• Assets and equipment · EAM
• Plant / Operations Director, Operations Manager, IT Director / CTO, Accounting / Analytics
• Manufacturing, Services and offices, Public sector, Retail and branch networks

Asset tag template: what goes on the label and how to apply it

5 min read · Remanently team

In short

An asset tag should carry a unique number, a code that scans to the record and a contact for found items, and it should be placed in the same spot on every item of a class. Numbers must be unique and never reused, labels must match the environment and every tag must exist in the register. Use the printable template below to define your rules, then label a pilot area before you print for everything.

What an asset tag is for

An asset tag is the link between a physical object and its record. Without it, people identify equipment by description: "the gray laptop in finance". With it, a scan or a glance gives a number, and the number points to one record. This is what makes counts, handovers and audits faster and less arguable.

A tag does not need to be fancy. It needs to be unique, readable for years and applied consistently. The template below helps you decide the rules once and apply them everywhere.

Printable template

Print template

There is no single official form for an asset tag. Use whatever works for your company, as long as the rules are written down and followed.

How to fill in the specification

1. Number format. Use a fixed length and a short prefix if you want one. Do not encode location or owner in the number, because items move and the number would then be false. If you already have numbers on equipment, keep them.
2. Code type. A barcode or QR code that points to the number. Phone-readable codes are enough for most companies. See QR code vs barcode vs RFID.
3. Printed text. The number in readable characters next to the code, so a damaged code can still be typed in. Add the company name and a phone number or email for found items.
4. Material and size. Match to the environment: standard adhesive in an office, durable material for a workshop or outdoors. Make the label large enough to scan from a comfortable distance.
5. Position. Choose one spot per asset class: laptop base, back of a monitor, side panel of a machine, handle of a tool. Write it down so everyone looks in the same place.
6. Owner. Name the person who prints labels and replaces damaged ones. A tag process without an owner decays in a year.
7. Damaged or missing tags. The replacement keeps the same number. A new number is issued only for a new item.

Labelling rules that prevent trouble

• One number, one item. Never reuse a number, even after disposal.
• Clean the surface before applying the label, and avoid edges, seams and heat sources.
• Do not label removable parts: covers, batteries, bags, cases.
• Print only what the register already contains. A label for an item not in the register creates a ghost.
• Scan every new tag once after applying it. A tag that does not scan is worse than no tag, because it looks done.
• Put an item that has two assembled parts under one number, and decide the rule for accessories in the register, not on the label.

Common mistakes

• Printing thousands of labels before testing ten on real equipment.
• Using a glossy label that glares under a camera.
• Putting the tag where the user's hand wears it away.
• Changing the number format halfway, leaving two systems in use.
• Forgetting disposal: the tag stays on a scrapped item that is still in the register.

Choosing the tag format by asset class

One format rarely suits everything. A laptop, a lathe and a ladder need different labels, even when all carry the same style of number. Write one line per class in the specification: material, size and position. Keep the list short, five or six classes at most, or people will stop consulting it.

Consider who will read the tag. In an office, a person with a phone can scan from a desk. On a vehicle, the reader may be crouching in a yard in the rain. Test with the least comfortable reader, not the most comfortable.

Applying tags at scale

Run a pilot in one area. Label, scan, count and see what fails. Then roll out by site or asset class. For the count itself, use the asset audit checklist, and keep your base list in the asset inventory template until a system takes over.

How Remanently uses tags

Remanently Assets lets you label assets with an existing number, a barcode, a QR code or UHF RFID, and link each tag to a record with location, user, history, documents and photos. You can import your current list so existing numbers stay valid, and scan with a smartphone. See pricing for the free tier.

Frequently asked questions

What should be printed on an asset tag?

A unique asset number in readable characters, a code that scans to the record, and the company name with a contact for found items.

Should the asset number carry meaning, such as site or class?

Better not. Items move and change owners, and a meaningful number then becomes wrong. Keep meaning in the record, not in the number.

Is there an official asset tag format?

No single official form exists. Define your own rules, write them down and apply them consistently.

What size should a label be?

Large enough to scan from a comfortable distance and to fit the item without wrapping badly. Test a few real items before printing in bulk.

What if a tag is damaged or missing?

Print a replacement with the same number and apply it. Do not issue a new number for the same item.

Pilot your labels on real assets
We can show a short demo of labeling and scanning on your own list, so you can test your tag rules before printing.

Book a short Remanently demo See pricing

Module: Remanently Asset Management (EAM) · Pricing · Contact · Get started