- Assets and equipment · EAM
- CFO / Finance, Accounting / Analytics, Plant / Operations Director, IT Director / CTO
- Manufacturing, Retail and branch networks, Logistics and warehousing, Construction and field service, Public sector
Asset management software: features, types and how to choose
In short
Asset management software records what a company owns, where each asset is, who is responsible for it and what has happened to it over time. The main types are spreadsheets, fixed asset accounting modules, IT asset tools and enterprise asset management (EAM) platforms. Choose by the problem you need to solve first: finding assets, controlling handovers, running counts or planning maintenance. Start with one clear process and add scope as you need it.
What asset management software is
Asset management software keeps a record of company assets and links each record to something physical: a place, a person, a set of documents and a history of events. The point is not the list. The point is being able to say, on any day, what the company owns and whether the register matches what is actually there.
The term covers several kinds of products. They solve different problems, so mixing them up leads to buying the wrong thing.
Four types of tools
| Type | Strength | Gap |
|---|---|---|
| Spreadsheets | Free, familiar, quick to start | No history, no access control, versions drift apart |
| Fixed asset accounting module | Depreciation, book value, ledger entries | Does not know where the item is or who holds it |
| IT asset management | Software, licenses, devices on the network | Narrow: usually not for vehicles, machines or furniture |
| EAM platform | Register, location, handovers, counts, maintenance history | Needs a clear process to get value from |
Most organizations end up with the accounting module plus something that covers the physical side. Accounting owns the value. The asset system owns location, responsibility and evidence.
Features that matter
- Import of the existing register. You should not retype thousands of rows.
- Stable identifiers. Each asset needs a unique number, a barcode, a QR code or an RFID tag, or a mix.
- Locations and users. Assignment to a site, unit or person, with a history of changes.
- Stocktakes. Scanning, comparison with the register and a clear list of differences.
- Documents and photos attached to a specific item: purchase document, warranty, handover form.
- Date reminders for warranty, policy and contract ends.
- Multi-site support so branches work on the same data.
- A path to other processes, such as check-out of tools or maintenance of the same asset.
Choose by the problem, not by the feature list
Feature lists look similar from one vendor to the next. A better way is to name the problem that costs you the most today and test the tools on it.
If you cannot find things
Focus on identification and location. Look at how fast a person can scan an item and see where it should be.
If handovers are a mess
Look at assignment to people, signatures and returns. The test is simple: when an employee leaves, can you list everything assigned to them in a minute?
If the annual count hurts
Look at how count results flow into the register. If the tool exports a list that someone must match against the books by hand, you have moved the problem, not solved it. See how to run a physical asset inventory for the process itself.
If machines keep breaking
Look at whether inspections, requests and repairs attach to the same asset. A separate maintenance tool that has its own list of machines creates a second register to keep in sync. See Remanently CMMS.
Common mistakes when buying
- Starting with hardware. Buying scanners or RFID readers before the register and process are agreed.
- Relabeling everything. If numbers already exist and are unique, keep them.
- Treating the tool as the process. Without owners for assets and a rule that moves must be recorded, any tool will drift.
- Buying for the biggest imaginable scale. Pick a tool you can start small with and extend.
- Skipping a trial on real data. Demos on sample data hide the problems of your own register.
Who needs what
Finance and accounting need comparison of the register with the real state, location and responsibility history, documents and photos, and clear differences after a count. The system complements the ledger and does not replace it.
Operations and administration need current location, assignment, control across branches and warranty dates.
The plant or facility director needs fewer duplicate purchases. If a similar asset already exists and sits unused in another location, the next purchase can wait.
IT needs a tool that starts quickly, imports data and works on phones.
Questions finance and IT should answer together
Asset projects often fail on the boundary between departments. Settle these points before you sign:
- Which system is the master for value and depreciation, and which for location and responsibility?
- Who may change a record, and who approves a disposal?
- How will asset numbers in the accounting system match the numbers on the labels?
- What is the minimum set of fields every asset must have before it counts as registered?
- How will assets that are not fixed assets, such as phones and meters, be flagged?
Two short meetings on these points save months of rework. They also make the demo more useful, because you can ask the vendor to show exactly these cases.
Rollout: start narrow
Pick one site or one asset group, import the list, label what lacks a number and run a test count. Fix the process on that group, then extend. Organizations that try to load every asset and every site at once usually spend the first months cleaning data instead of using it. A narrow start produces a working register in a short time and shows you which rules, such as who records a move, you still need to write down.
How Remanently Assets fits
Remanently Assets works in six steps: add or import the register, label assets, assign them to a location, unit or user, record changes, run a stocktake and explain exceptions. You can keep the identifiers already in use or move to barcode, QR code or UHF RFID, and you can start with a smartphone. The free tier covers basic records, and the scope grows with the number of assets, locations and users. See pricing.
For a closer look at day-to-day tracking, read asset tracking software. To see which questions a count should answer, use the asset count checklist or contact us for a demo.
Frequently asked questions
What is an EAM system?
EAM stands for enterprise asset management. It is software that keeps a register of company assets and follows them through their life: location, user, counts, maintenance and documents.
Is asset management software the same as a fixed asset module in accounting?
No. The accounting module handles depreciation and book value. Asset management software adds the physical side: where the asset is, who holds it and whether it was confirmed in the last count.
Where should an implementation start?
With the register you already have and one question: what can you not quickly find or confirm today? Import the data, label a first group of assets and test one process, then extend.
How often should assets be counted?
At least once a year in most organizations, with more frequent counts for high-risk or high-value groups. The better the move history, the less painful each count becomes.
Can one system handle many branches?
Yes, if it is built for it. Check that branches work on shared data and that head office sees results without waiting for lists to arrive.
What does it cost to start?
Remanently Assets starts at 0 EUR for basic records. Larger scope, more locations and advanced counting with UHF RFID are priced by the scale of use.
Test an asset register on your own data
Book a short demo and we will load a sample of your assets, label them and run through a test count with you.
Module: Remanently Asset Management (EAM) · Pricing · Contact · Get started