Mobile Assets can be like Cash – they can disappear

Why mobile assets deserve more attention

This whitepaper, authored by Mike Lescai, former COO of Goodpack Limited, focuses on the importance of managing mobile assets within organisations. These assets move, get loaned, shared, relocated and sometimes simply vanish from view — a bit like cash walking out the door if it is not watched carefully.

Mobile assets can include powered vehicles, relocatable buildings, precious tools, returnable packaging materials and many other items that are not fixed to a single site. Because they are mobile, they are also at higher risk of being underutilised, misplaced or lost.

What counts as a mobile asset?

The paper defines mobile assets broadly, covering items such as:

• Forklifts, trucks, trailers and other powered vehicles
• Relocatable buildings and site offices
• Specialised tools, equipment and instruments
• Returnable packaging such as pallets, containers and other reusable transport items

These assets often represent significant capital investment, yet they are frequently scattered across sites, projects, customers and geographies.

The risks of poor mobile asset management

When mobile assets are not properly recorded and managed, organisations face a range of risks, including:

• Unregistered or “invisible” assets that never make it onto the fixed asset register.
• Maintenance oversights where equipment is overdue for servicing or safety checks.
• Increased likelihood of theft or loss because no one is clearly accountable.
• Poor utilisation where some assets sit idle while others are overworked or hired externally.

Over time, these problems combine into real financial leakage — higher operating costs, unnecessary capital spend and avoidable downtime.

The Meerkat Group approach

Meerkat Group, specialising in asset reviews, recommends organisations implement a comprehensive action program to locate, value and track all mobile assets. Their approach typically includes:

• Designing a centralised asset database that captures all mobile assets, not just the obvious ones.
• Investigating suitable tracking technologies such as barcodes, RFID, GPS or other location tools.
• Reviewing and optimising asset utilisation and efficiency, so existing assets are used better before new ones are purchased.

The objective is to make mobile assets visible, traceable and managed with the same discipline as other major financial resources.

Productivity gains and savings

The whitepaper emphasises that proper mobile asset management can lead to significant productivity gains and cost savings. When combined with Meerkat’s Asset Capacity & Efficiency strategies, the potential savings can easily exceed a million dollars in larger organisations.

These savings do not just come from reducing loss or theft. They also arise from:

• Better deployment of assets to where they are actually needed
• Reduced hire costs and capital expenditure
• Lower maintenance surprises and unplanned downtime

Connecting mobile assets and cash

Mobile assets and cash are linked more closely than many leaders realise. Poor control over assets can quietly drain cash, while better tracking and utilisation can release capacity and reduce avoidable spend.

Combining a clear view of mobile assets with the financial foresight from tools like MyCash Dashboard gives executives a more complete picture of how resources are being used — and where the next million dollars of value might be found.