- Assets and equipment · EAM
- Plant / Operations Director, CFO / Finance, IT Director / CTO, Operations Manager
- Manufacturing, Retail and branch networks, Logistics and warehousing, Services and offices, Public sector
Asset tracking software: what it does and how to choose one
In short
Asset tracking software keeps one record of every company asset, with its location, the person responsible and the history of changes, so you can answer where something is without calling around. It replaces scattered spreadsheets and paper handover forms. When you compare tools, look at how assets are labeled, how moves are recorded, how a physical count is compared with the register and how many locations the tool handles. A free starting tier lets you test the process on real assets before you commit to anything larger.
What asset tracking software does
Asset tracking software answers three questions about every item your company owns: where is it, who is responsible for it, and what has happened to it. The answer lives in one register instead of in five spreadsheets, a folder of signed forms and the memory of the person who has worked there longest.
The register is only useful if it matches reality. That is why the useful tools do not stop at a list. They record each move, each handover and each count, so the register changes when the asset changes.
Where tracking breaks down without it
- The item is on the list but gone. A laptop, a meter or a pallet jack is in the books. Nobody can find it. You learn this at the annual count, when the cause is hard to reconstruct.
- Equipment moved and nobody wrote it down. It went from one branch to another, or from a shelf to a technician's van, with a phone call and no record.
- Nobody feels responsible. It is unclear who took the asset, when, and on what basis.
- The spreadsheet describes last quarter. It starts drifting from the real state the day after the last count ends.
- Small items fall out of view. Phones, test instruments and portable equipment are not always fixed assets, yet losing them costs real money.
- Head office waits for lists. With many branches, a current picture of assets takes days to collect.
Core features to look for
One register for fixed assets and operational equipment
If finance and operations keep separate lists, the lists will disagree. Look for a register that holds both kinds of items, with fields for category, location, user, documents and photos.
Assignment and history
An asset should be linkable to a location, a department or a person. Every change should leave a trace: who moved it, when, and why. This is the history you will need when someone leaves or when a count shows a difference.
Physical counts inside the system
A count that ends in a separate spreadsheet has to be retyped and matched by hand. Ask how scanned results are compared with the register, how missing and unrecorded items are shown, and who gets each exception.
Reminders for dates
Warranty, insurance policy and contract end dates belong on the asset. A tool that reminds you before they pass saves a surprising number of small losses.
How assets get identified
The identification method should fit the scale, not the other way around. Most tools support several, and you can mix them across asset groups.
| Method | Good for | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Existing asset number | Registers that already have working numbers | Import the list, keep the numbers |
| Barcode | Single items scanned one at a time | Printed labels, a scanner or a phone camera |
| QR code | Small and mid-size fleets, branches, offices | A smartphone, printed labels |
| UHF RFID | Large counts where reading many labeled items at once saves days | Readers and RFID labels, justified by volume |
A common mistake is to buy RFID hardware first and design the process later. Start with the process and a phone. Add RFID when the number of assets and locations makes manual scanning the bottleneck.
Questions to ask in a demo
- Can we import the current register as it is, including existing numbers?
- How is a move between locations or users recorded, and how many taps does it take?
- What does the stocktake screen show when an item is not found?
- Can equipment that is not a fixed asset be kept in the same register?
- How does the tool behave with many branches and teams working at the same time?
- What do we need to buy to start: scanners, printers, anything?
- Which processes can later connect to the same asset, such as check-out, inspections and repairs?
Bring a sample of your own data. A demo on a made-up warehouse shows you very little.
What each role cares about
The CFO and accounting need the physical truth next to the books: whether the item exists, where it is, and the documents behind it. Tracking software does not replace the fixed asset ledger or depreciation. It adds the evidence that the ledger lines are real.
The plant or operations director wants less searching, fewer duplicate purchases and a clear owner for each item.
IT checks whether the tool runs on phones, supports imports and does not demand a long project to start.
A simple rollout plan
Tracking projects stall when they try to cover everything on day one. A smaller start works better.
- Pick one scope. One site, one asset group or one department.
- Load the existing list. Clean only the duplicate and blank identifiers.
- Label what has no number. Print only the missing labels.
- Assign owners. Every item gets a location and a named person.
- Run a test count. Check the first differences and fix the process, not just the list.
- Extend. Add sites and asset groups once the first one works without help.
A team leader should be able to learn the daily routine in a few minutes: scan, confirm location, record a handover. If the routine needs training sessions, people will skip it, and the register will drift again.
How Remanently supports asset tracking
Remanently Assets connects the register with the real location, user and history of each asset. You can import an existing list, label assets with their current number, a barcode, a QR code or UHF RFID, assign them to a location, unit or user, record changes and run stocktakes with differences shown right away. Documents and photos attach to the item, and reminders cover warranty, policy and contract dates. Branches and teams work on one shared picture.
You can start with a smartphone and basic records on the free tier, see pricing, and extend the scope when scale requires it. The same asset can later move into check-out and returns in Remanently Tools or into inspections and repairs in Remanently CMMS.
If you are comparing broader options, read about asset management software. For the count itself, see how to run a physical asset inventory and the asset count checklist.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between asset tracking and asset management?
Tracking answers where an asset is and who has it. Management also covers the lifecycle: purchase, maintenance, transfers, counts and disposal. Many tools do both, so compare features rather than labels.
Do I need scanners and a label printer to start?
No. A smartphone with a camera reads QR codes and barcodes, and you can keep the asset numbers you already use. Dedicated scanners or RFID readers make sense later, when volume justifies them.
Does asset tracking software replace the fixed asset ledger?
No. The ledger and depreciation stay in your accounting system. Tracking software adds location, responsible person, history and the result of physical counts.
Can it track equipment that is not a fixed asset?
Yes, if the tool keeps one register for both. Laptops, phones, meters and portable equipment matter operationally even when they do not appear in the fixed asset ledger.
When does UHF RFID make sense?
When a count covers so many labeled items that scanning them one by one takes days. For a small or mid-size fleet, QR codes and a phone are usually enough.
Can I try it before committing?
Yes. Remanently Assets has a free tier for basic records, so you can load a part of your register and test the process on real assets.
See your own assets in the register
Send us a sample of your asset list and we will show the first process on your data in a short demo: labeling, assignment, moves and a test count.
Module: Remanently Asset Management (EAM) · Pricing · Contact · Get started