- Assets and equipment · EAM
- Plant / Operations Director, IT Director / CTO, CFO / Finance, Operations Manager
- Manufacturing, Logistics and warehousing, Construction and field service, Public sector
EAM software: how to evaluate it and what to ask vendors
In short
EAM software is the system that keeps the register of company assets and records what happens to them. To evaluate it, test the process, not the feature list: can you import your data, label items, record a handover, run a count and see the differences on your own sample? Check how it connects to the ERP, how many people need access and what a first rollout really requires. A tool that lets you start small and extend later usually carries less risk than a large fixed scope.
Start with the problem, not the product list
Vendor pages for EAM software look alike: a long list of modules, a dashboard screenshot, a promise of control. A list of features does not help you decide, because almost every tool can store a record. The useful question is which of your problems the tool must solve in the first three months.
Write down two or three. For example: "the count at the end of the year takes six weeks and still leaves unexplained differences", or "we do not know which devices each branch holds". These become your test cases. A tool that handles them on your data is worth a deeper look. A tool that only shows you a polished demo database is not.
A checklist for the evaluation
1. The register and your data
- Can you import the lists you already have, from finance, IT and the branches?
- Can you keep your existing identifiers, or must everything be relabeled?
- Does one record hold category, location, user, documents and photos?
- Does it cover both fixed assets and low-value operational equipment?
2. Identification
- Which methods are supported: existing numbers, barcodes, QR codes, RFID?
- Can you start with a smartphone, without buying scanners?
- If volumes grow, can you add RFID for the large counts without changing the system?
3. Movement and responsibility
- Is every handover, move and return recorded with a date and a person?
- Can you see the full history of one asset in a single view?
- Can a team leader confirm a handover on a phone in a few taps?
4. The count
- Is a count run in the system, or exported to a spreadsheet and compared by hand?
- Does the result separate missing, unrecorded and misplaced items?
- Can you assign each difference to an owner and track it to closure?
5. Roles and structure
- Does it handle many sites, units and users, with permissions by role?
- Can head office see a current picture across branches?
Questions for finance
The CFO and the chief accountant should join at least one demo. Ask three things. First, does the tool claim to replace the fixed asset ledger, or does it sit next to it? Both models exist, and the second is easier to introduce because accounting keeps its tools. Second, how does a count result reach the books: as a list that someone matches by hand, or as a set of differences with owners? Third, what evidence does the record hold for an audit: photos, documents, history of changes?
Questions for IT
IT will ask about integration, and it is right to. A new system that holds its own copy of data without a clear source of truth creates the silo it was supposed to remove. Ask which system is the source for each kind of data, what is imported once and what is synchronized, and who maintains it. Ask how permissions work, what happens to users who leave, and what the vendor expects from IT during rollout. If the answer is vague, assume the effort will land on your team.
Questions for operations and maintenance
Plant directors and operations managers care about speed in the field. Ask how many steps a handover takes, how a person finds an item they cannot name exactly, and what happens when there is no connection. Maintenance should ask whether the same asset can later carry inspections, tickets and repairs, so there is one record and not two. The difference between the two kinds of systems is explained in CMMS vs EAM.
Price model and rollout
Compare how the price grows. Some vendors charge by asset count, some by user, some by module, some quote only for the whole scope. None of these is wrong, but you need to know what happens to the bill when you add a site or a second process. Ask whether you can start with a small scope and extend, and whether basic records are available without a large upfront commitment.
For the rollout, ask for a plan in weeks, with named tasks on both sides. Be cautious about fixed promises of speed that are not tied to your data volume and number of locations. A fair answer starts with a question about your scope.
Run a test on your own data
The most reliable evaluation is a small pilot. Pick one location or one category, for example the office equipment at one branch. Load the list, label a sample, assign users, run a count and read the differences. In an afternoon you will see how the tool behaves with real data and real mistakes. Compare the result against your test cases, not against the vendor's agenda.
What Remanently offers on these points
Remanently Assets keeps fixed assets and operational equipment in one register and lets you import the data you already have and keep your identifiers. Identification can be an existing number, a barcode or a QR code scanned with a smartphone, with UHF RFID for larger counts. Each asset can be assigned to a location, a unit or a user, and the history of handovers is kept. A count is compared with the register and the differences appear as a list. The system does not replace the fixed asset ledger. Basic records can start free, and you extend the scope when the number of assets, locations or users requires it.
For a wider comparison of tool types, see asset management software and asset tracking software. For the principles behind the discipline, read enterprise asset management (EAM). You can also contact us for a demo on your own list.
Frequently asked questions
What should EAM software include at a minimum?
A single register with import, assignment to location and user, a history of changes, identification by number or code, and a count that compares physical confirmation with the register and shows differences.
How long does it take to evaluate EAM software?
A focused evaluation with a pilot on one location or one asset category can be done in a few weeks. The time depends mostly on how fast you can supply a clean sample of your data.
Should finance be involved in choosing EAM software?
Yes. Finance should confirm how the register relates to the fixed asset ledger, how count results reach the books and what evidence the record keeps for an audit.
Is it better to buy a large suite or start with one module?
Starting with the process that hurts most, and extending later, usually carries less risk. Check that the vendor lets you add check-out, maintenance or other processes on the same asset without a second register.
Do I need to replace my ERP to use EAM software?
No. The ERP keeps financial and accounting data. The asset system handles the physical side and the day-to-day process. Agree which system is the source of each kind of data before connecting them.
What is the biggest mistake when buying EAM software?
Judging a tool by a demo database and a feature list instead of testing your own data and your own counting process.
Test EAM software on your own data
Book a short demo. Bring an export of your asset list and we will load it, label a sample and run a count so you can judge the tool on your real process.
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