This article is part of a blog series!
I know I said this is a four-part series, but after finishing the blog series I felt like something was missing. A big part of asset tracking is the integration with the actual physical hardware. I’ve only really discussed the software solution that models the hardware reality. The IT group here has gone through a number of learnings on the hardware side to make the process smoother and more efficient. Let’s take a look at some of the tools that help them run more quickly.
Scan, don’t type
Each asset at Atlassian has a label with a QR code and the asset number on it. The QR code allows the IT group to easily scan the asset and load its details inside of Jira. How does this work? The URL to that asset’s Jira issue is encoded into the QR code. The team uses the Motorola DS4208 QR code scanner to quickly scan the item and load its details into Jira. The QR code scanner appears to the PC or Mac as a keyboard so it’s compatible with a wide range of computers.
Scanning the QR codes is easy. The scanner is as simple as pointing and capturing.
If you haven’t used a QR code reader, download one for iPhone or Android and scan one of the QR codes in this article to learn how QR codes work!
Printing in bulk
The team here uses Bartender to design and print the labels. One of the key benefits of the software is that it allows us to print batches of labels parameterizing the URL in each. We can use the prefix and suffix fields to define our target URL (http://jira.example.com/browse/TAG-XXX). The QR code then is unique for each label.
As we discussed in part 3, all new labels have the status “enter item details”. The team here batch prints labels and stores them for future use. 
Once a label is physically attached to the device, the IT team fills out the Jira issue and moves the item to “in service” or “in stock.”
Building great labels
Atlassians carry their laptops everywhere. They go from desks, to meeting rooms, to backpacks, and places beyond. Laptops go through heating and cooling cycles that will stress even the best of labels. We needed a solution that could withstand the rigors of regular use and not break down.
At first we settled on just using a label but found the label wore out after a couple of months. We now place an additional clear label over the asset tag for protection. Which labels to do we use?
- Label Printer: Citizen CLS-631
- Labels: Plain Poly Trf label 70 x 48 x 25 LAB7048PPWS25 – They don’t tear and don’t leave much adhesive when removed.
- Label Covers: Avery L7565 Crystal Clear Shipping Labels
Costing it out
In the end we wanted a system that was cost-effective as well as flexible. We knew tracking of assets would save us money as Gartner eloquently put it. We wanted to leverage solutions we had as well as extend them in a prudent way. We deployed our solution across three offices in San Francisco, Sydney, and Amsterdam. Here’s how everything totaled out for us:
| Item | Quantity | Cost | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bartender Software | 2 | 263 | 526 |
| QR code scanner |
3 |
350 |
1,050 |
| Citizen label printer |
2 |
650 |
1,300 |
| 20,000 labels |
1 |
800 |
800 |
| Thermal Transfer ribbon |
2 |
600 |
1,200 |
| TOTAL |
$4,876 |
Amsterdam is a smaller office, so the team in Sydney printed off a bunch of labels and sends them to Amsterdam as needed. When all is said and done, we’re happy with our solution. We’ve got plenty of headroom to grow and have found the entire solution works well for us, end to end.
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