Page 118 - Security Today, April 2017

INVENTORY MANAGEMENT
ASSET TRACKING KEEPS VALUABLES SECURE
Community college saves money on asset tracking with a unique automated inventory management solution
By Lindsay Page
THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK ARE THE PUBLIC UNIVERSITY SYSTEMS IN NY STATE. THE GOAL IS TO PROVIDE A QUALITY AND ACCESSIBLE COLLEGE EDUCATION REGARDLESS OF BACKGROUND OR MEANS. NEW YORK HOLDS THE LARGEST (SUNY) AND 3RD LARGEST (CUNY) PUBLIC UNIVERSITY SYSTEMS IN THE UNITED STATES. THE SUNY AND CUNY SYSTEMS ARE SEPARATE AND INDEPENDENT UNIVERSITY SYSTEMS, ALTHOUGH BOTH ARE PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS THAT RECEIVE FUNDING FROM NEW YORK STATE; CUNY ALSO RECEIVES FUND- ING FROM NEW YORK CITY.
The State University of New York has 64 campuses across the state while The City University of New York has 25 campuses in all five boroughs with over 274,000 students. Both systems include universi- ties, colleges, community and technical colleges. CUNY campuses offer 2-year, 4-year and graduate degrees with a wide variety of aca- demic programs that include art, architecture, engineering, medicine, business and urban design to name a few.
An integral part of the learning program requires that CUNY col- leges provide computing devices ranging from laptops to workstations and mobile computing devices such as tablets for students that are on
the move. CUNY’s mission is to educate and graduate one of the most diverse student populations in the country and is always looking for ways to improve upon existing processes and improve efficiencies. An area that one particular CUNY college in NY needed help with was finding a way to reduce the time it spent on asset tracking each year.
Over the years, the college saw a steady increase in the number of portable computers designated to students and knew it needed to find the right automated solution that would not only protect their assets, but would also reduce the time it took for inventory management.
CUNY colleges offer a seemingly infinite array of academic pro- grams taught by award-winning faculty, as well as sports, internships, scholarships and community service opportunities found on campuses throughout New York City’s five boroughs. CUNY’s combination of quality academics, remarkable affordability, financial support and the convenience of 25 modern campuses offers a remarkable educational experience. This philosophy of providing excellence has been instilled throughout all CUNY colleges and continues to be the driving force behind everything CUNY does to create a better environment for stu- dents and staff.
CHALLENGES FACED
A major challenge at one CUNY college was tracking inventory within the classrooms to ensure that valuable items such as laptops and AV
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