The Device Catalog and IT Inventory work together to help you manage your company's equipment from purchase to assignment. While they're closely connected, they serve different purposes: one helps you acquire devices, and the other helps you keep track of them throughout their lifecycle.
This article explains what each feature does, when to use it, and how they work together to simplify equipment management.
Overview
Factorial offers two complementary solutions for managing company equipment:
- Device Catalog: Purchase or rent new devices directly through Factorial
- IT Inventory: Keep a centralised record of all company assets, including IT equipment and other physical assets
Together, they create a complete equipment management workflow—from acquiring devices to assigning them to employees and tracking them over time Many organisations use both features together to create a complete asset management process.
Device Catalog
The Device Catalog is an integrated marketplace where you can purchase or rent business devices such as laptops and phones directly from Factorial. Use the Device Catalog when your company needs to acquire new equipment for employees.
The catalog helps you:
- Purchase or rent devices at local market prices
- Reduce the complexity of sourcing equipment through multiple vendors
- Receive devices ready for new hires
- Replace large one-time hardware purchases with predictable recurring costs when renting
- Keep your fleet up to date through regular refresh cycles
If you choose to rent a device, you also have the option to purchase it at the end of the rental agreement.
Device availability and suppliers vary by country.
IT Inventory
The IT Inventory is your central repository for tracking company assets. Use the IT Inventory when you need to maintain an accurate record of company assets, monitor who is using them, and keep track of important information throughout their lifecycle.
You can register and manage:
- Laptops
- Mobile phones
- Monitors
- Office furniture
- Tools
- Any other company asset
Each asset can be assigned to a specific employee, making it easy to see who is responsible for each item directly from their employee profile.
The inventory also allows you to record information such as:
- Asset category
- Warranty information
- Supplier
- Purchase cost
- Assignment history
- Custom fields and categories
How they work together
The Device Catalog and IT Inventory are designed to complement each other.
A typical workflow looks like this:
- Purchase or rent a device through the Device Catalog
- The device is delivered for your employee's onboarding
- The device is automatically added to your IT Inventory
- Assign the device to the employee during the onboarding process or from the inventory
- View the assigned equipment directly from the employee's profile
- Continue tracking the asset throughout its lifecycle, including warranty information, supplier details, and future reassignment
Learn how to assign IT assets during employee onboarding here.
If a purchased device doesn't appear in the inventory, verify that the order has been completed. If the device is still missing after delivery, contact Support.
If you need to track equipment purchased outside Factorial, you can manually add existing assets to the IT Inventory.
If you cannot see the assets assigned to an employee, check that the asset has been assigned successfully and that you have permission to view employee information.
Key differences
| Device Catalog | IT Inventory |
|---|---|
| Acquire new devices | Track existing assets |
| Purchase or rent equipment | Register any type of company asset |
| Supports employee onboarding with new devices | Records who each asset is assigned to |
| Helps standardise hardware procurement | Helps maintain asset traceability |
| Focuses on acquisition | Focuses on asset management after acquisition |
Tips and best practices
- Register all company assets in the IT Inventory, regardless of where they were purchased
- Assign equipment during employee onboarding to maintain accurate records from day one
- Review your inventory regularly to identify outdated or unassigned equipment
- Use consistent asset categories to simplify reporting and searches
FAQ
-
Do I need the Device Catalog to use the IT Inventory?
No. You can use the IT Inventory independently to register and manage assets purchased from any supplier.
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Can I track non-IT assets?
Yes. The IT Inventory supports any type of company asset, including office furniture, tools, and other equipment.
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Can I rent devices instead of buying them?
Yes. Depending on your location and availability, you can rent eligible devices through the Device Catalog. At the end of the rental agreement, you may also have the option to purchase the device.
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Can I assign equipment during onboarding?
Yes. Equipment can be assigned during the onboarding process, ensuring each employee has a record of their assigned assets from their first day.