Inventory record keeping - In what ?

[jamin100]

Well we're being audited under financial management standards in December and one of the points raised is inventory.

 

Obviously everything has to be on the inventory, but what format / program do you use to keep it all? or is it all hand written?

 

If anyone has any inventory templates it would be appreciated

[mjs_mjs]

access is a good start...

 

we used asset guard until it broke - was crap, dont use it as it's just a front end to an access database anyway.

 

FMSIS should have a document explaing how they want it - thats probably useful to look at if they have one.

[Mako]

We use Access, as we don't have any fancy software, and this handy template from Office Online does the trick quite nicely;

 

MS Access Asset Database Template.

 

Useful for a quick solution. Hope it helps.

[OutToLunch]

If it's just you doing it, the Hardware Management System by MST is a brilliant little app -little bit quirky in places but nothing you don't get used to. Basically a very well designed Access DB with a nice front end. Only problem is since MST closed shop I'm not quite sure where you could track a copy down... I had it somewhere then misplaced it and have to admit am a bit behind on inventory since - keep meaning to dig it up and get it on my netbook!

[Sylv3r]

We use an access database with a php front end.

 

Does the job for us as to the others posting above.

[witch]

Mine's just an Excel spreadsheet - we don't have Access, more's the pity.

Does the job though

[GrumbleDook]

I've just pointed out to Northants folk that ultimately they will have to stick it in SIMS Equipment Register as audit want to see everything *in one location* ... and so have asked them to look at what the format needs to be when exported from whatever they are presently using. It might be worth asking audit what info they want.

[7andY]

We use GLPI - does an automated inventory when used with OCS. A bit fiddly to get started, but well worth it. You can add all your networking gear, and set up all the links/ports to keep track of what goes where. It will keep track of your Printer catridge use, and all your consumables too. Does lots more besides - did I mention Helpdesk with automatic Ticket creation from email?

 

Crumbs, it does everything bar make the tea!

 

Excellent application - oh, and it's free!!

[TechMonkey]

We have a HUGE Excel spreadsheet but are moving over to GLPI. All the computers are in thanks to OCS, next will be to slowly transfer everything else. Gonna be an epic task but well worth it I think.

[reggiep]

What is this OCS you guys speak of?

[mac_shinobi]

There was another thread on here somewhere that pointed to

 

http://sydiproject.com/

 

Is that of any use ?

[laserblazer]

I use Excel. It has the advantage that if I'm adding a batch of computers, I can fill down the common details and then just add the serial number. At some stage, we will be dragged into a management database of some description and hopefully it will have a csv import facitilty.

[Edu-IT]

Spiceworks inventory exported to Excel.

[Crowmanuk]

I've been given the job of doing it in our school and we're using the equipment register module thats built into sims, I've almost made a start of it and have done the course but it integrates with sims so it makes it easy to allocate equipment to rooms/staff.

[alan-d]

We use GLPI, as stated above it gives us all the info we need although pulling out bespoke reports is a pain. We can however pull up every detail of the equipment from the serial number, type of chipset to software installed as well as all tickets raised since it was installed.

 

SIMs won't give us that detail.

[garethEds]

Have to admit a luxury here. We have a Samsung N10 connected to a barcode scanner. We use Setton's AssetGuard Asset Management Software.

 

The techie likes it. We barcode everything that comes into the school and keep track of it like that.

 

I'm not sure how the software runs - but like I said, the techie likes it and if he's happy then the inventories get done.

 

GJE

[Gatt]

We are using GLPI and OCS Inventory - though got some issues with duplication of computers into GLPI which we cant seem to fix at present

 

There are rumours of purchasing the licence from the Equipment Register Module in FMS. (Why purchase what you can get for free?)

[mjs_mjs]

Have to admit a luxury here. We have a Samsung N10 connected to a barcode scanner. We use Setton's AssetGuard Asset Management Software.

 

The techie likes it. We barcode everything that comes into the school and keep track of it like that.

 

I'm not sure how the software runs - but like I said, the techie likes it and if he's happy then the inventories get done.

 

GJE

 

We have it too here.... find it rubbish. It's just a front end to an access database.

[Jay_Jay]

We use Parago here, was quick to setup and the reports you can produce are great, we also got a PDA with it which meant we could scan some barcodes (Dell bar-codes were to small to scan) straight in to the online database.

[fawkers]

Hello Everyone

For those of you who would like to use the SIMS Equipment Register I’ve just made a change request 0912-639509 asking for the ability to have user defined fields with different categories of equipment, its driving me nuts not being able to put the stuff in that I need when FMS\SIMS holds half the information already. If you think it’s a good idea please vote.

 

Thanks

 

.Adam

[ITCONSULTANT]

seems a lot of the same questions get posted in a different ways, obviously there are number of products etc which you pay for but again the most widely used one we work with is Parago

[keogk]

Does the OCS and GLPI let you add individual devices like Mice and Keyboard which we also need to keep track of.

I have looked into a number of things that do this.

Right now I am playing with Racktables which is open Source and lets you keep track of devices n a rack. I also am using OpenAudit to keep track of what software is installed. Open Audit will also give you info such as Model,Serial number Drives . Can also set purchase price and warranty info. Can I do rack info with OCS/GLPI

What I would love is something where I could search for a device have it bring up a info page about the device with details like I listed with Open audit was well as other info like. System has 3 NICS. Nic 0 and 1 are connected to port 22 and 32 in Cisco 3750 Switch A in rack 7 set to LACP. With a link to show all the software loaded, where I can click the name of some piece of software like Office 2007 and have it tell me 129 Machines have Office 2007 then a note that says I have 130 Licenses of O2K7. With Open Audit and racktables I can create notes but not very detailed. I would love to be able to have a file I keep on the server that the software reads. Then when I am working on a server I can update info like Installed Update 5. Changed path to X

Then have that info show up in a documentation field. Racktables is also able to keep track of what IP addresses are being used. That is where we found it when looking for something better then the spreadsheet we were using.

[alan-d]

OCS and GPLI do let you add individual devices but it's not a tidy solution as they are bulked together under the heading 'Devices'.

It does record the software installed on PCs and gives the option to uninstall it, although I have never tested this.

It will link devices, but you have to do this manually, at least with the PCs, I haven't looked at devices such as devices in a rack.

GLPI has it's uses in that it provides an auditable trail of kit and tickets assigned to individual devices. The helpdesk side isn't friendly to the average user but that isn't an issue here as we enter the details ourselves.

The real buggerance with GLPI is it's limited reporting. For example to get a list of kit in a single location is impossible without writing a query direct from the DB.

 

At the moment we have it in place, it ticks all the major boxes but there is room for some tweaking which we haven't got around to doing yet.