Asset Tags & Asset Labels Glossary & Definition Of Terms

2D Barcode – Asset Management – Asset Tags – Asset Tracking – Barcodes – Barcoding – CMMS – Decoder – Destructible – EAN – Fixed Asset – Foil – GASB – GAAP – High Temperature – Inventory Accounting – Inventory Control – Inventory Management Software – JAN – Key Asset – LDAR – Length of Symbol – Magnetic Labels – Margin – Metal Stickers – MIL-STD-130 – Movable Assets – Narrow Bar – P&ID – Polyester – Property ID – Quiet Zone – QR Code – Rack Labels – Security Labels – Substation Tags – Supply Chain Management – Teflon/Aluminum Tags – Utility Tags – UID – Void – WIP – Warehouse – XHT

2D Barcode:  2D Barcode incorporate rectangles, dots, hexagons, and other geometric patterns to form scannable squares and rectangles.

Asset Management:  Asset management is a process for tracking and monitoring a company’s fixed or moveable assets for financial accounting, preventive maintenance, and theft deterrence purposes.

Asset Tags: Physical items of property are typically defined as either:

• 1) Movable assets, such as furniture and equipment that are not part of a building. It also includes commonly moved business items such as computers.
• 2) Fixed Assets, also known as Infrastructure Assets, which can include road signs, bridges, tunnels, water and sewer systems, dams and lighting systems, land, buildings, equipment and machinery that is attached to a building.

Asset Tags are attached to both movable and fixed assets for useful life identification, inventory control, “work-in-process” (WIP) and Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) tagging.

Asset Tracking: The method you use to monitor and track your company’s physical assets.

Barcodes: Arrangement of alternating bars and spaces printed onto an asset tag to identify items and enable automatic interpretation by optical scanners to avoid manual input, also known as automatic recognition. Barcodes enabling optical digital scanning of alphabetic and numeric characters and symbols into computer databases.

Barcoding:  Is a common form of automatic identification using labels with imprinted data to track and monitor a particular product or object.

CMMS: Computerized Maintenance Management Systems schedule, track and monitor maintenance activities to provide cost, component item, personnel and all reporting history. CMMS systems interface with production scheduling and cost systems, and are often used to follow system-wide preventive maintenance in government or large enterprises.

Decoder: Barcode Decoders are more commonly known as barcode scanners or Barcode Readers. They read and convert barcodes used on Asset Labels into digital ID numbers, recognize the encoded data and check it against a database to identify the tagged items they have decoded.

Destructible Vinyl Labels: Asset Tag for indoor assets used when a high level of security is needed. Security labels are made to fracture if tampered with. Destructible Vinyl Labels have a low to moderate resistance to heat, scuffing and chemicals.

EAN Code: European Article Number for barcodes is represented by 13 digits with the 1-digit prefix, including flag digits.

Fixed Assets: also known as Infrastructure Assets, can include road signs, bridges, tunnels, water and sewer systems, dams and lighting systems, land, buildings, equipment and machinery that is attached to a building.

Foil Asset Tags: Made of 100% aluminum with graphics sealed into an anodized layer create a remarkably durable asset label. Combined with super strong adhesive, these tags will often outlast your assets.

GAAP:  An acronym for Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, which are a “common set of accounting principles, standards and procedures that companies use to compile their financial statements.”

GASB 34 & GASB 35: The Governmental Accounting Standards Board or GASB is an independent, private-sector, not-for-profit organization that establishes and improves standards of financial accounting and reporting for U.S. state and local governments. The GASB labeling standards are applied to requirements for road signs, roads, bridges, tunnels, water and sewer systems, dams and lighting systems.

High Temperature Asset Tags: Extra High Temperature (XHT) process creates a solution for high temperature applications using durable aluminum barcode labels up to 1200° F. High temperature metal labels are most commonly used for work-in-process (WIP) applications.

Inventory Accounting:  refers to acceptable, valid method for assigning costs to inventory to record it as an asset.

Inventory Control:  refers to all aspects of managing a company’s inventories: purchasing, shipping, receiving, tracking, warehousing and storage, turnover, and reordering.

Inventory Management Software: a computer-based solution that gives organizations the ability to track all aspects of their inventory.

JAN: Japanese Article Number is the common EAN code for Japan, with a 13-digit code consists of a flag code, 5-digit maker code, 5-digit item code, and 1 digit check digit. JICFS -JAN Item Code File Service is another designation applicable here.

Key Asset: Property of primary significance to an enterprise which requires a higher level of protection through Asset Labeling and monitoring. Key mechanical assets are often placed in Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) programs to monitor performance and manage repair and upkeep.

LDAR:  The system of procedures a facility uses to locate and repair leaking components (valves, pumps, etc) to minimize the emission of fugitive volatile organic compounds and hazardous air pollutants.

Length of Symbol: The number of characters contained in a barcode. Barcode lengths on asset tags can vary with differing aspects and symbologies including CODE-128, CODE-39, Interleaved 2 of 5.

Magnetic Labels: Often used as inventory labeling solutions, durable magnetic labels serve as rack labels that easily can be relocated on demand. See magnetic rack labels

Margin Size: Barcodes have minimum areas of white space on both sides, called the quiet zone. Scanners use that space to synchronize barcodes.

Metal Stickers: Metal stickers are an important part of asset tracking systems, which enable organizations to accurately record and monitor moveable assets as they journey throughout an organization.

MIL-STD-130 : Military Standard 130 (MIL-STD-130) is a detailed set of requirements and specifications for identification marking of U.S. military property.

Movable assets: Considered as furniture and equipment that are not part of a building. Also includes commonly moved business items such as computers.

Narrow Bar: The thinnest of two varying width black bars in Binary Level Codes. Thicker bars are called Wide Bar.

P&ID:  A drawing in the process industry that shows all piping, including the physical sequence of branches, reducers, valves, equipment, instrumentation and control interlocks.

Pole Tags: Barcode pole tags are used in conjunction with GIS mapping initiatives, and automated utility pole maintenance programs using Metalphoto^® asset labels.

Polyester Asset Labels: Polyester asset labels have a protective overlaminate to shield against chemicals and abrasion. Also available in Tamper Evident Polyester Asset Tags, also known as Security Labels, where removal from any surface leaves a permanent void pattern on the label.

Property ID: Property identification involves labeling inventory and company assets with ID tags or labels to prevent theft and streamline processes.

Quiet Zone: Barcodes have minimum areas of white space on both sides, called the quiet zone or Margin. Scanners use that space to synchronize barcodes.

QR Code: QR codes are used to take information about an item or business and put it into a cell phone or hand-held scanner

Rack Labels: Used in warehouse applications, rack labels are available in Polyester and Magnetic options. Multi-level systems can eliminate the need for long range scanning and are designed to eliminate the confusion of which racks to scan.

Security Seals: Security Labels are available in Tamper-Evident Polyester Labels where removal from any surface leaves a permanent void pattern on the label – and Destructible Vinyl Labels, which break into tiny pieces upon removal, discouraging unauthorized asset transfers.

Supply Chain Management: is a sophisticated, technology-dependent, and collaborative discipline combining the business functions of purchasing, operations, inventory management and warehousing, customer service and logistics

Teflon^® on Aluminum Asset Tags: For applications requiring resistance to cleaning, pickling or painting, e-coat or powder coating processes. Teflon Fused or Laminated Aluminum Asset Labels also resist contact with caustics and strong acids, and resist temperatures up to 500° F. Often used for work-in-process (WIP) applications.

Utility Meter Badges: Utility meter badges have been used for decades to track rework/refurbish history, improve meter tractability, reduce meter to ERT calibration time, eliminate transposition errors caused by manual processes, and improve meter and ERT inventory control and traceability for the utility industry.

Unique ID SPEC 2000 labels: This asset tag complies with MIL-STD-130, the Department of Defense standard for identification and marking of U.S. military property.

Voiding Asset Tags: Also known as “Security Labels,” these are available in Tamper-Evident Polyester Labels, where removal from any surface leaves a permanent “Void” pattern on the label.

Work-In-Process or WIP Asset Tags: Work-In-Process Metal Labels will survive harsh chemicals and temperatures up to 1200° F, as well as withstand paints, solvents, chemicals, caustic liquid, acids, abrasion and abuse in harsh environments.

Warehouse Labels: A variety of labels for any Warehouse Mangement System (WMS) This includes Warehouse Floor Bar Codes, Rack Labels, Long-Range Retro-Reflective Bar Code Labels, Returnable Container, Tote and Tray Bar Code Labels, Pallet Bar Code Labels, and Custom Warehouse Signs.

XHT Asset Tags: Extra High Temperature (XHT) tags for product identification in conditions with temperatures up to 1200° F.

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