Demand is increasing for employees to use their own personal mobile devices for work. The “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) movement can bring real advantages to improving IT Hardware Asset Management.
• Lower costs. Using mobile phone apps for barcode and Bluetooth scanning can cost thousands less than dedicated scanners. In addition, there’s much less time required in training a person in how to properly use an app – nearly anyone can learn in minutes.
• Increased accuracy. When more people are given the opportunity to quickly and easily track assets, there’s an increased likelihood that the assets will be tracked. Less inventory is “lost in the system” due to unaccounted movement.
• Fast and easy software updates. Upgrades to apps can be wirelessly “pushed” to a mobile phone and the user alerted immediately to upload the latest version.
A mobile ITAM app is ideal for lower volume areas such as service departments or changing the location of an asset within an office building, for example. For all these reasons and more, our clients have been asking for a mobile device option for AssetTrack. It’s now available as a free download here.
ASSETTRACK® FOR iOS – A QUICK LOOK
Scanning at a touch. Scanning a barcode with AssetTrack iOS is easier than taking a photo. The user simply touches the barcode icon and aims the iPhone’s camera at the barcode.
Almost instantly, accompanied by a confirming audio alert, the inventory appears on the phone’s screen.
Instantly recognizes expected versus rogue inventory. If an asset’s model number already exists within the repository, it shows up on the screen in green. If the asset is new or otherwise unfamiliar, it shows up in red.
Inputting the model and serial number of rogue inventory can be done in seconds.
Assigning a location is just as easy. A touch brings forth a list of default locations, with very specific options, if desired. (Example: 123 Archer Street Office. 3rd Floor. Storage Room.)
That’s it! The information obtained is instantly uploaded to the repository and can be included in any reports generated by the Asset Manager.
Author: Tom Watson
Tom Watson is AMI’s President and CEO. He began his career in high tech in 1996, as a software engineer for his own software company. After a subsequent stint at IT Asset Management firm Micropath as senior architect for that company’s asset tracking system, he founded AMI to develop hardware asset tracking technology solutions for enterprise IT Asset Management customers.
