Best Practices for Using Your Inventory Asset Labels

Whether you manage a large or small inventory, it’s important to use asset labels to keep track of your valuable gear. Here are some of our best practices for using them. Improve efficiency and reduce extra inventory costs!

Label your equipment with the appropriate material

Labeling your valuable items makes it easier to stay in control of your inventory and reduce theft. It’s important to manage your AV gear correctly, with durable labels that last: Dymo labels are suitable for indoor assets (laptops, desktop computers, …) while outdoor items often require more sturdy stickers. Or you could always generate your own, unique QR codes via the in-app module.

Like all operational activities, asset labeling is a matter of creativity. Keeping track of your cables, for example, doesn’t have to be a full-time job when done right. You can improve cable identification by labeling them with a small piece of colored tape. Or why not use velcro organizers?

At last: mark your labels as follows: A) property of or your initials to protect your equipment from theft, B) If found: return to or call to ensure your gear is always returned safely and in time.

Cheqroom offers a wide array of general and custom-made high-quality vinyl QR-code stickers and labels. The app is also compatible with your own stickers and barcodes.

Use the right labels for your valuable equipment

There are labels and stickers for all types of uses, and they come in a variety of sizes. So what type of label is needed for that particular asset?

Well, we’ve got some labeling guidelines for you, allowing you to print your own stickers. Get started with your own customized labels!

Here are some basics:

• Small labels: these are 22mm or 0.86” square, suitable for labeling small pieces of equipment and parts, like memory cards, camera lenses, and lens caps
• Round stickers: these are 38mm or 1.5” in diameter, suitable for labeling gear like laptops, keyboards, and hard drives.
• Rectangular labels: these are available in 84 x 55mm and 3.30 x 2.17″, and are designed for flat surfaces like flight cases and kits.

Use the different labels for your accessories and bulk items.

When it comes to tagging accessories like wires, clamps, or batteries, using durable and easy-to-spot labels makes sure your items are ready for plenty of use and can be found in a beat, even in a sizable inventory. Even though less valuable items might not seem like much on their own, together, they can really add up. By taking the time to label and track these items, you can avoid losing them or placing them in the wrong spot, making your inventory management process a breeze.

Obviously, we’ve also got some labeling guidelines for less valuable items owned in large quantities:

• Small labels: Most of your accessories are small pieces of gear, like lens caps, batteries, or grip accessories. Use small labels with only the basics to quickly identify your items.
• Non-unique code: When using barcodes or QR codes, make sure to use non-unique codes, especially for cheaper items in large quantities. Unique codes are useful for tracking individual items, but if you're dealing with items like a 5m XLR, the brand usually doesn't matter. It's unlikely that you're tracking guarantee dates or depreciation for these items. What's important is knowing who checked them out and how many you have left. Therefore, use non-unique codes on your labels and focus on monitoring their quantities.
• Color code: Use colors to differentiate between various types of items. Label the 5m extension cords with blue and the 10m ones with yellow. This will help you and your crew quickly identify different accessories. It will also make it easier to keep the gear cage organized.

Make sure you also check out the in-app barcode labeling module to get started with your own customized labels.

Place your labels wisely

Think twice before you attach your labels to your expensive items! Make sure you place your labels wisely, in terms of readability and durability. It is much better to attach them to the back side of your equipment than to the bottom side. As long as your stickers do not get in the way of your equipment’s functioning.

We know that printing labels might not be as thrilling as getting your hands on the latest ARRI Alexa or exploring its features. It can take up quite a bit of time that you could definitely use doing something more engaging in your gear cage. But hey, labeling gear is super important for managing your equipment! If you're on the hunt to save some time, you should pop over to the Cheqroom store. We've got top-quality labels for all your AV and IT gear needs. We've poured a lot of thought into selecting and creating labels that every equipment manager needs for all sorts of inventory under all kinds of conditions. So, why don't you swing by the Cheqroom asset label store for more information? We'd love to help you out!

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