Drowning in data but starving for insights
If you’re reading this, it’s likely that you’re a facility manager overseeing hundreds — maybe thousands — of assets across multiple locations. Each asset has maintenance records, performance logs, warranty details, service schedules, and depreciation reports— stored in different systems, spreadsheets, or even handwritten logs. The data exists, but when it comes time to make a strategic decision, like whether to repair or replace a failing asset, you spend hours digging through files, cross-referencing reports, and second-guessing whether the data is up to date.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone.
Today’s data-driven world provides facility and asset managers with more information at their fingertips than ever before. But more data doesn’t always mean better decisions.
When asset data is fragmented, outdated, or scattered across different platforms, it becomes a burden instead of a strategic advantage. The solution? A smarter approach to consolidating asset data. Instead of accumulating more raw data, facility managers need a structured system that brings all critical asset information into a single, accessible source of truth. Here’s how to do it the right way — so that asset data becomes a powerful tool for efficiency, cost savings, and proactive decision-making.
Too much data, too little clarity
Facility managers often struggle with data overload because asset information is collected from multiple sources — manual logs, maintenance software, IoT sensors, purchase records, and employee reports. Over time, inconsistent data entry, lack of standardization, and multiple storage locations create a situation where duplicate records cause confusion, outdated data leads to costly mistakes, disconnected systems prevent efficiency, and inaccurate reporting skews financial planning.
Without a centralized and reliable asset data system, facility managers spend more time managing data than using it. Instead of enabling efficiency, disorganized data slows down decision-making, increases costs, and puts assets at risk of unexpected failure.
How to consolidate your asset data
Step 1: Define what data actually matters
Not all asset data is equally valuable. One of the biggest mistakes facility managers make is tracking everything without a clear purpose. Before consolidating data, start by identifying the key metrics that impact operations and financial planning. The most critical asset information typically includes identification details such as location, model, and serial number; maintenance history, including past repairs and servicing schedules; performance data related to uptime, energy efficiency, and failure patterns; warranty and lifecycle details for depreciation and replacement planning; and cost metrics that compare repair expenses to the total cost of ownership.
Instead of hoarding every piece of asset-related information, focus on the data that drives decisions — like determining the cost-effectiveness of continued maintenance versus replacement.
Step 2: Centralize data in a single, integrated system
The biggest challenge with asset data consolidation is disparate storage locations — some data sits in CMMS platforms, some in ERP systems, some in spreadsheets, and some in physical maintenance logs. To truly leverage asset data, all relevant information must be accessible in one place. When facility managers have a centralized database, they gain instant access to complete asset histories, real-time visibility into asset performance, consistent data accuracy that eliminates duplicate records, and stronger financial planning capabilities with a clear view of depreciation, repair costs, and replacement needs. Investing in a modern asset management system — one that integrates with other workplace technologies like IoT sensors, procurement platforms, and financial planning tools — ensures that all asset data is captured, updated, and analyzed in one place.
Step 3: Standardize data collection for accuracy
Even with a powerful system in place, bad data leads to bad decisions. If different teams input information inconsistently, or if maintenance logs rely on subjective descriptions, the data won’t be reliable.
To ensure consistency, facility managers should implement predefined dropdowns for asset condition reports instead of free-text entries, use barcode or RFID tagging to track assets accurately, require real-time updates from maintenance teams to prevent outdated records, and automate data capture wherever possible through IoT sensors that report machine health directly into the system. By establishing clear data governance rules, facility managers can ensure that every input is accurate, consistent, and valuable for future analysis.
Step 4: Use data to drive proactive maintenance and cost savings
Once asset data is consolidated and accurate, it becomes a powerful tool for predictive maintenance and financial planning. Instead of reacting to breakdowns, facility managers can use data trends to predict failures before they happen. Consolidated data enables smarter maintenance by helping managers identify high-risk assets before they fail, optimize maintenance schedules by analyzing which assets require more frequent servicing, reduce unnecessary maintenance costs by shifting from time-based to condition-based servicing, and improve procurement planning by forecasting which assets will require replacement in the next one to three years. Instead of waiting for an expensive emergency repair, consolidated asset data allows facility managers to take preventive action, reducing downtime and extending asset lifespan.
Step 5: Align data strategy with business goals
Asset management is about both keeping equipment running and maximizing ROI and ensuring assets contribute to overall business success. By aligning asset data with organizational goals, facility managers can make data-driven decisions that reduce operational costs by eliminating inefficiencies in maintenance and procurement. Additionally, they can support sustainability initiatives by tracking energy consumption and identifying inefficient equipment, improve compliance and risk management with audit-ready records for inspections, and justify capital investments through data-backed insights into asset lifecycle costs and replacement timing. With a well-structured, consolidated asset data system, facility managers don’t just manage assets — they optimize them for peak performance and long-term value.
Turning data into an advantage, not a burden
More asset data doesn’t always mean better decision-making. In fact, when data is scattered, inconsistent, or outdated, it creates more problems than solutions.
Facility and asset managers who consolidate data strategically — focusing on what matters, centralizing it in one system, and ensuring accuracy — transform asset management from a reactive, arduous task into a proactive, cost-saving strategy. By leveraging the right technology and data practices, facility teams can improve efficiency, reduce costs, and extend asset lifespans, making data work for them instead of against them.
Ready to make your asset data work smarter? Learn how an integrated asset management system can simplify data consolidation and unlock real savings by getting in touch with Eptura.
By Mike Petrusky
As the host of both the Workplace Innovator Podcast and the Asset Champion Podcast, Mike's role at Eptura is to share thought leadership with CRE, FM, and IT leaders in the digital and hybrid workplace. As an in-demand public speaker, Mike engages audiences with his focus on the human element of workplace and facility management at International Facility Management Association, CoreNet, and other industry events.
