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Asset Tracking and Management Software Can Help Your Growing Business

By Rick Hendershot
Jun 15, 2009
As a business grows, so do its needs. Just as we watch a little child develop, our fledgling business attempts go through much the same growing stages.

At first things are pretty straightforward. We perceive a need, or come up with a really good idea, then begin by trial and error to produce a product or provide a service. Maybe you build a prototype, or have some software written.

Gradually we test the market, come up with an affordable advertising strategy, perhaps even attend a few trade shows. As the company gains clients money starts to flow and before you know it, you're balancing sales, production, human resources, and accounting.

It's at this point that the small business owner realizes that they are wearing too many hats. Whether your growing company is in retail, manufacturing, education, IT, distribution, government, or healthcare, it becomes perfectly clear that help is needed to ensure continued success.

The words, asset tracking, inventory tracking, stock control, and asset management, are terms you have heard in conjunction with large companies. You know there are complicated software solutions for large firms, and you've heard that they come with a pretty hefty price tag. Thankfully you have discovered that there are systems specifically designed for the small to medium sized company as well.

But even though you know your present system is inadequate, perhaps you are finding it difficult to visualize exactly how a computerized tracking and control system can benefit your company in the areas of efficiency, productivity and profitability. This is where some examples of successful implementation can shed some light

Let's say a company needs to keep track of the shipping containers, shopping carts, or wooden pallets that are needed to facilitate every single sale. At first, spread sheets, or invoices are used for this purpose. However with the steady increase of sales, these simple methods break down. Even offering a "reward" for the return of these valuable assets is not enough. The loss of these items can start to adversely affect your company's bottom line.

A solution would be to implement an accurate computer database with mobile data collectors. In these situations, each container, cart or pallet would be marked with an identifiable code that is scanned by a person holding a reader or scanner. Then when a shipment is sent out, every detail is recorded, and when the container is returned, that fact is recorded as well. Check in and out procedures become completely accurate and guess work is totally eliminated.

If you are in the IT field and struggling with manual tracking and traditional spreadsheets, your company can greatly benefit from computerized asset management software. Where valuable equipment is used it is imperative to track its precise location and keep accurate data regarding ongoing maintenance and repair.

The cost of replacing expensive assets that simply go missing, or are deliberately stolen is substantially reduced when everyone in the company knows that inventory and stock control are marked with a barcode, itemized in a database, and tracked.

With a completely transparent tracking system in place, a company can maintain high standards in every area of business, including customer satisfaction, quality control, and company assets. With tighter controls in place, a entrepreneur gains the ability to confidently expand to larger markets. When this happens, the future can look very bright indeed.
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