Asset Management add-on: a better way to track and manage assets

What is the Asset Management add-on?

ServiceM8’s Asset Management add-on provides a way to easily catalogue the details and location of appliances, equipment, installations, devices or machinery, whether it’s a client’s, or your own, then record and track each asset’s service history.

With Asset Management, you can apply a special QR Code label to each individual asset you want to track and manage. This QR Code is then scanned and paired with a new asset item in ServiceM8, along with a photo, various asset details, and its location on site.

When it’s time to inspect, repair or replace client assets, field staff can:

• Locate them on a map through the ServiceM8 app;
• Scan the QR Code to pull up the asset’s details;
• Complete electronic inspection or service forms against the asset, using the Forms Add-on; and
• View past service history of previous Forms completed against the asset.

The Asset Management add-on can transform the way you catalogue and manage client assets, locate, inspect or service assets on site, track service history and manage inspection or service reporting.

How does it work?

1. Apply a special QR Code label to each asset you want to track & manage:

2. Scan the new label through ServiceM8 to create the asset & pair it:

3. Adjust the location to suit:

4. Take a photo of the asset:

5. Fill out the asset’s details & save:

6. Once an asset is paired with a label and saved in ServiceM8, you can scan the QR Code to view asset details & complete Forms. Complete Forms against the asset at the time of installation and/or on return jobs:

7. Use the List or Map views to methodically inspect or service multiple assets on the same site. Assets are checked off & turn green on the map when a Form is completed against them:

Asset Reporting with ServiceM8

There are two types of PDF reports available with the Asset Management add-on, Service Reports & Asset Registers:

Service Report

The Service Report is a PDF report of all assets on a specific job which had a Form completed against them. This is good for recording and reporting on which specific assets were inspected or serviced on a particular job, and combining the results of each asset’s inspection or service.

The Service Report can contain multiple Asset Types — for example, a business in the Fire Safety industry would create different Asset Types for smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, hose reels etc. The report template for each Asset Type can be customised to show responses to specific Form questions e.g. a typical Form question might be something like “Does the widget Pass or Fail?”, and you could have a column in the report showing this result for each asset.

The Service Report is automatically generated and saved to the Job Diary when the job’s status is updated to Completed.

Asset Register

The Asset Register is a PDF report of some or all assets listed against a specific client, sorted by their Asset Type. This is good for keeping track of all assets you have installed or service for each of your clients (or your own assets), and providing clients with this register if requested.

Asset Registers can include assets under all Asset Types saved against a particular client, or you can choose to produce a report containing only certain Asset Types.

Asset Registers can be generated when required through the Online Dashboard (go to Settings > Assets > Asset Register). They can be saved to your documents immediately as a PDF, and a copy is automatically saved to the relevant customer’s Client Card (accessible through the Clients tab).

Customer Portal

The Asset Management add-on includes a customer portal feature, in which clients can scan the QR Code attached to any of the assets your business has labelled to access a customer portal webpage for that specific asset, where they can request a service or report an issue.

Most modern smartphones cameras can scan QR Codes — all customers need to do is scan the code with their camera, and the customer portal page will appear.

How much does it cost?

Check to see whether the Asset Management add-on is available to activate in your Add-on Store. If not, you may need to review your plan details.

QR Code labels are purchased through your Online Dashboard in rolls of 500 or 1000. Once you’ve activated the Add-on, go to Settings > Assets > Order Labels for label pricing. 

Getting Started with Asset Management

The first thing you should do is activate the add-on and order some labels (allow 14 days for delivery). 

Also, check out these resources in the Help Centre:

• How to get started with the Asset Management add-on
• How to order asset QR Code labels
• How to complete Forms against assets
• How asset Service Reports & Asset Registers work

Asset Management Overview Video

Check out this video for a closer look at how asset management with ServiceM8 works (22 mins + Q&A):

Frequently Asked Questions

Which industries does the Asset Management add-on suit?

If your business installs, inspects or services any kind of appliance, equipment, installation, device or machinery, chances are the Asset Management can transform how you track and manage these assets. It can help whether you only need to track one or two assets against a client, or many.

Asset Management can also be used to manage your own business’s assets, such as vehicles, equipment, devices, plant or machinery. Simply create your own business as a Client in your account, and attach new assets to this client.

What size and material is the asset QR Code label?

The QR Code labels are approximately 25mm x 30mm. The labels are made of durable PET polyester material, with a strong adhesive backing, and printed using UV-resistant ink. They’re designed to be durable and long-lasting, even in challenging conditions.

Can we customize the QR Code labels to include our logo and other business branding?

Asset labels need to be purchased through ServiceM8 so they have the unique QR code specially configured for use with the Asset Management add-on. However, you can arrange custom labels directly with one of ServiceM8’s suppliers (taking special care to ensure that the ServiceM8 QR Codes are used). Contact ServiceM8 Support (support@servicem8.com) for more details.

Can you move assets between clients?

Yes. In ServiceM8, assets are always attached to a client. You can move an asset from one client to another by opening up a job for the new client, scanning the asset label and completing a Form for that asset. Completing a Form for an asset on a new client will change the ownership of the asset. Check out the section on relocating assets toward the bottom of this help article.

What are the system requirements for Asset Management to work?

At a minimum, you’ll need iOS devices capable of running iOS 11 (in order to scan the QR Codes). To also be able to locate assets in Augmented Reality, you’ll need a device capable of running iOS 12 as well as being AR-compatible (i.e. an iPhone 6s or later / iPad 2017 or later).

What happens if an asset loses its barcode? Can you still service the asset?

You can still service an existing asset without scanning its QR Code — simply tap the asset in the asset list (instead of scanning the QR Code) to open the asset’s details and select a Form to complete against it.

Is it possible to import a list or spreadsheet of existing assets into ServiceM8?

No, there isn’t a way to import assets into your account in bulk. It’s recommend that existing assets are added into the system as you go and service them. This means that on the first visit to your customer’s assets you’ll need to manually enter the details about each asset, but from the second visit onward you’ll have a very streamlined process.