Managing work equipment is essential to stay organized, prevent loss, and ensure employees have what they need in good working condition. This practical guide is for HR, IT, and Operations or Office Managers at growing US small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) who have outgrown spreadsheets, email, and paper-based workflows. With Aptien, you can manage all company equipment in one place—from laptops to power tools—easily track and control assets, reduce loss, and save time.
What Growing Companies Struggle With Around Employee Equipment Tracking
- HR handles gear during employee onboarding and offboarding
- IT or office admins issue laptops, phones, keys, and badges
- Operations manages tools, PPE, vehicles, and other field equipment
Real problems SMBs face
- Onboarding chaos: equipment gets handed out informally (“just grab this laptop”)
- No single source of truth (no central inventory)
- Offboarding relies on memory: “we think they had something,” leading to lost laptops, missing keys, unclear ownership
- No offboarding checklist
- Tracking on paper or in a non-shared/shared spreadsheet
- Unclear ownership of who has what: constant searching and back-and-forth wastes time
How to manage employee equipment in a growing company
- You can start in Excel or Google Sheets. It’s simple, but you’ll miss automatic reminders and integration with other processes.
- This works until you outgrow it—spreadsheets work, until they don’t.
When spreadsheets start failing (the transition moment)
- As your company grows, what one person handled is now split across HR, IT, and Facilities—and spreadsheets clash
- Spreadsheets can’t enforce ownership and permissions (no accountability)
- Spreadsheets can’t send reminders and alerts
- No history or audit trail in spreadsheets No audit trail
- No live link between employee status and assigned equipment (no link between employee status and equipment)
- You can’t attach documents (like inspection reports or manuals)
How to proceed once spreadsheets aren’t enough
- Companies with more than ~15 employees typically outgrow spreadsheets, and email isn’t enough
- Use specialized software like Aptien. Beyond inventory, it lets you assign equipment to employees, track returns, and get maintenance alerts.
- A centralized database becomes your single source of truth for all asset records, accessible anytime, anywhere.
- Eliminates scattered sheets or paper logs. This keeps key info—location, assignee, status, and usage history—in one place.
- Get alerts when available stock falls below a threshold.
- Get reminders for key dates like warranties, depreciation, and replacement schedules.
- Meet compliance requirements. Use automated reminders for upcoming inspections or services to stay compliant.
How to Implement Employee Equipment Management in Your Company: Step by Step
- Equipment inventory: Keeping an accurate inventory of employee equipment is essential
- Issuing and returns: Clearly documented when onboarding, role changes, or offboarding.
- Training and instructions: Employee training is necessary for proper and safe use of many types of equipment.
- Maintenance and inspections: Many items require upkeep, functionality and safety checks, and regular inspections.
- Loss and damage: Procedures for reporting and handling damaged or lost equipment.
- Compliance requirements: Track mandatory deadlines and other obligations
1. Keep an up-to-date equipment inventory
- An equipment inventory is foundational, including purchase details, warranty status, and service history
- Track equipment based on real-world use, not just accounting records
- Aptien lets you track any type of employee equipment so you always have accurate records
2. Assign equipment to employees
- Track check-outs, transfers, and returns, including a full history of who used which item and when.
- Know exactly what must be turned in during offboarding
- See how to issue and return employee equipment
3. Train employees on using equipment
- Training may be required by safety regulations or to ensure safe and qualified operation
- See how to train employees on using PPE and other equipment
4. Track maintenance, inspections, and repairs
- Regular maintenance extends equipment life and helps meet compliance requirements
- Plan and track routine maintenance, inspections, or calibrations
- Use automatic reminders for upcoming service dates or checks to stay compliant
- Keep records of service dates, repairs, and inspections to ensure everything stays in good working order.
5. Handle issues, breakdowns, and repairs
- Include a simple process to report problems and defects with equipment
- See how to report incidents and broken equipment
6. Meet legal and safety requirements for employee equipment
- Compliance is essential to meet federal, state, and workplace safety requirements (e.g., OSHA).
- You need to show that employees have the right, properly maintained equipment and that they were trained
- Follow legal and safety requirements and keep the necessary documentation.
In Conclusion
- Effective equipment management combined with regular physical inventories keeps your company assets organized and productive. With Aptien, you can streamline equipment tracking, reduce losses, and ensure accountability—all in one system.
Why manage employee equipment? Key reasons for SMBs
- Compliance with regulations – safety checks, inspections, and documentation.
- Protect company assets – reduce the risk of loss or misuse.
- Improve employee productivity – people always have what they need.
- Save costs – better planning for purchases, replacements, and maintenance.
- Save time in onboarding and offboarding – fewer delays, no missing items.
Best practices for managing employee equipment
- Documented assignment and return of equipment improves accountability.
- Using a digital app for tracking, checkout, and return reduces admin work.
- Employee training supports safety, compliance, and responsibility and helps avoid issues, fines, or insurance disputes.
- Regular audits and inspections help identify missing items and assess condition.
- Clear standard operating procedures (SOPs) and policies reduce improper use of equipment.
- Labeling equipment and tools helps with quick identification and accurate checkout and return.
How Aptien helps
- Online records of all equipment types in one place
- Equipment records linked to employees
- Clear ownership, responsibility, and history
- Automated maintenance and inspection reminders
- Clear visibility for employee onboarding and offboarding
- Shared access for HR, IT, and management
- Simplifies onboarding and offboarding
- For efficient operations, many small and mid-sized businesses use workforce management software to centralize inventory, streamline maintenance tracking, and ensure accountability. This minimizes the risk of lost equipment, non-compliance, and unnecessary costs.
Extras: Frequently Asked Questions about Work Equipment Tracking
What’s the difference between asset tracking and asset management?
- Answer: Tracking is just a list of items; management also covers assignment to employees, inspections, maintenance, and returns.
Who is responsible for work equipment in a company?
- Answer: In small businesses, usually the owner or office manager; in larger companies, typically IT, HR, and facilities managers.
What software should I use for tracking equipment?
- Answer: Ideally a tool that links asset records with tasks and onboarding—for example, Aptien.