Why bother with a register
Without a register, basic questions become hard work. How many laptops do we have? Who has the old one from the person who left? Which computers are out of warranty next year? Which printer is on that lease? Answers end up scattered across invoices, emails and people's memories, and they're usually needed in a hurry: when a laptop is stolen, when an insurer sends a questionnaire, or when a staff member leaves without returning equipment.
A register also makes budgeting straightforward. Once you can see purchase dates and warranty ends, the replacement plan for the next three years almost writes itself. It supports security too, because you can't protect devices you don't know you have, and most security frameworks for small businesses start with an inventory.
What to record
For each device, record the type, make and model, serial number, asset tag if you use them, who it's assigned to, location, purchase date, supplier, purchase price or lease reference, warranty end date and operating system. Add notes for accessories issued with it, such as docks, chargers and monitors, and its current status: in use, spare, under repair or disposed of.
Go beyond computers. Include phones, tablets, printers, network equipment, firewalls, servers, NAS devices, UPS units and meeting room equipment. A separate section for software licences, subscriptions, domain names, internet services and support contracts, with renewal dates, catches the costs and deadlines that surprise people most.
Give every field a consistent format. Dates in one style, names spelled the same way and a fixed list of statuses make the register easy to sort and filter. A register where one person writes 'in use', another 'active' and a third 'Sarah has it' quickly becomes unreliable, so set drop-down choices where your tool allows and keep the column list short.
Where to keep it
For a small office, a well-structured spreadsheet in SharePoint is a perfectly good start, as long as it is in one place, has clear column names and is shared with the people who need it. Microsoft Lists works nicely for this too, with views for warranties expiring and devices assigned to each person.
As the business grows, device management tools such as Microsoft Intune automatically report many details for computers and phones, including serial numbers, operating system versions and last sign-in. Dedicated asset management or IT service tools can combine that with purchasing and warranty data. Whatever you use, avoid keeping several partial lists in different places.
Building it the first time
Start with what you can pull automatically. Export devices from Intune or your security tool, licences from the Microsoft 365 admin centre, and recent purchases from your accounting system. Then walk the office with the list and fill in the gaps: printers, network gear, spares in cupboards and anything that isn't managed. Ask staff working from home what company equipment they have.
Labelling devices with an asset tag or QR code makes future checks easier, especially for equipment that looks the same. Use the manufacturer's serial number as the main identifier, because it is what warranty and insurance claims require.
Keeping it up to date
Registers fail when they are built once and forgotten. Tie updates to events that already happen: every purchase, new starter, leaver, repair and disposal triggers a register change. Make it part of your onboarding and offboarding checklists, so equipment is assigned and recovered in the same step.
Do a quick review every three to six months. Compare the register with your management tool's device list, look for devices that haven't checked in for weeks, and check upcoming warranty expiries and renewals. Once a year, do a physical check to confirm items are where the register says they are.
Give one person clear responsibility for the register, even if several people add to it. That person checks new entries, chases missing serial numbers and runs the periodic review. Without an owner, the register slowly drifts out of date and people stop trusting it, at which point it stops being useful at all.
Who will ask to see it
Cyber insurers increasingly ask about device inventories, operating system support and encryption. Auditors and accountants want asset information for depreciation. Clients and tenders, particularly in government, health and finance, may ask how you manage devices holding their data. With a register, each of these becomes a short export rather than a project.
Your IT provider will want it too. A clear register lets support staff identify devices quickly, plan replacements and spot gaps such as unmanaged laptops or expired warranties. If you don't have one yet, an IT health check is a practical way to produce a first version.
In short
- Record every device, licence and service with owner, location and key dates.
- Include printers, network gear, phones and subscriptions, not just laptops.
- Start in a SharePoint spreadsheet or List; grow into management tools.
- Update the register on every purchase, starter, leaver and disposal.
- Review it every few months and physically check it yearly.