Poor Asset Tracking Costs Texas Dept. of Public Safety $3.2M

At a time when many states are struggling to balance their budgets, the last thing they want to hear is that they’re misplacing expensive assets left and right. Unfortunately, the Texas Tribune’s investigation found that is exactly the case when it uncovered astonishing asset tracking problems at the Texas Department of Public Safety. In the last decade, this organization’s records show it has lost more than 1,500 items valued at $3.2 million. You can read the whole story in the article “Missing Inventory Plagues Dept. of Public Safety, but Only Some of It Is Theft,” published in The New York Times.

Asset Tracking Problems

Electronic equipment made up the most expensive items on the list of missing assets. Lost computers and other hardware cost a whopping $3 million. Guns, though not as expensive as electronic equipment, made up more than half of the items listed as stolen. Officials noted this is an important public safety issue. In all fairness, not all of the 1,500 items are actually lost. Some have been replaced or consumed, but they are still listed as missing because the department’s asset tracking system is outdated and inadequate. “We haven’t had the tools we need to keep track of stuff very well,” said Tela Mange, a department spokeswoman. “We are working with the IT department to get us the appropriate software that will help us better track inventory.”

Asset Tracking Solutions

I know of an asset tracking solution that could save the Texas Department of Public Safety millions of dollars in lost assets. That solution is Fishbowl Inventory. Fishbowl is no stranger to helping state governments keep track of a large number of assets. Remember the Mississippi State Department of Health? Using Fishbowl Inventory, MSDH turned their asset tracking system completely around, winning acclaim for their newfound efficiency and cost savings. State governments and other organizations looking for ways to cut costs and use their resources wisely can really benefit from an asset tracking system. A state-of-the-art asset tracking system will help governments plug holes in their operations so they’ll stop leaking money. Whether you’re the Texas Department of Public Safety or any other group facing an asset tracking crisis, your best choice is to use Fishbowl Inventory. Fishbowl costs very little compared to other high-end asset tracking systems, and it does just as superb a job. Learn more about Fishbowl and get an inventory software demo today!