AssetCenter
Asset systems of record
Turning scattered spreadsheets and purchase records into a dependable source for identity, custody, location, cost, and condition.
Author
Jeremy Francis
Founder & CEO, AssetCenter
Jeremy Francis is the founder and CEO of AssetCenter and writes practical guides about asset records, equipment custody, and lifecycle management.
Jeremy Francis on XFirst-hand perspective
Jeremy Francis is the founder and CEO of AssetCenter, a timeline-first asset tracking platform for teams managing equipment, devices, vehicles, tools, people, locations, and subscriptions.
He writes from the first-hand work of building AssetCenter and documenting how asset inventories, assignments, maintenance, costs, and lifecycle events fit together for small and midsize teams.
Equipment custody and lifecycle
Designing practical receiving, assignment, checkout, maintenance, recovery, and retirement workflows.
Identification and scanning
Connecting asset tags, barcodes, and QR codes to records that preserve the full history of an item.
Published work
Guides by Jeremy Francis
Acceptable use policy for company devices: template and examples
What an acceptable use policy covers for company laptops and phones, with a copyable template, example clauses, and how to tie it to device handoffs.
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Accumulated depreciation: what it is, how to calculate it, and where it goes
Accumulated depreciation is a contra-asset with a credit balance that reduces equipment on the balance sheet. See the formula, a worked example, and entries.
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Hardware asset management (HAM): a practical guide for small IT teams
Hardware asset management tracks every laptop, phone, and device from purchase to disposal. Learn the lifecycle, the data to keep, and the tools for small teams.
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What is a perpetual license, and how is it different from a subscription?
A perpetual license lets you use one version of software indefinitely after a one-time purchase. Compare it with subscriptions and learn what to record.
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Salvage value: definition, formula, and examples for business assets
Salvage value is what a business expects to recover from an asset at the end of its useful life. Learn how to estimate it and how it affects depreciation.
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Asset disposal: process, checklist, and recordkeeping
Build an asset disposal process with clear approvals, data sanitization, transfer evidence, accounting handoff, and a copyable disposal form.
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Introducing the AssetCenter API
The AssetCenter API is here. Connect your tools to assets, people, locations, and subscriptions, automate workflows, and get started with our developer guide.
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Equipment maintenance log: free spreadsheet template and example
Build an equipment maintenance log with the right service, cost, meter, evidence, and follow-up fields. Download the Excel template or print the PDF.
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7 Best Asset Management Software Platforms in 2026
Compare seven asset management platforms by operating model, lifecycle records, field workflows, implementation, pricing, and best-fit team.
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Fixed asset depreciation schedule: guide, example, and template
Build a fixed asset depreciation schedule with cost, salvage value, useful life, annual expense, accumulated depreciation, and book value.
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Is equipment a current asset? Classification, examples, and exceptions
Operational equipment is a non-current asset. The exceptions are equipment held for resale, items expensed under policy, and assets held for sale. See examples.
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Free IT inventory management software: 6 options compared
Compare six free IT inventory tools by what the free tier actually includes, where the asset and user limits bite, and which ones are really trials.
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GPS tool tracking: when it works, and what to use instead
Work out which tools justify a GPS tracker, where Bluetooth tags and custody records do the job better, and why tracking the container usually wins.
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RFID asset tracking: what it costs, and when barcodes are enough
Work out whether RFID asset tracking earns its infrastructure, what a real system costs beyond the tags, and when printed barcode labels do the same job.
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Software license management: a guide for small IT teams
Keep a software license register that survives renewals: the records a small IT team needs, who owns each one, and where a spreadsheet stops being enough.
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GPS tracking for construction and heavy equipment
Match GPS trackers to excavators, loaders, attachments and small tools by power source, reporting cadence, coverage and the workflow behind them.
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How to automate employee offboarding without losing the equipment
Identity offboarding is automated; equipment recovery usually is not. What offboarding automation covers, where it stops, and how to close the gap.
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What is Apple Business, and how does it help with employee onboarding?
Apple Business replaced Apple Business Manager in April 2026. What it does for device onboarding, where it stops, and how it fits an asset record.
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GPS tracking devices for equipment: a buyer's guide
Compare GPS tracking devices for equipment by power source, reporting interval, coverage, installation, software, and total operating cost.
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Trailer GPS tracker: selection and rollout guide
Choose a trailer GPS tracker by battery life, reporting frequency, coverage, mounting, software, and total cost, then pilot a practical rollout.
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Employee offboarding checklist for IT and operations
An employee offboarding checklist covering the full sequence, with the equipment half in depth: assignments, returns, condition, and unresolved exceptions.
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Asset audit: how to run a physical inventory count
Run an asset audit end to end: plan the physical count, record observations and discrepancies, reconcile them with the register, and approve corrections safely.
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When and how to migrate an asset spreadsheet into a managed system
Recognize when an asset spreadsheet has been outgrown, then clean, map, import, validate, and reconcile it without losing identifiers or custody history.
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7 best IT asset management software platforms in 2026
Compare seven IT asset management platforms by inventory method, lifecycle depth, service workflows, deployment model, pricing, and best-fit team.
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IT asset lifecycle management: stages, controls, and checklist
A small-team IT asset lifecycle: plan, receive, deploy, support, recover, and retire devices with a named owner and required evidence at every handoff.
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Equipment checkout software: a buyer's guide
Learn how equipment checkout software tracks custody, returns and condition, which features matter, and when a simple checkout system is enough.
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What is IT asset management (ITAM)? A guide
What IT asset management means for a small IT team: which assets and records to track first, the lifecycle, the tools involved, and a practical ITAM process.
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Asset tags for equipment: materials, barcodes, and placement
Choose durable asset tags for equipment, compare barcode, QR and RFID options, create a numbering system, and avoid common placement mistakes.
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How barcode asset tracking works: labels, scanners and setup
Learn how barcode asset tracking connects labels to records, which hardware small teams need, and how to pilot scans, updates, and exceptions.
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What is an asset register? Guide + free template
Download a free asset register template in Excel or CSV, then learn which identity, custody, lifecycle and cost fields to keep and how to maintain it.
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Simple asset management: a five-step process that lasts
Keep asset management simple with five steps: limit the first scope, name one owner, standardize the record, update during real work, and review exceptions.
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Nonprofit asset management software: a selection guide
Choose nonprofit asset management software for durable equipment, custody, program locations, funding context, maintenance, and disposition records.
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How to choose fixed asset management software for a small business
Compare what fixed asset management software for small business should track, when a spreadsheet is enough, and where accounting software still fits.
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7 best construction asset management software platforms in 2026
Compare seven construction asset management platforms for tool tracking, telematics, equipment maintenance, job costing, published pricing, and best-fit contractor.
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Asset tracking for schools: a rollout guide
Plan school asset tracking across campuses with clear ownership, durable tags, checkouts, repair evidence, physical checks, and year-end recovery.
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