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Keeping Track of IT Assets: 7 Steps to Manage Laptops, Licences and Devices

Most organisations know roughly how many computers they have. Far fewer can say, with confidence, who is using each laptop, when a software licence expires, or which router is still running on its original password. As offices, schools, hotels and businesses across Bhutan rely more on technology, a simple, up-to-date record of IT assets saves money, reduces downtime and makes security much easier to manage.

Here are seven practical steps to start keeping track of your laptops, licences and devices.

1. Decide what counts as an IT asset

Start with a clear list of categories: desktops and laptops, phones and tablets, printers, network equipment (routers, switches, Wi-Fi access points), CCTV cameras and recorders, UPS units, and connected devices such as gate controllers or sensors. Include software and online services too: operating system and office licences, accounting software, domain names, hosting and email subscriptions.

2. Give every item a unique tag

A simple numbered label on each device, matched to a record in your register, makes it easy to identify equipment during audits, repairs or staff handovers. Record the serial number, model, purchase date and supplier alongside the tag number.

3. Record who has it and where it is

For each asset, note the person responsible and the location: which office, floor or branch. When equipment moves between staff or departments, update the record at the same time. This is especially helpful when staff join or leave, because you can see immediately what needs to be issued or returned.

4. Track licences, renewals and warranties

Missed renewals can take a website offline or stop staff from working. Keep expiry dates for software licences, domain names, hosting, antivirus subscriptions and hardware warranties in one place, and set reminders well before each date. This also helps you avoid paying for licences nobody is using.

5. Note the security details that matter

For network and connected devices, record whether default passwords have been changed, when firmware was last updated and who holds administrator access. Store actual passwords in a secure password manager, not in the asset register itself. A quick look at this list shows which devices need attention.

6. Keep a maintenance and repair history

A short log of repairs, upgrades and recurring faults helps you decide when it is more sensible to replace a device than to keep fixing it. It also supports budgeting, because you can plan replacements over time rather than facing several failures at once.

7. Review regularly and retire equipment properly

Set a routine, for example every six months, to check the register against what is actually in the office. When a device is retired, back up anything needed, securely wipe its storage, remove it from accounts and licences, and mark it as disposed in the record.

Start simple, then improve

A well-organised spreadsheet is a perfectly good starting point for a small office. As your organisation grows, a dedicated system with search, reminders and reports can save time, and it can be connected to helpdesk or procurement processes you already use.

How eDruk can help

eDruk Private Limited has been providing software and ICT services in Bhutan since 2004. We can advise on setting up an IT asset register, develop a custom web-based system suited to your organisation, and help review the security of your network and connected devices.

To discuss your needs, contact us at edruk@edruk.com.bt, call +975 2 332277, or visit www.edruk.com.bt.

News

Fake Invoices and Phishing Messages: 7 Checks for Bhutanese Offices

Most scams that reach Bhutanese offices do not look like hacking. They arrive as an ordinary email, a WhatsApp or WeChat message, or a phone call: an “urgent” invoice, a supplier asking to change their bank account, a message that seems to come from the boss, or a link asking you to log in again. A few simple checks, practised by everyone who handles money or accounts, stop most of them. Here are seven.

1. Slow down when a message is urgent

Pressure is the most common sign of a scam: “pay today”, “your account will be closed”, “I am in a meeting, just transfer it”. A genuine colleague or supplier can wait ten minutes while you check. Make it normal in your office to pause before acting on any urgent request for money, passwords or documents.

2. Check the sender, not just the name

The display name can say anything. Look at the full email address or phone number. Watch for small changes to a familiar domain, free email accounts used by someone who normally writes from a company address, and replies that go to a different address from the one that sent the message.

3. Confirm bank detail changes by phone

If a supplier, landlord or partner says their account number has changed, never accept that by email or chat alone. Call them on a number you already have on file, not the number in the message, and confirm the change with someone you know. Write this rule into your payment procedure so it does not depend on one person remembering it.

4. Look before you click a link

Before clicking, hover over the link on a computer, or press and hold on a phone, to see where it really goes. If a message asks you to sign in to email, a bank or a government service, do not use the link. Open the site yourself from a bookmark or by typing the address you know.

5. Be careful with attachments

Unexpected attachments, especially compressed files, documents asking you to “enable content” or “enable macros”, and files with unusual names, deserve a second look. If you were not expecting a file, ask the sender through another channel whether they sent it.

6. Use two-step login on email and key accounts

Even careful people are sometimes fooled. Two-step verification on email, social media pages and online banking means a stolen password alone is not enough to get in. Turn it on for the accounts that matter most first, and keep the recovery phone numbers and email addresses up to date.

7. Make it easy to report a mistake

If someone clicks a bad link or shares a password, the fastest fix is for them to say so straight away, so the password can be changed and the bank contacted if needed. Staff who fear blame stay quiet, and that is when real damage happens. Tell your team who to call, and thank people who report suspicious messages.

Need help putting these checks in place?

eDruk Private Limited has supported organisations in Bhutan with software, networking and technical consultation since 2004. We can help you review how your office handles email, logins and payment requests, set up two-step verification, and plan simple procedures that fit the way your team works.

Contact us at edruk@edruk.com.bt, call +975 2 332277, or visit www.edruk.com.bt.

News

Cloud Storage or an Office Server? 7 Questions for Bhutanese Organisations

Many offices in Bhutan now keep their files somewhere other than a single computer: a shared folder in the office, a server in a cabinet, or an online service that staff open in a browser. The choice should follow how the office actually works, not only which tool is already on one computer. Here are seven questions that help you decide.

1. Where do people need to open the files?

If most work happens at desks in one building, a well-set-up office server or shared folder can be simple and fast. If staff travel between dzongkhags, work from another site, or need to share documents with people outside the office, an online service may save a lot of copying files onto pendrives.

2. How reliable is your internet during the working day?

Online storage needs a working connection. Where the link drops for hours, or several people share a modest connection, staff may not be able to open or save files when they need them. An office server keeps working when the internet is down, provided the local network is up. If you use an online service, ask whether it can keep a copy on the computer for offline work, and test that during a real outage.

3. Who will look after it when something goes wrong?

A server in a cabinet needs someone to keep it powered, updated and backed up, and to notice when a disk is failing. An online service shifts most of that work to the provider, but you still need a person in your organisation who understands the accounts, the permissions and how to recover a file. Write down who that person is, and what happens when they are on leave.

4. Who is allowed to see which files?

Whether the files sit in the office or online, you still need folders with clear permissions: finance files for the accounts team, draft letters for administration, and so on. A single open folder and a shared password quickly become messy and risky. Individual logins and folders based on each role are easier to manage when someone joins or leaves.

5. How will you back the files up?

Keeping files only in one place is not a backup. If you use an office server, plan a second copy that is not in the same cabinet, and test that you can restore it. If you use an online service, do not assume the provider’s copy is enough on its own. Ask how version history works, and whether you also keep an independent copy of your most important records.

6. What happens to the files if you change provider or equipment?

Ask how you would take a full copy of your data with you. For an office server, that means knowing which disks or backups hold the files and that they can be read on new equipment. For an online service, ask whether you can export everything in ordinary formats. Avoid arrangements where your documents are locked into a tool you cannot leave.

7. What will it cost to run, not only to start?

An office server needs power, a reasonably safe cabinet, replacement disks over time, and someone’s hours to look after it. An online service is usually a recurring fee that grows with the number of users and the amount of data. Write down both the start-up needs and the yearly running costs, including staff time, so the comparison is honest.

Choose what fits the way you work

There is no single right answer for every office in Bhutan. A small team in one building may be well served by a tidy, backed-up office server. A team that works across towns may need an online service, with a clear person in charge and a backup plan. The useful decision is the one that matches how you work, how reliable your connection is, and who will look after the system next year.

Need help deciding?

eDruk Private Limited, a Bhutanese software company established in 2004, can help you review how your office stores and shares files, and plan a setup that is practical to run. Talk to our team:

• Email: edruk@edruk.com.bt
• Phone: +975 2 332277
• Website: https://www.edruk.com.bt