If you employ the right technology, managing your business assets can be so much simpler. Say goodbye to time-consuming and error-prone manual asset management –invest in effective asset management software and keep track of everything from purchasing and bar coding to stock control, all in one click.

When shopping around for asset management software, consider three things: applicability to your current systems, usability and report generation features.

The complexity of asset management software features you need depends on the density of your business processes. As a rule, you need software with the following essential modules: purchasing, depreciation, bar coding, inventory control and a help desk. If much of your existing asset management systems are already web-based, you should find software that is compatible with web browsers or (ERP systems when applicable).

You need software with an interface that allows any users to intuitively find their way around to lessen the downtime in trying to learn these applications. Test-drive the software to see if you can easily access such information as asset details, purchase prices, associated costs and audit trails. Information should be laid out so that you can see the history of every asset and track its location, movement and depreciation. The main point of asset management software is to make recording and retrieving easy.

Another important feature to look for in software is its report generation functionality. It should be able to easily generate preformatted reports and perform custom reporting and sorting. It should also be equipped with a graphics generator that allows you to access instant pictorial representations of the data you need. Your asset management software should allow you to point and click your way into comprehensive data that will allow you to spend less time computing and tracking and more time making big decisions.