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I am looking for a solution to tag and track I.T. assets. Aside from the standard bar-code label and scanner, can anyone recommend or suggest any other methods for tracking assets?
Does anyone have experience with any asset tracking system they would specifically recommend or suggest I avoid?
Thanks
one of my clients had a bunch of those metal tags (the ones that stick to the item, and when pulled off leave a semi permanent mark where they were) printed up with their own set of serila numbers, and had everything stored in a central db. So no equipment got brought tossed out or sold unless the tag was turned back in to the guy in charge of it, if something went missing, there was a record of who should have had it and they had to sign for all equipment in their possesion, so there was no question about them acutally having it. Any new equipment got a new tag and serial numbers were never reused, just to prevent confusion.
A ****ing good storeman, thats all you need. Never mind the technology............................He will beat it every time.
Tony:
My situation:
Create an asset management system where all Network assets can be identified and cross-referenced with Finance records. Oh yea - you can't spend any money. (What a surprise)
Solution:
I already had a custom Intranet.
I used dameware and exported all server/workstation hardware, software, etc info to a csv file. Looked at the data and created a few new tables in the db. Wrote a script to populate the tables.
Wrote the asp app and voile - Asset management. I eventually scripted dameware to create the csv file, and another script to append the database files. The whole thing is automated now.
If you would like to go that route, I can send you the scripts for uploading the database and what not for a road map.
I also added a print function on the admin side of the app, where I could print asset tags and stick them on the equipment. (Poor mans solution)
Peace,
Dino
Yes yes yes, but if the data is not entered on the system correctly in the first place???????
That takes a human.....................He has to be good. Otherwise what you get is incomplete and in accurate;.
jinxy has it in a nutshell, the weakest link is the human element.
You need to ensure that
1. Additions
2. Modifications
3. Disposals
4. Transfers
Are completely and accurately recorded and authorised. It is a PROCESS DEPENDENT activity.
How you actually mark the assets is not that important by comparison.
Remember that Finance have a financial assets register, and any external auditor will attempt to reconcile the two. So you need an additional process to link the two sets of records.
Just a few thoughts
:)
Bah, the human element my bum! What you need is a bunch of RFID technology!
J/K They are right...although RFID and other tracking technologies could play a large part of the process. What we need, Tony, is some guidelines on what you want to accomplish with asset management. And I suspect you are asking so we can bring up these points, and help you get a view of the broad picture for this subject. ;) Smart move.
RFID is a good technology option to help reconcile logical records with physical locations, whether those records are for containers, widgets, handlers, or auditors (God, how I'd love to get some of those National Geographic radio ear tags on our internal audit staff! No more sneaky peaky when I'm away from my desk!)
If you are looking to manage the PCs and laptops in an office, RFID is probably not your best bet...depending on your needs. But tracking packages in a shipping hub warehouse? UPS has been using Bluetooth and wifi for some time now to scan and track packages as they move through the sorting process. I'd bet FedEx and DHL do very similar things, perhaps in different ways. Tagging the packages or objects themself is what people usually think of, but for warehousing and storage (physical items, not 1's and 0's) I think tagging containers is probably a much more efficient use of technology IF you have said f***ing good storeman, as Jinxy proposed. Know what bin your thingamabon is stored in? We can find it.
It makes me think of the swiss bank portion of The Davinci Code. I don't know how realistic that scenario was since I've never used a swiss bank before, but the idea was real intriguing.
Zen~
You are wrong there. Asset Tracking is all about control, and control is all about processes. Technology does not give you processes, it merely supports them.Quote:
Bah, the human element my bum! What you need is a bunch of RFID technology!
You might like to consider the Viet Nam war as an example?
:)