Asset Tracking Systems and Their Uses

There’s nothing more irritating for a classroom than to find that very valuable equipment has gone inexplicably missing. 

At a time when schools are becoming harder and harder pressed to adequately provide for the academic needs of all their students losing valuable equipment can be a terrible blow. 

Currently a lot of the equipment that schools need to conduct their business isn’t cheap. So coming up with effective asset tracking systems is crucial if you wish to maintain your school’s hold on its assets.

Sadly lost equipment isn’t exactly a rare occurrence either. A study conducted by the School of Education Admission found that as many as four fifths of schools have, at some point through the year, will suffer from theft of school equipment. 

Often, these thefts were from the school’s ICT department, and more occasionally the audio-visual hardware from media studies classes.

Naturally this equipment is very expensive to replace, and its loss can also be damaging to the students whose courses rely on access to that equipment. 

It’s hard to learn about computer technology without ready access to a computer, after all. 

Of course keeping track of your school’s laptops, microscopes and video recording equipment isn’t something you can do in a day. It takes a lot of work, effort, and not a small amount of proper financial investment as well.

Asset Tracking Systems Made Easy

The easiest way a school can keep track of where its equipment is going is to properly catalogue and record the things it has to begin with. 

One way this can be achieved is to give each piece of equipment its own serial identification number, which would be unique to that item. To make things easier, you can also give that equipment tamper-proof number ID tags to further improve their security and reduce the chances of theft.

It may be an idea to create the system in such a way that objects are not only divided by type, but also by department and storage area as well. 

So, for example, if you have a video projector that’s used by the science department in Building Two, you could have a three-part code that reflects all this information. 

Suddenly it’s become tremendously easier to figure out where everything is supposed to fit in, which also helps prevent accidental claims of theft when, in fact, a piece of equipment was simply returned to the wrong storage cupboard. 

This saves on valuable time and frayed nerves.

Furthermore, you can also give each piece of equipment its own unique barcode. This means that when equipment is taken out, it can be recorded on a computer database as well as a physical logbook for greater accuracy in bookkeeping.

Of course asset tracking systems aren’t any good if you pay no attention to where the assets in question are being moved to. 

Whenever equipment is removed from the storage cupboard, make sure that the identification tag is noted and marked off on a register, with a note detailing when it was borrowed, by whom and for how long. 

This can be used, then, to track where the equipment was last held before it went missing.

Protect Your School’s Assets

No solution is entirely fool proof. 

One of the main quirks of using security ID tags for valuable equipment is that it’s meant to deter thieves, but this doesn’t always work as planned. 

Instead, asset tracking systems can be used to get an idea of when items when missing and where they could have gone, all of which can greatly speed up the process by which it can be safely returned.

Design and Order Asset Labels Online

Which One – Equipment ID Marking Confusion

How can you find the right ID asset marking solutions to help you keep track of laptops, tablets, mobiles, musical instruments and more…?

Great as portable items and equipment  are they are also prone to being lost or stolen. A good way to prevent this is to make sure each item is clearly marked with who it belongs to.

However, with such a wide selection of marking solutions it’s important to choose the right asset identification product for you so you get something that works without costing you the earth.

In a hurry call Dantech on 01354 688488 to find the right asset marking solution for you.

Tough to Remove - Permanent Labels

Your first choice is to decide the size of the asset mark you want as this will often limit the asset marking products you can use.

If your equipment is very small you might need a more specialised tag, label or sticker. These often use 2D or QR codes to help track key information about the item on a much smaller label or tag.

Dantech Minimark Labels are a great example of these small asset tags.

The quality of your asset marking is also important, you want your labels, tags, stickers and plates to stay put permanently. So your asset marking needs to use top quality adhesive to make sure it stays in place and can’t be easily removed.

Cheap asset marking products often use low quality adhesives and this can be a false economy as they need to be replaced more often.

Long Lasting Asset Marking

So you know the size of equipment marking you need and understand you want a quality solution, but to this you also need to think about how your equipment is being used.

How equipment is used effects the type of asset marking material selected for example it’s no surprise in industrial settings metal or tough acrylic plates are used to security mark equipment due to their ability to last in these tough situations.

If your equipment is handled a lot of subject to changing or tough environments including high or low temperature, outside in all weathers or close to harsh chemicals you want to be sure your asset marking isn’t going to be worn away or damaged.

A great example of this are aluminiumfoil id labels suitable for both indoor and outdoor use plus high temperature resistance, up to 150ºC short term, and down to - 40ºC.

While no asset marking solution is 100% resistant to being removed or damaged the best are extremely tough and can even leave behind a permanent sign of any tampering. It’s no surprise that this acts as a very strong deterrent to equipment theft.

With Dantech tamper voidlabels if someone tries to remove the label the word VOID remains on the surface clearly showing evidence of tampering.

Conclusion

Quality asset marking of equipment and items such as laptops, tablets, mobiles and musical instruments is really worth the investment in deterring items from being lost or stolen.

It’s important to think carefully about the size, permanency and environment that any asset marking is going to need to survive. In addition talking to a specialist like Dantech (call on 01354 688488) can help you find the best asset marking solutions for you, which will last and protect your equipment over a long period of time.

About the Author

Dantech are suppliers of quality asset and equipment security and ID marking solutions.

Find out more by visiting:

•  www.idassetlabels.co.uk – Wide select of Asset Labels, Tags and Stickers
•  www.idmark.com – Identify and security marking solutions
•  www.expresslabels.co.uk – Design and order your asset labels and stickers online

The Label that Never Comes Off

What is the first thing you must do when introducing a new security system for laptops, tablets, cables, musical instruments, etc?

Quite simply the answer to that question is, “tell everyone”.

By which I don’t mean, tell everyone in assembly that you have a new security system, because that of itself could be seen as a challenge to those of a somewhat darker personality.

Rather I mean that as the items which are secured are loaned out to students you give them, and their parents, a note saying that the school has introduced a new tracking system for these items, and that if any item is lost it is important that you should be told at once. You just need make them aware that the items are protected.

Next you need a label on each item before its given out on loan and that raises two questions.

1. How can one label particularly small items of equipment, 
2. How can one ensure that there is no way that anyone can remove the label?

The way to do this is via the use of a label in which the school name is cut out and painted with UV ink so that it will show up should the label be removed.  Plus, by simply letting everyone in the school know that this is the case, you can reduce attempts to remove the label by well over 90%.

For larger items, ID Silver Mark are precision cut stencil labels which are ideal for labelling IT equipment (including iPads, tablets and mobiles) as no one can remove the label without it fragmenting, and even if they get peeled off the UV paint still shows the school name and postcode.

Find out more: ID Mark - ID Silver Mark Labels

For smaller items there is the ID Mini Mark Label which is not only hard to remove, but can also incorporate a serial number and/or barcode thus making it possible to include data in a small space.
Additionally should anybody attempt to remove the asset label or switch the label onto some other equipment, the material will break into small pieces, thus visibly announcing the fact that the label has been interfered with.

Furthermore, because the data is engraved into the surface of the label it cannot be removed with chemicals and cleaning materials.

Mini Mark labels are also ideal for musical instruments as the text won’t come off the label even with the continuous handling of an instrument.  The labels can be provided with white text on black or silver material with black text.

Find out more: Asset Labels - Mini Mark Labels

Dantech also has a full range of ‘traditional’ printed asset marking labels with the schools name, asset number and bar code. Using asset numbering enables the school to maintain a detailed register with an instant view of which equipment is available and where.

View our full asset label range

Alternatively, please call us on 01354 688 488 or email us sales@dantech.co.uk for free and unbiased help and advice.

Tactile Triangle Labels

Our world is full of chemicals. Whether it is oven-cleaner, paint, ink, bleach or hair spray, the every-day chemicals around our homes have the potential to become highly dangerous substances. If treated improperly or mishandled accidentally, these ordinary materials have an ability to harm and damage both people and other objects.

Tactile Danger Warning Label

It therefore makes perfect sense to have dangerous objects labelled clearly and for liquids and pressured gases, such as aerosols, to be marked as toxic or harmful. However, the standard yellow triangle plastered in a corner of the product does not aid those with visual impairments to recognise its dangerous nature, and nor does it comply with the new European Standard BS EN ISO 11683:1997.

Labelling Chemicals to Protect the Visually Impaired

Health and Safety Regulations in the United Kingdom have long prescribed that any dangerous or harmful material must be labelled as such, to prevent accidental damage and injury. Many of the rules and regulations pertaining to ‘Health and Safety’ can be seen by the public as over protective for toxic substances, the warnings are absolutely necessary.

Traditionally these warnings have been displayed as yellow triangles with a black depiction of the hazard – e.g. Test tubes and corroded fingers for corrosive liquids. However, almost two million people in the United Kingdom live with partial or full sight loss. It is therefore absolutely crucial that the visually impaired community are equally warned of the potential hazards and dangers. This is why tactile triangle warning labels were introduced.

Tactile triangle labels are raised outlines of triangles, made from a transparent plastic and 18mm in size. It functions as a warning in the same way as braille – the visually impaired individual runs their finger over it and perceives that this object is either ‘toxic’, ‘corrosive’, ‘extremely flammable’ or ‘harmful’ and as such should be used with caution.

The transparent tactile warning label means that a complete redesign of your company’s products is not necessary; instead, the label can fit discreetly anywhere on your product without interfering with the design.

If your company or business supplies products or materials which are required by law to display a yellow warning triangle, then they will also be legally required to affix a tactile triangle label in addition. Click here to view a complete range of order sizes from Dantech Ltd.


Dantech Ltd are market-leading specialists in product labelling solutions. They also produce a series of industrial labels for identification and metal asset marking plates.

Lessons for Schools in Asset Tracking

While preparing for the new school year ahead many schools will be reviewing their assets and equipment. Sadly during this process many schools will fine missing or damaged items that will need replacing.

While planning assets and equipment for the coming year it make sense to also look at ways to reduce assets being damaged or lost to minimise the cost of future replacement and maximise what are often very tight budgets.

Clear asset identification

A sensible first step is to look for ways to mark all school assets and equipment to clearly identify them as belonging to the school. Such asset marking helps discourage items from being misplaced or stolen, but only as long as the marking is clear and permanent.

Using quality asset labels or identification plates can be extremely useful in this regard plus they also allow for additional information to be associated with the item.

Tracking and tracing assets

By adding a bar code, sequential numbering or QR code for smaller items schools can also track additional key pieces of information including:

·         Who is responsible for each asset

·         Where each asset should be located

·         Condition and maintenance details

·         Lifetime costs associated with the asset

Holding this additional information helps schools maintain proper chains of responsibility, these help to reduce assets being damaged or misappropriated.

The right asset label in the right place

Just as the assets within a school will range in size and type so a different appropriate asset label or plate will be required to mark each item. Schools should consider using a range of asset labels tailored to the assets and equipment needing to be tracked.

Talking to an expert like Dantech can help schools find the right asset labels and marking products for them. Visit ID Asset Labels or call 01354 688 488 for free advice and support.

Tips on Recovering Stolen Items

Being burgled is a terrible experience, but it can be a wake-up call for many of us about how poorly protected our assets can be.

While insurance can help cover the cost of replacing items most of us would rather have our property back. However, even if police recover stolen goods one of the hardest issues can be proving who the real owners are of each item. If you don’t have records and your items aren’t security marked then it can at times be virtually impossible to prove ownership.

Using Identifying Security Marks 

Many people don’t know how to protect their items in the event of a burglary therefore fail to do so. To be safe, keep item descriptions, serial numbers, and photos of your valuables. You can also place identifying security marks on your property, so they can be quickly recognised as belonging to you.

Try marking your soft items, such as leather, or cloth with a marker and use a UV security marking pen to mark high valued Items with ‘shiny’ surfaces such as iPads, tablets, laptops, projectors, cameras, mobiles, bikes, garden utilities - where chemical etching won't penetrate.

Call the Police 

The first thing to do when you find that your home has been broken into is do call the Police. Filing a police report and providing as much information as possible about your stolen goods will help the police in their investigation.

Check in with the police weekly to see if they’ve made progress on your case. Reminding the police about your case will keep it fresh in their minds.

Check out local pawn and second-hand goods Shops 

It is not uncommon for thieves to take stolen goods to a pawn shop or second hand goods store in your local area and surrounding towns. Ring around and visit some of these shops immediately after the event.

If you find your goods in a shop don’t demand your good back or attempt to buy them back. You should ask the shop to reserve them for you and contact the police straight away.

Browse through the eBay listings 

EBay is another popular method used by burglars to get rid of hot items. If you happen to stumble across your missing items on eBay, print a copy of the listing, complete with the eBay site address, date, item number, and User ID.

Print one copy for yourself and one for the police. By giving the police the listing, they can then go about recovering your items. Hopefully these tips will be able to help you recover your stolen items in the unfortunate event of a burglary.

Remember by security marking your items, this will increase your chances of recovering them.

Security Marking for Business and Industry 

If you’re an organisation or business then your security marking needs to be more organised than a simple UV pen and the method you use can vary across your different assets and equipment.

Specialists in asset and security marking Dantech Ltd can help you find the right security marking system for you including UV security marking stencils suitable for shiny surfaced equipment like iPads, ID security plates for big or high value equipment and asset labels for smaller items, tools and equipment. For more information visit www.idmark.com.

Protect Your Classroom Equipment with Asset Labels

Protecting Class Room Equipment

When maintaining a class room, it is essential to know where your school equipment is and to ensure that it can easily be tracked and catalogued.

 It may actually be surprising just how much valuable equipment a single class room can have, and this goes double to class rooms geared towards specialised subjects, such as science or technology.

As such, using security marking methods such as asset labels coupled with equipment inventories and bar codes or ID numbers to track your equipment is a very good way to keep abreast of where they are and when they’re not where they’re supposed to be.

Tracking Equipment in Schools 

It can be very tricky to keep tabs on equipment in a school setting, as it’s frequently the case that there are more students and more classes than there is equipment for lessons. As such, items often rotate classrooms, winding up in rooms without proper authorisation.

While writing the schools name in permanent pen might seem like a cheap and effective solution it seldom works as a real security measure. The easiest way to mark your classroom equipment is to use an asset label with a proper bar code or ID number.

Asset labels are dedicated permanent labels containing key security or identity details for the item of equipment. Good quality ones are near impossible to remove and can withstand regular use and harsh environments. In addition for very small equipment there are even mini labels using 2D or QR codes.

Asset Lists 

By assigning each piece of school equipment a code or number you can link a database of equipment details directly to an item via the asset label number. As such, asset labels allow equipment to be quickly identified by other members of staff or students and promptly returned to where they should be.

Carefully written and tracked equipment lists can be used during class set up to note what is being used, where it is being used and who is responsible for it. After the class, the list can then be used to track if any items are missing, where they are likely to be and, in worst case scenarios, who will be held responsible for its damage or loss.

For more details on asset labels visit ID Asset labels or for UV security marking and ID plates visit ID Mark.