To build a database that serves as an information repository for your organization's IT equipment and software, you need to identify each piece of equipment that enters your organization with an entry that contains such descriptions as the vendor name, product name, model number, and unique identification. You also might want to append each entry with additional information, such as the item's purchasing price, the date it came in, and other specific information. For software, you might want to note the version number and whether it's Y2K-compliant. Once you have your database's parameters worked out, you need to populate it by inventorying your equipment. Besides noting what equipment is on its way, you also need to invest some time in marking or tagging the equipment when it arrives.
Some organizations use bar code labels, which can save money in data-entry labor.
For equipment such as hubs, tagging is easy. But for other types of equipment, the process is more complicated and requires more attention. For instance, when you tag a new PC, you also need to tag any additional assets it houses, such as hard disks and extended memory. By marking these components and noting the system in which they reside, you can retrieve and reallocate them when you retire the system. The same is true for modems, network interface cards, and, of course, keyboards and monitors.