The client
The client is a global non-governmental organization running humanitarian aid and development projects in several countries.
Its projects depend on vehicles, field equipment and IT hardware spread across regions. Donors and stakeholders fund much of this equipment, and they expect a clear account of where each asset is and how it is used.
The challenge
With assets in many countries, the NGO struggled to keep one accurate register. That made it hard to show donors how their money was being used, and hard to keep field equipment in working order.
- No central asset register that stayed up to date across regions.
- Little transparency in how assets were used and allocated.
- Reporting asset use to donors and stakeholders took heavy manual effort.
- Maintenance of assets spread across countries was not planned.
What they set up in Asset Infinity
The NGO put every asset into one cloud register in Asset Infinity, added maintenance plans for field assets, and used reports to answer donors.
One register for every country
Vehicles, equipment and IT hardware sit in one cloud register with location, custodian, documents and history, available to staff in every region. (Assets)
Allocation on the record
Each asset shows which location and person hold it, and every move is recorded, so allocation can be explained at any time. (Assets)
Plans for dispersed assets
Preventive maintenance plans by date or meter keep vehicles and equipment serviced in each location, with the work recorded against the asset. (Maintenance)
Reports for donors
Reports show where assets are, how they are allocated and what has been spent on upkeep, ready for donor reports and internal reviews. (Insight)
How it works day to day
Here is how assets are now managed across the NGO’s regions.
- Regional staff: record a new asset. When a vehicle, laptop or piece of equipment arrives, it goes into the register with its location, custodian, documents and a label.
- Regional staff: record moves and handovers. When an asset moves to another project or person, the change is made on the record, so allocation is always current.
- System: raises planned maintenance. Preventive maintenance plans by date or meter create work orders for vehicles and equipment in each location when service is due.
- Technician: completes and logs the work. The technician records the work done and closes the order, adding to that asset’s maintenance history.
- Field staff: confirm assets on the ground. In a verification round on the mobile app, staff scan labels and mark each asset as verified, moved, not found or damaged.
- Head office: prepares donor reports. Reports on asset location, allocation and upkeep come straight from the register, ready for donors and stakeholders.
Before and after
| Before | With Asset Infinity | |
|---|---|---|
| Asset register | Hard to keep central and current | One cloud register used by every region |
| Allocation | Unclear how assets were used | Location and custodian on every record |
| Donor reporting | Assembled by hand | Reports drawn from the register |
| Maintenance | Not planned for dispersed assets | Preventive plans in each location |
| Rollout | Records kept separately | Existing register digitized, phased by region |
How it rolled out
- Register digitized. The existing asset register was loaded into Asset Infinity as the starting record.
- Regional staff trained. Staff in each region were trained to update assets and record maintenance. Finance and operations systems were connected through the API.
- Phased by region. Rollout started with the regions holding the most assets and moved on in phases.
The results
- The asset register is kept up to date as changes happen, not rebuilt for each report.
- Donor confidence grew with clearer reporting on how assets are used.
- Reporting is simpler, helping the NGO meet donor requirements.
- Planned maintenance reduced asset downtime and extended asset life.
Why it worked
Built for many locations
A cloud register works the same in every country, so regional teams update one record instead of keeping their own.
Reports donors can trust
Reports come from the same records staff update every day, so what donors see matches what is on the ground.
Upkeep on the record
Maintenance history sits with each asset, which helps keep field equipment working and shows what it costs to run.
Looking ahead
With one register for every country, the NGO can say where each asset is, who holds it and what it has cost to keep running, and it can show the same answer to donors.
The register also supports field operations: maintenance plans keep vehicles and equipment working, and the history built up helps decide what to repair, replace or move to another project.