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IT Inventory: Excel as a Useful Solution?

Antoinette Turkie
Antoinette TurkieInventory Expert6 Min
IT inventory Excel on a laptop

With efficient inventory software, confusing Excel tables become superfluous

IT Inventory: Excel as a Free but Limited Alternative

Would you like to get away from device management with paper lists or magnetic boards? Or do you not yet have a structured and documented overview of your hardware and software? – Then an IT inventory Excel template may seem attractive to you. Here you can find out more about whether this idea should be pursued.

When deciding whether Excel makes sense for IT inventory, it depends largely on the concrete needs of your company. Many companies have a subscription to Microsoft Office360, which includes the spreadsheet software Excel. It makes sense to have certain administrative staff create lists in it.

Usually, newcomers in the field of inventory think of material output lists. These should show which employee has received which IT equipment. Such a material withdrawal slip dates back to the world before digitalisation and, as a form, shortened many a communication channel between departments.

These days, however, borrowing processes can be documented without printed slips. In small companies with very few devices, a short table is sometimes sufficient. This could be available on the intranet as a shared document in which two or three authorised persons may write.

However, valuable working time is consumed by employees or freelancers having to go to the persons with Excel processing authorisation to borrow IT assets, report defects or ask for inspection appointments.

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Why a Material Output List Excel Is Not a Contemporary Solution

App use of a larger software has advantages not only for medium and large companies. The distribution of responsibility among several people, who can record changes to the inventory status regardless of location, increases the accuracy of the recorded data. An IT inventory Excel, on the other hand, is always dependent on rows and columns being created in a really meaningful way and understood by employees.

If equipment is recorded directly where it is, people are more likely to remember to report changes in location or damage. Finally, thanks to QR codes visible by label on computers, printers, etc., the inventory app is only a scan away with the phone or tablet. Accordingly, modern inventory software relieves the burden on your employees, who thus no longer have to communicate with the administration office several times a day.

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Do We Need an Inventory List as an Excel Template?

By the time of the annual inventory at the latest, an overview of existing IT equipment and software licences is necessary. If no preparatory work is available, a short-term IT inventory Excel can lead to frustration and stress for all involved. To avoid long discussions with colleagues about column names in the inventory list, the permanent use of a proven inventory software is recommended.

This is adapted to individual needs during the introduction. Which database fields are shown and used can also be changed during operation.

In contrast to the IT inventory Excel, an inventory list in a database-based IT inventory software does not become confusing and incomplete. It can also be continued regularly and easily after the inventory so that all authorised employees are informed about the number, locations and statuses of the IT equipment.

Equipment Management With Excel Template?

When you realise that the IT inventory Excel needs a lot of columns with data and the table document becomes very large, you should think about a professional software. An operating system-independent solution like Timly can also display photos and operating instructions with the entries of the respective device.

But this is not the only added value for your staff. With Timly, you can assign individual IT devices or software licences directly to employees, departments or projects – more securely and easily than with an IT inventory Excel.

IT inventory Excel spreadsheet in use

Excel chaos is a thing of the past with Timly

Another advantage of professional IT inventory software is the addition of employee profiles. With this feature, which an Excel IT inventory does not offer, you can see without gaps who is currently using a device for which project. This minimises device wastage and motivates you to quickly document hardware damage or expiring licences. Thanks to the evaluation functions of Timly, new acquisitions of the inventory can also be better planned and calculated.

Is an IT Inventory With Open Source Programmes Worthwhile?

If you have decided against an IT inventory Excel, but still want to save costs, open source software may come to mind. One thing to keep in mind is that a programme with publicly available code is not automatically freeware.

There are also software developers who get help from the programming community but still take money for their product. Inventory software that is actually freeware cannot be of the same quality as a software product for which user fees are charged.

Obviously, a free IT inventory programme can only have a few functions. Likewise, no one will want to provide in-depth support or make individual software adjustments for other companies for free.

Companies and institutions that have more employees and devices than would make an IT inventory Excel useful should opt for a high-quality and proven software solution such as Timly. Such an investment pays off after a short time – also because not only the IT devices, but the entire operating resources can be managed with it.

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