From laptops to projectors and furniture, there are a wide variety of assets that educational institutions have to keep an eye on. All of these assets are important parts of a school, so it’s essential that staff has an effective way to manage them. Education asset tracking software like Grey Trunk RFID plays a key role in keeping your resources organized. If you’re looking to make asset management more efficient while decreasing loss/theft, it’s a great way to begin taking control of your inventory.
We’ll be discussing how education asset tracking software can provide value to your school along with the different features of barcode and RFID-based systems. Finally, we’ll give you a few tips on how to create a fixed asset tracking system of your own.
The Benefits of Using Education Asset Tracking Software in Schools
If your school wants to save money and time, asset management is a must. When you begin using Grey Trunk RFID, here are a few of the benefits that you can expect:
Easier Management of Resources
With so many kinds of assets spread across several facilities, keeping track of it all seems like a daunting task. Although it may appear difficult, keeping a current record of your assets can be done through education asset tracking software. Because of Grey Trunk RFID’s easy check-in and check-out process, your school’s leadership can know what assets are ready and which ones are currently being used. If your assets need to be repaired, you can schedule maintenance. By knowing where your resources are located and who is using them, your administration can more easily plan for the future.
Enhanced Security by Decreasing Theft/Loss
Tablets, projectors and laptops are all common-place technology that many schools utilize. When you’re working with expensive equipment, the last thing that you want is for it to be lost or stolen. Grey Trunk RFID can reduce these occurrences by letting your employees/staff mark the location that an asset was last in. Accountability is improved through our software, as if a laptop was checked out by a certain person, you’ll know who is responsible for it. When you perform a scan, you’ll receive a report of all missing assets.
Simplified Budget Planning
When your school’s assets are being managed correctly, there will be significant cost savings. By knowing what assets you have and their condition, schools can allocate funds as needed without buying items they don’t need. With the maintenance scheduling feature of Grey Trunk, assets can be maintained properly throughout the school year, which leads to fewer replacements.
Audits and Compliance
Universities and schools must comply with various regulations for their resources and equipment. With an education asset tracking system, it’s easier for schools to meet these requirements. The auditing process becomes easier with Grey Trunk RFID thanks to the ability to store the valuable information you need for external and internal audits.
Improving Your Operational Efficiency
Once you’ve got an education asset tracking system for your school, your assets become easier to manage on a daily basis. Instead of searching through rooms for several minutes trying to find a laptop, teachers can simply use their RFID reader to locate what room it’s in. In this Yakima Valley College case study, they reduced their classroom audit time from 25 minutes to just 5 minutes or less per classroom. Faster inventory scanning results in students and staff being able to focus on education.
Key Features of RFID and Barcode Asset Tracking Systems
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and barcode systems have benefits and drawbacks when it comes to setting up a fixed asset tracking system. In this section, we’ll cover the basics of these technologies to help your school make a decision.
RFID-Based Asset Tracking System Features
Electromagnetic fields are used in RFID tech to locate and identify the tags you’ve put onto your assets. These tags can have unique identifiers that allow an RFID reader to determine an asset’s location.
- Easily Track Large Amounts of Assets: Several RFID tags can be read at the same time within a singular scan. In addition, the tags don’t have to be directly seen to be scanned, which means that if you have a big group of assets it’s an efficient tracking method.
- Durability: RFID tags can stand up to some tough conditions, which makes them a great fit for schools that want to track their assets for several years.
- Monitor Your Assets: With RFID, a school can see when items are moved or put into the wrong location during a scan. This gives school officials a better idea of where their inventory is located and who is currently using it.
- Eliminate Manual Scanning: School staff won’t need to manually scan every asset. Instead, they can simply pull the trigger on their RFID scanner. This saves time and makes human error unlikely.
Barcode-Based Asset Tracking System Features
Barcodes are easy-to-use while still being a solid option for tracking the assets within your school. They serve as a good alternative if implementing RFID would be too costly for your educational institution.
- Economical and Simple: Barcodes don’t cost as much as RFID tags, so if you’re a small school that’s looking for something cost-effective they can be a great choice.
- Easy-To-Use: An on-site printable barcode label is easy to print off and put onto your asset. Barcode scanners aren’t very costly and they don’t take very much training to understand.
- Accurately Manage Your Assets: When you scan a barcode it’s very accurate, so schools can track their assets effectively with them.
- Variety of Scanning Options: From handheld devices to your phone, a barcode can be scanned with a wide variety of tech. This means that no matter what your staff has on hand, it’s likely that they’ll be able to scan barcodes when needed.
Implementing a Fixed Asset Tracking System Into Your School
To get your fixed asset tracking system going, there are several steps that you’re going to need to take. In this guide, we’re covering everything you’ll need to get started on your education asset tracking software system.
- Assess Your Needs: Prior to deciding which asset tracking system is right for you, think about what your school wants to get out of it. Consider both the number and type of assets you’re looking to track. Once you’ve thought about these things, you’ll have a better idea of if barcode or RFID will work better for your application.
- Find the Software and System for You: As you’re looking for an asset tracking software to fit your needs, there are some features you’ll want to look for. All of the features listed below can be found in Grey Trunk RFID.
- Easy Check-In/Check-Out Process
- Maintenance Reports
- Cloud-Based/Mobile Solution
- Custom Asset Fields
- Unlimited Sub-Users
- Attach Labels to Assets: In order for you to get started on an RFID or barcode system, you’ll have to label every asset with your tags.
- Staff Training: For your system to be effective, you’ll have to make sure that the staff knows how to use it properly. This training should include checking assets in/out, putting data into your system and figuring out what the reports from your software mean. As your staff learns the software, it’ll become a more effective way to track your assets.
- Check-Up On Your System: Once things are going smoothly, you’ll want to keep an eye on your assets to make sure things are ending up where they’re supposed to be. Do audits and check to ensure that your assets/items are being properly checked in and out by staff.
Conclusion
Once your school has implemented education asset tracking software, you’ll begin to see how useful it can be. From reduced theft to easier audits and more effective resource management, there are many reasons to use Grey Trunk RFID in your organization. Whether you prefer barcode or RFID, your school will be able to manage your assets while saving time and money. Through a fixed asset tracking system, your school can make sure to get the most out of its assets. When asset management is easier, students and staff can focus on education.
| About the Author: Colby Weber Colby is Grey Trunk RFID’s Marketing Assistant. He enjoys being able to combine his marketing and public relations skills with his writing and graphic design abilities to assist in Grey Trunk’s marketing efforts. He has one brother, a niece, and two nephews. In his free time, Colby enjoys playing video games and trading card games. He’s also a fan of anime and creating digital artwork on his drawing tablet. |