Asset tags or custom data (channels)?

When you doubt between using asset tags or 3rd party business data channels.

A table to help you when deciding if it's better to use asset tags or custom data:
Table 1.
Asset tags Custom data (channels)
What is it? Tags are labels that can be freely added and removed from an asset. Custom data channels are named channels that qualify an asset.
Data type A free short predefined text. A channel can contain multiple data properties. Each property consists of a name and a value. The value obeys a format: can be a text, number, yes/no, choice from a list, picture, ...
Who defines it? Any user with administrator or edit rights can create tags and assign them to assets. The customer defines them, and Sensolus creates these property definitions in the platform.
History? The system doesn't keep track of history, only the current status is known: the asset is or is not associated with a particular tag. The full timestamped history is stored: you can go back in time for each asset and see when the properties have changed.
When to use? Classification based on:
  • the type of an asset
  • a group it belongs to
  • a flow it belongs to
  • a temporary condition that needs to be looked at
  • ...
  • When the asset status changes updates can happen manually on-siet or automatically via ERP interactions
  • For complex filter combinations.
  • When you need to keep track of historical updates.