March 20, 2010 Comments Off
Web-based servers for asset tracking has revolutionized the industry. The construction of CG4s Asset Tracking System (ATS) includes a web-based server as the hub. So, what does that mean?
Each user account that is created by the administrator (which is probably you if you’re reading this) may access the server using the ATS Web interface from any Web browser, or may also access the same information using a handheld device. The user can access either of these interchangeably. The Web interface is more commonly used by ATS customers in standalone mode. Pass-through customers usually only have user access the handheld devices.
March 20, 2010 Comments Off
Patented Synchronization Technology
1. We built our own means of communicating between the web server and the handhelds. It allows us to have great control over what goes back and forth from the handheld, improves the power administrators have over their users, and gives users more flexibility.
2. With our patented sync technology, we have not lost any data as a result of an interruption to the sync process. We have millions of asset records traveling through our sync technology and it is solid.
March 20, 2010 Comments Off
Ask CG4 for Advice. If you have a question about the best way to accomplish your asset tracking objectives, give us a call and we will be a sounding board for you. You can also refer to the Asset Tracking Basics information on the CG4 website (www.cg4.com).
March 18, 2010 Comments Off
We try to make ATS, or Asset Tracking Software, simple. The same goes with the security of our technology. In our ATS, the administrator can select what password rules to have in place for the users. You can do this in many ways: you can require passwords to be changed frequently and allow or require alphabetic, numeric, special characters, upper and lower case, minimum number of characters, maximum number of characters, and how many days until the password expires. This gives you free reign to choose your security options.
March 18, 2010 Comments Off
Why do we include user profiles in our ATS? That’s simple: so the administrator can set the profile settings for a particular user, and they are enforced regardless of if the user is working through the Web interface or with a handheld.
Through the user profiles, the admin can also include locations of assets in the profile. That means a technician in Miami can only see assets that are in Miami. You can go as detailed as you’d like with user profiles and assign multiple locations.
You can also group by category. For instance, if you want a particular user to have access to only laptops in Miami and nothing else, you can do that. The admin can also indicate whether users can edit assets and create assets and other privileges.
March 17, 2010 Comments Off
Track IT Equipment. We have many customers that start their asset tracking efforts by focusing on their IT equipment. The IT equipment becomes obsolete relatively quickly. With software licensing, it is easy to over or under purchase. An unused computer in a store room can save a company an unnecessary purchase.
March 16, 2010 Comments Off
Maintain Detailed Locations. One of the most difficult things to master with your asset tracking efforts is to know exactly where your assets are. To help with this, you should have a master list of your locations so that assets may be assigned to the appropriate location and sublocation. Some companies do the locations for their asset tracking down to the detailed cubicle level; others do locations that are more general. The more detailed the location, the less time the technicians will waste looking for the asset.
March 15, 2010 Comments Off
Maintain One Database. Have you ever dealt with the pain of having your similar data stored in two or more separate locations? It was painful for me. When doing any asset tracking efforts, it is very important that you make all your updates to a central location and a central database. No matter whether doing updates via web screens, by imports, by handheld barcode scanners, or by RFID readers, all changes and updates need to be done to one central database.
March 14, 2010 Comments Off
Keep Asset Barcode Simple. As you decide how to do your asset tracking, one question is whether you should barcode a unique identifier for the asset or barcode several details about the asset within a barcode (such as a 2D barcode). Most customers keep it simple and assign a unique value for an asset barcode. When a handheld scanner reads the barcode or when the barcode value is requested in the web server software, the software will pull up all the details of the asset record based on the unique identifier. Most customers think 2D could do many interesting things, but after the analysis, most customers decide to keep it simple.
March 13, 2010 Comments Off
Purchase Preprinted Barcodes and Give Easy Access to Barcodes. For printing barcodes, you can purchase barcode printing hardware and supplies, print the barcodes from within your Asset Tracking Software, or purchase rolls of preprinted barcodes. A majority of customers purchase preprinted barcodes to fit their environment (office, outdoors, manufacturing, etc.). Before you apply the barcodes to your assets, you need to decide on a standard location for the barcode. Plan so that handheld scanning technicians can easily find and scan the barcodes on any given asset.
