The Shelf Blog

Insights for
modern teams.

Updates from the team, deep dives into asset management, and engineering stories.

Featured•November 6, 2026

How Shelf Decides to Send You a Notification

Slack's notification flowchart is famous for being a maze. Ours fits on one page: five questions in a straight line decide whether a push is sent, and one sentence decides who it goes to. Here is the whole thing, drawn, with what we deliberately did not build.

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Asset Tracking Management

Best IT Asset Management Software for Small IT Teams (2026): An Honest Comparison

A fair comparison of 10 IT asset tools for IT teams of 1 to 10 people looking after 100 to 2,000 laptops, monitors, phones and peripherals: Shelf, Snipe-IT, Reftab, EZO, AssetTiger, Asset Panda, itemit, Sortly, Lansweeper and Freshservice, with prices checked on each vendor's own site.

October 29, 2026

Asset Tracking Management

Asset Panda Pricing in 2026: Plans, Minimums and What It Really Costs

Asset Panda no longer lists prices on its website. Here is every figure we could source and date: its last public price list, third-party reports, seat minimums, extra users, onboarding, and worked totals for three real team shapes.

October 5, 2026

Asset Tracking Management

Asset Register Template (Excel) and Equipment Inventory List

A free fixed asset register template in Excel with straight-line depreciation formulas, plus an equipment inventory list in Excel and CSV that imports into Shelf. What a register must contain, how to fill it in a day, and when a spreadsheet stops being enough.

October 5, 2026

Asset Tracking Management

Asset Tags: Types, Materials, Numbering and Placement

What an asset tag is and what it must carry, tag types and materials compared, a numbering format with check digits, where to put tags on laptops, cameras, tripods, tools, chairs and vehicles, and what government property tags require.

October 5, 2026

Asset Tracking Management

AssetTiger Pricing in 2026: Is It Still Free?

AssetTiger dropped its free plan in 2026. Here is what each plan costs today, what the 30-day trial includes, what the pricing page said before, and worked totals for three real team sizes, with every figure sourced and dated.

October 5, 2026

Asset Tracking Management

Equipment Sign-Out Sheet Template (Excel and PDF), and What Breaks

A free equipment sign-out sheet and checkout form in Excel, PDF and CSV, with no email gate. What each column is for, the five ways paper and spreadsheet sheets fail, and the point where a sheet stops being enough.

October 5, 2026

Asset Tracking Management

QR Code Asset Tags: What to Encode, Size, Print and Scan

How QR code asset tags work, what the code should point to, which error correction level and size to use, how to print and place them, and what happens when someone scans one.

October 5, 2026

Asset Tracking Management

Sortly Pricing in 2026: Plans, Year-Two Cost and Free Plan Limits

Sortly's paid plans show half price in year one. Here is what each plan costs from year two, using Sortly's own published terms, plus the exact limits of the free plan and worked totals for real team sizes.

October 5, 2026

Product Updates

Why We're Building the Shelf Mobile App

We've always believed in web-first. We still do. But field operations need something the browser can't fully deliver. Here's why we built a native companion app — and what it does (and doesn't).

April 9, 2026

Asset Tracking Management

Best Equipment Management Software in 2026: An Honest Comparison

Shelf is our pick for teams that share and check out gear. A comparison of 7 equipment management tools — Shelf, Cheqroom, Sortly, Snipe-IT, EZOfficeInventory, Asset Panda, and Reftab — with published prices, a 10-person cost table, and the cases where another tool fits better.

April 2, 2026

Industry Specific Applications

How to Fund School Media Equipment: Grants, Perkins/CTE, Title IV, and More

A practical guide to federal, state, and private funding sources for K-12 schools that need to purchase cameras, audio gear, and production equipment for student media programs.

April 2, 2026

Industry Specific Applications

The Post-Phone-Ban Equipment Problem: What Schools Need Now

33 states have banned student phones. Student media programs just lost their primary tools. Here's the operational problem nobody's talking about — and what schools can do about it.

April 2, 2026

Industry Specific Applications

What Equipment Schools Need for Student Media Programs After Phone Bans

A practical, budgeted equipment guide for K-12 schools building media programs after cellphone bans — organized by program type with real products and prices.

April 2, 2026

Software Features Capabilities

Take Control of Your Booking Notifications

Shelf now lets workspace admins configure exactly who receives booking email notifications — at both the workspace level and per booking. Reduce noise, add coverage, and keep the right people informed.

March 30, 2026

Data Analytics Reporting

Asset Tracking for Utility Field Operations: Preventing Lost Equipment in High-Risk Environments

Transmission corridors, substations, and storm-response zones combine high voltage, height, and weather extremes. Crews rotate frequently, job sites are remote, and connectivity is inconsistent. The tools themselves are specialized and expensive—thermal imagers, RF sensors, live-line tools, UAS payloads, and PPE with strict inspection intervals—so every loss hurts.

November 27, 2025

Asset Tracking Management

Film School Equipment Checkout Policies & Best Practices

Film schools and media programs juggle hundreds of cameras, audio kits, and lighting rigs that constantly flow between courses, sets, and student projects. Without a structured policy, even the best cage managers battle bottlenecks, lost lenses, or scheduling conflicts that derail productions. This guide consolidates proven practices from campus equipment rooms, fills gaps left by scattered institutional playbooks, and shows how Shelf’s platform helps document workflows, automate reminders, and drive accountability without resorting to guesswork.

November 24, 2025

Asset Tracking Management

Equipment Checkout and Asset Tracking Software for Universities

How universities run equipment checkout and asset tracking with Shelf: QR labels, student booking requests, kits, overdue tracking, custody, audits, department workspaces, SSO, real campus examples and pricing.

November 17, 2025

Case Studies

From Cheqroom to Shelf: A Migration Success Story

How Kansas City Art Institute Kept Their Existing Asset Labeling System While Upgrading Their Equipment Management

November 6, 2025

Team Collaboration Communication

New Custom Fields on Shelf

Discover how Shelf's seven custom field types can transform your asset management. From simple text fields to complex financial tracking, learn which field types work best for your equipment and how to configure them for maximum efficiency.

September 17, 2025

Team Collaboration Communication

Why We Built Availability View: When Customers Show You What's Missing

How a single customer email changed our roadmap and taught us about real-world asset management

June 18, 2025

Asset Tracking Management

When to Track vs When to Tag: The Art & Science of Modern Asset Management

In a recent discussion that caught fire among IT professionals, a seemingly simple question sparked an intense debate: Should every piece of equipment at an employee's desk have an asset tag? The conversation that followed revealed the complexity of modern asset management, where the intersection of compliance, practicality, and human behavior creates unique challenges for every organization.

February 20, 2025

Asset Tracking Management

Asset Tracking for Federally Funded Nonprofits

As the founder of Shelf, I've witnessed the transformative power of efficient asset tracking across various sectors. Today, I want to focus on how nonprofits, particularly those receiving federal funding, can leverage modern asset management solutions to amplify their impact and streamline operations.

October 18, 2024

Asset Tracking Management

Introducing QR Scan-to-Add: Transforming Asset Bookings

Revolutionize your asset booking process with our new QR Scan-to-Add feature. Now, asset managers can effortlessly add items to bookings by simply scanning QR codes, making the process faster and more intuitive than ever before. Perfect for mobile and tablet users, this feature brings a new level of efficiency to your asset management workflow.

October 1, 2024

Asset Tracking Management

The True ROI of Asset Management: A Nuanced Perspective

The ROI of asset management varies significantly based on your industry, operational model, and the nature of your assets. Today, I want to dig into this nuanced landscape and challenge some common assumptions.

September 9, 2024

Software Features Capabilities

How We Used to Think About Native Apps — and What Changed

In 2024 we wrote a post explaining why Shelf didn't have native apps. In 2026 we shipped one. Here's the honest story of what changed our mind, what stayed true, and what we'd say differently today.

August 27, 2024

Software Features Capabilities

Industry-Specific CSV Import Examples

One of the most powerful features of Shelf is its ability to import existing asset data via CSV files. To help you get started, we've created a set of industry-specific CSV templates that you can use as a starting point for your own asset management journey.

August 1, 2024

Asset Tracking Management

Top PC Naming Conventions for System Admins

We analyzed the most popular PC naming conventions by Sysadmins - what are the most popular ones?

June 7, 2024

Software Features Capabilities

New Feature Update: Streamlined Bookings and Calendar Integration

we've added an "Add to Calendar" button to the booking page for past bookings. This generates an ICS (Internet Calendar Subscription) file containing essential information about the booking, along with a link to the booking page. Now, you can easily add your bookings to your preferred calendar app or platform, keeping track of your schedule a breeze.

April 8, 2024

Updates Maintenance

Introducing One-Time Passwords!

Shelf is transitioning from Magic Links to One-Time password.

March 7, 2024

Asset Tracking Management

What are Unclaimed Asset Labels on Shelf and what are they used for

Unclaimed Asset Labels offer businesses a convenient method of assigning asset labels to new assets right away. Unlike Shelf's traditional asset labels, these tags aren't assigned to individual assets at creation; instead, they are unique codes which are linked to a specific user or workspace. So you can have tags at hand, whenever new equipment comes in - just grab an asset label - add it to your inventory and create an asset.

February 20, 2024

Asset Disposal Retirement

How to Use Shelf for Tracking Development Kits and Expensive Materials During Demonstrations and Trade Fairs

Shared asset management is hard, many start with an excel sheet and quickly realize that, after trying to keep a tidy inventory sheet. Things get messy. That's where we come in. We at shelf are obsessed with asset related operations and are here to serve with technological solutions to make this process easier and faster.

February 12, 2024

Asset Tracking Management

Our process for creating asset labels

If you're looking to keep track of your inventory and assets, asset labels are a must-have. They help you identify and locate items quickly and easily, prevent loss or theft, and streamline your inventory management process. At Shelf, we specialize in creating high-quality asset labels that meet the unique needs of your business.

February 9, 2024

Software Features Capabilities

Unlocking Efficiency in Asset Management: Introducing 'Bookings' (Beta)

'Bookings' offers a comprehensive solution that allows asset managers and self-service users to reserve a group of assets for future dates, ensuring that every piece of equipment is used to its full potential without the risk of double-booking. This feature is not just about booking; it's about ensuring the right asset is available at the right time for the right person. Here's how it works:

January 26, 2024

Case Studies

Ovoko: Pioneering a Sustainable Future in Automotive Recycling with Shelf

If you are still using excel for assets management, you are missing out a lot by not choosing Shelf

January 11, 2024

Updates Maintenance

Bookings: Release Status

Bookings has shipped and is generally available on Shelf Team plans. Here is what it does today.

November 14, 2023

Updates Maintenance

From me to we. Shelf for teams is now available. Explore what you can do with it here.

We're excited to announce a significant milestone for Shelf. After much anticipation, we've rolled out a range of powerful team management capabilities, aimed at enhancing your asset management experience. In this blog post, we'll explore what's new and what these exciting updates mean for you.

November 2, 2023

Team Collaboration Communication

The Importance of Equipment Usage Agreements for Asset Protection

If you manage valuable assets for your business, equipment agreements are a crucial component of a comprehensive security strategy. However, for those new to formal asset management, these legal documents can seem like overkill.

October 24, 2023

Asset Tracking Management

Asset Management vs Inventory Management: What's the Difference?

Asset management tracks the individual items you keep and use; inventory management tracks how many of something you hold to sell or use up. A decision table, the grey zone of supplies, IT asset management, and how one tool can handle equipment and consumables side by side.

October 13, 2023

Asset Tracking Management

Announcement: OSS Capital backs Shelf.nu to fuel it's growth

I am thrilled to announce that Shelf, our innovative software startup in the realm of asset management, has recently secured a strategic investment from OSS Capital, a venture capital firm renowned for its support of open-source projects. This partnership marks a momentous milestone for both Shelf and OSS Capital as we unite our efforts to position Shelf as the premier asset management solution for teams and businesses.

September 25, 2023

Industry Specific Applications

How to set up a student equipment rental workflow and system (Guide)

Empowering students to make their own equipment reservations can have a significant impact on the efficiency and productivity of educational institutions. By allowing students to reserve equipment on their own, schools can reduce the workload of staff members, improve the overall student experience, and promote independence among students.

September 20, 2023

Maintenance Repair Management

Asset Tags for Laptops and Computers: Types, Placement, and How to Find the Tag Number

What an asset tag on a laptop is, which tag type to pick (QR, barcode, RFID, tamper-evident), where to stick it on laptops, Chromebooks, desktops, monitors and docks, and how to read the asset tag stored in Dell, Lenovo and HP firmware.

September 20, 2023

Industry Specific Applications

Enhance Your Fablab with an Equipment Management System based on QR labels

Fablabs are bustling hubs of creativity, where inventors, makers, and entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life using an array of cutting-edge equipment. However, managing and maintaining this equipment can be a daunting task.

September 1, 2023

Team Collaboration Communication

Introducing Custodians: A New Feature for Effortless Asset Management

Discover how our latest feature can help you assign team members as custodians of specific assets, promote accountability, enhance security, streamline audits, and optimize collaboration.

July 25, 2023

Qr Code Technology

QR Code Scanning on Mobile Devices: A Comprehensive Guide

Discover which mobile device manufacturers support QR code scanning via their camera apps and get a detailed overview of the top models from each brand.

July 25, 2023

Asset Tracking Management

How Shelf can help you track your golden samples easily and effectively

Learn what golden samples are, why they are important for product quality, and how shelf.nu can help you track them using QR labels and your smartphone.

June 26, 2023

Asset Tracking Management

How to Choose the Best Asset Tracking Solution for Your Business

Asset tracking is a vital process for any business that owns or manages physical assets. It can help you improve your business efficiency, costs, security ,and compliance. It can also help you optimize your asset utilization ,maintenance ,and lifecycle. But choosing the best asset tracking solution for your business can be challenging. With so many options available in the market,you need to consider various factors,such as types ,features ,costs ,and benefits .That’s why we created Shelf - Asset Tracking Infrastructure for Everyone, a flexible and user-friendly platform built around QR codes and barcodes.

May 25, 2023

Trends Innovations

Duck Pack and Track is Discontinued, What Now? Try Shelf - Duck Pack and Track Alternative

If you were relying on Duck Pack and Track to organize your belongings, you might be aware that the service was terminated in April 2023. But don't worry, we have excellent news for you: there is a better and smarter solution in town – Shelf.

April 28, 2023

Trends Innovations

Introducing Shelf Sticker Studio

Talented designers who are passionate about turning your vision into reality. You can rest assured that your stickers will be one-of-a-kind and tailored to your needs.

April 11, 2023

Trends Innovations

Who should use Shelf?

Managing your assets can be a real headache, especially when you're dealing with a lot of items. But don't worry – Shelf is here to help! It's an asset tracking and tagging app that can make your life a whole lot easier.Wondering who would benefit the most from this app? Well, let's dive in and find out!

April 6, 2023

Qr Code Technology

All you Need to Know about QR Codes

QR codes are two-dimensional codes that store information in black and white squares, which can be read using a smartphone or QR code reader. They have become ubiquitous in recent years, appearing on everything from food packaging to billboards. In this article, we will explore the full timeline of QR codes, their history, who made them, what the alternatives are, and why they are so important.

April 3, 2023

Trends Innovations

Can a QR Code System Compete with Apple Tag? Comparing Features and Use Cases

Apple Tag is a new product that allows users to track and locate their personal belongings using Bluetooth and ultra-wideband technology. It works with the Find My app on iOS devices and can be attached to keys, wallets, backpacks, and more. But how does it compare to a QR code system, such as Shelf, which is a cheaper and more widely available option for adding digital content to physical things? In this post, we will compare the features and use cases of Apple Tag and Shelf, and see which one is better suited for different scenarios.

April 3, 2023

Risk Management Security

Types of Asset Management Risks and Security Threats

Asset management involves the management of physical assets, including raw materials, components, finished goods, and inventory. It is a crucially important activity in any business, as the proper management of assets can help the company remain competitive and profitable. However, asset management also carries a certain amount of risk. In this article, we will discuss the different types of asset management risks and security threats that businesses need to be aware of, and how they can protect their assets.

March 28, 2023

Asset Tracking Management

Case Studies and Success Stories of Companies using Asset Management Software Effectively

Real teams using Shelf: a utility crew that recovered a $70K drone kit, a film studio that stopped double bookings, a contact center tracking 4,000+ devices, and more. Short summaries with links to each full case study.

March 24, 2023

Asset Tracking Management

11 Tips for Implementing Asset Tracking Software

When it comes to managing and tracking valuable assets, asset tracking software can make life a lot easier. As a photographer or videographer, you need the right tools to track, manage, and protect your important assets. With the right asset tracking software, you can save time, maximize efficiency, and stay organized. Here are some tips for implementing asset tracking software for photographers and videographers.

March 24, 2023

Insights for modern teams.

How Shelf Decides to Send You a Notification

Best IT Asset Management Software for Small IT Teams (2026): An Honest Comparison

Asset Panda Pricing in 2026: Plans, Minimums and What It Really Costs

Asset Register Template (Excel) and Equipment Inventory List

Asset Tags: Types, Materials, Numbering and Placement

AssetTiger Pricing in 2026: Is It Still Free?

Equipment Sign-Out Sheet Template (Excel and PDF), and What Breaks

QR Code Asset Tags: What to Encode, Size, Print and Scan

Sortly Pricing in 2026: Plans, Year-Two Cost and Free Plan Limits

Why We're Building the Shelf Mobile App

Best Equipment Management Software in 2026: An Honest Comparison

How to Fund School Media Equipment: Grants, Perkins/CTE, Title IV, and More

The Post-Phone-Ban Equipment Problem: What Schools Need Now

What Equipment Schools Need for Student Media Programs After Phone Bans

Take Control of Your Booking Notifications

Asset Tracking for Utility Field Operations: Preventing Lost Equipment in High-Risk Environments

Film School Equipment Checkout Policies & Best Practices

Equipment Checkout and Asset Tracking Software for Universities

From Cheqroom to Shelf: A Migration Success Story

New Custom Fields on Shelf

Why We Built Availability View: When Customers Show You What's Missing

When to Track vs When to Tag: The Art & Science of Modern Asset Management

Asset Tracking for Federally Funded Nonprofits

Introducing QR Scan-to-Add: Transforming Asset Bookings

The True ROI of Asset Management: A Nuanced Perspective

How We Used to Think About Native Apps — and What Changed

Industry-Specific CSV Import Examples

Top PC Naming Conventions for System Admins

New Feature Update: Streamlined Bookings and Calendar Integration

Introducing One-Time Passwords!

What are Unclaimed Asset Labels on Shelf and what are they used for

How to Use Shelf for Tracking Development Kits and Expensive Materials During Demonstrations and Trade Fairs

Our process for creating asset labels

Unlocking Efficiency in Asset Management: Introducing 'Bookings' (Beta)

Ovoko: Pioneering a Sustainable Future in Automotive Recycling with Shelf

Bookings: Release Status

From me to we. Shelf for teams is now available. Explore what you can do with it here.

The Importance of Equipment Usage Agreements for Asset Protection

Asset Management vs Inventory Management: What's the Difference?

Announcement: OSS Capital backs Shelf.nu to fuel it's growth

How to set up a student equipment rental workflow and system (Guide)

Asset Tags for Laptops and Computers: Types, Placement, and How to Find the Tag Number

Enhance Your Fablab with an Equipment Management System based on QR labels

Introducing Custodians: A New Feature for Effortless Asset Management

QR Code Scanning on Mobile Devices: A Comprehensive Guide

How Shelf can help you track your golden samples easily and effectively

How to Choose the Best Asset Tracking Solution for Your Business

Duck Pack and Track is Discontinued, What Now? Try Shelf - Duck Pack and Track Alternative

Introducing Shelf Sticker Studio

Who should use Shelf?

All you Need to Know about QR Codes

Can a QR Code System Compete with Apple Tag? Comparing Features and Use Cases

Types of Asset Management Risks and Security Threats

Case Studies and Success Stories of Companies using Asset Management Software Effectively

11 Tips for Implementing Asset Tracking Software

Insights for
modern teams.