What are Ghost Assets?
Ghost assets are fixed assets that are either lost, stolen, unusable, or no longer owned by a company but are still listed as active on their fixed asset register.
These assets can be problematic for businesses as they can lead to financial inaccuracies, inflated tax liabilities, higher insurance premiums, and operational inefficiencies. Ghost assets can include items like equipment, machinery, computers, vehicles, or any other long-term asset.
TL;DR
Ghost assets are fixed assets that are lost, stolen, unusable, or no longer owned but still listed as active.
To track ghost assets, use asset tracking software, implement tagging and tracking, conduct regular audits, and perform physical inspections.
Finding ghost assets in real-time benefits businesses by ensuring accurate financial reporting, reducing costs, improving asset management, and enhancing productivity.
Removing ghost assets leads to more precise financial records, efficient resource allocation, and minimized downtime.
How to Track Ghost Assets?
- Implement Asset Tracking Software: One of the most effective ways to track and manage assets while minimizing the risk of ghost assets is to invest in asset tracking software. This software allows you to maintain a centralized and real-time asset register accessible to all relevant departments within your organization.
- Tagging and Tracking: Barcode or RFID tagging can significantly improve tracking accuracy, reduce the time required for audits, and help prevent ghost assets. Each asset is assigned a unique identifier (UID), ensuring that it can be tracked throughout its lifecycle, from purchase to disposal.
- Fixed Asset Audits: Conduct regular fixed asset audits to verify the accuracy of your asset register. This can involve a full inventory verification or cyclical inventory verification, depending on your organization’s needs and resources.
- Physical Audits: Physically inspect assets at your business locations to ensure they match the information in your asset register. Identify any assets that are missing, damaged, or no longer in use.
What Are the Real-Time Benefits of Finding Ghost Assets?
- Accurate Financial Reporting: Removing ghost assets from your fixed asset register leads to more accurate financial statements and reports. This ensures that your company’s financial records reflect the true value of your assets, which is crucial for decision-making and compliance.
- Cost Reduction: By identifying and eliminating ghost assets, you can reduce unnecessary expenses. This includes avoiding overpaying taxes on assets that don’t exist, paying lower insurance premiums, and improving budgeting accuracy for capital expenditures.
- Improved Asset Management: Tracking and removing ghost assets enable you to better manage your assets’ maintenance and usage. You can allocate resources more efficiently, reduce downtime, and extend the lifespan of your assets.
- Enhanced Productivity: Ghost assets can lead to inefficiencies and unplanned expenses. By removing them, you can ensure that assets are available when needed, reducing downtime and increasing employee productivity.