Mobile Asset Auditing

Mobile Asset Auditing

Asset audits should not require a clipboard or a desktop computer. With Shelf, teams can audit equipment from any phone or tablet — in the browser or via the free Shelf Companion app on iPhone and Android. Scan QR labels, verify locations, update records, and confirm asset conditions in the field. Everything syncs in real time, so the back office sees results the moment they happen.

Why Mobile Auditing Matters

Traditional asset audits are slow, error-prone, and disruptive:

• Field operations: Teams working across job sites, warehouses, or campuses cannot return to a desk to update records. Data entry gets delayed or skipped entirely.
• Multi-site organizations: Auditing equipment spread across multiple locations requires coordination, travel, and manual consolidation of results.
• Compliance pressure: Regulatory bodies and insurance providers expect up-to-date records. Outdated spreadsheets do not hold up under scrutiny.
• Manual processes: Paper-based audits introduce transcription errors, duplicate entries, and gaps that undermine the entire exercise.

Mobile auditing eliminates these problems by putting the audit tool in every team member's pocket.

How Shelf Enables Mobile Audits

Works on Any Device

Shelf runs in the browser on any phone, tablet, or laptop — nothing to install on the web side. For a native field experience, the free Shelf Companion app is on the App Store and Google Play. If a device has a camera and a browser, it can run an audit; if you want a native app on iPhone or Android, you have one.

QR Scanning

Each asset has a unique QR label. During an audit, the user scans the code to pull up the asset record instantly. This confirms the item's existence, identity, and current data — all in one step.

GPS Updates on Scan

When a QR code is scanned, Shelf can record where the scan happened from the device's GPS coordinates, so an asset's record shows where it was last seen. This keeps location data current without requiring manual entry, which is especially valuable for equipment that moves between sites. It works in the web app from the browser, and from version 1.3.0 in the Shelf Companion app on iPhone and Android. On the phone it is opt-in: the app asks for permission once when you first open the scanner, and scanning works normally if you decline.

Real-Time Sync

Every scan and update syncs immediately to the central database. Managers monitoring the audit from the office see results as they happen. There is no batch upload step, no file merging, and no risk of conflicting edits.

Key Features

• Multi-device support: Audit from phones, tablets, or laptops in the browser, or from iPhone and Android via the Shelf Companion app.
• Evidence on every scan: Attach a condition note and a photo to any scanned asset, from the web or from the Companion app, with the camera or the photo library.
• Custom fields: Verify and update any field during the audit — condition, serial number, notes, or organization-specific data.
• Location tracking: Confirm or update asset locations as part of the audit workflow.
• Dashboard reporting: View audit progress and results from the central dashboard in real time.

Common Use Cases

• Warehouse audits: Walk the floor with a phone, scan each item, and confirm inventory counts match records.
• Field inspections: Verify equipment at remote job sites, construction zones, or client locations without returning to the office.
• Compliance checks: Generate documented proof that assets were verified at specific times and locations for regulatory requirements.
• Insurance documentation: Maintain current records for policy renewals and claims, with per-asset photos captured on the spot from the phone or added later from the web.

Case Studies

• CES Utility Solutions — $70K Equipment Recovery — Field operations team using QR-first workflows for accountability across job sites.
• HAARP — 7 Universities Under One System — Multi-site research asset auditing in extreme environments.

Get Started

Shelf is free to start with unlimited assets for one user. No credit card required.

1. Sign up at app.shelf.nu
2. Add your assets manually or import from CSV
3. Print QR labels and attach them to your equipment
4. Walk the floor — scan from your phone, verify, and update (browser or Shelf Companion on iPhone & Android)

Related

• Audits
• Location Tracking
• Dashboard
• Asset Tracking