Regardless of the kind of business you run, it will depend on certain assets in order to operate. These assets range from datasets to forklift trucks, but regardless of what they are, you must make sure that you’re taking appropriate steps to protect and manage them.
Asset management can be more complicated than it appears at first glance, and you need to make sure that the solutions you use are maximally effective. It’s important to kick this process off by taking a close look at your asset management requirements – this is where you can start.
Carry Out an Asset Inventory
To have any kind of understanding of your asset management requirements, you need to know what assets you actually need to manage. Typically, this means starting off by conducting a thorough asset inventory.
You want to be as in-depth as possible with this. Look at all kinds of assets, even those that don’t have a physical presence. Document their current value, replacement value, condition, location and any other relevant data. You will want to use this information as a foundation for the rest of your approach, so don’t cut any corners.
Consider Applicable Regulations
Often, your asset management strategy won’t just be internally beneficial for your organisation – it will also be a regulatory requirement. You’ll want to consider which regulations apply to the operation and control of each of your assets, as these may be diverse.
They could stretch from GDPR for data-related assets to more niche regulations that cover the storage of certain chemicals. Each will require a very different approach when it comes to ensuring compliance, and it’s important that you’re specific in your tactics.
Explore Appropriate Asset Management Solutions
Once you have a clear overview of the assets that you need to manage, and any relevant regulations that might apply, you can start thinking about what solutions might be best suited to your needs. Some of these will be highly complicated, but others will be surprisingly simple.
Asset management cabinets from companies like Traka for example are incredibly easy to integrate into most operations, but the impact they can have is often profound.
Integrate & Analyse their Efficacy
Once you’ve found appropriate solutions for your asset management needs, you can choose those which stand to have the biggest positive impact, and integrate them into your business.
This may require some kind of transfer process while you go between your old and new solutions, or if it’s the first time you’ve used some kind of management system for this particular asset, it could just mean installing it.
You need to analyse the efficacy of your new asset management solutions, especially right after you’ve adopted them. Check that they’re better than your old approach, and continue to tweak them as necessary.
Asset management really isn’t that difficult to get to grips with, so long as you adopt the right systems and solutions. Once you have the right strategy in place, the rest should slip into place – just don’t get complacent, and make sure you regularly check that your approach is working.
