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Asset Tracking/ITAM/Uncategorized

The Ultimate Asset Tracking and Management Solution | Reftab

Posted on by Michael Caslowitz
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Reftab is the ultimate solution for IT asset management. It simplifies tasks like onboarding, offboarding, assigning equipment, and managing software licenses while also streamlining hardware refresh cycles and setting up alerts. Beyond just tracking assets, Reftab ensures your company stays compliant, secure, and ready for audits. It’s a practical, user-friendly tool designed to help you stay organized and focus on what matters.

This post covers the main use cases of the Reftab platform:

Simplifying the Essentials

At its core, Reftab excels in executing fundamental asset management tasks with unparalleled ease. Users can effortlessly, assign equipment, manage location sites, and peruse a comprehensive list of assets allocated to specific users. This encompasses software licenses, accessories, kits, and more. What sets Reftab apart is its decade-long dedication to perfecting these functions, ensuring they are intuitive and user-friendly.

One of the standout features of Reftab is its ability to seamlessly integrate with various device management platforms. For example, Intune, Jamf, Meraki, Mosyle, Lansweeper, SCIM Provisioning, LDAP, Single Sign-On, and offer an open API, among others. Additionally, it consolidates data from sources like CDW for pre-purchases and manufacturers such as Dell for warranty lookups. This offers a single-pane-of-glass view of your assets’ lifecycles.

Elevating Beyond the Basics

Reftab excels with a comprehensive approach to IT asset management. From hardware and software tracking to streamlining onboarding and offboarding processes, Reftab ensures seamless automation and efficient asset management. It supports compliance and security by providing custody verifications, AI-driven insights into software vulnerabilities, and robust tracking of procurement and utilization. Whether managing devices or applications, Reftab keeps IT teams organized, secure, and audit-ready. These functionalities catapult an ordinary system into an extraordinary one, empowering users to handle intricate workflows effortlessly. Here are some examples:

Onboarding and Offboarding

Reftab seamlessly integrates with existing systems to import users and tag them with essential data like “Join Date,” “Onboarding,” “Active,” or “Offboarding.” This functionality helps IT administrators stay organized by tracking user statuses and triggering relevant alerts and tasks. With these insights, Reftab ensures smooth onboarding and offboarding processes, while keeping IT teams proactive and efficient in managing people and their associated assets.

Hardware Asset Management

Reftab makes hardware tracking effortless and intuitive. With a user-friendly interface, you can easily log and manage devices, assign them to users or locations, and track their lifecycle with minimal effort. Our system streamlines updates, provides actionable insights, and keeps you informed with automated alerts for maintenance or replacements. Reftab ensures your team stays organized and in control, without the hassle of complex processes.

Software Asset Management

Reftab simplifies software management with robust tracking capabilities. Monitor SaaS usage, track installed software on devices, and gain insights into utilization to optimize spending. With AI-powered categorization, Reftab organizes applications and cross-references versions against CVE databases to identify vulnerabilities. You can also send software surveys directly to end-users, helping you assess necessity and streamline license management. Reftab makes software tracking intuitive, secure, and cost-effective.

Auditing Hardware and Software

Reftab’s automated custody verification system simplifies equipment auditing by enabling end-users to confirm ownership and condition, ensuring accountability. Additionally, Reftab offers customizable software surveys that can be emailed directly to users. These surveys help determine whether employees still need assigned software, giving businesses tighter control over usage and helping manage software budgets more effectively.

Cost Management

Reftab simplifies cost management by tracking unit costs for hardware and monitoring software seat costs and renewal dates. It supports optimization by sending verification emails to confirm if users still need their devices or software. This proactive approach helps organizations reclaim unused licenses, avoid unnecessary renewals, and ensure devices are refreshed only when necessary, all while maintaining budget control and reducing waste.

Maintenance Management Made Easy

Efficiently handle calibrations, repairs, and safety inspections with Reftab’s customizable maintenance forms, reminders, and reporting features, ensuring equipment maintenance is never overlooked.

Workflow Builder for Automation

Reftab’s workflow builder emerges as a multifaceted tool capable of automating diverse tasks. From sending email alerts, to managing equipment-specific information, maintenance schedules, auditing, and more.

Customizable Request Flows

By leveraging customizable forms, Reftab streamlines procurement, triggering requests, opening tickets for your help-desk, and capturing essential data, all consolidated within the platform.

The Ultimate Advantage

Reftab demonstrates its capability in not just simplifying the straightforward aspects of asset tracking but also in helping organizations that need to smoothly transition into managing more complex requirements. It empowers users to handle evolving organizational demands with ease. In it’s essence, Reftab caters to simple as well as complex asset-tracking needs.

While several platforms handle the rudimentary tasks of asset management, Reftab goes above and beyond. Its ability to simplify complexity sets it apart, making it the top choice for organizations aiming to manage their assets effortlessly.

Don’t settle for the ordinary – elevate your asset-tracking experience with Reftab. Experience how this exceptional platform simplifies complexity, and helps your organization stay ahead of the curve in managing its valuable assets.

Sign up for an account today and mange first 50 assets free: https://www.reftab.com/sign-up

Featured
Release Notes/Requests and Approvals

Reftab’s Summer 2023 Release Notes

Posted on by Michael Caslowitz
Release notes image

Reftab is excited to announce one of our biggest updates yet! We’ve heard a lot of feedback from you and after many emails, tickets and Zoom calls, we’re incredibly happy to announce that approval flows are now available!

Approval Flows

How-to guide: Start creating approval flows today with our guide:  Reftab guide to approval flows

In one of our biggest updates yet, Approval Flows bring you an easy and automated way to route requests for equipment to managers, department heads, safety coordinators, etc. in a simple way.

For example, if a user wants a specific software license that  requires approval from IT or their manager before being purchased or installed, or employees or contractors need safety training before using specific tools, you can send an email to an “Approver” for them to review.

The “Approver” can approve or reject directly from within the body of the email. This is incredibly important because by using email – a system everyone is used to, and uses all day, approvers can review and approve requests without  needing to login to any new system. It can be adopted by every department and any user with minimal effort.

This is our first iteration of approval flows. We plan to issue updates and enhancements in the coming months. We really want to hear from as many as you as possible about how approval flows can solve your business challenges.

Video: Click to view video on YouTube

New Integrations: Meraki and Jamf School

For users on the Business plan, you can now configure a connection to sync assets from Cisco Meraki, which is a cloud controlled, wifi, routing and security system for enterprise networks. This integration is great because if you have WiFi access points or other networking equipment across various locations, this integration automatically adds those devices into Reftab. By doing so, you’ll have even more ways to automate data into Reftab for reporting, automated alerts, maintenance etc.

How-to guide:  Reftab Meraki integration guide

You also can sync devices from Jamf School. Jamf Schools works in the same way as our existing Jamf integration works, however Jamf school is specifically for education institutions.

How-to guide: Reftab Jamf School integration guide

Gantt Charts

Reftab now offers Gantt charts to users on all plans. Gantt charts give you a great visualization of items in a list and can compare events easily to better understand usage and scheduling.

To view your Gantt chart, anywhere you see the calendar page, you can click “Gantt” and the gantt chart will display.

Updates to Users / Loanees

1) ICS Calendar Feed: For each loanee / user in Reftab you can now generate an ICS calendar feed. This creates a link that you can paste into your local Outlook calendar or GMail calendar so that when an item is reserved for a user, that event will be automatically sent to your calendar. By setting this up, you wont need to login to Reftab to view these events.

Edit any user and enable “ICS Reservation Link“

Then, click “Save“. A link will display for you to copy and use within Outlook, Mac Calendar, GMail, etc.

2) Dynamic Manager Field: This allows you to link a user to another user to establish a ‘manager’ or ‘supervisor’. See our how-to guide: ​Guide to configuring manager field in Reftab​​​

The benefits of setting up a managerial custom field is because they can be used in Workflows and Approvals.  For example, sending an overdue email to a manager or routing approval steps to a manager or safety supervisor.

3) SCIM Custom Field Mapping: You can now sync custom user fields from your IdP such as Azure, okta, JumpCloud etc. Prior to this update you could only sync a name, title, email address and employee number. We recognized that was very limiting, especially with the need for detailed reporting and workflows. To map these fields click “Settings” > “Integrations” > “SCIM UserProvisioning” and you’ll see,”Optional Custom Fields“

New YouTube Video:

Check out our new feature highlight video on Reftab’s e-signature functionality. Please share, like comment and let us know what you think!YouTube Video: Reftab’s E-Signature Functionality

Featured
jamf asset management/Kandji Integration/Lansweeper Integration/Release Notes/Requests and Approvals/Workflow Automation

Reftab’s Spring 2023 Release Notes

Posted on by Michael Caslowitz
Release notes image

Hello everyone, thanks for taking the time to read Reftab’s latest release notes. We’ve been working hard and are excited to introduce new features and updates!

New Feature

Equipment Requests – Available on the Business Plan, equipment requests allow users to submit general requests for equipment. For example, if a student wants a camera or an employee wants a monitor or someone needs a group of tools for a job site, they can request these items at the category level. Prior to this update, users needed to search and find specific equipment to reserve.

We heard that this created situations where certain equipment was being reserved more than others, or it was too cumbersome for some users to find equipment in the portal, or equipment was available but the user didn’t know it.

This update greatly eases the process for the end user because now they can simply enter a quantity of what they want and when it’s needed by.

Administrators can then approve or deny (which include email notices). If approved, the Reftab admin can select the specific items from stock and fulfill the request through a reservation or check out.

There are two ways to submit a request:

  • Public Request Pages: You can create a public page, share the URL with anyone you want and anyone with access can submit a request. You can customize these pages and create an unlimited amount of public pages.
  • Requesting Equipment from the User Portal: The alternative to public request pages, is allowing users to request equipment from the user portal. If a user clicks on a category that has no assets in it, they will see a notice saying “Click Here to Request Equipment”. 

Approval Workflows

Equipment requests are currently in phase one. The Reftab team is now working on building approval workflows. 

Approvals will allow you to set a procedure that places requests in rounds of approvals before an item is purchased or given to someone. (At this time, we don’t have an accurate estimate on when approvals will be released but we will keep everyone updated.)

We want to hear from you! Please reply to this email (or email ‘help@reftab.com‘) for any feedback and suggestions on equipment requests / approvals.

See FAQ Here: https://www.reftab.com/blog/faq/equipment-requests-overview/

PDF Generated Forms for Custody Verification and Asset Check Outs

Reftab can now automatically generate PDF files containing loan signatures and agreement text.

These PDFs can generate when an asset is checked out and a signature is required and/or when a custody verification form is submitted.

This is a major update that allows administrators to establish better compliance with company equipment agreements because it completely automates the process of capturing, formatting and saving employee agreements. This is important because these agreements may outline acceptable use policies and other types of agreements between an organization and a user.

Prior to this update, a signature was still saved to the system but there was no downloadable, tangible connection between a signature from a user, and the agreement.

See FAQ Here: https://www.reftab.com/blog/faq/verify-custody-of-assets/#verification-signature

New Integration: Lansweeper

Reftab now offers an integration with Lansweeper. If you’re not familiar with Lansweeper it is a network discovery tool used by IT departments to discover what’s connected to a corporate network.

The integration we provide takes devices found from Lansweeper and adds them into Reftab.

Let us know if any questions and we’ll be happy to help. If you’re an existing Lansweeper user and want to participate in a case study, please reach out!

Updates to integrations: Intune / Jamf / Mosyle / Kandji

Reftab’s MDM integrations now map to assets in Reftab via serial number in conjunction with the respective unique identifies (Azure AD Device ID, jamfid, etc…)

This is a major update because prior to this, if a laptop was wiped and re-enrolled, a new unique identifier was created and thus when synced to Reftab, a new asset was created. However, with this update Reftab now looks for an existing serial number and if found, maps to that asset instead of creating a new asset. This is a major time-saver and ensure data stays organized across systems.

Consumables Can Now be Reserved

You can now reserve consumables. Prior to this update, consumables could only have transactions done to them and there was no way for users to reserve them. This update now expands the use case of consumables and can ultimately meet more needs of your business use-cases and requirements. Also note, consumables now display in the user portal as well.

Multi-Tenancy Update: Reporting Across Tenants

Reporting across tenants is now possible. If you’re a Reftab user with multi-tenancy setup, it is now possible to run a report to pull assets across all tenants.

To do this, log into your main tenant and go to the Reports page. Setup a new assets report and you’ll see a checkbox “Report across all tenants”. If that is checked, the report will return assets from all tenants.

Update to Windows Agent

The Reftab installable agent for Windows has been updated so that you can supply an asset ID during installation. Prior to this update, the agent would install and generate an asset ID from the guid.

Thank You!

Thank you for your continued support! As we always say, we build our platform based upon feedback we hear. So please do let us know any suggestions and keep us informed on how Reftab can further meet your needs. 

Thank you and have an enjoyable summer!

maintenance management software

Reftab Recognized as “Highly Rated” in 2025 Best Free Maintenance Management Software Report

Posted on by Michael Caslowitz
2025 Best In Asset Tracking Gartner Post hero Image

We’re excited to share some fantastic news — Reftab has been listed as “Highly Rated” for Asset Tracking Software in the 2025 Best Free Maintenance Management Software Report.

This recognition reflects the incredible support of our customers and the dedication of our team. With an impressive overall rating of 4.8 / 5, Reftab continues to stand out as a trusted solution for maintenance management and IT asset tracking in one platform.

What this means for our customers

Being featured as “Highly Rated” isn’t just about badges or rankings — it’s a direct reflection of the value our customers experience every day:

  • Ease of use: Our platform is designed to be simple to set up and intuitive to manage.
  • Versatility: From IT hardware and software tracking to facilities and maintenance management, Reftab adapts to the needs of different teams.
  • Customer-first approach: The glowing reviews we’ve received highlight our responsive support and commitment to evolving with customer feedback.

Why this matters

Recognition like this validates the path we’re on: building a product that reduces complexity, saves time, and helps organizations of all sizes — from schools and nonprofits to enterprises — take control of their assets and maintenance operations.

A big thank you

We couldn’t have achieved this without the trust and feedback of our amazing users. Your reviews fuel our growth and push us to keep improving.

Here’s to continuing to deliver excellence in 2025 and beyond!

Try Reftab for Free!

Create a FREE Reftab account today! Try our platform and see for yourself how easy it is to manage and maintain your tools with Reftab

ITAM/Renewal alerts/Software Asset Management/Software License Tracking

Never miss another software renewal: Alerts that save your budget

Posted on by Michael Caslowitz

If you manage IT budgets, you know the pain. That sinking moment when a contract auto-renews before you’ve had a chance to review usage, negotiate pricing, or even confirm the tool is still needed. A missed deadline can tie up the budget for another year or longer and lock you into terms that no longer fit.

Manual tracking methods, like spreadsheets, shared calendars, or sticky notes, aren’t built to keep pace with dozens or even hundreds of software vendors.

That’s where automated renewal alerts come in. They give you advance notice before contracts roll over, keep multiple teams in the loop, and give IT the lead time to make smarter decisions.

In this article, we break down why manual tracking fails, how automated alerts work, and what your renewal tracking system should include to keep software contracts under control.

Why manual renewal process tracking always breaks

Most IT teams start small: a spreadsheet of vendor names, license counts, and renewal dates. It works fine with a handful of contracts. But as soon as your tech stack grows, problems surface with contract management, like: 

  • Human error – Renewal dates get entered incorrectly or not updated after contract lifecycle renegotiations.
  • Lack of visibility – Only one person “owns” the sheet, so others miss renewal notices or email reminders.
  • No prioritization – The spreadsheet doesn’t flag which renewals carry the most budget risk.

Manual methods also fail when renewal cycles overlap. You can’t afford to miss a $100,000 enterprise contract renewal because someone’s calendar reminder got buried.

How automated renewal alerts prevent surprise renewals

Automated renewal notifications replace human memory with structured push notifications. Instead of relying on ad hoc contract renewal reminders, your asset management software tracks every contract and pushes alerts before renewal deadlines.

The benefits of automated reminders are endless including: 

  • Alerts can be set 30, 60, or 90 days in advance, which give your IT team enough time to benchmark vendors or consolidate licenses.
  • Notifications reach multiple stakeholders, not just one spreadsheet owner.
  • Finance teams can anticipate spend months ahead and avoid “gotcha” invoices.

For example, a SaaS contract with a 60-day cancellation clause sends alerts at 90 and 60 days. That ensures your team reviews usage before you’re locked in.

What data should trigger an automated renewal alert?

Not all automated renewal alerts are equal. 

At a minimum, a strong renewal alert system should monitor multiple data points, including: 

  • Contract start and end dates – This is the bread and butter of every alert.  
  • License counts and usage levels – Alerts fire when licenses exceed thresholds or usage trends dip.
  • Spend limits – Trigger notifications when contract value crosses a budget cap.
  • Vendor SLAs or compliance rules – This is critical in regulated industries where non-compliance fines can exceed renewal costs.

These signals make alerts smarter than a simple calendar reminder since it tells you when and why it needs attention.

How to handle renewals across teams and vendors

Renewal management doesn’t sit neatly in one department, and the IT, finance and/or procurement teams carry the brunt of the chaos of tracking contracts. 

For instance, IT focuses on security, performance, and whether the tool is still relevant. Finance monitors overall spend and ensures software renewals align with budget cycles. Procurement negotiates terms and manages vendor relationships.

When these groups work in silos, problems surface. One team might assume another is monitoring a renewal, or worse, multiple teams unknowingly renew overlapping tools. That’s how redundant software spend creeps in.

Automated renewal alerts bridge the gap by giving everyone the same visibility. Instead of an IT manager quietly keeping a spreadsheet, a centralized system pushes alerts to all stakeholders. For example, if a team lead requires IT security approval before renewal but also needs finance sign-off, alerts can be routed to both parties. This ensures no contract moves forward without cross-team validation.

The result is fewer missed deadlines, fewer surprises, and stronger alignment between teams that often speak different “languages.”

Building a renewal tracking system that actually works

It’s one thing to know you need renewal alerts. It’s another to put a system in place that doesn’t collapse under its own weight. Here’s a practical framework that IT managers can follow:

  • Log all active contracts. Collect vendor names, contract start and end dates, renewal terms, license counts, and cancellation notice windows. Without a clean baseline, alerts will always be incomplete.
  • Configure automated renewal alerts for 30/60/90 day windows.  Set multiple reminders before each renewal. A 90-day alert creates space to review vendor usage. A 60-day alert triggers negotiations. A 30-day alert forces a final decision.
  • Integrate with all of your asset management and finance tools. Renewal alerts become more effective when they connect to the systems your team already uses, whether that’s Azure, Jira, and/or Reftab. This prevents alerts from becoming just another inbox notification.
  • Start with top vendors and expand out. Begin with your 20 most expensive or highest-risk contracts and software licenses. Once the system works smoothly, add mid-tier and long-tail vendors.
  • Review quarterly to validate data. Vendors change terms, teams change tools, and data can go stale. A quarterly audit ensures the system stays accurate.

The key is starting small but structured. An overcomplicated rollout creates resistance, but a step-by-step approach makes adoption manageable.

How to stop software from auto-renewing without your approval

Hidden inside most SaaS contracts are auto-renewal clauses. These clauses often require written notice 30, 60 or even 90 days before the contract anniversary if you intend to cancel. Miss that window, and you’re locked in for another term. Sometimes a full year, sometimes even 3 years for legacy enterprise systems. 

Automated renewal alerts are the safeguard against auto-renewals. They track cancellation notice periods and make sure you’re notified with enough lead time. 

Here’s how to build control back into your process:

  • Capture cancellation clauses in your system. Log each vendor’s notice window. If a contract requires 60 days’ notice, that’s your anchor point.
  • Configure alerts well before deadlines. Set reminders at 90 and 75 days before renewal. This prevents last-minute scrambles and gives time for approvals or negotiations.
  • Escalate alerts to decision-makers. Don’t let alerts sit at the IT admin level. Configure the system so alerts also reach directors, finance, and procurement leads. The more visibility, the less chance a vendor renews without approval.

This ensures renewals only happen because your team chooses them, not because you missed a line in the fine print.

What an automated renewal alert system should include

By now you’ve probably noticed that automated software renewals is too critical and too costly to manage with spreadsheets, clunky manual processes, and guesswork. That’s why IT teams  need automated renewal alerts built into a platform that does more than send reminders. The system should provide structure, visibility, and proof that IT is actively managing risk and spend.

Here are the must-have elements, and how Reftab delivers them:

  • Centralized applications and licenses. A strong renewal alert system starts with a clear distinction between applications and the licenses tied to them. Reftab now tracks both. Applications (e.g., Microsoft, Adobe, Zoom) capture ownership, compliance, and vendor data, while licenses capture renewal dates, seat counts, costs, and billing cycles. This context means alerts are tied to the actual business value and compliance posture of the app.
  • Configurable license renewal timelines. A calendar reminder is easy to miss. Reftab’s renewals page gives you a timeline view of all upcoming license renewals within the next six months. You can drill into any license, review seats and costs, and right-size before approving. Alerts can be set to fire at multiple intervals (30/60/90 days) so no renewal slips through.
  • Integration with identity and endpoint systems. Automated renewal alerts become much more powerful when they reflect real usage. By integrating with providers like Microsoft 365, Okta, Jamf, and Intune, Reftab automatically syncs SaaS licenses and installed software across endpoints. This allows you to tie alerts to real login data and usage, making “Do we need this renewal?” a data-driven decision, not a guess.
  • License surveys for usage validation. Renewal alerts should trigger action, not just awareness. With Reftab’s license surveys, IT managers can ask assigned users whether they still need a license. If the answer is “no,” that’s an immediate opportunity to cut spend before renewal. If it’s “yes,” it provides evidence for budgeting and renewal approval.
  • Vendor and compliance context. An alert is only useful if it tells you why it matters. Reftab’s vendor profiles store key contacts, compliance certifications (SOC2, ISO, etc.), and regional data storage details. When a renewal alert fires, you don’t just know a contract is ending, you know if the vendor is still compliant and aligned with your standards.
  • Dashboards and audit trails. IT teams need to demonstrate value to leadership. Reftab automatically builds graphs showing spend vs. potential savings, renewal history, and billing changes. With audit trails, you can show exactly who approved or canceled a renewal, strengthening governance and compliance reporting.

Together, these capabilities turn automated renewal alerts from basic reminders into a full software asset management (SAM) process. Instead of chasing contracts reactively, IT managers using Reftab can proactively control renewals, optimize costs, and enforce standardization across the software environment.

Taking back control of software renewals with Reftab

Manual tracking just doesn’t scale. Today’s tech stacks are too large and too fast-moving for spreadsheets or calendar reminders to keep up. Automated renewal alerts give IT managers the visibility and lead time they need to avoid surprise renewals, cut unnecessary spend, and keep finance and procurement in sync.

Reftab takes this a step further. With features like the Application Knowledge Base, license renewal timelines, vendor profiles, and SaaS discovery integrations, renewals stop being a scramble and start becoming a repeatable process. Everything lives in one system, so you’re not chasing down dates across different tools.

The real win is knowing every contract decision is intentional, backed by data, and aligned with your team’s priorities. With Reftab, you can make sure nothing renews without approval and show leadership that IT is driving both cost savings and operational control. Interested? Get started for free today.

FAQs

How can I get alerted before software contracts auto-renew?

Use an automated renewal alert system that is ideally built into your asset management software, like Reftab, that tracks contract dates and sends notifications 30–90 days before renewal. Unlike calendar reminders, these alerts integrate with IT and finance tools, ensuring stakeholders can act before auto-renewal kicks in.

What’s the difference between automated renewal alerts and calendar reminders?

Calendar reminders rely on manual updates and often get missed. Automated renewal alerts pull directly from contract data, trigger multiple reminders, and send them to multiple stakeholders.

How do IT managers coordinate renewals across multiple vendors?

By centralizing contracts in one system and using automated alerts to notify IT, procurement, and finance simultaneously. This prevents duplicate spend and missed deadlines.

What should be in a automated renewal alert system?

Key features include a contract repository, configurable alerts, integrations with ITSM/finance tools, and audit trails for compliance.

Asset Tracking/IT Asset Disposition/ITAM/Operational Efficiency

When to Archive vs. Delete Assets: ITAM Best Practices

Posted on by Michael Caslowitz
Blog post feature image: Archive vs delete assets

Managing IT assets effectively isn’t just about tracking what you have—it’s about keeping a clean and accurate database without losing critical records. At Reftab, we give you the flexibility to archive or delete assets, but knowing when to archive versus when to delete can make a big difference in the long-term usability of your data.

Here’s a guide to help you decide the best approach depending on the asset type and its significance.

🔒 Archive When the Asset Was a Network Endpoint

If the asset in question was a laptop, desktop, phone, or any device that once accessed your network, it should be archived—not deleted.

Why?

Even if the device is no longer in use, maintaining a record of its existence is crucial. Archived assets can be referenced later for:

  • Security audits
  • Incident response reviews
  • Compliance with IT and data retention policies
  • Historical user assignments and usage logs

In short: If it ever touched your network, archive it.

💼 Archive When the Asset Has Financial or Operational Importance

Some assets may not be network-connected, but they still hold financial or operational significance. These include:

  • Tools or equipment with a long depreciation cycle
  • Items with maintenance history
  • Assets tied to invoices or purchase orders
  • Anything that might be referenced for tax or budgeting reasons

If an asset has a paper trail or could be relevant for future audits or budget reviews, archiving is the best practice.

🧹 Delete When the Asset Has No Long-Term Relevance

For assets that:

  • Were created for testing purposes
  • Were added by mistake
  • Are duplicates with no recorded history
  • Are not endpoints and have no financial or historical relevance

—deleting them is appropriate.

Deleting keeps your asset list streamlined and easier to manage.

💡 Note: Even deleted assets are still visible in your Reftab changelog history. That means admins can view a record of what was removed and when, offering an extra layer of accountability.

✅ Summary: How to Decide

ScenarioArchiveDelete
Employee laptop (network device)✅❌
Test asset / data entry error❌✅
Asset tied to invoice or PO✅❌
Duplicate with no activity❌✅
Tool with maintenance logs✅❌

Final Thoughts

Reftab gives you the tools to manage your asset data cleanly and responsibly. When in doubt, archiving is the safer path, especially for anything tied to your infrastructure or finances. It preserves history without cluttering your active asset list.

If you’re not sure what to do, reach out to our support team or consult your internal IT policies. Smart data retention today prevents bigger headaches tomorrow.

Need help archiving assets? Check out our step-by-step guide or contact us directly.

Happy asset tracking!
– The Reftab Team

Uncategorized

Reftab’s Spring 2025 Release Notes

Posted on by Michael Plocher
Release notes image

Spring is here, and with it comes a fresh wave of updates from the Reftab team! This season’s release focuses on making IT asset management even more efficient, secure, and user-friendly, with new integration capabilities, smarter automation features, and updated visuals that give Reftab a more modern look. Here’s a quick look at what’s new and what’s improved.

HR Integrations

We’ve partnered with Finch to streamline your user management by integrating directly with your HR systems. This integration allows you to sync employee data from over 200 supported HR platforms, ensuring your asset management records remain accurate and up-to-date. Paired with our Onboarding/Offboarding Tickets feature, this integration will automatically open the proper tickets based on the users Employment Status.

NinjaOne Integration

The NinjaOne integration allows Reftab to automatically sync both hardware and software data from NinjaOne. Devices managed in NinjaOne will appear in Reftab, complete with key metadata such as hostname, OS, and more — eliminating the need for manual entry.

Autopilot Integration

Previously, Reftab had no access to devices listed in Autopilot. We could only sync devices once fully enrolled to Intune. By adding one more permission to your existing Intune integration, we will sync those Autopilot devices, eliminating any need for manual entry. Take a look at our guide for how to enable the Autopilot integration.

Notable enhancements from this release:

1. Custom Field Mapping for CDW Integration

2. Modernized Default Email Templates

3. Modernized the Custody Verification Form

4. Modernized the Integrations Page

5. Multiple License Expiration Alerts

You can now set several alerts for the same expiring license.

6. Added Access Role to loanee conditions for Automated Workflows

This is helpful if you want to change the status of an asset, trigger an email, or other actions when a Disabled user still has assigned equipment.

What’s next?

Our focus for 2025 is to expand our current software tracking capabilities. This includes new integrations with Finance platforms to capture billing information, direct integrations with software vendors, and an overhaul of our current Licenses page. Our team has been working very hard to ensure these new features address the needs of our current customers.

Over the next few months, we’ll be rolling out additional visual updates aimed at improving ease of use across the platform. You may also see a redesigned homepage soon—this is all part of our ongoing effort to modernize Reftab and create a more enjoyable, user-friendly experience.

We’re excited about what’s ahead for the rest of the year, and we couldn’t do it without your support. Every feature request is carefully reviewed and considered, so please keep them coming by emailing help@reftab.com. Thank you for helping shape the future of Reftab!

Asset Tracking/FAQ/Onboarding/Offboarding

Mastering the IT Asset Lifecycle with Reftab

Posted on by Nathan Lively
Mastering ITAM best practices hero image

IT asset lifecycle management is the structured process of overseeing IT assets from acquisition to retirement. Each stage of a device’s lifecycle involves specific policies and workflows within the broader IT environment.

Clear, well-defined processes enhance asset performance, reduce downtime, support business objectives, and ultimately help organizations cut costs while maximizing ROI.

This document outlines these phases and how the Reftab platform ensures your team adhere to them.

Planning Phase

A well-defined IT asset lifecycle starts with strategic planning. As an IT manager, this means aligning tech investments with business goals, assessing your current environment, and identifying how new assets will support long-term success.

Focus first on understanding business needs before selecting hardware and software. Each asset should drive productivity, streamline operations, and add measurable value.

Before making new purchases, evaluate whether existing assets are being fully utilized—this helps reduce unnecessary spend and ensures better ROI.

Reftab supports this strategic planning stage by giving IT managers clear visibility into asset usage and performance, helping them make informed, cost-effective decisions before investing in new technology.

Request / Acquiring Phase

Having users submit a request is best way to understand what a user needs. Ex. Laptop vs desktop with specific configurations or software with access rights. The request process ensures the details about the request are captured such as quantities, details, date needed by, their manager, their business group, etc.

Once submitted a request should go to their manager for approval. The manager is the best person to understand the business requirements and understand what the user needs to do.

Within Reftab: The requests feature can be used to provide request forms.

📘 Equipment Request Forms and Routing Flows Overview

Reftab also integrates with help desk ticketing systems:

Deployment Phase

The ITAM team will be involved with pulling items from inventory if available or determining if new purchases are needed. Key thing here is to utilize current inventory instead of making unnecessary purchases.

Tag the hardware asset with an asset tag. Checkout the device to the user in Reftab, then give the asset to the end user. If it’s a software request, make sure to log the license in Reftab and then assign the license seat to the user. It is important to note if software is installed locally or if it’s cloud-based SaaS software.

Within Reftab: This is the checkout of assigning the asset / software licenses to the end user. This should also be done automatically by taking advantage of provided integrations.

Hardware Integrations

Integrate your Reftab account with MDM tools for automated hardware deployment. Anytime you provision a device within an MDM tool, that same user will have that device assigned to them in Reftab

Software Integrations

Integrate your Reftab account with Identity Providers to automate software assignments. Anytime a user is provisioned with an account to an integrated SaaS platform for SSO, they will be tagged in Reftab as having a “license” for that software.

Using Phase

During the time that the user is using the hardware or software, ITAM team needs to keep monitoring the usage of the asset.

Tracking software, for example, you’ll want to ensure software is not sitting idle and that the user is actually using the application. For hardware, make sure the user is using the hardware and not leaving it somewhere or not using it at all.

Within Reftab:
• The custody verification feature can be used to verify ownership of hardware.
• The license survey feature can be used to verify software usage and needs.
• The audit feature can be used to verify hardware inventory matches data in Reftab.

📘 Verify Custody of Assets
📘 License Surveys – How To
📘 How to Audit Fixed Assets in Reftab

Maintaining Phase

Asset gets into this phase once it needs maintenance. Two categories of maintenance:

  1. Preventive
  2. Reactive

There are four primary types of maintenance:

  1. Corrective – performed after a problem is detected (most common)
  2. Emergency – sudden failure of asset and repair work is needed (threat to safety, etc.)
  3. Preventive – routine, scheduled maintenance to prevent unexpected breakdowns (based on time or usage)
  4. Condition-based – maintenance triggered by actual usage, monitoring, or calibration

Within Reftab: The maintenance feature can be used to log maintenance work.

📘 Custom Work Orders

Disposing / Deprovisioning Phase

When a user leaves the company or if an asset is out of warranty, too damaged, past its usable life, or no longer supported by the vendor, it needs to be disposed. Accounts must be deprovisioned, data backed up, and data erasure methods applied. The item should be tagged as “Retired” in Reftab. Logs must be kept for software uninstalls or SaaS account deprovisioning.

Within Reftab:
• Status labels can be used to tag assets as disposed
• Reports can be used to return assets from offboarding users
• Offboarding Tickets can be used to log proper procedures

📘 Viewing Archived Assets
📘 Automatically Report on Disabled Users with Equipment
📘 Setup and Utilize Onboarding & Offboarding

Collecting Equipment from Off-boarded Users with Automations

Whenever a user is deactivated or disabled from Okta or Entra (any connected SAML 2.0 system to Reftab) the user will be marked as “disabled” in Reftab. This can trigger custom automations.

You can configure automations to perform various actions when a user becomes disabled:

  • Flag the asset for return
  • Send email to their manager or IT staff.
  • And more…

To get to the automations page, click “Settings” > “Automated Workflows” > “New Workflow”

Note: You can also get automated digest reports showing a list of items that are still assigned to users who have been marked as “Disabled”. This can be done from the reports page.

Integrations with HR systems (Optional)

Reftab integrates with 200+ HR systems to further automate off-boarding of users. Reftab allows you to build your own custom tasks to perform when off-boarding a user. From the “Settings” page click “Onboarding / Offboarding” and click ” Manage Offboarding Tasks”

From here, you can create even more tasks for your off-boarding processes. These will be a set of tasks that admins will need to complete that adhere to your company standards and processes. All these tasks will be logged and time stamped.

Once tasks are saved, when your connected HR system flags a user for off-boarding, a ticket will open in Reftab showing the tasks to complete:

Once all tasks are complete the user in Reftab will have their status changed to “Offboarded”.

Thanks for taking the time to review our guide on mastering the IT asset lifecycle with Reftab. Please reach out to “Help@reftab.com” for any questions.

Uncategorized

Reftab Recognized with the 2025 “Best Ease of Use” Award for IT Management Category and More

Posted on by Michael Plocher

We are excited to share that Reftab, an innovative asset management platform, has been recognized with multiple awards, like 2025 “Best Ease of Use” and more badges from Gartner Digital Markets platforms: Capterra and Software Advice. Reftab provides businesses with powerful tools for efficient asset management, enabling seamless tracking, reporting, and maintenance scheduling.

These recognitions and awards are based on independent reviews collected by Gartner Digital Markets, which highlights top-rated tools in different categories to help buyers identify the highest-rated software companies that users love and trust.


We’re honored to receive this award for Best Ease of Use. From day one, our goal has been to build a platform that’s powerful yet refreshingly simple. This recognition is a testament to our team’s focus on clean design, intuitive workflows, and listening closely to what our users need.

– Mike Caslowitz, Co-Founder

Here’s what some of our users have to say about their experience with us:

Best Ease of Use 2025
IT Management, Tool Management

The Reftab Team and product are outstanding. Always willing to listen to new developments, requests for improvements, etc.

– Cyrille P. [Capterra]

Best Value 2025

Building Maintenance, Asset Tracking, IT Management, Preventive Maintenance, Equipment Maintenance, Maintenance Management, CMMS, IT Asset Management, Tool Management


The adaptability / configurability of the platform. The pricing structure is simple and easily tracked. The team is excellent, welcoming feedback and considering adaptations if possible.

– Melanie J. [Capterra]

Most Recommended 2025

IT Management, Preventative Maintenance, Maintenance Management

I selected Reftab over other systems, implemented it, and used it for my previous organization and current organization. Easy to navigate.

– Michael [Software Advice]

Best Customer Support 2025


EAM, Building Maintenance, Asset Tracking, IT Management, Preventive Maintenance, Equipment Maintenance, Maintenance Management, IT Asset Management, Tool Management

Reftab is an excellent tool for asset tracking and managing equipment loans. It is incredibly easy to use, making it simple to keep accurate records of all assets. The platform ensures efficient tracking and follow-up for equipment loans, streamlining the entire process.

– Kim [Software Advice]

Not just this, we have also been featured in multiple flagship reports at the same time, further validating our success.

2025 Shortlist
2025 Front Runners
2025 Category Leaders

Why choose Reftab?

With an overall rating of 4.8/5 across Gartner Digital Markets platforms, Reftab is trusted by IT professionals, facilities teams, and businesses of all sizes. Our platform offers:

  • Cloud-based asset tracking for hardware, software, and equipment
  • Custom maintenance workflows and preventive scheduling
  • Effortless check-in/check-out and equipment loan management
  • Integrations with tools like Microsoft Intune, Google Workspace, and JAMF
  • Powerful reporting tools and audit logs for compliance
  • User-friendly design that gets teams up and running quickly

Thank you to our users!

We couldn’t have done this without your feedback and trust. Every review, suggestion, and feature request has helped shape Reftab into the product it is today. Thank you for being part of our journey.

About Reftab

Reftab is a modern, easy-to-use asset management platform built for today’s IT teams and operations managers. Whether you’re managing laptops, tools, or facilities equipment, Reftab helps you stay organized, save time, and reduce downtime.

Release Notes

Reftab’s Winter 2025 Release Notes

Posted on by Michael Caslowitz
Release notes image

We’re excited to share some new features and enhancements with you! In our last email, we announced our SOC 2 Type II certification—a major milestone for our team. But we’re not stopping there—we’re committed to continuously improving Reftab with new updates designed to enhance your experience.

Onboarding & Offboarding Tickets

In our recent customer survey, the most requested improvement was better support for onboarding and offboarding processes. We’re excited to announce a new feature designed to do just that.You can now create onboarding and offboarding tickets directly in Reftab — streamlining the way you assign, track, and complete critical tasks when employees join or leave your organization.

Here’s how it works:

  • Loanees now have a clear employment status: Pending Onboarding, Onboarding, Active, Offboarding, and Offboarded.
Employment status
  • Tickets are automatically opened: Move a user into an Onboarding or Offboarding status and a ticket is automatically created.
Onboard new user ticket
  • Track task completion: Tickets can include customized tasks. Once all tasks are marked complete, the user’s status is automatically updated.
Onboarding checklist
  • Customize your tasks: From “Settings” > “Onboarding / Offboarding” you can create your own tasks.
Customizing tasks image

Why does this matter?

You’ll finally be able to standardize your onboarding/offboarding across teams. This feature is designed to not only save you time, but to ensure nothing slips through the cracks. Onboarding & Offboarding tickets are just one more way we’re helping you get the most out of your asset management. Not just for devices, but for the people using them, too.

Notable enhancements from this release:

  • Custom header colors are available under “Settings” > “Display”
custom color picker image
  • There is a new setting for the portal which can be used to show or hide available items. This setting is called, “Display Available Items in Portal”. When set to, “Hide” users who log into the portal will only see items assigned to them.
  • Additional replacement fields are now available on Verification Digest emails. For example, verification emails can now display details like date of check out, due dates, etc.
  • Loan fields are now available to be used in custom emails. (For example, due dates, loanee name, etc.)

Thank you!

Uncategorized/Updates!

Reftab Achieves SOC 2 Type 2 Certification: Strengthening Our Commitment to Security and Customer Trust

Posted on by Michael Caslowitz

At Reftab, security is at the core of everything we do. We’re excited to announce that we’ve successfully achieved SOC 2 Type II certification! This certification reinforces our dedication to maintaining the highest security standards and providing our customers with the peace of mind they deserve.

What is SOC 2 Type 2 Certification and Why Is It Important?

SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2) is an industry-recognized framework developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) to ensure that a company effectively manages and secures customer data. The certification is based on five key trust principles:

  • Security – Protecting systems against unauthorized access.
  • Availability – Ensuring systems are operational and accessible when needed.
  • Processing Integrity – Ensuring that data is processed accurately, timely, and as expected.
  • Confidentiality – Safeguarding sensitive information from unauthorized access or disclosure.
  • Privacy – Properly handling and managing personal information.

Achieving SOC 2 Type 2 certification means that our security controls have been rigorously tested over time, and we have proven our ability to manage customer data securely and consistently.

Why This Matters to Our Customers

As an IT asset management platform, we understand how critical security is to your organization’s operations. Achieving SOC 2 Type 2 certification is a testament to our commitment to protecting your data and ensuring that Reftab meets the highest security standards. Here’s why this is important for you:

  • Trust & Transparency – With SOC 2 Type 2 certification, you can be confident that we have the right measures in place to protect your sensitive data.
  • Continuous Improvement – Security is not a one-time achievement. We constantly monitor and improve our systems to address new and evolving risks.
  • Commitment to Best Practices – We follow industry-leading best practices, ensuring that our security controls remain effective and up-to-date.

A Commitment to Ongoing Security Enhancements

While achieving SOC 2 Type 2 certification is a significant milestone, we view it as part of an ongoing journey. We are continually evaluating and refining our security processes to stay ahead of potential threats. Our team is dedicated to enhancing our platform’s security so that you can trust Reftab with your data now and into the future.

This achievement further strengthens our dedication to providing a secure, reliable, and scalable IT asset management platform. We understand the challenges businesses face when it comes to managing and protecting sensitive data, and we are committed to being a trusted partner as we evolve alongside your security needs.

Looking Ahead

SOC 2 Type 2 certification is just one part of our broader approach to security. We will continue to invest in the latest security technologies, rigorous processes, and comprehensive testing to maintain the trust you place in us.

We understand that trust is earned, and we are proud to demonstrate our commitment to protecting your organization’s most valuable assets.

Thank you for choosing Reftab. We look forward to continuing to serve your IT asset management needs securely and reliably.

Asset Tracking/Azure asset management/ITAM/Software Asset Management/Software License Tracking

Tracking Microsoft 365 Licenses with Reftab’s SaaS Discovery

Posted on by Nathan Lively

We’re thrilled to announce that Reftab now integrates with Microsoft 365! This powerful enhancement allows you to pull in even more software licenses, providing deeper insights into your organization’s software usage.

With this update, Reftab becomes an even more valuable tool by consolidating hardware and software asset management into a single-pane-of-glass solution. Manage your Microsoft 365 applications alongside your other IT assets seamlessly, streamlining your processes and saving you time and effort.


What are the Benefits of Integrating Office 365 into Reftab?

Adding Microsoft Office 365 applications to Reftab’s Microsoft SaaS Discovery integration enhances visibility and control over your IT environment. Furthermore, you can manage licenses for widely used software, avoid overpaying for unused licenses, and ensure compliance across your organization.

Learn More

For a step-by-step guide, check out our updated documentation here: How To: Setup Reftab’s Microsoft SaaS Discovery. Moreover, you can contact our support team at help@reftab.com for assistance.

We’re thrilled to offer this new functionality. We believe it will simplify and improve your IT management processes. As always, we’re here to support you every step of the way.

Ready to take advantage of this update? Log in to Reftab and start integrating your Office 365 applications today!

ITAM/Software Asset Management/Software License Tracking/Uncategorized

IT and Software Asset Management with Reftab

Posted on by Michael Caslowitz

When managing IT assets, maintaining organization, ensuring compliance, and controlling costs are top priorities for any organization. Reftab simplifies this process by offering a unified platform for hardware and software asset management. With specialized features for software asset tracking, Reftab provides tools for SaaS tracking, installed software monitoring, and actionable insights into software usage. Here’s how Reftab’s capabilities can transform your IT operations.

SaaS Tracking Made Simple

SaaS applications play a critical role in modern workplaces, but managing their usage and costs can quickly become overwhelming. Reftab’s Software Asset Management (SAM) features allow you to:

  • Track Utilization: Monitor who is using which applications and how often.
  • Identify Unused Licenses: Discover inactive seats to reclaim and reduce costs.
  • Manage Renewals: Stay ahead of subscription renewals with automated alerts and detailed reports.
  • Survey Users: Reftab makes it easy to send software surveys, enabling users to confirm whether they still require access to specific tools.

These features empower IT admins to eliminate waste, ensure proper license allocation, and maximize the value of every SaaS subscription.

Installed Software Tracking with AI Insights

For organizations managing hardware assets, Reftab goes beyond basic tracking by reading installed software directly from devices synced through platforms like Jamf and Intune. Here’s what sets Reftab apart:

  • AI-Driven Categorization: Reftab uses artificial intelligence to categorize installed software automatically.
  • Security Monitoring: The platform checks software versions against the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database, helping organizations stay secure and compliant.
  • Comprehensive Inventory: IT admins get a clear view of what’s installed on every device, ensuring accountability and adherence to company policies.

Reftab’s seamless integration with Jamf and Intune ensures that every asset is accurately linked to its installed applications, offering a true single pane of glass for both hardware and software management.

A Platform Built for Organization, Compliance, and Cost Control

Reftab’s SAM features are designed to help organizations stay ahead in three critical areas:

  1. Organization: Maintain a centralized inventory of all software and hardware assets. No more guessing who’s using what—Reftab keeps everything in one place.
  2. Compliance & Security: By automating software tracking and security checks, Reftab reduces the risk of vulnerabilities and ensures your organization remains audit-ready.
  3. Cost Control: From tracking software seat costs to sending surveys that reclaim unused licenses, Reftab helps organizations minimize waste and optimize spending.

One Platform for Complete IT Asset Management

Unlike tools that focus solely on software or hardware, Reftab delivers an all-in-one platform that covers the full lifecycle of IT assets. Whether you’re onboarding new employees, tracking license renewals, or preparing for a compliance audit, Reftab simplifies the process.

With powerful capabilities for SaaS tracking and installed software management, Reftab ensures your organization has the tools it needs to stay organized, secure, and budget-conscious. Start using Reftab today and experience the difference in IT and software asset management.

Check us out at Reftab.com and create a FREE account today!