In facilities management, assets are the heart of your operation. But an asset without its history is a liability. When a technician arrives on-site with no knowledge of past failures, previous repairs, or upcoming maintenance, they are working blind. This leads to slower diagnostics, repeat failures, and unnecessary costs — problems that generic software simply can’t solve.
Effective FM requires more than just a list of assets; it demands a complete, accessible, and real-time history for every single item you manage. This is a core principle behind CQ.
As a platform built for the deep complexities of facilities management, CQ was designed to provide an automatic, irrefutable, and lifelong digital record for every asset. We transform asset management from a scattered collection of spreadsheets and paper records into a single source of truth that empowers your team to make smarter, faster, and more profitable decisions.
The Problem with Incomplete Asset Histories
Without a unified system, asset information lives in disconnected silos: paper logs, technician memory, and disparate software. This creates significant operational and financial risks.
Common Asset Info Challenge
Generic Software Failure
CQ’s Purpose-Built Solution
No On-Site History
Technicians arrive with no context, leading to slow diagnostics and repeat failures
Full Lifecycle History on Mobile: Technicians can scan an asset's QR code and instantly see every past job, note, photo, and upcoming task.
Recurring Failures
Inability to spot failure patterns
Automatic Failure Tracking: Log specific failure codes to identify recurring issues and move from reactive fixes to proactive solutions.
Reactive Maintenance Trap
Focuses on fixing what’s broken
Planned vs. Reactive Analysis: Automatically categorise work to see your planned vs. reactive maintenance ratio, helping you justify investment in PPM.
Hidden Lifecycle Costs
No true cost-to-serve per asset
Total Cost of Ownership Tracking: Every cost — from initial purchase to labour and parts — is logged against the asset for its entire lifecycle.
CQ’s Lifecycle Approach to Asset Management
CQ provides a complete, 360-degree view of every asset, automatically compiled from the daily activities of your team.
1. The Digital Logbook: A Single Source of Truth
Every asset in CQ has its own digital logbook. This isn’t just a static record; it’s a live, constantly updated history of every interaction.
•QR Code & Geolocation: Assign a unique QR code to each asset and tag its exact location on a map for easy identification.
•Linked Documents: Attach manuals, schematics, and compliance certificates directly to the asset record.
2. Automatic Task & Failure History
Real-World Scenario: A technician scans an air conditioning unit's QR code. On their mobile app, they instantly see:
•It has failed three times in the last six months with the same “Compressor Overload” fault.
•The last technician replaced a minor part, but the issue recurred.
•It is due for its annual PPM service in two weeks.
Armed with this history, the technician knows this isn’t a simple fix. They can investigate the root cause of the recurring failure, preventing a fourth breakdown and a frustrated client. This is the power of an accessible asset history.
3. Planned vs. Reactive Maintenance Analysis
Every job in CQ can be categorised as “Planned” or “Reactive.” This simple categorisation feeds powerful analytics.
Over time, you can clearly see the ratio of planned vs. reactive work for a specific asset, site, or your entire portfolio. This data is crucial for demonstrating the value of your PPM programs. Show your clients how investing in planned maintenance has reduced costly emergency call-outs and improved asset reliability.
4. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Visibility
Because CQ is a unified platform, every cost associated with an asset is automatically tracked. When a part is used from inventory or a technician logs time on a job, those costs are allocated to the asset. This gives you a true, running total of what each asset is costing you to maintain, allowing you to make data-driven decisions about when to repair versus when to replace.
From Reactive Firefighting to Proactive Strategy
With CQ’s automated asset history, you can shift your entire maintenance strategy.
•Identify Problem Assets: Easily spot the assets that are costing you the most in reactive maintenance and make informed decisions.
•Justify PPM Investment: Use planned vs. reactive data to prove the ROI of your preventative maintenance programs.
•Improve First-Time Fix Rates: Give your technicians the historical context they need to diagnose and fix problems correctly the first time.
•Enhance Client Reporting: Provide clients with detailed asset performance reports that demonstrate your value and build trust.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: How do technicians access asset history on-site?
A1: Each asset can be tagged with a QR code. Technicians simply scan the QR code with the CQ mobile app to instantly pull up the asset’s complete history, including all past jobs, notes, photos, manuals, and upcoming planned maintenance.
Q2: Can we customise failure codes for our specific assets?
A2: Yes. You can create a library of custom failure codes specific to your industry and the types of assets you manage. This standardises data entry and makes it easy to run reports to identify recurring failure patterns across your entire asset portfolio.
Q3: How does CQ differentiate between planned and reactive work?
A3: When a job is created, it can be flagged as either “Planned” (part of a PPM schedule) or “Reactive” (a call-out or breakdown). This data feeds into dashboards and reports, giving you a clear, real-time view of your maintenance balance and helping you measure the effectiveness of your PPM strategy.
Q4: Can I see the total cost of an asset over its lifetime?
A4: Absolutely. CQ automatically aggregates all costs associated with an asset—including the initial purchase price, all labour from timesheets, and all parts used from inventory. This provides a true Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) that is crucial for making informed repair-or-replace decisions.
Q5: What if an asset is moved to a different site?
A5: The asset’s history moves with it. In CQ, you can easily update the asset’s location, but its entire service and cost history remains intact. This ensures you have a continuous, unbroken record of the asset’s lifecycle, no matter where it is physically located.
Your Assets Have a Story. It's Time to Listen.
Stop treating your assets like items on a spreadsheet. With CQ, you can unlock the valuable story each one has to tell and use that intelligence to build a more efficient, proactive, and profitable maintenance operation. Explore our complete facilities management business software to see how asset history integrates with every part of your workflow.
