It’s Time to Establish a Furniture Inventory System

In your office or even your home, you have acquired furniture that is used on a daily basis. Think about how often people come into contact with each piece of furniture. The more it’s used, the quicker it’s run down. Maybe you purchased a piece that isn’t used at all and wasn’t the best investment after all. Whatever the case, employing a furniture inventory system to keep track with each and every piece of furniture in your possession is a great addition to your general asset tracking practices.

So you’re probably thinking  -- “really? I need to keep track of furniture?” The simple answer is yes. Just as you record and keep up with important office equipment such as computers, printers, tablets, etc., implementing a furniture inventory system also has a place in business/home asset tracking.

Furniture assets are frequently high-value investments. Think of how much was spent on a full office suite of furniture, which is typically a desk, chair, shelving, etc. Not to mention extra accessories such as décor, filing systems, guest seating, etc. Office administrators typically are not looking for furniture that will fall apart in 1 or 2 years so they can go out and purchase new pieces. They want furniture of high quality with lifespans that can be used, managed and even extended.

If you’re an office manager or play a role in the acquisition of furniture for your office, do you really know all the pertinent details about each and every piece of furniture in your office? Most likely not. By having greater visibility of what assets you have – including furniture – you are maximizing your asset investment and saving your company money!

In an ideal situation, when it comes to furniture, every business would record:

• the date of acquisition of each piece of furniture,
• where it was purchased from,
• the cost(s) of the furniture,
• pertinent details on the materials,
• current condition of furniture at purchase (along with photos/video),
• warranties or contracts,
• how to care for the furniture to extend its life,
• where each piece of furniture will be placed

Imagine if all of that information was centrally located in one place that was accessible by anyone who needed it. If there was a problem with a piece of furniture you knew exactly when it was bought and from where and if it could be repaired at the dealer’s cost. That can be a reality and a useful one at that.

Take the first step

The first and most basic step in establishing a furniture inventory system is to establish an up-to-date database. And no – using an Excel worksheet is not a viable option. There are too many options for errors and chances are that most employees won’t even bother to take the time to update a spreadsheet if they need a chair replaced or have a scratch in their desk that needs attention.

Today’s asset tracking software platforms give employees complete control in an easy-to-use format when it comes to tracking and managing their assets – and that includes furniture. Thanks to built-in barcode scanners and free mobile apps that can be used from employees’ own smartphones and tablets, a furniture inventory system can store all the important details about each asset in one central location that can be accessed anytime, from anywhere.

What about audits?

In an office environment, audits are essential. If your company doesn’t have an updated database of its furniture, then when it comes time to audit what assets your company has and make financial decisions, you are going to be way behind. Take the time to map out the furniture assets you have, where they are, what they are and their condition and include that data into your asset tracking software. Add photos. Take video. Note warranties and repairs. Additions such as these can be very valuable in dealing with insurance should something happen like theft, fire or some other type of natural disaster.

Asset Panda is the right choice when it comes to your furniture inventory system. It gives clients access to the complete lifecycle of every one of their vital assets – including furniture – from their office desktop or mobile devices they already carry. Powered by free mobile iOS and Android apps that sync with the cloud, Asset Panda includes a mobile barcode scanner, so adding assets is easy. At any time of day, you’re able to access such details as to where a piece of furniture is when it was added into inventory; its condition and who has it. You also have quick access to that item’s maintenance/repair history, purchase/lease information and if needed, its insurance policy. Create work orders, use the GPS feature to track the location and transit of items, even use the tool as an enterprise service desk to cut down on your service calls.

Keeping up with your office furniture doesn’t have to be a burden anymore. And Asset Panda can make the process a breeze. Get a free quote and see why businesses of all sizes all around the world are choosing Asset Panda for all of their asset tracking needs. Visit www.assetpanda.com today.