Let’s take a moment to consider how the first scan of a barcode on a pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit chewing gum forty years ago changed everything we have taken for granted in our modern society. There would likely be no online retail stores like Amazon as we know them, let alone one-day Prime delivery services. We certainly wouldn’t have convenience stores as we know them today and asset tracking software would likely be much more inconvenient indeed.

A tribute to George Laurer

Without George Laurer’s barcode, we might live in a world where we’d need to queue for hours at a time just to get through the checkout at our local supermarket. As for the stock on the shelves in our supermarkets, it would likely be the case that stock would run out far more frequently and we’d be faced with empty shelves for some time before inventory is replenished. Asset tracking software as we know it would be impossible without the use of barcodes.

We could also speculate that without the barcode, shoppers would have less variety in-store and have to pay much more for those items being sold. It would be impossible to scan an item’s barcode to get any online comparison. On the plus side though, there would be no more incessant beeping at the checkout counters!

Barcode and Equipment Tracking

George Laurer’s Universal Product Code (UPC) barcode is still being used, mainly in the United States. The inconspicuous-looking 12-digit UPC code is packed with information that identifies the manufacturer of the product, what product type it is and also includes a way to check that the information was read correctly. Since then, the world outside the United States has adopted the EAN barcode standard and almost every single product in the world has a barcode.

When it comes to technology advancements, we have come to expect new technology to replace old technology at an ever-increasing speed. Since George’s invention of the barcode, which was originally intended to speed up the scanning of items at the checkout, the world has gotten a lot more demanding. Now, the original barcode is showing signs of age. One of the biggest drawbacks of barcodes is that they are not unique. You will have experienced this at the self-service checkout counter, no doubt, where if you scan the same product twice, you will be charged for it twice! Advancements in technology mean that there are now widely available alternatives to the barcode. We refer to these as auto-identification (auto-ID) technologies.

RFID Asset Tags

The RFID revolution is simmering in the background of these technological and requirement changes. RFID tags contain a globally unique identifier and offer many advantages over alternative tagging options, enabling an RFID reader to scan 1,200 unique items per second theoretically! This means that asset tracking software today can resolve even more problems facing stores and manufacturers.

With the advent of smartphones, there are plenty of asset tracking apps built around scanning a barcode. In the case of itemit, we supercharged Laurer’s traditional barcode with a Quick Response (QR) tag that contains a globally unique identifier. Our asset tracking software allows you to store, update and retrieve information about your items straight from your phone and all your data is securely backed up in the cloud. Our itemit tags make it easy for you to share items with your friends and colleagues, and even help you recover items that you lost through our unique public profiles feature!

We pay our tribute to George Laurer for his work creating the barcode as we know it, alongside Joseph Woodland and we pledge to continue to drive forward asset tracking software innovation in taking the barcode and our supercharged QR codes to exciting new heights.

George Laurer – 23 September 1925 to 5 December 2019.

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itemit is a bit of a dark horse. It helps countless businesses to track their IT assets, tools and equipment. However, due to its flexibility and fantastic features, itemit is also helping board game collectors to know the value of their board game collection, to see where board games are stored and gather feedback from peers on each game.

Here’s a tale about our Lead Server Developer and how he not only builds and monitors the itemit asset tracking software but how he uses it too!

A bit about our board game collector

Lewis is the Lead Server Developer here at itemit. He joined us nearly four years ago and started working on itemit ahead of its launch in 2017. Now, he’s considered a staple of the itemit team and helps to drive forward innovation and cutting edge technologies to help track the world’s assets.

Lewis first started collecting board games when he was just seven years old. Now, not only has he continued to collect but he’s also designing systems that help him track his collection! 

“I might not be the most impartial person to ask, but I am very proud of my board game collection, and itemit lets me know where everything is and what condition it’s in – as well as making sure things don’t get lost when I take them to gaming sessions!”

~ Lewis

What board games is itemit tracking?

Lewis’ collection is made up of over 65 board games. Some of the most notable are:

• Codenames
• Exploding Kittens
• Pandemic
• Love Letter (an office staple for its quick set up and ease of onboarding new players)
• Blood Rage
• Five Tribes
• One Night Ultimate Werewolf (watch out playing this one in public places!)

How is the itemit asset tracking software used to track board games?

When it comes to assets, itemit already helps with construction equipment tracking, and it helps all kinds of businesses to track their IT assets. To us, an asset is anything that adds value to you. For our board game collectors, assets = board games.

So, how exactly does itemit track these games? Each game is tagged with a QR code asset tag. When scanned using the itemit app, these tags display each board game’s digital profile. The digital profile can contain whatever data you like. Our board game collector has chosen to include these critical pieces of information that are critical for tracking the value of your board game collection:

• Board game name
• Purchase date
• Purchase location
• Purchase Price
• Photo of each board game
• Contact details to allow for the safe return of any lost board game (we’ll come back to this later)

What’s more, is that the itemit asset tracking software offers additional unique features that allow you to modernise the way you monitor your board game collection – and of course, it involves using an app.

Share your games with your pals

Uniquely, itemit gives you complete freedom to share your high-value collection with your friends, family, colleagues and members of your gaming groups. Choose to share only some games or share the whole lot to really show off. Either way, you’ll need asset tracking software with this kind of freedom to really get the most out of it.

Log things you know you’ll want to know in future

You’ve felt the heartbreak, one component of the board game has been lost, you blame Steve that night at the pub, but regardless, it has gone. Naturally, you can’t get rid of the game; it must remain a trusted and key member of the collection. Play may be limited, or you may be able to recreate the missing piece and continue, either way, you can log in itemit the game’s weakness so that in future you don’t get fully set up only to realise a crucial piece is missing. 

Variety is the spice of life. If you feel as though you always play your same favourite go-to games – you and your gang know the setup and rules off by heart – it’s easy. But is easy enough? Log the date you last played each game in itemit and the asset tracking software will let you see which games haven’t been played in months, or even years! This way, each game in your collection can have its time to shine.

Categorise your games

Use the itemit collection builder to categorise your assets by type, creator, skills, difficulty level, number of players, and see at a glance which games can be played by your current group size.

Loan out games to trusted fellow enthusiasts

One of the many beauties of board games is sharing your passion with others. Let your trusted companions borrow your board games by booking them in advance. You’ll have zero stress when it comes to managing where all your board games are, as the itemit asset tracking software will show you at a glance who has each game and where it is.

Easily see what you have – and let your wife/husband see too!

Now, we know that if push came to shove, you could probably name every game in your collection, but as this grows, there may be some that you forget about (*sob*). If you log your board game collection using asset tracking software, you’ll never need to worry. Not only can you refresh your memory, but you can share your collection with your wife or husband so that if they are thinking of buying you a new game for that special occasion, they can be confident in no duplicates!

Log the location of your board games – particularly those that travel with you

If like our board game enthusiast your board games make it to the office, as well as various gaming groups, then you should log the location of each game to ensure you know where your games are and that they’re safe. Log them as being at home, in the office or at your parents (in preparation for a Christmas gaming sesh!

How can lost board games be returned to me?

We told you we’d come back to this! itemit offers a unique feature. It’s called public profiles, and it allows you to enable the ability for ANYONE who comes across one of your board games to scan its tag, see a minimal asset profile and contact you to arrange for safe return if it’s gotten lost.

In addition, if you’re a keen gamer and attend social board game evenings, you’ll be all too familiar with how easy it is for board games to get mixed up. We understand. You want to take home your own board games. They may have been soaked by fruit cider at the team Christmas party, and they may have seen MUCH better days, but they’re yours.

With the itemit asset tracking software, your assets are tagged with QR code asset tags, which instantly make them easily identifiable.

At itemit, we believe life is about recognising what we have, being grateful for it every day and sharing our passions with those around us. Bring a little extra joy to your day. If you need a pick me up, take a quick look at your collection stored on your phone and marvel at what you have achieved so far.

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If you work in construction, landscape gardening, or provide electrical or engineering, you’ll have plenty of tools and equipment to keep track of. 

By now, you’re probably sick of out of date spreadsheets clogging up your laptop which still allow for your tools and equipment to be lost.

So, how do you improve your tools tracking processes?

With an effective asset management system for tools tracking, you’ll be able to gain greater accountability over your tools and lose fewer of them. You’ll also be able to add crucial maintenance and accounting information.

How do you use a tools tracking system to keep on top of things? We’ve condensed it to four easy steps.

Step One: Identify

Firstly, identify your assets. If you already have an asset register in the form of a spreadsheet, this might be easier. However, make sure you’re not overly reliant on a spreadsheet, as there is a risk of missing out on ghost assets.

Step Two: Tag

Next, you’ll need to tag your assets. Each asset you’re tagging might require a different tag.

For example, if it’s IT equipment, such as a laptop, a generic vinyl sticker QR tag will be fine. If it’s a piece of equipment that is put under a lot more stress, however, you’ll be able to use anodised aluminium QR tags with a stronger adhesive. For even heavier-duty equipment, you can use larger metal tags. 

In fact, QR code asset tags are customisable to your tools tracking needs. It’s possible to use iron-on tags, waterproof tags, or even tiny QRs depending on what you need them for.

You’ll also be able to use RFID tags, but these will require a separate RFID reader, whereas QR tags only need a smartphone to get underway.

Once you’ve stuck your asset tags onto your tools, you’ll be able to add them to your assets’ digital profile. This way, you’ll only need to scan an asset’s tag to update its location and record the user who scanned it.

Step Three: Spread the word

The next step is to let your team know why you’re using new tools tracking software and how they should use it. It’s essential to share with your team what caused you to need to use the new system and how it will benefit the company moving forward and for you to closely manage this period of change.

The best tools tracking software will have an easy to use user interface, meaning that it won’t take long to help your team pick it up. You should also be able to share tutorial videos with your team to get them up to speed much faster.

Step Four: Use!

The easiest step is just to use your new tools tracking software!

Now that all of your assets are tagged up and in an asset tracking system, you’re ready. Your team will all be able to manage and interact with your assets collaboratively.

You’ll no longer need to trust word of mouth with what’s going on with which asset. All a user needs to do is scan an asset and update or add any relevant information.

How can you use Tools Tracking Software?

So, what are the many ways you can use tools tracking software?

If your staff need to take and use tools and equipment from your storeroom, you’ll be able to use tools tracking software to scan any assets being taken out or returned and update the asset’s booking or check-in/out information.

You’ll be able to build location hierarchies so that you can see exactly where your tools are onsite. That way, if you’re looking for something specific, you’ll have a much more streamlined process to find it.

When tools are being transported, you’ll be able to use collections or locations to see which van it’s in or use a quick-add feature to move assets between vans or record when they’ve been delivered to a job.

QR code asset tags will also deter thieves, as ours proudly state that your tools are tracked by itemit.

Tracking IT Assets, too!

You can do all of this with your IT assets as well!

Using collections and bookings, you’ll be able to assign each member of staff laptops or phones.

With a better IT asset management audit trail, you’ll gain a higher level of accountability and ensure GDPR compliance.

Whether it’s laptops, phones, USB sticks, or more, you’ll be able to use an asset management system to know that everything is exactly where it needs to be.

Choose itemit as your Tools Tracking Software

itemit can help you with more than just your tools tracking. 

Using itemit means that you get a high return on investment while improving the scalability of your business. With itemit, your customer service can be improved as well as your efficiency as you’ll save bucket-loads of time.

Find out more by contacting us or by filling in the form below. You can even ask us for some free sample tags which we’ll send out first-class on the day!

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Cameras are great devices. They capture how we see the world, can create beautiful videos to tell stories and can pick up on the smallest details unseen to the human eye.

If you’re a photographer, part of a production company, or if you love the craft, you’ll know how important cameras are, and you’ll know how much equipment a camera needs.

How do you track all of your camera equipment? How do you keep it safe? How do you know exactly what you need and when? The answer is a great asset tracking system.

Your Camera Equipment

Depending on what you’re using a camera for, you might need a wide range of different equipment to get the best shots.

Nature photographers will need camera equipment such as tripods or wide-angle lenses to make sure they’re capturing Earth’s beauty.

If you’re making documentaries, you might need a shotgun mic to capture your subjects while they tell their stories.

If it’s for action movies, you’ll need Steadicam rigs for the more serious scenes, and other rigs for when your characters burst into action.

Asset Tracking Systems

The best asset tracking system will allow you to group your assets so that you know exactly what you need.

Create collections so that all you need to do is have a quick look at your phone to see what camera equipment you need for a shoot.

Not needing to trawl through what you might need or bringing what you don’t will save you time and, therefore, money as your shoots will be organised faster and more meticulously.

With a great asset tracking system, you’ll also be able to book your camera equipment in and out, so you’ll know exactly what any B teams can use while you’re chasing other shots.

Asset Tracking in the Field

Whether you’re in the field or in a studio, an asset tracking system can help with your camera equipment. 

If you’re on location, a quick scan of a QR code asset tag can update where your kit is and who’s using it, ready for everyone in the system to see.

If you’re in a studio, the ability to check equipment in and out using an asset tracking system will help you see what else you can retrieve should you need to.

Track More With Asset Tracking Systems

So, you have your camera equipment tagged. All of the sound equipment is linked up so that you know what’s being used and by whom. Now what?

The best asset tracking system will allow you to track more and track it separately.

In fact, you’ll be able to use an asset tracking system to assist with every part of a shoot. The catering team can use it to track portable fridges and all their equipment. Editing teams can track their IT assets and make sure they’re at the cutting edge. You’ll even be able to track those impressive contracts you’re getting with Netflix.

With itemit’s asset tracking system, you’ll be able to do all of this and more. 

Create collections and workspaces to manage and track all of your assets separately. Use public profiles so that anyone can report damage or issues, whether it’s for lighting or your camera equipment. Use QR code asset tags to know where everything is and who has it. You can even book your equipment in and out, so you know exactly where everything is.

To find out more, you can contact us at team@itemit.com, or you can fill in the form below to start a free trial.

When it comes to asset tracking, the beauty is that you have plenty of options. On the other hand, sometimes it’s hard to get your head around how different asset tracking systems work and what you need.

What is asset tracking?

As a quick recap, asset tracking is the process of tracking the location of physical and fixed assets. This is achieved by using a range of asset tags, such as RFID, QR codes, barcodes, GPS and BLE tags. 

How does it all work?

Some tags can report the real-time location of assets with no manual intervention, such as GPS tags and BLE tags. Other tags, such as barcodes and QR codes, are not able to communicate their location by themselves. Instead, a smartphone or tablet can scan these tags and report the GPS address of the mobile device as this is in the exact same location as the asset – it’s a neat, low-cost way of retrieving location data.

What’s involved?

There are a few different components that will allow you to complete your asset tracking processes. These are as follows:

• Asset Tracking Software

First things first, you need some software that will hold and enable you to access your asset data. The majority of solutions available today are cloud-based. This means that your data is stored in the cloud, rather than being stored on a computer or server in your office. In practical terms, what this means is that you can access your asset records from anywhere.

• Asset Tags

Asset tags are usually in the form of a small sticker of some sort that is stuck onto your physical assets. By putting a sticker on an asset, it becomes uniquely identifiable. Asset tag options include barcode, QR code and RFID asset tags as well as BLE and GPS tags.

• Reporting and Analysis

When you begin collecting data on the location, condition and status of your assets, you’ll then need to make some sense of this data so that it’s useful to you. The final piece of the puzzle is, therefore, actionable analysis of asset data.

How do I start tracking my assets?

Sometimes it can just feel as though it’s a minefield of information and software providers, so where should you begin? We’ve got a handy 3 step guide that will simplify your asset tracking and have you up and running in no time.

1. Make some key decisions

Before you get underway, you need to make a few decisions and decide the scope of your asset tracking. You’ll need to determine the following:

• What assets are you going to track?

• Are you going to tag your assets?

• If you are tagging your assets, which tags do you want to use?

• What processes do you want your asset tracking system to cover

Once you know this, you know what your aims are, and you can, therefore, assess your options and identify which asset tracking software delivers what you need.

2. Get set up on the system

If you choose one of the better solutions, this should be very easy as your software provider should support you throughout this process. You’ll need an account that grants you access to all the features you require, and you’ll need to add your colleagues in as users so they too can access the system.

Next comes training. One thing we’ve learnt is that it is crucial to explain to your wider team why this new system is needed, what benefits it provides to not only the business but also to themselves and to provide easy training options for them to browse. We find the best thing is asset tracking tutorial videos.

3. Usage, feedback and analysis

The final step is to monitor usage, gather feedback and analyse the incoming data. Your team may have questions on how to get the most out of the system, and they are very likely to have suggestions for improvements to your processes, as they will be the ones using the system day-in-day-out.

Ultimately, you need to achieve the aims you had when setting out on your asset tracking journey. These could be as simple as what assets do we have and where are they. Or, it could be more complex, e.g. which assets are available for my big event next month? Either way, the data you can analyse must give you the answers you need.

itemit Asset Tracking

itemit is an easy to use asset tracking system that comes with unrivalled support. If you’re looking for someone to take you under their wing and guide you through the asset tracking minefield, you’ve come to the right place.

Drop us an email or fill in the form below and we’ll be in touch shortly to give you a helping hand.

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Like any business, you’re heavily reliant on your IT assets, but you’ve got so many of them once you’ve counted up all your laptops, tablets, phones and monitors that it can be a big challenge to track them. IT asset management software gives you a solution that makes this process a lot simpler.

When you use IT asset management software, you’ll have a higher level of understanding of your IT assets, including who has what, where they are, and what they’re being used for.

Using IT Asset Management Software for Laptops

A huge benefit of IT asset management software is that you collate all the essential information about your laptops and store this in one centralised system. This could include manufacturer, serial numbers, purchase price and even user manuals. As a result of having a complete and accurate log of all your IT assets, you will benefit from increased productivity levels while minimising the possibility of gaps in your audit trails and financial records.

Tagging and scanning a laptop by adding a QR code asset tag to a unique profile will allow you to assign that laptop to a user. This information is helpful if your assets are on the move a lot or if you’re just keen to have a hard and fast list of what you’ve given to each member of staff and what you would, therefore, expect to receive back, should they leave the company.

Most IT asset management software also provides additional features such as allowing you to create parent and child relationships between assets so that they are linked. This will make life easier in future when you need to determine which cable goes with which monitor screen. Or, by creating collections of assets, you can group and categorise different types of assets together to maximise efficiency. So, whether you want to relive the experience of a LAN party, or if you just want to see which laptops are due for replacement, your IT asset management software will have this covered.

Of course, not every team will need the same type of laptop or computer. An extreme example would be a team of game developers. In order to code, create, and test the most streamlined 60FPS experience, the development team will need upwards of 8GB RAM and the best graphics cards. The marketing team will need a laptop that can handle editing software. The sales team will need a laptop that can handle CRM systems, and so on. And so you need a tool that can help you to monitor all of this. Being able to identify which teams need what tools and equipment and having the ability to factor this into budgeting means that your company can snap up some quick time and money savings.

The itemit IT asset management software offers even more. Using the new quick add feature, you can rapidly assign a batch of IT assets to a team or member of staff. If you then want to see if the marketing team is getting the best use out of their laptops, good reporting software will be able to help with this.

Ensuring GDPR compliance is crucial when it comes to tracking and managing your IT assets. Having an audit trail and the ability to identify where any breaches might have happened will quickly diminish any potential GDPR fallout.

Booking Tablets

If your company uses tablets, staff will also be able to book these in advance and check them in and out. This way, the team will always have access to the equipment they need, and you’ll be able to see in real-time who has each tablet and when it’s due back in.

This is especially helpful for those times when you or your team need a device to perform their daily duties. For example, app testing. If you’re going through a round of QA testing and your tester needs a tablet, now they can not only see what tablets are available but also where they are located, the OS version and much more.

How Else can IT Asset Management Software Help?

IT asset management software can also help you track financial and warranty information for your phones and other IT assets.

As soon as any subscription is about to run out, you’ll get a reminder. Sending this reminder on to your finance team means that any upgrades or updates will be much faster and more efficient!

itemit can help you with all of this. To find out more, don’t hesitate to contact us, or, find out more by filling in the form below.

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