Smart Asset Management - Escape the Inventory Trap

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How to Master Fast Close, Cash Flow, and Circularity with Better Asset Data

Our webinar "Smart Asset Management – Escaping the Inventory Trap" demonstrated why companies today lose more money due to a lack of transparency in their assets than from rising material costs – and how 5–8% of fixed assets can be reactivated .

In the recap, you will read,
how Excel lists and data silos slow down Fast Close and cash flow,
what role useful life and circular processes play as business levers,
and how to get started with Smart Asset Management without a major IT project.

Learn how to save time and costs by correctly applying this method.

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Why Traditional Inventory Logic Is Expensive Today

Where are the assets?

In the office, in the home office, in the warehouse, somewhere between "Barcelona and Buxtehude" – or long since depreciated, even though they still physically exist?

This is precisely how Jana Scharfschwerdt, CFO-on-demand, described the reality in many companies during the live webinar "Smart Asset Management – Escaping the Inventory Trap". Together with Michael Lehnert, CEO of seventhings, they discussed the bold but very apt thesis:

„Companies today lose more money due to a lack of transparency in their assets
than from rising material or energy costs.“

The reasons are prevalent across almost all organizations:

• Inventory is seen as a mandatory task rather than a management tool.
• Fixed assets are managed via Excel spreadsheets and distributed across multiple systems.
• IT, HR, Procurement, and Finance play responsibility ping-pongwhen it comes to responsibilities.
• Remote work and distributed locations exacerbate the problem.

The result:
Blind spots, duplicate purchases, tied-up capital – and a Fast Closethat repeatedly stalls.

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The Speakers: 3 perspectives on the same problem

In the webinar, they explored the topic from three perspectives:

• Jana Scharfschwerdt – CFO-on-demand, somea partners
  Focus: Fast Close, Valuation, Cash Flow, Business Case for Smart Asset Management.
• Michael Lehnert – CEO, seventhings
  Focus: Practical insights from customer projects, Cost of Inaction, Executing pilot projects.
• Kai Wähner – Global Field CTO, Confluent
  Focus: Data silos, integration architectures, and real-time data streams as enablers.

All three share the same core message:
Inventory and asset data are not just an administrative afterthought – they are a strategic lever.

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The hidden cost trap: 5–8% of fixed assets

One figure that particularly stood out from the webinar:
In many companies, it is possible to recover between 5 and 8% of fixed assets – without additional investments, simply through improved transparency. Additionally, according to KPMG studies, 18% of assets are completely unaccounted for.

The potential lies in:

• unused or underutilized assets (e.g., laptops, monitors, machinery),
• misallocated or "forgotten" assets,
• devices that exist somewhere but are not reflected in any current reports.

How many fixed assets can I reactivate?
For 10 million euros in fixed assets, that amounts to 500,000–800,000 euros.
For 25 million euros, it's 1.25–2 million euros.

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"As soon as I see 5–8% recoverable fixed assets,‍it's no longer a side project – it's a top priority for management." – Jana Scharfschwerdt

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For CFOs, this means:
Less CapEx pressure, a different investment approach, and a tangible impact on cash flow and depreciation.

Fast Close: Why Excel & Siloed Solutions Hinder Progress

A clear common thread in the webinar:
Fast Close rarely fails due to a lack of will – and often due to the data foundation.

The typical pattern behind it looks like this:

• Asset data is scattered across ERP, ITSM, CMDB, Excel, local tools.
• Each department maintains "its" own list.
• Monthly and annual financial statements drag on because inventories are manually reconciled and adjusted.

Jana put it this way:

„Where are which assets?
This question is one of the biggest bottlenecks for the Fast Close.“.

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As long as there's no consistent, current view of inventory, condition, and location , valuations and financial statements remain arduous – and Finance saves "what can be saved" at year-end.

CTO Perspective: Not a lack of data, but data silos

From the perspective of Kai Wähner (Global Field CTO, Confluent), the problem is rarely a lack of data – on the contrary:

• There are data: in SAP, in ITSM, in inventory tools, in Excel.
• But they are fragmented and often contradictory.

His pointed statement:

„Ihr Problem ist nicht Datenmangel, sondern Datensilos.“

Was aus Tech-Sicht nötig ist:

• Standardisierte Schnittstellen zu bestehenden Systemen (SAP/ERP, ITSM, CMDB, Inventur-Tools)
• Verarbeitung von Änderungen in Echtzeit oder nahezu Echtzeit
• Eine Plattform, die kein weiteres Silo bildet, sondern Daten wieder zurück in die Fachsysteme spielt

Damit wird aus einer Inventur-Momentaufnahme eine lebendige, integrierte Sicht auf den gesamten Asset-Lebenszyklus.

Nutzungsdauer & Kreislaufprozesse: Harte Hebel, kein ESG-Dekor

Ein oft unterschätzter Aspekt: Nutzungsdauer und Kreislaufprozesse sind harte Business-Hebel – nicht nur „ESG-Nice-to-Have“.

Im Webinar wurden mehrere Beispiele diskutiert:

• Verleihmanagement:
  Statt Geräte fest einer Person zuzuordnen, werden sie in Pools geführt, verliehen und zurückgegeben.
  Ergebnis: höhere Auslastung, weniger Neuanschaffungen.
• ReUse & Second Life:
  Assets, die an einem Standort nicht mehr gebraucht werden, werden sichtbar und können an anderer Stelle weiterverwendet werden.
• Rücknahme & Verwertung:
  Am Ende des Lebenszyklus können Rückgabe, Verkauf oder Entsorgung sauber nachverfolgt werden – mit Daten für Reporting und Compliance.
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„Zirkularität beginnt nicht im Nachhaltigkeitsbericht,‍sondern bei der Frage: Was haben wir schon – und wie nutzen wir es weiter?“– Michael Lehnert

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Die Effekte:

• Längere Nutzungsdauer der Assets
• Weniger CapEx durch vermiedene Neuanschaffungen
• Bessere ESG-Daten, weil Nutzungszyklen und ReUse-Fälle belegbar sind

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Smart Asset Management mit seventhings

Vor diesem Hintergrund positioniert sich seventhings als Plattform für nachhaltiges Smart Asset Management – speziell für mittelständische und große Unternehmen.

Kurz gefasst:

• Ziel:
  Transparenz über alle Unternehmenswerte über ihren gesamten Lebenszyklus hinweg.
• Wie:
  – KI-gestützte Plattform zur Anlage und Verwaltung von Assets
  – Automatisierte Datenerfassung (inkl. Integration von Inventur-, ERP-, ITSM- und CMDB-Daten)
  – Funktionen für Verleihmanagement, ReUse, Second Life und Rücknahmeprozesse
• Mehrwert:
  – 5–8 % des Anlagevermögens reaktivieren
  – Doppelkäufe und Überbestände reduzieren
  – Nutzungsdauer aktiv steuern
  – Reporting & Zirkularität vereinfachen

Wie aufwendig ist die Einführung einer Smart Asset Management Lösung:
seventhings ist kein Big-Bang-IT-Projekt, sondern integriert sich in bestehende Systemlandschaften.

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„Unser Ansatz ist Integration statt Ersatz:‍Wir hängen uns an SAP, ITSM, CMDB & Co. dran –‍und schaffen eine gemeinsame Sicht auf Assets, statt ein neues Datensilo.“– Michael Lehnert

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Wie der Einstieg gelingt: Vom Pflichttermin zum Hebel

Inventur nur abhaken – oder Bestandsdaten als Hebel nutzen?

Wenn Sie letzteres wollen, empfehlen sich drei pragmatische Schritte:

Schritt 1: Status-Check

• Wie nutzen Sie Inventur- und Bestandsdaten heute?
• Haben Sie Transparenz über Bestand, Zustand, Verortung?
• Wo vermuten Sie Doppelkäufe, Überbestände, gebundenes Kapital?

Schritt 2: Pilot definieren

• 1–2 Asset-Kategorien auswählen (z. B. IT-Equipment, Maschinen),
  in denen besonders viel Potenzial vermutet wird.
• 1–2 Standorte auswählen.
• Laufzeit von 6–8 Wochen anpeilen.

Schritt 3: Smart Asset Management testen

• Bestehende Systeme (ERP, ITSM, Inventur-Tools) an eine Smart-Asset-Management-Plattform connect.
• Quickly measure:
  • How many additional assets were identified?
  • What value was reactivated?
  • How many duplicate purchases were avoided?

Only based on these figures should you decide if and how to scale – not based on gut feeling.

When does Smart Asset Management make sense?

You should seriously address the topic of Smart Asset Management if:

• You regularly invest significant amounts in fixed assets
• Fast Close, valuation, and ESG reporting repeatedly fail due to data gaps
• Asset data is spread across multiple systems & Excel spreadsheets
• You suspect that 5–8% of your fixed assets are lying idle

In this case, it's worth considering:

1. An internal self-check
   – quickly check with Finance, IT, and Operations to identify the biggest gaps.
2. A 15–30-minute needs assessment call with a Smart Asset Management expert
   – to clarify whether a pilot project makes sense for your company
   – and how it can be implemented with your existing systems (e.g., SAP, ITSM).

Conclusion:
Smart Asset Management isn't just another tool to make inventory "prettier."
It's the step to transform asset data into a strategic management tool –
for Fast Close, cash flow, and circular value creation.

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