Best Practices in Equipment Management
Part 7: Structured Data to Support Decisions
The most common reason for poor results out of managed equipment is the complexity of asset register. A complex register often is a result from several users impacting the data in the system in a non-standardized manner. For example same model chairs can be found in the system with several different names.
Wether your equipmen is listed in a spreadsheet or cloud-based modern system, it's important to ensure that the information is gathered reasonably and in a standardized way.
The keys to the solution is most often naming a responsible person or a team to manage equipment. This is a straightforward way to manage the structure of the data and ensure good quality data going forward.
Utilize Gathered Information in Decision-Making
When all best practices are implemented, the high quality data about assets starts to accumulate. Reservation logs reveal which equipment is used the most. Maintenance history reveals problematic models or problems in using some assets. Inventory lists reveal the spaces where equipment keeps getting lost. All this information should be utilized to improve operations.
The organizations that benefit the most out of equipment management are the ones that can utilize the gathered information when making decisions. Accurate data about assets creates a strong basis for smart investment decisions. A great practical example comes through maintenances. If the devices of a certain brand keeps getting broken and maintained, it might be wise to purchase devices from another manufacturer in the future.