Asset Tags with Barcodes: Numbering, Materials and Placement

Number the tags

Use these rules for the number itself:

• One number per physical asset. Two identical monitors get two different numbers.
• Sequential, with no built-in meaning. For its own asset identifier, GS1 recommends sequential allocation without classifying elements (GS1 General Specifications, section 4.4.3). Departments, users and locations change; keep them in the record, not in the number.
• A short letter prefix and a fixed length, such as AT-00001. The prefix keeps asset tags from being confused with SKUs, and starting with letters stops Excel from stripping the leading zeros (Microsoft Support). Fixed length keeps every tag the same size and makes a mistyped number easier to spot.
• Never reuse a number. GS1 says its asset identifiers must stay unique well beyond the life of the asset records, and must not be reused if they remain on the asset.

If you already license a GS1 Company Prefix and share asset data with outside partners, such as leasing or service companies, look at GS1's Global Individual Asset Identifier (GIAI). It combines your company prefix with an asset reference of up to 30 characters in total, and GS1 lists it for any asset, from a computer or desk to a vehicle (GS1). For assets that never leave your business, a simple prefix and sequence is enough.

Choose the symbology

Code 128 is the sensible default. It's compact, handles letters and digits, and any linear scanner reads it. Code 39 makes sense only if an existing system or scanner expects it, because it produces a longer barcode for the same number. The trade-offs are in Code 39 vs. Code 128.

A QR Code fits better on small or tight spots, since it's square instead of long. It needs 2D imagers, though, so check every scanner before you switch. If you encode a web link to the asset record instead of the bare number, that link has to keep working for the life of the asset.

Whatever you choose, print the asset number in plain text under the barcode. When a tag is scratched, someone can still type it in.

Pick a label material

The material should outlast the equipment's useful life in its actual conditions. Paper is cheap, but for assets it's usually a false saving.

Zebra's label catalog shows the pattern behind most of these choices. Its synthetic labels are sold for resistance to abrasion, moisture and chemicals, its polyester labels are paired with resin ribbons, and its tamper-evident options include labels that leave a "void" pattern or destruct when someone peels them off (Zebra). For painted metal, bare metal or wood, look for a high-tack adhesive.

Photo-anodized aluminum is the step up for harsh conditions. The image is sealed inside the anodized layer of the metal, which is what lets it resist sunlight, heat, abrasion and chemicals (Metalphoto). For a comparison of printers and ribbons, see barcode label printers and labels.

Place the tag where it will survive

A good spot is one you can scan without moving or unplugging the equipment, but out of the way of hands, feet, heat and moving parts. Write down one standard spot for each asset type, such as the underside of laptops near the front edge, or the back of monitors in the upper corner. Auditors then know where to look.

A few more rules keep tags attached and meaningful:

• Tag the main body, not a part that can come off, such as a battery, lid, case or charger.
• Use a flat, clean, dry surface, and avoid curves tighter than the label can follow.
• Keep it visible but protected. A recessed flat area beats an edge that gets knocked.
• Photograph the tagged asset and attach the photo to its record, so you can tell later whether a tag was moved.

Keep the record

The tag is only a key. The useful information lives in a register, which can be a spreadsheet at first. GS1 suggests recording asset data digitally with the identifier as the key, including items such as the owner, value, location and life cycle history.

At minimum, record:

• Asset number, description, make, model and manufacturer serial number
• Purchase date, supplier, cost and invoice reference
• Assigned location or person
• Status: in use, in repair, in storage or retired
• Warranty end date and last audit date
• A photo of the tagged asset

Store asset numbers as text, and run an audit at least once a year: walk each area, scan every tag you find, and chase down anything the register expects but you didn't scan. If your accountant or insurer uses the register, ask them which fields they need. This is general information, not tax, legal or financial advice.

Retire tags the right way

When an asset leaves service, its number stays behind. Mark the record retired with the date, the reason and what happened to the asset, whether it was sold, recycled, donated, scrapped or lost. Keep the record; don't delete it.

Never issue that number again. A reused number makes old repair notes, audit results and photos point to the wrong equipment.

Remove or deface the tag when the asset leaves your company. GS1 says an asset identifier should ideally be replaced or removed when an asset is sold, unless the new owner takes responsibility for the company prefix behind it. For computers and other equipment that stores data, wipe or destroy the storage first. NIST's guidelines for media sanitization explain how to match the method to how sensitive the data is (NIST).

Two edge cases come up often. If a tag is damaged, print a replacement with the same number and note the date in the record. If a pre-printed roll has a misprinted or wasted tag, mark that number as void in the register so nobody wonders later where it went.

Next step

Write your numbering rule and a placement standard for your three most common asset types. Then make ten test tags in the barcode generator, apply and record them, and scan each one before you tag everything else.