Property ID Tags in Seven Easy Steps
Your fixed asset inventory is often in flux: assets are bought, reassigned, upgraded, put into retirement, sent out for maintenance and even loaned. Whether you need to track this inventory or just fight theft, your asset tags are the tangible evidence of a well organized asset management program. To get the most out of your asset tags, however, follow these easy steps. Click on each heading to learn more.
1. Determine Which Assets to ID What assets can get stolen? What assets do you capitalize? Which instruments are likely to end up "moving" to another department or, worse still, finding its way to a sub-contractor's inventory? Even schools and churches have assets that need to be marked: AV and sound gear, computers, lab equipment and, even, cell phones. Tags just make it much easier to track and to enforce your ownership rights. These days, your assets are much more portable. 2. Add a Bar-Code Bar-codes have never been easier to add. Even if you do not have a bar-coding system now, we recommend     4. Place Your Asset Tags Properly There are as many places to attach an ID Tag as there are types of assets. Asset tags need to be noticeable, but not inconvenient. They need a low profile. They should not be in a position that invites picking and benevolent vandals. But, they cannot be so well hidden that you need a roadmap to find them. Popular spots are locations near the OEM's nameplate, the inside of a case, at the edge of a desk. Locate tags away from areas subject to frequent wear, such as near a keypad or handle. 5. Choose the Right Material Destructible labels cannot be reused or moved. Metal plates outlast that you use bar-codes. It can be exceedingly expensive to retrofit all of your asset and equipment labels and there is no cost to add this feature to your labels at the outset. Bar-codes streamline identification and provide a simple, accurate and cost effective approach for identifying a unique number. 3. Color Code Color-code you assets by type or by department. Computer equipment is red, furniture and fixtures are green, maintenance is blue, etc. Black is the most common. Plus, it is the most durable outdoors. Red is next most popular in that it can be spotted easily against most equipment.   cleaning and abrasion. Flexible, plastic labels are best for curved surfaces. When you stick an asset tag to your surface, also have a bit of patience. Most of our adhesives take 72 hours for final cure. A tag that can be removed cleanly after 30 minutes can become quite impossible to remove after 24 hours. Heating the application surface accelerates the cure time. A thick adhesive is needed for irregular surfaces. 6. Add a Logo It is a snap to add you unique logo to your plate. A distinctive logo is hard to copy. If you do not have a logo handy, use a distinctive type font for your organization’s name.