Getting back to school was challenging enough without adding the pandemic into the mix. Even before the pandemic, tracking a school’s assets was a challenge that could be costly if mismanaged. For example, in 2020, Greenville, South Carolina, public schools reported 4,000 missing Chromebooks worth nearly $1.2 million.
These losses cost schools money, making it difficult for other students to utilize their educational tools. With efficient, cloud-based asset management software, you can track, update, and improve your school’s asset utilization with minimal extra effort.
Learn how to track your Chromebooks to save yourself time and money.
- Understanding Your School’s Needs
- Questions to Consider
- Tracking Your Information in One Place
- Managing Your Assets
- Setting Up Reminders
- Using Check-In/Check-Out Systems
- Chromebook Tracking Software
- Unique Chromebook Device Serial Numbers
- Cloud-Based Asset Inventory Solutions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Confidently Manage Your Chromebooks with Flex Asset Solutions
Understanding Your School’s Needs
Every school must manage a unique budget, timeline, and student body. With the proper asset management software, you can make this day-to-day management a breeze.
The key to using asset management software correctly is pinpointing what you need to achieve and why. Not every software is created equal, so you’ll need to find one tailored to your needs.
Whether you’re tracking a hundred or a thousand Chromebooks, the best Chromebook tracking software will keep up with your daily demands with an easy-to-use interface and efficient workflow—all while operating with the quickness of a neatly organized spreadsheet system.
Questions to Consider
There are many questions to answer. Below are aspects you should consider to take your asset management abilities to the next level.
- Do you know where all of your Chromebooks are?
- What is the average number of Chromebooks lost per school year?
- How many assets must you assign in and out every school year?
- How much time does the assignment process take, and how error-prone is it?
- Do you use barcodes and scanners to make that process efficient?
- Are you able to easily track maintenance tasks?
- What other equipment do you assign to students or faculty (tablets, cameras, etc.)?
- What are the shortcomings of your current asset management system (hand-keyed check-ins, inefficient workflow, insufficient reporting, etc.)?
- Do you struggle to manage tasks and assign deadlines?
Tracking Your Information in One Place
Asset management involves many steps, including tracking, maintenance, and following up with individuals—the more moving parts, the more things can go wrong.
Unfortunately, most asset management in schools is performed on a spreadsheet or even manually recorded on paper. These methods are wholly inadequate at keeping track of large quantities of education technology.
Asset management software meticulously tracks your school’s Chromebooks—on campus or off—all in one place.
With a simple lookup or barcode scan, your Chromebook tracker can quickly and easily access information related to an asset, a student, or a classroom, allowing you to track as you go. You can also assess available inventory to monitor real-time utilization and plan purchases for the upcoming year.
Managing Your Assets
Chromebooks are very useful, and they’re expensive. Losing just one can set your school back hundreds of dollars. How do you know where each one is assigned?
Barcode inventory software streamlines Chromebook tracking.
Here’s how it works:
- Number, barcode, school location, address, and individual student contact details are kept in one place, updated on-the-fly and accessible to the entire team instantaneously.
- In addition to Chromebooks, you can use the software to monitor tablets, lab equipment, musical instruments, or any other assets you make available to students and faculty.
- You can track unlimited assets, making it easy as your institution scales.
Setting Up Reminders
Things are busy even at the best of times. How do you ensure students return their assets and prepare them for the next school year?
Scheduling reminders can help. You can create and assign maintenance tasks like battery checks and schedule equipment return due dates.
Reminders and robust reporting capabilities can help you save time and maximize your chances that students properly maintain and return Chromebooks as scheduled.
Related: How Using Barcode Inventory Software Will Save Your Business
Using Check-In/Check-Out Systems
The most effective way to ensure your school’s Chromebooks are returned on time is to have a check-in/check-out system on your side.
Asset management software determines who uses the check-in/check-out system, when, and for which asset. Most importantly, it conducts annual inventory reports for you to compare with local regulatory compliances and previous school years.
You can even ensure each Chromebook is adequately cared for by creating maintenance tasks. Staying on top of your asset management contributes to a cycle that keeps the entire school running smoothly.
Chromebook Tracking Software
Each Chromebook follows a unique journey once in a student’s hands. Tracking software ensures that when you assign a student an item, you can get them to sign a use agreement form acknowledging their possession and outlining the expectations with which they must comply to maintain control of the device.
Most important among these expectations is knowing when the student must return the Chromebook. You can also outline the penalties for noncompliance or missing or lost items.
Another benefit of tracking software is that it allows you to immediately look up where each Chromebook is assigned, with the ability to assign maintenance or check-in/check-out requests on demand. Expectation management is critical to ensuring your students remain responsible and future students won’t lack the necessary resources.
Unique Chromebook Device Serial Numbers
A device serial number is the most significant way to track an item’s return or loss. However, that’s not the only way you can protect your student body.
A robust inventory management system houses security best practices. Features like user/access restrictions and audit logs can help your team easily mitigate security risks.
Cloud-Based Asset Inventory Solutions
“If you’re not using cloud-based software to store data and manage your equipment, it’s safe to say you’re behind the times. Today, everything seems to be stored in the cloud—and for good reason.”
Related: Top 7 Inventory Management Benefits
With so many variables shifting on a dime, the benefits of cloud-based asset management software make it easy to adapt as needed. No matter how many people help you manage your assets, every new update will be immediately visible to the whole team, whether it’s a new check-out or a maintenance task.
Cloud-based software ensures everyone can access and track where all of your Chromebooks are at all times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Track a Chromebook?
Absolutely. With Chromebook tracking software, you can efficiently track your assets. The proper software allows you to set up and streamline a barcode and a check-in/check-out system.
Your entire team can also monitor the Chromebook locations and determine maintenance requirements.
Can Schools Track Stolen Chromebooks?
Yes, with the barcode/scanning system the software sets up, your school can track stolen Chromebooks.
Even better, the proper asset management technology adheres to security best practices. These practices allow your institution to proactively protect your Chromebooks from perpetrators attempting to access confidential information.
Security features include:
- User audit log
- Password and security policies
- Security groups and permissions
How Do Schools Keep Track of Chromebooks?
Schools that successfully track Chromebooks use software featuring speed, efficiency, and accuracy. Take Quakertown Community School District, for example.
As the school faced a new normal due to the pandemic, its former asset management technology, Asset Panda, could not fulfill these new demands. It soon became an outdated repository.
Switching to Flex Asset Solutions allowed them to scan student IDs, assign assets, and track service, maintenance, warranty, and insurance information—all while meeting the institution’s budget.
Confidently Manage Your Chromebooks with Flex Asset Solutions
Some students still study in person, while others opt for hybrid or remote models. Tracking Chromebooks is a tall order but one that Flex Asset Solutions can help you solve.
Go back to school confident, organized, and safe. Book your demo today.
In the meantime, let these additional resources aid your asset management journey:
- Asset and Inventory Management Leader Seeks to Raise $100,000 for School Technology Resources in Underserved Communities
- K-12 Education Asset Inventory Management Software
- Customer Spotlight: Quakertown Community School District
- 5 Ways Asset Tracking Software Will Benefit Your Business
Not sure if you’re ready for the school year? Reach out to Flex for a one-on-one consultation.
