Make your asset data work for you.
Most finance and operations teams know what assets the business owns. Fewer can say, without checking two other systems, where a particular machine is, which business unit carries its cost, or which purchase order it arrived on.
Closing that gap is what enterprise asset management (EAM) is for. An EAM system holds asset information in one place and connects it to the processes that use it, so the people who need a serial number, a location, or a service date are not chasing it across departments.
A well-run EAM improves visibility, streamlines business processes, and makes it easier for users to access the information they need. An ineffective EAM allows the data to spill over into spreadsheets.
To prevent that from happening, UniFi uses flexible reference tables to organise data within EAM.
What Are Reference Tables in EAM?
A reference table is a structured store of information that applications and processes across the platform draw on. Rather than keeping details in isolated systems or spreadsheets, organisations can create a central database containing key information associated with their assets.
Depending on the organisation’s requirements, this information could include:
- Purchase order (PO) numbers
- Asset ID numbers
- Business units
- Asset locations
- Barcode scanning data
- Machinery information
- Other asset-related reference data
The structure is not fixed and can be adapted to support different categories of information. An IT team tracking laptops and a fleet manager tracking vehicles need different columns and reference tables can accommodate both.
A Flexible Approach to Asset Data Management
One of the advantages of using reference tables is flexibility. Because a reference table uses multiple columns, a single record includes everything the business knows about one asset. Users can organise information in a way that supports their existing workflows.
For example, an organisation could link a specific asset to its asset ID, location, business unit, and purchase order number, as well as barcode scanning data, which makes it easier to identify and access relevant information.
As the volume of asset data grows, the reference table can grow with it, becoming a scalable source of information that can support different business processes.
How Data Drives Business Processes
A reference table is not only a place to keep information. Its value is in what the rest of the platform does with it. Within UniFi, reference table data supports workflows and drives business processes.
For example, asset information could be used as part of a workflow to:
- Identify an asset based on its ID or barcode
- Connect an asset to a specific location or business unit
- Access relevant purchase order information
- Support approval or procurement processes
- Trigger actions based on asset-related information
- Improve visibility across asset-related workflows
In practice, it means less re-keying. By connecting asset data with business processes, organisations can reduce manual data entry and make it easier for employees to work with accurate information.
No-Code Applications and Flexible Data Management
UniFi includes a no-code App Editor, so users can create certain applications they need without a developer. Reference tables provide these apps with the underlying data for specific workflows and processes.
More complex table configurations, like those involving integrations and automated data retrieval, require technical input. That work is done with the UniFi team rather than by the organisation alone.
This provides a balance between user-friendly no-code application development and the flexibility required to build more advanced, data-driven solutions.
Building a Connected EAM Environment
Asset information tends to accumulate wherever it was first needed: purchase orders in the finance system, service history in a maintenance log, location and ownership in a file on someone’s laptop. Each record is accurate on its own, and none of them gives the full picture.
A reference table brings those records into one structure within the EAM and connects it to the processes that act on it. This way, organisations can improve data accessibility while supporting more efficient business processes.
The result is not simply a database of assets. Instead, reference tables can become a dynamic component of the wider business environment, helping organisations use their asset information to support everyday operations.
What EAM Has to Do Now
EAM used to mean a register: what the business owns, where it is, and when it was last serviced. That is still the foundation, but the purpose of EAM has since evolved. Modern organisations need solutions that can connect asset information with the processes and systems used to run their businesses.
With flexible data structures, configurable applications, and workflow capabilities, UniFi EAM can help organisations create an environment where asset data becomes a business asset itself.
UniFi EAM covers machinery, equipment, facilities, and any other asset class the business needs to track, with the data structure and the applications built around how that business works.
Effective asset management starts with having the right data. Real value comes from being able to use that data.
Book a demo, and we will show how UniFi EAM works with your asset structure.
