How To Track Company Devices

Start with the employee list

The employee list should be the starting point for any device audit.

Create a clean, up-to-date record of every employee, including their name, email address and location. This provides a reliable reference point for matching employees to the devices recorded elsewhere in the business.

It also helps identify gaps later in the process, such as an employee with no device assigned or a device that doesn't appear to have an owner.

Bring together the device records

The next step is to find all the existing device information across the business.

Purchase orders, financing agreements, Finance records, IT registers and previous spreadsheets can all contain useful information. The aim is to build a single list containing the key details for each device, including:

• Brand and model

• Serial number

• Purchase or financing information

• Current employee assignment

• Device status and location

It is common for different departments to hold different versions of this information. Bringing them together provides a much clearer picture of the current IT estate.

Match and verify the information

Once the employee and device lists have been brought together, the next step is to check that the information is accurate.

For employees with a device already recorded, a short confirmation email can verify that the details are still correct. Where no device is recorded, the employee can provide the brand, model and serial number of the equipment currently in use.

AI tools can also help draft and personalise these emails at scale, making it easier to complete a large audit without creating a significant administrative workload.

The result should be a clean, verified snapshot of the business's IT estate, showing which devices exist, where they are and which employee is using each one.

Move beyond spreadsheets

A one-off audit can bring a device register up to date, but maintaining that information manually creates the same problem again over time.

New starters receive devices. Employees leave and return equipment. Devices are repaired, replaced, redeployed or retired. Every change creates another opportunity for a spreadsheet to become outdated.

The longer-term goal should therefore be to connect device management with the systems already used by HR and IT. Where integrations aren't available, a dedicated IT asset management platform or lifecycle partner can provide a more reliable way to keep records up to date.

Automating processes such as onboarding, offboarding and device assignment can also reduce the amount of manual administration required from HR and IT teams.

Why accurate device tracking matters

A reliable device register is about more than knowing where the laptops are.

Accurate records can help businesses manage hardware costs, recover equipment when an employee leaves, identify unused devices and maintain better control over company data.

It also provides a clearer picture of when devices need replacing, which can make future hardware planning and budgeting easier.

Most importantly, device tracking works best as an ongoing process rather than a spreadsheet that gets updated whenever someone remembers.

Where Ooodles fits

Ooodles brings procurement and device tracking onto one platform, with the full device lifecycle — delivery, collection, data erasure, redeployment — managed in-house throughout.

For HR and Ops teams, this means less reliance on separate spreadsheets and manual updates. Devices, employees, contracts and invoices can all be managed in one place, with processes built around the employee lifecycle so that equipment doesn't get lost in the gaps between HR, IT and Finance.

FAQ

What's the easiest way to track company devices?

Start with a central device register containing each device's brand, model, serial number, location and assigned employee. A dedicated asset management platform can then make ongoing tracking easier.

What information should a device register include?

At a minimum, it should include the device type, brand, model, serial number, assigned employee and location. Purchase, financing and lifecycle information can also be useful for managing the wider IT estate.

How often should a business audit its devices?

There isn't one schedule that works for every business. Regular checks alongside employee onboarding, offboarding and hardware replacement can help keep records accurate, while automated systems can reduce the need for manual audits.

What happens if an employee has a device that isn't on the register?

The device should be added to the register and matched to the correct employee. The business can also investigate why it wasn't recorded to identify any gaps in the existing tracking process.

Can device tracking be automated?

Yes. HR, IT and asset management systems can often be connected so that device assignments and lifecycle events are updated automatically. The level of automation available depends on the systems and tools a business uses.