asset such as serial, model, manufacturer, unless it’s
missing from the database. Your mobile device software solution should alert the user when
scanning an unknown asset tag.

Step 2: Compare Audit Data

After asset data is captured, use a reporting tool or programming interface to compare
collected audit data with existing data in your repository. Some useful reports to determine
the accuracy of your audit include:

● Location accuracy:​What percentage of audited assets are in the correct location?

● User accuracy:​What percentage of audited assets are assigned to the correct
users?
● Cost center accuracy:​What percentage of audited assets are assigned to the
correctcost center?
● Non-matching assets:​Which audited assets do not match what’s in the repository
(by showing a list of audited assets and details)?

Step 3: Apply Audit Data

After comparing your audit data from the reports, apply the collected data to the database
using your asset tracking system. This will ensure your database is current and accurate.

Request a demo of AssetTrack software.

Advanced Topics

Reconciling Data Exceptions

You should review and reconcile data collected by your team​, before applying any
changesto the database. AMI recommends using a tool with a “queue” to support this
process. Items in your collected data to reconcile include:

● New models, locations, assignees and cost centers​created while collecting data
● Missing serial numbers or asset tags​required for every asset record
● Inconsistencies​, such as assets received with no corresponding purchase order
● Changes to static data​(e.g. model number, manufacturer, asset type). These fields
should not change unless they were entered incorrectly when received).
● Other fields​, based on business rules specific for your organization

Use Advanced Shipping Notices (ASN)

An Advanced Shipping Notice (ASN)​is a document providing detailed information about a
pending delivery. This will prepare you to accept delivery. An ASN is usually sent over the
Internet as an electronic file. It states when, what, how many items will be shipped, and
includes the number of boxes, weight and carrier. An ASN also contains the serial number,
manufacturer, make, and model information for all assets in the shipment. Import the ASN
before the equipment arrives, to save time at the receiving dock, by not having to capture this
information manually.

ASN files can be messy and often contain “excess” data. Examples include:

● Line items for shipping charges and discounts

● Multiple values for the same manufacturer (“Dell” and “Dell Inc.”)
● Varying product descriptions for similar products (“Dell Latitude D610” and “D610
Back To School Special!!!!”)

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To import ASN files, use a tool to trim and normalize the ASN data into a format expected
by your repository. You should be able to set up rules to help automate this process. For
instance, map strings for incoming model numbers with actual models in your database.
Then, your tool will import only correct and existing models into your repository.

Consider RFID
Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID)​is the use of radio waves to read and capture
information stored on a tag attached to an object. A tag can be read several feet away and
does not have to be within direct line-of-sight of the reader to be tracked. RFID eliminates
the need for human intervention. Considerations include:

● RFID tags don’t prevent theft.​An end user can place their hand over the RFID
tag, to prevent it from being read by many door readers.

● RFID technology is expensive.​To set up a comprehensive RFID tracking system,

you’ll need fixed readers on every door, elevator and room (depending on how
granular your need for location accuracy). Figure $5000 USD per reader, and do the
math to determine your ROI.

● Not all RFID are the same.​Passive RFID tags have a shorter read range than
more expensive Active tags. There are many different sizes and shapes of passive
RFID tagsthat have different read ranges. Don’t expect to use any old tag on any old
asset. You need to do plenty of testing.

Ready to see a customized demo of our industry-leading

AssetTrack software?
 ● RFID doesn’t work for all assets.​Metal cases require space between the
metal material and the RFID chip. Therefore the .15c RFID tags won’t work on
laptops and servers.

Before implementing an RFID solution​, hire a consulting company to assess your

environment. They will help you determine:

● The proper tags for the types of assets you want to track
● Any conflicts in certain frequency ranges
● Determine the number of fixed and mobile readers, antennae and installation
services

RFID technology will continue to mature, perhaps making this a mainstream solution.Mean-
while, checkout Microsoft BizTalk RFID and AMI AssetTrack to streamline RFIDimplementa-
tions.

Integrate Your Tracking And Auto-Discovery Tools

Say your data collector scanned in a serial number while receiving a computer. Later, the
network discovered and detected the same serial number for that computer while in use on
the network. This “matching” allows you to see both sets of data in reports, to find gaps and
fix errors in your tracking tools and discovery agents.

Capturing assets using barcode or RFID tags, updates your repository for assets in the
warehouse and for assets not connected to the network. Auto discovery captures assets
that are connected to the network. Using tracking ​and​discovery tools provides two data
sources to compare and fix exceptions. You can see which assets were scanned and which
were discovered. You’ll miss nothing.

Tracking assets using scanners + network software pinging

computers (auto-discovery) = more accurate information in your
asset repository
Takeaways

Here’s a checklist to review our recommendations for asset tracking.

STEP DESCRIPTION COMPLETION

Create User Stories Express requirements in natural language

Mockup Reports Create dummy reports so you can identify

necessary data.
Create A Field List Distill a master field list by combining all
report data
Build a Data Dictionary Map data fields, to reports, and processes
to ensure everything gets tracked.
Structure Foundational Map data fields, to reports, and processes
Data to ensure everything gets tracked.
Establish Baseline Capture a baseline of the inventory you
Inventory have today
Automate Lifecycle Automate updating the database with effi-
Processes cient tools and processes for end users.

Establish Audits Audit regularly to find and correct errors in

your data and your process.

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Contact Us

Thomas Watson is President, CEO and Founder of AMI in

Seattle, WA.

AMI offers asset tracking software and solutions to enterprise

and small-to-midsize organizations. AMI also offers a
comprehensive ITIL solutions integrated with the ServiceNow,
CA, HP, BMC RemedyForce and Ivanti platforms. Tom has
worked in the IT asset management software market for
fourteen years and has developed line-of-business software
applications for twenty.

Asset Management
International 2025 First Avenue
Suite 1212
Seattle, WA 98121
[email protected]
(877) 297-7618
amitracks.com
[email protected]

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