Use the free template
Header-only CSV for a spreadsheet tool. No personal information, example asset claims, formulas or macros.
Set the scope before entering equipment
Define sites, demised spaces, common areas and asset categories. Identify whether the owner, landlord, tenant or another supplier controls each system. An office occupier may need a reference to shared plant without assuming responsibility for its maintenance.
Assign an identifier that survives a supplier change. Use it on labels, reports and tasks. A room number alone is insufficient when several assets share a room or an asset moves. Record a parent system where components operate together, and distinguish included assets from items awaiting confirmation.
- Site and location naming convention
- Stable asset and system identifiers
- Ownership and maintenance responsibility
- Included, excluded or unconfirmed scope
Understand the template fields
The CSV separates physical information from evidence. Asset ID, category, description, location, manufacturer and model identify the item. Responsible party, criticality rationale, task basis, last record date, evidence reference and open actions help teams decide what happens next.
Leave serial numbers, installation dates and condition unverified until checked. A guessed year can distort replacement planning. Explain the consequence of failure instead of presenting a bare high/medium/low score as an engineering assessment. Reference sensitive documents in an appropriately controlled system.
- Identification beyond a photograph
- Information source and verification date
- Basis for tasks and intervals
- Controlled evidence reference
Verify the baseline and handle gaps
Compare existing records with accessible equipment and service reports. State which areas were not inspected and why. An inventory walk-through is not a specialist condition assessment, statutory examination or confirmation that the system is safe.
Track discrepancies: equipment absent from the register, mismatched labels, reports for another asset or unavailable access. Assign an owner to obtain evidence and a date to review the gap. Retain previous values when records are corrected so changes can be understood rather than silently overwritten.
- Observed, document-only and unverified status
- Inaccessible assets and duplicate IDs
- Evidence gaps with action owners
- Dated, attributable corrections
Connect the register to maintenance and exit
Use the asset ID as the common key between schedules, faults, quotations and completed work. Each task should leave evidence of what was done and what remains outstanding. Maintenance intervals need a suitable basis, including relevant requirements, manufacturer guidance and competent assessment.
Agree how replacements, removals and additions are recorded. Export the register during reviews and at contract exit. Keep credentials, personal details and sensitive access information outside the general register. An exportable asset list is useful only when its ownership and continuing update process are also clear.
- Tasks and faults use a common ID
- Replacement and removal history
- Recommendations visible beside completed work
- Export and ownership arrangements
Sources and editorial responsibility
This is company-published buyer guidance. Official sources support the context, not an endorsement, accreditation or a claim that we inspected your premises. Use competent advice for the specific building and work involved.
- HSE: Maintenance of work equipment
- HSE: Inspection of work equipment
- IWFM: What is workplace and facilities management?
We have a commercial interest in FM enquiries. Read our editorial standards or send a correction.