How to choose asset management software for a small team
A vendor-neutral checklist for small UK teams choosing asset management software: pricing model, poor-signal behaviour, QR labels, audit trail, statutory report templates, exports, data residency and integrations, with the questions to ask in a demo and the answers to be wary of.
By Hovermarks team
Quick answer. Judge asset management software for a small team on eight criteria: pricing model as you grow, behaviour when the signal drops, QR labelling, audit trail, statutory report templates, data export, data residency and integrations. Ask each vendor to show, not tell, during a trial with your own assets. For UK duty holders, check that LOLER, PUWER and PSSR records come out against the right asset with a next-due date.
Small teams buy software differently from large ones. There is no procurement department, no implementation partner and no one whose job is to run the system. That changes what matters. A feature you need a consultant to switch on is a feature you will not use.
Start with the job, not the feature list
Write down the three things the system must do from day one. For most small UK teams they look like this:
- Know what equipment we have and where it is.
- Prove each item has been inspected or examined on time, with the records to show it.
- Track faults through to a fix.
Any criterion that does not serve one of those can wait.
The criteria
| Criterion | What to ask | Why it matters | What Hovermarks does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per user, per asset, per inspection or flat? What happens at the next tier? | Your bill should grow with value, not surprise you | Per user per month: Starter £15 (100 assets, 10 users), Professional £39 (500 assets, 50 users), Enterprise by quote |
| No-signal behaviour | What happens if the signal drops mid-inspection? Can the app open with no connection? | Plant 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 scan show to the public? | Labels are how records stay tied to the right item | Prints label sheets and rolls; scans open the asset; a lost sticker can be revoked |
| Audit trail | Is every change logged? Can a log entry be altered? On which plan? | The record has to survive challenge | Hash-chained, tamper-evident audit log on Professional; inspection history on every plan |
| Statutory templates | Which reports does it produce? Does it check them before issue? | A report missing a required particular is a problem | LOLER, PUWER and PSSR reports for UK organisations, on every plan |
| Exports | Can I export everything, at 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 residency | Where are data and backups stored? | UK GDPR rules on transfers outside the UK | Stored in Azure UK South, backups in UK West |
| 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 |
On data residency, the ICO's guidance on international transfers explains when sending personal data outside the UK is a restricted transfer. Asset records hold names, signatures and photos, so ask.
Add a column for each vendor you shortlist and fill it in. Where the answer is "on the roadmap", treat it as "no".
Pricing: model your own numbers
Per-user pricing favours a few people looking after many assets. Per-asset pricing favours many people looking after few assets. Work out your cost today and in two years, and ask:
- Do people who only scan a tag or report a fault need a paid seat?
- Are there caps on assets, sites or inspections, and what happens at the cap?
- Which features sit only in the higher tier? Audit logs, APIs and single sign-on are commonly held back.
Our guide to inspection software pricing models works through each model.
Statutory records: check the output, not the template name
A template called "LOLER" proves nothing. Ask for a sample report and check it against the law:
- LOLER. Schedule 1 lists what a report of thorough examination must contain, including the safe working load and the date of the next examination (legislation.gov.uk). Equipment for lifting people and lifting accessories are examined at least every 6 months, other lifting equipment at least every 12, or per an examination scheme (regulation 9(3)).
- PUWER. Regulation 6 requires inspection results to be recorded and kept until the next inspection, but sets no format and no interval (legislation.gov.uk). Be wary of software that presents a fixed PUWER interval as the law.
- PSSR. Examinations follow a written scheme drawn up or certified by a competent person (regulation 8).
Questions to ask in a demo
- Show me an inspection submitted from a phone in a room with no signal.
- Show me the audit log entry when someone edits a completed record.
- Export my whole asset register now, while I watch.
- Show me what a stranger sees when they scan one of my labels.
- Show me how an overdue item reaches the person responsible.
- What does it cost if we double our users? If we double 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.
- "Fully compliant." Software can produce a good record. Competence and the duty stay with you and your examiner.
- "Exports available on request" as the only route out of the system.
- "Integrates with everything." Ask for the specific integrations live today.
Where Hovermarks falls short
To be plain about it: 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. Its full JSON export is run by us on request, though CSV exports are self-serve. The trial runs 30 days with no card, at Starter features with unlimited assets, so you can test it against your own register.