Ultimate Guide to Labeling Business Assets

Businesses naturally acquire a large volume of assets over time, and the more this number grows, the more difficult it is to properly keep track of them. Any type of asset investment is costly, especially for large machinery or equipment that has been with the company for years and has required upkeep. Allowing these assets to float around in inventory logs unchecked can cause mayhem the moment an instrument is not where it’s supposed to be. Affixing an asset tag to your equipment or items can be a game changer when it comes to the basics on how to track assets.

Asset tags are attachable identifiers that businesses can put on their inventory assets. They can be of almost any material, but metal asset tags are some of the most sensible choices.

Benefits of Asset Tags

Asset tags are commonly used in spaces like IT to help keep track of employee equipment such as laptops and phones. Asset tags can also be used for large machinery, industrial equipment, and general business items. Metal Marker Mfg. asset tags reduce chances of theft and improve traceability . Some of the benefits of tagging include:

• Better accounting and compliance – With asset tagging, you get a simple record-keeping mechanism that makes accounting easier. Being able to quickly identify your assets with durable metal tags means more easily tracking their depreciation and ensuring maintenance schedules comply with service level agreements (SLA). .
• Easily accessible – When dealing with many items, visibility is a challenge. Tagging your fixed assets with a data matrix or QR code tag makes it more convenient to find data from any computer or mobile device. Inventory management systems can be built alongside these coded tags to streamline your tracking system.
• Save time and money – Tracking down assets takes human and financial resources. Metal asset tags ensure you can retrieve any necessary information or documentation quickly and accurately, which eliminates guesswork and costly runaround.
• Location-sharing audit trail – If a piece of equipment is shared between departments, scanning the asset tag as a way of checking it out means there’s an audit trail that’s easy to follow.
• Improved security – When equipment goes missing, it’s a scramble to figure out when and where it was last used without a proper asset tag. Having high-end, durable security labels makes asset tracking easier and helps restore your peace of mind.

Asset Management Basics

Asset tracking is more than simply knowing what items are where – it’s a crucial element to streamlining business operations. This process includes the regulation of physical inventory as it pertains to your company. The three pillars of asset management basics include:

Organization is a key element of running a business and asset tracking helps promote healthy and easy standardization of materials. Asset tracking can be used by many different industries such as:

Deciding Asset Tracking Priority

While you consider all your assets highly taggable, it’s best to whittle down the list to handle the highest priority assets first:

1. Tools with higher risks of theft or misplacement – Items that fit this group should be first on the list to get tagged. Laptops and external drives may contain proprietary data that, in the wrong hands, can wreak havoc with your business. When looking to see which assets fall into this category, look beyond their monetary value.
2. Items used constantly – Items used in everyday workflows, such as printers, hand tools, and storage containers, fall into this category and will definitely need aluminum asset tags.
3. Items in high-demand or those moving between locations​ – If you run a construction company, for example, and you’re constantly moving your heavy equipment between sites, then that’s the type of asset that would benefit from tamper-proof, heavy-duty stainless steel or anodized aluminum tags that can withstand harsh environments, high temperatures, and abrasions.

What to Put on Asset Labels

With our custom asset tags, you can add a variety of information and graphics. For branding, we can include your company name and custom logo. You can also use item-specific information, such as serial numbers or barcodes, as an identifier. There are many different types of technologies when it comes to asset and inventory management, and this asset tracking guide can help you choose which one is right for you:

Using Serial Number Labels

Serial numbers offer the simplest way to label your assets. We can accommodate virtually all configurations including alphanumerics, prefixes, and suffixes. If you have a small number of assets, or don’t want to invest the time and money into additional software, using a simple serial number tag still provides a durable way to keep track of your asset’s lifecycle.

Using QR Code Tags

QR codes are black squares arranged in a grid design that depict specific product information. Its popularity in the retail space means its use will surpass 102 million by 2026. As a result, many smart device manufacturers are adding QR code reader functionality to their devices. As an asset tracking tool, it becomes faster and more convenient to check assets in and out using a mobile app.

Using Barcode Labels

Barcodes are the more traditional asset management tools that most, if not everyone, has used at least once. These vertical black bars can hold a lot of information that can come through on one scan. There are different types of barcode tags, depending on whether you’re scanning them up close or from afar. Once you come up with your inventory control symbology for custom barcodes, you can add it to your metal asset tags, along with any other labeling ID tags.

Metal Marker Manufacturing Is Ready to Help

Whatever you decide, Metal Marker Manufacturingcan help your business create the best asset labels and nameplates for your tracking needs. For almost a century, we’ve been making high-quality metal tags for long-lasting identification solutions. For pricing options, fill out the form or call us at 800-428-0095.