How do you keep IT equipment records aligned with Finance?

We tag computers and more expensive peripherals, then have users check equipment in and out and accept an agreement covering responsibility and damage. Smaller, regular inventory checks help catch idle or misplaced items before the annual reconciliation becomes a huge project. Finance gets the information it needs, but IT maintains the operational details.

The answer depends heavily on accounting policy. At some companies, laptops are expensed, so Finance only tracks larger depreciable assets such as servers, networking equipment, or specialized machinery. IT still maintains its own operational inventory, but there may not be a reason to reconcile every inexpensive laptop with the financial register.

The cleanest setup is one authoritative IT-owned register, usually connected to a CMDB or ticketing system. IT manages assignment, repairs, warranties, check-in status, and disposal. Finance and HR should have read access, but IT should control changes so the records stay consistent. For leavers, HR triggers the offboarding workflow, IT handles the equipment-return step, and HR follows up if something is missing. Items that have not checked in for a defined period can be flagged for investigation.

In one setup, IT handled purchasing, distribution, repairs, and tracking while Finance owned the formal asset register. The two teams only performed a full reconciliation during the required annual count, with smaller IT inventories in between. A shared system would be better, but clear ownership and a documented disposal process matter just as much.