Everything You Need for Your 2017 End-of-Year Equipment Inventory

by Stephanie Faris on Monday, November 13, 2017 10:30

The end of each year brings the perfect time to take stock of the previous year's activities. For most businesses, it also means closing out that year's books in preparation for a new tax year. As part of that process, many businesses also take stock of their assets, conducting a thorough inventory of the items they have in storage and on shelves.

You don't have to be a retailer to take an annual inventory, however. In fact, the end of the year is the ideal time to do a thorough count of every PC, mobile device, printer, scanner, and copier you have, whether they reside in your office or employees use them while working in the field. Failure to conduct these annual audits could easily mean that you lose items without even realizing it.

But what do you need to conduct this inventory? We've prepared this recommended toolkit to help you get started.

Cooperative Employees

In order to get an accurate count, you will need to be able to see every piece of equipment owned by your company. With so many employees using mobile devices and laptops, that often means asking them to bring in their equipment on the day of the audit. Allow a sufficient time window for employees who aren't in the office every day to bring their items in. Be prepared to handle the inevitable group of people who won't bring their equipment in until they're reminded numerous times. For remote workers, you may need to settle for verifying that the piece of equipment is on hand through a photo or via videoconference.

Inventorying Software

The right type of software can make a big difference. Asset management software can help you not only conduct annual audits, but you'll also be able to track your software licenses and monitor when equipment is reaching its end of life. This will boost your internal IT environment by ensuring that you're not only legally compliant, but that your employees also have the equipment that they need to get their work done each day. It also will reduce the risk that one of your employees will be out of commission due to a sudden device failure.

Pen and Paper

The biggest benefit you'll get from an end-of-year equipment audit is the help it will give you with next year's planning. As you work, make sure you have a way to take notes of what you'll need to do next year. Whether it's pen and paper or a note-taking app, jot down a list of items to top your task list at the start of the year. This can include recycling that stack of old equipment taking up space in your storage room or setting up a game plan to reduce shrinkage. Once you've created and refined your procedures for inventory management, you'll likely find that your 2018 end-of-year inventory is much easier.

National Computer Warehouse Services specializes in helping businesses with electronics recycling. Contact us today to make us an integral part of your 2018 planning.