A practical method for checking every tagged asset against your records, finding dead tags and closing gaps in one structured walk.
Asset tags only help if the tag, the item and the record still agree. Over time they drift. Tags peel off, laptops move desks, records keep items that were scrapped years ago. A walkthrough brings them back in line. Here is a method that works for an office, a workshop or a small warehouse.
Before you start
- Export the asset register with tag IDs, item names and last known location
- Charge two phones or handheld readers, and test them on a known good tag
- Print a floor plan and split it into zones
- Agree how you will mark items: found, moved, missing, untagged
Step 1: Walk one zone at a time
Finish a zone before starting the next. Tap every tag you can see. Note the zone against each read. Zones stop you counting the same shelf twice and make gaps obvious.
Step 2: Read, don’t just look
A tag that looks fine may be dead. Metal surfaces, bent antennas and heat all kill tags quietly. If a tag does not read in two tries with two devices, mark it for replacement.
Step 3: Check the tag matches the item
Compare what the record says with what is in front of you. A tag from a scrapped monitor stuck on a new one is a classic error. So is a tag swapped between two similar items during a repair.
Step 4: Record untagged items
Anything worth tracking that has no tag goes on a separate list. Do not tag it on the spot unless you can also create the record. Orphan tags are worse than no tags.
Step 5: Reconcile
Back at the desk, sort the register into four groups:
- Found where expected
- Found somewhere else: update the location
- Not found: search once more, then flag for review
- Found but not on the register: add or investigate
Step 6: Fix the causes
Look for patterns. If tags fail on one type of equipment, try on-metal tags or a different placement. If items move between zones often, track location by room rather than desk. If one team never logs disposals, fix that process.
Step 7: Set the next date
Most teams run a full walk once or twice a year and spot checks on high-value items in between. Keep your zone map and notes. The second walk is always faster.
Security is the other half of an audit. Read whether to lock your tags and how easily tags can be cloned, then see the full tag audit checklist.