Wasp Barcode Technologies — MobileAsset

Wasp Barcode Technologies — MobileAsset
214-547-4100
www.waspbarcode.com

From the December 2010 Review of Fixed Asset Management Systems

 The MobileAsset system from Wasp Barcode Technologies combines advanced electronic asset tracking capabilities with depreciation functions, allowing businesses and other organizations to manage all real and tangible properties. As its name implies, the system includes mobile smartphone functionality and integrates with barcode scanning and labeling systems, which Wasp also produces. The company’s other offerings include time and attendance monitoring, point-of-sale systems and printing devices. MobileAsset is available in three versions: Standard, Professional and the Enterprise system reviewed here, which offers additional depreciation, reporting, networking and multi-company management features.

BASIC SYSTEM FUNCTIONS:
The Standard and Professional versions of MobileAsset are designed primarily for use directly by small and mid-sized businesses, providing up to five concurrent users with direct management over all aspects of asset activity, including tracking items that may be checked out or assigned to business staff, those that are remotely located or those with other unique characteristics. The Enterprise version offers multi-client management capabilities and any number of concurrent users, along with server-based networking options, making it suitable for use by professionals managing any number of assets for several small businesses.

The system guides users through initial setup of program and company data, then offers wizards for creating assets and includes the ability to quickly duplicate existing assets. The primary interface is very streamlined and user-friendly, providing a large icon-based function menu with options for accessing asset management functions, administration tasks, reporting, mobile tools, a list of forms, label writing and other functions. A secondary icon menu provides additional functions, such as accessing the asset selection lists, setting asset types and classes, or working with departmental or employee assignments of the assets.

Asset data screens include several smart selection lists for items such as asset type, site, location, division, department and condition, plus the ability to enter check-out/check-in information and up to 20 custom fields. Tabs allow movement between general asset data and detailed depreciation information, asset linking, pictures, attachments, maintenance information, contracts and asset transaction histories. The system can even be set to alert users to scheduled maintenance or overdue checked out assets. The checkout functions can also be used for reservations and use of resources such as conference rooms. Recent additions to the system include global updates that allow users to edit asset records across groups or the entire base, plus custom filters for data lists and enhanced feature-based security that can control access to specific parts of the program.

CORE ASSET MANAGEMENT FEATURES:
Wasp MobileAsset is generally more focused on management and tracking of non-depreciable and simple depreciable assets, with the Enterprise version supporting only one book per asset with no pre-configured options for property classes. It does, however, provide a choice of five depreciation methods, including straight-line, double declining, 150% declining, declining balance custom and sum-of-the-years’ digits. Each of these methods allows for customization of percentage and asset life span.

For asset life events, the program allows mass and partial disposals, like-kind exchanges, sales, transfers and other dispositions, and has the ability to manage multi-part and parent-child asset relationships. The Enterprise version offers consolidation/merging of company data files, including asset bases. Many of MobileAsset’s key features are geared toward tracking an asset’s physical location, with options for assigning or checking out items to staff and customers, scheduling, and asset maintenance management.