Printing labels yourself is frequently regarded as being economical and convenient, however there are some things you are not going to be told by the marketers for the major print manufacturers.  For a start, printer ink is more expensive than oil!

Have you ever wondered why it is that you can buy a top of the line printer for as little as $50?  The profit for the manufacturer is not in the printer itself, that is simply a tool to get you hooked on what they are really trying to sell to you – the ink.  By the time you have factored in the cost of buying ink cartridges and the materials to make your own asset tags, you will be spending much more money on the DIY solution than if you sourced the job from a professional supplier.

Sourcing asset labels from a professional supplier is much easier than the self-help route.  For a start, you don’t have to worry about the business of running the labels off yourself, the whole task can be delegated using email and online template resources.  A simple generic search on the internet will reveal hundreds, if not thousands of online suppliers who can provide next-day delivery and work of an extremely high standard.

There is no substitute for professional printing, the finish quality is superb and for asset labels, there is also the security consideration to think about. Asset labels identify your ownership of the property and to this end, they must be capable of withstanding the elements and tampering.  If you want a tamper-proof asset label, you are not going to be able to source that product for production yourself, you will need a specialist who understands the application of the product and has the materials and expertise to make it for you.  You make a simple decision here – do you want a high-quality, low cost label which will help protect your property, or are you going to rely on a self-produced label which is washed away with a drop of water?

Designing asset labels is also much simpler if you are using an external supplier, and not least because there is labelling technology which cannot be effectively used by your own printer.  Barcode technology has come a long way and there are no 3-dimensional barcodes which are capable of conveying much greater information than a traditional label.  There are also other labeling technologies and developments which a professional supplier will be able to help you understand and get the most out of your label supplies.  In addition, you are assured of getting a simple tool which you know will get the job done and without distracting your staff’s attention from the real task at hand – making more profit for your company.

The next time you see a great looking printer for chump change, you now know the reason why – they are being sold at below cost simply to hook you into buying the ink and peripherals.  Yet, for a fraction of the cost, you can source professional asset labels online and which are guaranteed to do the job without the fuss.

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In 2003, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) instituted an asset tracking program in order to track DoD property under the control of external contractors.  This arose amidst claims of of contractors misappropriating assets, employing wasteful practices and generally charging exorbitant sums for work which should not have been charged.  Some readers may recall the issues associated with $200 hammers or thousand dollar toilet seats which plagued NASA, and in the realm of defense spending, there were many instances of inappropriate billing by contractors which was met by the extremely large budget of the Dod and ultimately, the taxpayer was footing the bill.

The Unique Identification program (UID) ensures that government property and assets are all marked by a special asset tag – the individual asset is allocated an Individual UID (known as the IUID – the military are renowned for their use of acronyms) and this in turn produces a Unique Identification Identifier (UII).  All equipment delivered to the DoD by an external supplier must bear a UII which comes in the form of a 2D matrix (a barcode), and this in turn feeds into the billing program of the external contractor which must be managed and presented in a format which meets DoD standards.

With the “War on Terror” commencing in 2003, the DoD is taking delivery of equipment throughout the sphere of operations as well as its main logistics deployment establishment established in Richmond, VA.  There are numerous problems associated with ensuring that equipment is delivered and gets to where it is needed most, especially for those operations involving combat and security duty in high risk areas such as Afghanistan.  At the same time, while the focus is on combat and operational effectiveness, it is very difficult to effectively manage equipment and supplies which are delivered direct into the sphere of operations by external contractors.  When you are getting shot at, you are less likely to be concerned with accounting for equipment!

The UII tags remove the need for such intensive management by personnel in the field, and simplifies the entire tracking and inventory management process.  The program has already resulted in savings worth several billions of dollars in the 6 years which it has been in operation, and has also been used as the  basis for billing adjustments with external contractors who otherwise would have billed for equipment and supplies not delivered as well as reversing overcharges.

One application of the UID program has seen enormous savings in the area of containerization.  The  DoD is the largest customer for cargo containers in the Middle East area with enormous amounts of cargo being transported and stored at a variety of ports and externally managed supply centers prior to onward transportation to the “front”.  Cargo containers are extremely expensive pieces of kit, and they are not in fact owned by the DoD – the containerization system relies upon them being leased or rented (typically for a $2,000 per week).  These containers are spread around a huge geographical area, greater than the size of the U.S., and in a large number of disparate locations.  It is vital to track them and establish which are in use and which aren’t being used – by ensuring that idle use is minimized, and advising the owner of non-use, significant savings have been incurred by not paying for containers which are in fact, sitting idle in the owners depot or are still on the lease book but in fact, are not being employed.

Posted by M. Trumper

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Not sure what type of asset tag you should order? Watch our video to learn more about asset tags and MaverickLabel.com, the leader in quality and customer service for all your label needs, including asset tags.

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Asset labels, asset tags, property id tags, identification labels and many other terms are all simply synonyms – they refer to the same item, frequently referred to as an “asset tag”.

Asset Tags for Asset Management

A modern, well-designed and manufactured asset tag will typically have a semi-permanent adhesive backing and usually, a metal overlaid plate upon which the reference information is added.  The adhesive can be permanent but this creates issues when you need to sell the asset on – using a semi-permanent adhesive makes it very difficult to remove the tag by any but the most determined thief, and yet, with the proper tools the tag can be removed and the item restored to its original condition and ready for sale.

Asset tags can be used in a variety of situations, including commercial, government and personal requirements.  The diversity of asset tag types provides for a wide range of applications including indoors and out in harsh weather conditions – the U.S. military use asset tags widely to track assets around the world and in operational theatres, so if an asset tag can perform its role under combat conditions, it certainly will be able to perform its function with you.

Asset tags can be used to identify an individual cell phone through to a Jumbo Jet and a lot more besides.  NASA makes extensive use of asset tags in the assembly of rocket and Shuttle vehicles in order to achieve the safety parameters they require.  At the same time, asset tag systems are integrated into accounting and management systems in order to control who has possession of, and where, assets are located.  Asset tags do much more than simply provide a layer of security in the event of loss or theft – they provide an effective tool to implement stock control and tracking systems which in turn, can use the data provided to ensure sales revenues are maximized.

Technology is moving at an ever faster pace and the days of the simple, sticky label are now falling behind us with state of the art radio-tracking being employed which links in with global satellite positioning.  It is now possible to track an item as it travels around the world and to know where it is at by simply clicking your mouse button.  Barcode technology has also moved forward and the hologram continues to evolve into a very secure demonstration of product integrity and identification.

All this technology means that asset tags can provide much more than simply who owns an item.  Now an asset tag will carry vital information which can tell the reader not only what the asset is, but valuable information regarding maintenance and care, ingredients used in manufacture, use-by or sell-by information, health hazard data and handling instructions, and much, much more.

While there are many diverse applications for asset tags, they are relatively very cheap which has made them even more popular.  Simple asset tags can be sourced for minimal cost using the internet as there are literally thousands of providers of this ubiquitous sticky label.

Mark Trumper

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Image by elycefeliz via Flickr

Any adhesive label works best when the surface to which it is applied is clean and ready to react with the adhesive to form a secure bond. This is even more important when you are using asset tags for security purposes or for identification/accounting when the asset is located in exposed environments, such as outdoors. Preparing the surface is a crucial step in making sure you get the very best out of your asset and security tags.

The surface to which the asset tag is to be affixed needs to be clean and dirt free. You should pay particular attention to cleaning the surface of any grease or oil because these will cause failure in the adhesive. Establishing a good bond between the asset and the security tag is essential as otherwise the entire object of using them is completely defeated.

Different materials will react differently to cleaning materials which you use, but using alcohol is a favorite method which works well. Alcohol dissolves grease and ensures a clean surface is made available for a wider range of materials. Simply applying the alcohol with a clean cloth is sufficient to prepare most surfaces, such as computers, metalwork, glass and other “hard” surface materials. Typically, you should wait for around 30 seconds after you have applied the alcohol to allow it to evaporate – you must ensure there is no excess alcohol on the surface when it comes to applying the asset tag because the alcohol will also weaken the adhesive.

Alcohol is not always an appropriate choice because it can react with the surface of the asset to be tagged. If the material to which an asset tag is being affixed is a fabric or leather, then alcohol is not a preferred cleaning agent. In these instances, using baby wipes is a good substitute as they provide the cleaning reagent but as they are suitable for a baby’s behind, they are not likely to damage or harm the surface to which they are applied.

Once you have the area prepared, the next stage is to fix the asset tag. This may not be as straight forward as you may think because some tags only allow the adhesive to be used once – it is immensely difficult to reposition some tags and impossible with others. You need to get the asset tag positioned just right from the very beginning!

One tip is to outline where the tag will be affixed using a pen or pencil, though you should do this before you wipe the surface down with alcohol (because the ink may interfere with the adhesive bonding).

Once fixed, the next tip for making sure of a secure bond is to wait. Many adhesives react and form a strong bond over a period of time and until they have finally formed their bond they are susceptible to even basic elements such as water. Before you allow the adhesive to be exposed to use or the elements, you should ensure that you leave the tag in place and undisturbed for as long as you can; as a guide, leave a tag alone for a whole day to be sufficiently strong to deal with handling, but best of all, allow three whole days for the bond to be completely formed.

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Tagging any item of property is a deterrent against theft because most thefts are opportunistic in nature.  Thefts occur in large measure because the opportunity presents itself and there is a quick, mental calculation as to whether the perpetrator will actually be able to get away with committing the crime.

There are numerous elements to deterrence achieved by tagging your property, no matter whether it is your personal property or commercial assets.

A primary deterrence element which comes from tagging your property is the visible deterrence.  By using a tag to identify your property, you are making a statement of ownership but more than this, that you have taken time to protect your property.  This demonstrates a motivated owner, someone who is likely to have established further protections for their property and most importantly, someone who you would not want to steal from!  In the mind of a thief, it is better and easier to steal from someone who simply is not overly concerned about identifying and protecting their property compared to someone who is!

There is another crucial and visible deterrence factor in providing readily visible identification tags or labeling: the thief must be able to remove all traces of your ownership in order to be able to reduce the risk associated with their criminal act.  If there is an identification tag attached to your possession, then the thief is going to find it that much harder to openly use the item, or sell it on to someone else simply because it carries your sign of ownership.  This reduces the potential reward from the theft and increases the risk of detection for the criminal – both of which will figure largely in the mind of any thief looking for something to steal.

There is another aspect to tagging your possessions – instead of tagging them with the usual, “This item belongs to me!” style tag, instead use a tag which advises that you employ radio tracking of your asset!  The idea that a laptop, a bicycle, a car or even a boat are protected by radio tracking may or may not be true, but the point is that the prospective crook is not going to know this.  If you are confronted with the option of walking away with a laptop and never being caught or identified, or stealing a laptop and it is guaranteed you will be located within hours – which would you choose as your intended target?

There is an ultimate deterrence to theft and that is getting caught – either getting caught in the act or at any time after the deed has been committed.  In the minds of most thieves, their intention is that the item stolen will never be able to be tracked after the crime has been committed.  If the item is capable of being identified and tracked after the theft, then that opens the question up to whether they, the thief, can be tracked by their association with the item.  Labeling your possessions acts not only as a visible deterrence to theft, one which is immediate and likely to ensure someone else’s property is targeted before your own, but also a long-lasting deterrence should you be unfortunate enough to be the victim of a theft.

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Taking a pencil or a few sheets of copy paper is hardly a major offense, indeed for many workers and their employers; this is simply incidental use and engenders no real harm and happier employees.  At what point does this “incidental use” progress to “petty theft”?

Employers are losing billions of dollars each year due to “incidental use” or “petty theft”, and while slipping an eraser into a briefcase to take home for personal use is small potatoes, how can a dozen reams of paper being taken be anything other than theft?  It is a fine line which employers must tread, with many companies accepting that stationery items will be taken by staff for home use, especially when many bosses expect or accept staff working out-of-hours or encourage home-based working.  Running counter to this is the surge in stationery items being removed and which typically coincides with the start of the school year.

It may be small potatoes, but over the course of a year and depending on the value of the items taken plus the number of staff, the cost can very easily run into thousands of dollars.

The issue is how to manage this problem and several solutions have been developed.

Sign for Everything

Every pen, pencil, eraser, piece of paper and even paper clips are kept under lock and key with a strict signed for policy.

Losses drop dramatically but at the same time, there is an opportunity cost to the business because of lost productivity, increased paperwork and let’s be frank, nobody likes the idea of justifying why we need a replacement pencil – it is a morale sapping policy which treats staff like children who cannot be trusted.

This is the type of policy which can be implemented where the problem is rampant but which should be closely monitored with a view to relaxing control as discipline is restored.

Establish Company Policy on Acceptable Use

Companies should inform their staff of what is acceptable use – taking a pen home may be fine, but using the office printer to create four-color prints of holiday snaps is out of the question.

Setting out the standards of conduct you expect from your staff, together with a structured disciplinary process, makes it clear what is and is not tolerable behavior.  At the very least, it should inculcate in staff that you are not a candy store to be raided at will – if an employee wants something, the least they should do is to ask their manager.

Tagging High Value Items

Some items are valuable, and the cost may not be readily appreciated by staff or managers.  There is also the problem that stationery and office sundries tend to be dispersed widely around an office, and no-one has any overt responsibility for them or how they are used once in circulation.  Asset tags are cheap and it makes sense to fix a 10 cent, official-looking tag to a $30 case of copy paper.  If high-value sundries, such as printer ink, are being labeled and tagged, it is reinforcing your ownership of the item in the minds of staff who at least will think before they take them, or even take something from a box so marked.

Need a more visual clue to office theft. Check out this Employee Theft Statistics Infographics from Infographics Showcase.

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One New York tech-geek decided to go one further than the t-shirt which lit up when a wireless internet connection was in place and rig a bumper sticker which would do the same when in range a Wi-Fi signal.  Now there is nothing wrong with taking your creativity to such lengths, but the registration of the vehicle was “MACGEEK” – there always has to be someone who thinks it’s cool to pay over the odds to own a Mac!

How much utility there is in being able to show the driver behind you that there is a wi-fi spot available I don’t really know, but there has got to be some kudos in this if you happen to have a fellow nerd tailgating you.  I can see an extension of this from a humble bumper sticker/window decal to a full-blown touch screen being deployed using the rear window.  Imagine the fun for traffic-constipated commuters, being able to while away the journey hours by watching a movie, catching up on FaceBook or even excusing lateness by doing some work.  This would lend a whole new meaning to the “mobile internet”.

This innovative application to the bumper sticker just underlines how they can be seized and created by anyone with the imagination and desire to make a personal statement.  Bumper stickers let you roam free with your imagination and spread the good news to the rest of the world, and people find their bumper stickers from stores and label organizations across the country.  This ability to broadcast your view is one reason why bumper stickers have become so ubiquitous and popular throughout time for as long as cars had bumpers.

Going off the beaten track a little here, it is a common misconception that bumper stickers have been around for as long as cars have been.  When Henry Ford launched the Model T (in any color as long as it was black), bumper stickers were never fitted to the car – not because Ford had a clause in the sales contract prohibiting it, but for the simple reason the Model T had no bumpers to begin with!

Perhaps a better application of the MacGeek talent would be to run up a a sticker for use on the windshield which tells you when the police are running a speed trap!  Maybe breaking the speed limit is something that only PC users ever do – come over to the dark side Mac users.

Finally, because this is a “nerdy” subject, I am sure we are going to be pulled up for this not being a bumper sticker and instead is a window decal.  I know the technical distinctions are important to many people, but this just put such a smile on our faces we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to give it some deserved attention and share it with you all.

Whoever the MacGeek is, we have to salute him (or her) for their ingenuity and for giving us a wry grin. Thanks MacGeek, whoever you are – and do you know Windows 7 has been launched for PCs ?

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