How to choose asset management software for a small team
A vendor-neutral checklist for small US teams choosing asset management software: pricing model, poor-signal behavior, QR labels, audit trail, OSHA and NFPA inspection templates, exports, data location and integrations, with the questions to ask in a demo and the answers to be wary of.
By Hovermarks team
Quick answer. Score asset management software on eight criteria: how pricing scales, behavior when the signal drops, QR labeling, audit trail, inspection templates for your standards, data export, data location and integrations. Run a trial with your own assets and make the vendor show each one. For OSHA and NFPA work, check that each record captures what the standard asks for, against the right asset, with a next-due date.
Small teams buy software without a procurement group, an implementation partner or a system administrator. That changes the weighting. A feature that needs a consultant to configure is a feature you will not use, and a price that jumps at the next tier hurts more on a small budget.
Define the job first
Write down what the system has to do in its first month. For most small facilities and contractor teams:
- Keep a list of every asset and where it is.
- Show each one was inspected on schedule, by whom, with what result.
- Track deficiencies to a completed repair.
Anything that does not serve those three can be judged later.
The checklist
| Criterion | What to ask | Why it matters | What Hovermarks does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per user, per asset, per inspection, or flat? What triggers the next tier? | Costs should scale with use, not jump | Per user per month: Starter $19 (100 assets, 10 users), Professional $49 (500 assets, 50 users), Enterprise by quote |
| No-signal behavior | What happens if the signal drops mid-inspection? Does the app open with no connection? | Mechanical rooms and basements often have no signal | Holds the submission and photos on the device and sends them when the connection returns; needs a connection to open and load assets |
| QR labels | Does it print its own labels? What does a public scan show? | Labels keep records tied to the right item | Prints label sheets and rolls; a scan opens the asset; a lost sticker can be revoked |
| Audit trail | Is every change logged? Can entries be altered? Which plan? | Records need to hold up when challenged | Hash-chained, tamper-evident audit log on Professional; inspection history on every plan |
| Inspection templates | Which standards are covered? Can I edit them? | Building checklists from scratch takes weeks | Built-in templates for NFPA 10, 25, 72, 101 and 110, OSHA 1910.147, 1910.178, 1910.179 and 1926.1412, and ASME B30.9 |
| Exports | Can I export everything, any time, in an open format? | You should be able to leave | CSV export of assets and inspections, PDF reports, full JSON export on request |
| Data location | Where are data and backups stored? | Contracts and customers may ask | Stored in the UK (Microsoft Azure UK South, backups in UK West); US hosting is available on request |
| Integrations | API, webhooks, single sign-on, accounting? | Avoid retyping data | REST API, webhooks and Microsoft Entra single sign-on on Professional; no accounting integration live yet |
Add a column for each vendor on your shortlist and fill it in. Treat "on the roadmap" as "no".
Pricing: run your own numbers
Price each model at today's headcount and asset count, then at double both. Ask:
- Do people who only scan a tag or report a problem need a paid seat?
- Are there caps on assets, sites or inspections? What happens at the cap?
- Which features sit only in the top tier? Audit logs, APIs and single sign-on are often held back.
The guide to inspection software pricing models walks through each model with the questions to ask.
Inspection records: check the output
A template named after a standard proves nothing. Ask for a completed sample and compare it with the requirement:
- Overhead cranes. Monthly hook, hoist chain and running rope inspections need a certification record with the date, the inspector's signature and an identifier for the item (29 CFR 1910.179).
- Lockout/tagout. The annual periodic inspection certification names the machine, the date, the employees included and the inspector (29 CFR 1910.147(c)(6)).
- Portable extinguishers. Monthly visual inspection and an annual maintenance check with the date recorded (29 CFR 1910.157(e)).
- Fire protection systems. NFPA standards such as NFPA 10 and NFPA 25 set inspection, testing and maintenance tasks; your authority having jurisdiction decides which edition applies.
If you report to an AHJ through a third-party filing portal, ask how records get there and whether you will retype them.
Questions to ask in a demo
- Submit an inspection from a phone with no signal, then reconnect.
- Edit a completed record and show me the audit log entry.
- Export my full asset list now, while I watch.
- Scan one of my labels from a phone that is not signed in.
- Show me how an overdue inspection reaches the assigned technician.
- What does it cost if we double our users? Our assets?
Answers to be wary of
- A one-word answer about connectivity. If a vendor says the app needs no signal, ask exactly what works without one and what does not.
- Exports only on request as the only way out.
- "Integrates with everything." Ask which integrations are live today.
Where Hovermarks falls short
Plainly: Hovermarks is built for inspection-led compliance, not finance-side asset management. It has no depreciation ledger or purchase orders. It needs a connection to open. The audit log, API, webhooks and single sign-on are on Professional, not Starter. Customer data is stored in the UK today; US hosting is set up on request. The full JSON export is run by us on request, while CSV exports are self-serve. The trial runs 30 days with no card, at Starter features with unlimited assets. What each asset record does hold is set out on the Hovermarks asset management page.