The Asset Tag Nobody Typed Correctly
IT asset audits fail at data entry. The serial number is seventeen characters. The inventory tag is a ten-digit number over a barcode sticker on the underside of the laptop. Someone types it while crouching under a desk at 4pm on the third day of the annual audit. The result is a record that doesn't match the asset register because two digits got transposed, and nobody will notice until the device comes up for replacement and the tag scan returns nothing.
This template routes every identifier through the camera. Serial number, inventory number, manufacturer, model, type, building, room, program — all barcode fields. The scan takes half a second and is exact.
Building and Room as Barcode Fields
Building and room as scanned barcodes is the design decision that makes multi-site audits tractable. Each room in each building has a QR code or barcode label on the door frame or switchboard. The auditor scans the room code on entry, then scans each device in the room. Every record from that session carries the same building/room prefix without manual reentry.
When the audit is complete, filtering by building shows every device on that site. Filtering by room shows every asset assigned to that space. Cross-filtering building + status = "on stock" shows stocked spare units sitting in storage rooms that the asset register had marked as deployed — a discrepancy that costs money in unnecessary procurement.
In Use vs. On Stock: The Two States That Matter
Status is binary: in use, on stock. A device is deployed with a user or it's in the parts room. That distinction drives depreciation schedules, support contract renewals, and disposal decisions. An asset that has been "on stock" for eighteen months is a candidate for retirement, not a functioning reserve.
The Program field captures primary installed software — the application suite that defines what this machine is deployed for. A CAD workstation carries different software than a reception PC or a finance terminal. When a software license audit hits, filtering by Program shows how many machines are licensed for which application and whether the deployment matches the license count.
Date and time record when the audit entry was made. When two entries exist for the same serial number with different dates — one from last year's audit and one from this year — the date field resolves which record is current and whether the asset moved between rooms in the interval.
Comment holds anything the barcode fields don't: "screen cracked, awaiting repair," "keyboard replaced 2024-03," "assigned to contractor, off-site," "flagged for secure wipe before disposal." The structured fields capture the asset identity and location precisely. The comment captures the asset's condition and history in human language.