Whether you are a school, church, or creative agency, there is a good chance you own a lot of equipment and multiple people have access to it.
Streamlining the process for keeping track of all your equipment (including when people are checking in and out gear is essential) .
In this post, we’ll cover everything you need to know about building an equipment checkout system for your company.
Why do you need an equipment checkout system?
There are multiple benefits to having a system to keep track of rental equipment, whether that’s through manual spreadsheets or asset management software, like Reftab. But, the two primary reasons to consider implementing a system for your business are:
- Increased accountability: With a documented process for checking equipment in and out, this ensures that people will return gear on time.
- Improves accuracy and tracking: When you track equipment through a system, you can tell exactly where your company’s gear is at any time. This is particularly useful if you have a lot of employees or equipment to maintain.
How to build your equipment checkout system
Building an effective equipment checkout system comes down to making sure all of the right components are in place.
What assets should you keep track of?
Everything from the smallest memory card to the largest projector should be tracked in your system. Think of it like taking inventory. Take note of all of your gear when you set up your system and be sure to tag new equipment as you acquire it.
Here are some examples of assets that can be tracked through a checkout system:
- Cameras
- Camcorders
- Microphones
- Lighting
- Tripods
- Rigs
- Memory cards
- Batteries
- Displays
- Screens
- Transmitters
- Receivers
- Switchers
- Mixers
- Cases
Build check-in and check-out equipment processes
The two most common approaches to managing this process are manually using Google Forms and spreadsheets or by creating a user request portal using asset management software, like Reftab.
A manual system can be a cost-effective solution, but it may require more work—both upfront and managing it.
On the other hand, if you have thousands of pieces of equipment to keep track of and are loaning it to a lot of employees, students, etc, it might make sense to use asset management software instead. In addition to keeping track of all of your gear, most asset management software also includes functionality like creating custom reports, sending automated emails and alerts, and automated user partitioning.
Pro Tip: Read this post on how to choose the right asset management software for your specific needs.
Establish communication processes
A vital part of a good equipment checkout system is communicating when equipment can be checked in and out. Whether you do this manually or use software to automate this, here are the bare minimum notifications you should send out by email and/or text.
- When an equipment reservation is made.
- When an equipment reservation is confirmed (if not automatic)
- When equipment is due back
When equipment is overdue
Keep equipment maintenance logs
You already know the importance of maintaining your A/V gear to extend its life cycle. However, implementing a preventative maintenance schedule is easier said than done. And writing maintenance work orders and keeping detailed maintenance logs can be just as important as the maintenance itself. Without tracking which equipment received repairs or maintenance, your gear might get too little or not enough attention.
Pro Tip: See how easy it is to keep track of maintenance work orders and schedule maintenance in Reftab.
For example, let’s say that you check all of your equipment monthly to ensure it’s working properly. Without tracking which gear was checked and when, a piece of equipment might be missed for months. You wouldn’t know that something is broken and when the next person checks it out you have to send a maintenance team member out to fix it on their shoot. This wastes time and can affect the output of the production.
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Whatever system you use for your equipment checkout, the tips above will help you make it a success. Remember to train all of your staff on the new system.
Ready to give Reftab a try? Sign up for a free account here.
