Serious software
for people serious about business

What's in a name?

Shakespeare pondered, "What's in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet", and while we cannot disagree with the bard, one thing is certain; if you call a spade a spade, and someone else calls it a shovel, then your CMMS/Asset register may not give you the information you expect.

Naming conventions are as many and varied as industries and organisations. Whether you call that digging implement a spade or a shovel does not matter nearly as much as ensuring every one of them is called by the same name.

Many proponents of naming conventions will suggest that a location or department code should be included in the name. We agree, if the asset is not mobile or moved often. Including a location code in a spade's asset code is of dubious importance if it is moved between crews or teams. If the asset is mobile, maybe a GPS longitude/latitude co-ordinate is a better way of tracking that asset.

It should go without saying that naming an asset assumes you should be tracking that asset in the first place. Which assets you track will depend on your industry. Many would consider tracking door locks a waste of time, but if you are in charge of maintenance in a hotel, then tracking door locks is a very prudent thing to do.

Asset naming and coding does not need to be complex, and even the simplest of conventions can sometimes cause a few cryptic codes to be created. We see some fairly complex coding schemes from time  to time. One that  failed the simplicity test had letters and numbers that nominated the asset type, class, year of purchase, department, state, and technician's van included in the code. By the time the office girl worked her way through what all the letters and number meant, WORKman had displayed the record details, making translation of the code unnecessary.

When you come to naming and coding your asset register, don't be afraid to settle on a scheme that works for you. It does not matter if it is unique, or even a little cryptic. What does matter is that you apply your conventions consistently.

Posted by Mark Chimes
Powered by Kentico CMS