Boost Productivity, Minimize Downtime With Smart Office Equipment Management

86% of businesses say at least one of their employees has either lost their company laptop or had it stolen, Techspective reports. This has massive financial ramifications as it costs each business over $47,000 on average to replace those devices (which includes downtime and support overhead). To make matters worse, 56% of companies have also experienced data breaches due to security vulnerabilities on lost devices (another hit to the bottom line). But there is a way to prevent this loss and financial damage and protect your peace of mind—proactive office equipment management. If you create a solid equipment database, tag each item, and track remote company devices, you can reduce the risk of loss or theft and maximize your investments. 

Put together an office equipment database  

91% of business leaders say data quality issues negatively impact company performance. Poor (or even non-existent) office equipment records often come into play here. If your business doesn’t keep accurate and easily accessible equipment records, you won’t know what’s currently in use, underused, and missing. In short, you don’t have the data to be confident your investments are reaching their full potential. A database can solve this problem. It gives you a clear and concise overview of each item so that you can manage them better.

So, if you don’t have one already, create a database that lists all your office equipment—from PCs and laptops to phones and furniture. To simplify this process, create separate categories. For example, list laptops, desktop computers, keyboards, and mice under “laptops and computer equipment”. Printers, scanners, shredders, and photocopiers? Those can go under “printers and office machines”.”Communication tools are another helpful category, covering office phones and video conference devices. Once you have your database in place, update it regularly. If you make a new purchase, create a new entry. Or, if you throw something out, make a note of this too.   

Tag your equipment with barcodes

Tagging your office equipment makes it far easier to locate and track each piece in real time. Barcode labels are the simplest and cheapest way to go here. With barcode software, you can create unique labels to attach to individual pieces of equipment. Scan the label with a barcode reader; you’ll have all the relevant information. So, to facilitate real-time tracking, your barcode labels should include details on the item’s current location (which consists of the department and designated owner). There can then be no doubt about its whereabouts and who's responsible for it.  

Include other key details in your labels to facilitate the scheduling of regular maintenance or upgrades. For example, document the item’s current condition and maintenance history. This information can be used to schedule preventive maintenance, which can prevent equipment breakdowns before they can stall productivity.

Don’t lose sight of remote devices

With remote work now on the rise — at least 27% of U.S. employees work remotely on at least a part-time basis — it’s important your business also makes a plan to manage devices used by remote workers. This should include a laptop retrieval procedure. Once an employee is terminated or no longer needs their work laptop, it should be securely returned to your business to prevent loss or theft. Fortunately, if you make laptop retrievals easy for employees, you up the odds of fast and smooth returns. For example, remote employees can receive clear instructions on returning their devices, packaging, and prepaid return labels. 

Mobile device management (MDM) software should also be installed on company devices used by remote employees. This software has reliable GPS tracking to check the device’s real-time location easily. MDM software also grants authorized users (like the IT team or yourself) remote access to erase sensitive data or lock the device.  

Smart office equipment management improves productivity and minimizes costly loss and downtime. By creating a comprehensive database, using barcode tags, and planning for remote devices, you can make informed decisions about your equipment, ultimately protecting your bottom line. 

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