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Harmonic eAssets management solution

To ease the complex process of keeping track of company fixed assets, from office furniture to IT equipment, the Harmonic Group, the Johannesburg-based bar code and mobile solutions specialist, has developed an asset management system (AMS), eAssets.

Barbara Cohen, product manager at Harmonic, says a key feature of eAssets is the flexibility allowed in the way assets are categorised.

Barbara Cohen, Harmonic

"Because the classification of assets is made up of a two-character numeric field 'asset type' with three sub-types, each 'asset type' has at least 999 codes. Users can allocate up to 999 different sites and, within each site, the system can have 999 different locations.

"This means assets can be categorised in virtually any number of ways. For example, a desk can be classified according to type (for example wooden or metal desk). In addition, it can be classified according to its location (office 3 or storeroom) as well as its condition (new or good or needs repair)," she explains.

The 'asset type' system ensures ease of operation and provides a uniform numbering classification of all assets. The numbers can be printed and placed wherever they may be required for ease of reference.

"All the definitions are user-defined to suit every environment and company. Other definitions that are available are general lookup fields, which is a facility that allows users to create other definitions on the asset register. General lookups can include further definitions such as 'grouping of assets' or 'grouping of locations'.

"This is perfectly suited to users wanting to fulfil certain reporting functions, which may include grouping asset locations into departments, such as sales and administration," she adds.

A portable handheld scanner is used to input and update new and current asset data to the asset database in either Access or SQL.

"The system supports full security per individual user or by user groups. Every screen and every clickable icon has user rights applicable to it, further enhancing the system's security. It also features a fully integrated asset stocktaking facility using scanners to capture current assets by location and then compare this with the asset register," she adds.

All modifications to the asset data is written to a temporary file and is only updated into the main assets file once the changes made have been securely authorised and recorded.

"eAssets ensures total control over the movement of assets, particularly when they are moved to another department or site.

"Even assets sent for repair are also handled by the system, as it monitors checkout and return dates, and location. It also provides a facility whereby individual remarks can be made," she concludes.

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