How To Keep Track Of Your Stationery Cupboard

How To Keep Track Of Your Stationery Cupboard

How To Keep Track Of Your Stationery Cupboard

Is your stationery cupboard a mess? Do you find it hard to know what’s what and whether you have enough of everything? If your answer to these questions is “Yes”, you need to use an office equipment management system. 

We all think that we’ll keep our stationery cupboard under control. However, realistically cupboards such as these are usually somewhat unkempt. They may also be full to the brim of pencils and paper clips that you just don’t need. Unfortunately, they tend not to be full of those items of stationery that you actually need so you can work. 

When you use an equipment management system to keep track of everything, you’ll find doing so is easy. In fact, you can leave most of the hard work to the system. This means you can get on with your tasks while using the stationery you actually need.

Create A Digital Profile For Everything

Now it’s time for you to start using a trusted office equipment management system. Be sure to choose a system that has a good reputation and offers you a lot for your money. You should also make sure that the system is updated frequently and has a good level of security. 

Once you’ve chosen a product that’s right for you it’s time to create digital profiles. Do this for every asset you want to track. Wish to track a pile of notebooks and some boxes of pens?  Place a barcode or an RFID tag on the box or the edge of the shelf where a box will sit. Then, scan the barcode. Your system will automatically create a profile that you can fill with an abundance of information. Add as much information as you please and do this for each profile you create.

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Let Your Management System Do The Ordering For You

Did you know that depending on the office equipment management system you choose it can order products for you? Let’s imagine that you have 20 boxes of blue ink pens that you get through every month. 

Once you’re down to your last few boxes the system can do the ordering for you. Please note, the system can only do this when you tick a box to say that you’ve opened a new box. Once you have, the system will order from your chosen manufacturer for you. This ensures that you always have plenty of blue ink pens in stock. It also means that you don’t have to spend precious time ordering more pens again. 

Say “Goodbye” To Non-Existing Assets

Ghost assets as those assets that exist but are no longer being used. Assets such as these include broken down printers, modems that don’t power up, and so on. Assets like these have some value but they cannot be used so there’s little point in your business owning them. 

Your new office equipment management system can help you say “Goodbye” to assets such as these. This is because when you’re creating profiles for everything you will no doubt come across them. This is when you need to make a decision about what to do with them. You can either send the assets for repair or simply get rid of them. Either way, you can say “Goodbye” to ghost assets and have a better idea about how much your business is worth.

Allocate A Specific Number Of Pens

Did you know that you can allocate a specific number of pens, for example, and other types of stationary? You could give each department 3 boxes of pens a month. Should they run out they can ask you for more. A request can be made via the management system so you have a record of it. A request such as this also means that the system knows how many 

When you allocate stationery it’s less likely to go missing. It also ensures that the right number of boxes of printer paper are sent to each department.

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Prevent Stationery From Going Missing

You could probably put up with a few pens and maybe even a notepad or two going missing every month. However, any more than that and it could start to get quite expensive.

Here is where making the most of your new office equipment management system can really help you out. 

  1. You can track who has been in your stationary cupboard and when
  2. You can see what everyone has taken out of the cupboard with your authority
  3. It’s possible to detect unauthorised usage/theft
  4. You could allocate stationery, as we have already seen

Your team members will see that all of the stationary is tracked and, therefore, be less likely to steal or lose it. 

Keep track of your stationery cupboard with ease. Know what you have in stock and what you need to order. Understand which department needs more pens and which needs less paper. Limit loss and theft while making sure you eliminate ghost assets. 

 

 

Would you like to speak with an expert about using an office equipment management system to help you keep track of your stationery cupboard? Contact us now at team@itemit.com.

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Tips For Managing Your Office Equipment

Tips For Managing Your Office Equipment

Tips For Managing Your Office Equipment

Managing office equipment is not always easy. Chances are, you have more equipment than you realised. When this happens, it can be hard to have full control over everything. For example, do you know when everything needs to undergo maintenance? Who is using your new tablets? Has everything been returned to the office on time? Finally, do you know when you need to order new supplies for the stationery cupboard? 

As you can see, there are a lot of things for you to consider. The good news is that when you start using device inventory management you can manage everything far easier. You will know who has what and when. You’ll know when assets need to be maintained, and so on. All of this can give you peace of mind.

How Do You Currently Manage Office Equipment?

So, how do you currently manage your office equipment? Do you have a procedure or two that you follow or are you winging it? If you don’t have some sort of device inventory management system you are missing out. 

Did you know that you can use your device management system to control almost everything? You don’t have to limit yourself to controlling just your devices. You can control when your office furniture is repaired and even when the windows get cleaned. However, it may be wise to make a start with your devices for now. When you get used to managing your devices you could add all of your other assets to the management system.

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How To Manage Your Office Equipment With Ease

You can manage all of your office equipment very easily. All that you need to do is to start using some device inventory management software. The great news is that software such as this is quite easy to use. You just need to make sure that you only ever use software that is regularly updated and reliable. It should offer you the chance to upload a lot of information about each of your devices. For example, you could add a user manual, photographs of the asset, and much more. 

As soon as you have some RFID tags or barcodes, you need to attach them to your assets. Scan each tag or barcode and you’ll see a profile has been created. It’s this profile that you need to add the information about each asset to. When you’ve added every piece of information you can start to control your office equipment. Read on to find out how you can manage your devices and more.

Regularly Maintain Everything In Your Office

One of the most important things you can do to keep your office equipment managed successfully is to maintain it. Ideally, you will use your shiny new device inventory management software to set up maintenance schedules. You will need to do this for every asset/device that you own. 

Setting up a schedule such as this allows you to stay in control. Your assets will be in much better condition which means you won’t have to replace them as often. Please just make sure that your maintenance department receives scheduled alerts at your chosen intervals. The alerts will tell the team which assets they need to retrieve and examine. It really is that simple.

Assign Assets To Your Team

Did you know that you can assign assets to your team? Wish to assign your new tablets to your sales department? Simply click on each of the tablets you’ve added to your device inventory management software and choose who you’d like to assign them to. 

This feature will automatically allow you to manage your office equipment more effectively. In addition to this, it will ensure that the right team members only ever have access to the equipment they should have access to.

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Boost Both Productivity And Security

When you start using some device inventory management to help you manage your office equipment you boost productivity. Both you and your team will find that you all get those little box-ticking tasks completed earlier. This is because your management software may be able to deal with them. For example, it may know when to order stationery, and when someone hasn’t returned a laptop, and so much more. Consequently, you could get on with more important tasks.

When you start using management software you automatically increase security. All of your devices are tracked and they are, therefore, more likely to be returned. You could also see when a tablet, for example, is removed from the office. Knowing where the tablet is and who has it will mean it’s easier to ask for its return. 

When you want to manage your office equipment you need to use the right type of software. Failure to do so could mean that you’re back to square one. It’s now time for you to manage everything effectively. 

 

 

Wish to chat with an expert about using device inventory management in your office? Contact us today at team@itemit.com.

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Expert Guide: RFID Tracking Explained

Expert Guide: RFID Tracking Explained

Expert Guide: RFID Tracking Explained

The world is now becoming aware of RFID and all of its abilities. You’ve no doubt seen RFID tags in restaurants and maybe even on your television screen. However, you may not know how RFID tracking can be used in your business. 

Don’t worry, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to use RFID tags in your place of work. This expert guide will teach you all that you need to know.

What Is RFID Tracking?

RFID tracking involves using Radio Frequency Identification to help you track your assets. Every RFID tag is linked to a tracking tool that allows you to ultimately track assets. You can track the asset that each tag is attached to. In fact, you can track more than each asset’s location. 

Depending on the RFID tracking tool that you use, it’s possible for you to track a lot of details about your assets. You can track each asset’s usage, maintenance record, and so much more. This potentially makes using tags such as this even more beneficial than you may have thought. They can open up a world of possibilities for you and your place of work. This is absolutely no exaggeration as you’ll probably find out should you sign up for RFID tracking.

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Who Already Uses RFID Technology?

Around since the 1970s in various shapes and forms, RFID tags are now easier and cheaper to manufacture than ever before. Livestock and rail coaches were used with RFID tags tracking them in recent years. These days, however, we tend to use tags for more than just tracking livestock, etc. 

It’s thought that one day tags may be used in everyday locations such as supermarkets, allowing the tracking of trolleys. Should a trolley go past a specific point outside, the trolley could become unusable. For now, however, a modern RFID tracking tool is ideal for tracking assets. 

It does not matter where you work or even how many team members you have, RFID could be ideal. As long as you have at least a few assets, you can make use of tags and all that they have to offer.

How RFID Tracking Works

When you attach a tag to an asset and scan the tag you open up a digital profile. This profile can be filled up with a lot of information. 

When you use a reader to scan your assets it picks up the radio waves that are sent out by the tag in question. As long as you use a reliable RFID tracking tool you can use it to scan any asset that has a tag. 

Did you know that you can also log into the tracking tool and see where your assets are? You can see who is using your assets, what condition they’re in, and even what data they have created. Whenever you use an asset it creates data. This data is stored on the reader and it can be extracted and read in a PDF format.

The Benefits Associated With Using RFID Technology

There are many benefits associated with using this technology. However, they’re not immediately obvious to those who aren’t familiar with RFID. Some of the best benefits are:

A reduced incidence of theft – When all of your assets are tracked, they’re a lot less likely to go missing. This is ultimately because your team members will know that everything is tracked. When assets are tracked they’re also less likely to go missing. If they do, you could track their location and retrieve them easily. 

Increase lifespan – A lot of businesses now use an RFID tracking tool to increase the lifespan of their assets. You could set up a maintenance schedule for every asset. You’ll receive an alert on the selected date and your maintenance team can examine the asset. When assets are looked over regularly they are going to last longer. This means you could save money and that’s always a good thing.

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Understand your business better – Earlier in this article, we saw that you could export the data your assets have created. This data could prove to be extremely useful. You could use it to understand your business on a whole new level. You could see how your assets are used, whether they’re reliable, who uses them, and so much more. Let’s imagine you hire out equipment. Some of your equipment may be in high demand, however, without the software you may not know what’s what. When you have a better insight into your business you are more likely to see it grow. 

As you can see, using RFID technology can allow you to have full control over your assets. It’s a form of technology that’s becoming increasingly popular in the workplace and it’s easy to see why. Now it’s your turn to make the most of all that it has to offer. 

 

Wish to speak with an expert about using an RFID tracking tool? Contact us now at team@itemit.com.

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Small Businesses And Asset Management Go Hand-In-Hand

Small Businesses And Asset Management Go Hand-In-Hand

Small Businesses And Asset Management Go Hand-In-Hand

Small businesses are those which have fewer than 50 employees. Your business might deliver to customers all over the country. However, if you have fewer than 50 people working for you, you’re considered to be a small business. This is not necessarily a bad thing as it means you have the opportunity to have more control over your business. You could potentially fine tune a lot of areas of your business before it grows. This is where using hardware asset management can come in and make a difference. 

Thanks to the way that the software works, you could have more control over your hardware assets. You could see when they need to be maintained, when they were purchased, who is using them, and so much more. It’s this that can be very beneficial to your small business.

Why You Shouldn’t Stick To Your Old Methods

If you want to make the most out of hardware asset management you should use modern software. Small businesses that have been running for a while might use other means and methods. However, these methods are not always ideal. 

If you use a spreadsheet or you simply don’t track your hardware assets you’re making a mistake. This is simply because there are much better ways of doing things. You could, for example, use reliable management software and track all of your hardware assets. There’s so much you can track, in fact, that you might be surprised. Sticking to your old methods means you could be left in the dark ages.

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How Hardware Asset Management Works

Before you sign up for some software, you should know that managing your hardware assets is relatively easy. As long as you use software that you can rely on, you could find hardware asset management is ideal. 

All that you need to do to begin is affix a tag or a barcode to your hardware assets. Scan the tag or barcode to create a digital profile for each asset. Fill the profile with useful information about each asset. Now you can track the asset every hour of every day. You can also see who’s using which asset and if it needs to be sent for repairs. 

Why Your Business Could Benefit

Imagine being able to control all of your hardware assets. You could control your assets from an app on your smartphone or tablet. Alternatively, you could log into an online portal via your laptop or desktop computer. 

You could see where all of your assets are at any given time. You could also view each asset’s usage history, track the maintenance status, and more. 

When you can do all of the above, you can potentially save a lot of time. You could streamline the use of your assets and have a more efficient workplace. Imagine being able to gain access to a lot of information about your assets in no time at all. You could use the information to your advantage and understand how your business really operates. 

Thanks to the way that hardware asset management works, you could print off reports about your assets. You could see where assets are being used well and where there’s room for improvement. You could send messages via the app or online portal to your team so everyone gets the same message at the same time. 

Did you know that you could also arrange maintenance schedules via the software? Simply select a six-monthly/yearly, etc reminder and you’re good to go. Your maintenance team will receive an alert when it’s time to examine an asset. You could stay on top of maintenance easily, ensuring everything is in a better condition. What does this mean for your business? It means you could spend less money replacing and repairing your hardware assets. This can only be a good thing.

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Preparing Your Small Business For Growth

Use the management software to help you establish reliable processes, even if you have only a few assets. The beauty of you being able to do this is it gives you the chance to tweak each of the processes, should you need to. When you have this much control you can gain a lot from it. You can potentially help your business to grow even more as you have better control over your hardware assets. 

Did you know that you could also use your hardware asset management software to track other assets? They don’t have to fall under the “hardware” category. You can track whatever you wish, whenever you wish. However, tracking hardware is always a good place to start. It helps you to quickly understand the benefits of using asset management software without it being too overwhelming.

Wish to talk with an expert about using hardware asset management for your small business? Contact us today at team@itemit.com.

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You Can Reduce Asset Downtime: Here’s How

You Can Reduce Asset Downtime: Here’s How

You Can Reduce Asset Downtime: Here’s How

Irrespective of the type of business you run, down time is never good. There’s always a chance that you may miss deadlines and upset your customers. When you miss one deadline due to downtime, you’re likely to miss others. Alternatively, you may find that you have to hurry the rest of your orders. A direct consequence of this is you may fail to offer your customers high quality work. 

This is where using pre-emptive maintenance can be extremely useful. With the ability to help reduce downtime, it can also keep your equipment in better shape. 

 

Let’s take a look at how you can stay on top of downtime with a little effort on your part.

Why Downtime Can Be An Issue

Downtime occurs when some equipment or machinery begins to fail. When failure takes place, whole orders can be delayed. Parts may not be used when they should and fresh ingredients could begin to go off. 

When some or all of the above takes place it could result in money being lost. Trust that your customers had in you may dissipate and your reputation may not be what it once was. 

While downtime may not always cause such issues, it’s still worth avoiding. The backlog of work could build up, reducing space in the warehouse. In addition to this, you and your team could feel under even more pressure. Here’s where mistakes can be made. 

When you use pre-emptive maintenance, however, it takes away those concerns. A direct consequence means that your whole team can be much more productive.

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Why Using Pre-Emptive Maintenance Helps

One of the greatest advantages associated with using pre-emptive maintenance is its ability to bring peace of mind. The dealing with and the planning of maintenance-related issues ensures that almost every tool, equipment, vehicle, machine, etc is ship-shape and Bristol fashion (in very good condition). 

Tackling maintenance issues before they arise also means that you can get on with the tasks your customers expect. “How do you reach this stage?” we hear you ask. It’s simple. All that you need to do is create and refer to maintenance schedules.

How To Create Maintenance Schedules

Creating a maintenance schedule can be fairly straightforward, depending upon the software that you use. Ideally, you would have chosen some of the latest and best software that updates itself regularly. Additionally, the software should be easy to use. 

Pre-emptive maintenance is all about planning ahead. It’s about creating those maintenance schedules for every vehicle, tool, machine, etc. It’s about knowing when something needs to be examined in case there’s a fault. 

When it comes to the process of creating a maintenance schedule, you should find that it’s fairly easy. Simply set a reminder when you’d like the tool, for example, to be examined. Giving the reminder a name such as “Six-monthly maintenance reminder” makes sense. It also helps you to remember to set other reminders in the future.

Some tracking tools specifically let you set maintenance reminders. Others will only let you set reminders/alarms. However, you can typically name the alarms/reminders, helping you to keep track of them. 

Once your reminders have been set, just make sure that your maintenance team knows about them. They should be able to set new reminders and let you know when something has been repaired.

Keeping Track Of Maintenance

Once reminders have been set you’ll need to keep track of them. We’ve already seen that you’ll need to set them again. This is all part of the pre-emptive maintenance process. 

Make sure everything is regularly maintained so that it stays in the best possible condition. Don’t miss anything out, even the equipment that you rarely ever use. It will still need to be looked after. 

Ensure the maintenance team has the right tools so they can get the job done. Also, remind them to check off when maintenance has been completed on any tool, vehicle, etc. This will help you to understand what still needs to be done.

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How To Avoid Downtime In The Future

The best way for you to avoid downtime is to create a plan and stick to it. Think about what type of equipment you use and how often it needs to be looked over. Consider what you will do should you need to replace your equipment. Do you have a spare to use in the meantime or can you have a replacement delivered quickly? If you really want to avoid downtime in the future, you’ll need to keep on top of the maintenance. Read those reports you printed off and see what’s been repaired and what is still waiting. If things are breaking down consider sending them for maintenance more often. Whatever it is that you decide to do, do what you can to avoid downtime in the future. You need to keep your business running so you and your customers are happy.

Wish to chat with an expert about using pre-emptive maintenance and other strategies to reduce asset downtime? Contact us today at team@itemit.com

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How To Organise Your Warehouse Using Tracking Software

How To Organise Your Warehouse Using Tracking Software

How To Organise Your Warehouse Using Tracking Software

Anyone who works in a warehouse will tell you that organisation is key. Knowing where everything is needs to be a top priority. This is simply because you cannot go about your work if the warehouse is untidy. 

We all know that keeping a warehouse tidy and organised is often easier said than done. When multiple people work in one area, chances are at least a few of them will be disorganised. The very good news is that when you use equipment tracking software, keeping your warehouse organised is easy. Let’s take a look at how you too can have an organised and tidy warehouse.

Add An RFID Tag To Everything

To begin with, you need to add an RFID tag to all of your assets or pallets. When you add a tag you start the ball rolling in the equipment tracking process.

An RFID tag contains data that helps you to track the location of the asset it’s attached to. It’s able to do this because once the tag is attached you need to scan it. Once scanned, you will see that a digital price has been created. This profile can be full of useful information about the asset in question.

If you don’t need to tag individual assets but pallets or cages of stock instead, RFID tags can still prove useful. They can show you exactly where the pallets or cages are. Consequently, you should be able to find the cage of stock you need, when you need it.

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Set Up A Digital Profile

As we have already seen, you need to set up a digital profile. Don’t worry, this is a fairly easy thing to do. All that’s required is for you to scan the tag you have attached to an asset or pallet, etc. Then, a profile will open up. Now, (as we saw earlier) you will have the chance to add details about the asset or pallet. 

You could, for example, add information about the asset’s date of purchase, cost, model number, and more. If you’re tracking a cage or a pallet, you could mention where it’s located and the location/pallet number (if applicable) that’s been assigned to it. This will help you to find there the pallet is located, thereby saving you and your team some time. This is one of the benefits associated with using equipment tracking software. 

Start Tracking Everything

Now it’s time for you to start tracking everything. This is where your new equipment tracking software will come into its own. Your shiny new software can show you a pallet’s last-known location and even where a cage of stock is now

Did you know that as soon as you scan an RFID tag the software automatically starts scanning the tag’s location? This ensures that you can see where your pallet of goods is all day, every single day. 

 

When you start tracking pallets, etc. You instantly become more organised. You can see where they’re located in the warehouse. This will no doubt help you to retrieve assets quicker. It can also help you to know which pallet or cage needs filling up with new stock.

Know Where Every Asset Is Located

When you know where everything is all of the time fewer things will go missing. In fact, your new equipment tracking software will act a little like a security system. When everyone knows that everything is tracked they’re unlikely to remove it from the premises. 

Should something get lost in your warehouse, simply log into your software and locate it. Within seconds. Yes, it is this simple. 

When you know where everything is you can have peace of mind. You can rest assured that your warehouse (and any other location where stock is stored) is organised. 

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Begin Working More Efficiently

As soon as you start to track everything you’ll also start to work more efficiently. You won’t need to traipse around your warehouse searching for a pallet of stock. You won’t need to ask a colleague to help you locate a cage of stock that needs to be delivered. 

As we have already seen, you can log into the software and find out where your pallets, cages, etc. are located. A direct consequence of this means that you could meet deadlines sooner. Your business could benefit from having happier customers. Additionally, you can understand what stock you actually have in the far corners of the warehouse. 

Give your business the chance it needs to thrive. Get your warehouse more organised by using tracking software. Know what’s coming in and out of your warehouse and what stock is left behind. Locate everything in no time at all so you and your team can get on with other tasks. 

 

 

Wish to chat with someone knowledgeable about equipment tracking for your warehouse? Contact us today at team@itemit.com

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