Unlocking Redmine's Hidden Potential: Managing Assets, Inventory, and Resources with Ease

  • Emily Jones

Redmine is primarily known as a project management and issue tracking tool, but with the right plugins and configurations, it can be extended to track assets, inventory, and resources, making it a versatile solution for managing various aspects of your organization.

Unlocking Redmine's Hidden Potential: Managing Assets, Inventory, and Resources with Ease by Emily Jones
Redmine is primarily known as a project management and issue tracking tool, but with the right plugins and configurations, it can be extended to track assets, inventory, and resources, making it a versatile solution for managing various aspects of your organization. Let's explore how Redmine can be leveraged to extend its functionality in these areas:
Asset Tracking:
  • Custom Fields: Redmine allows you to create custom fields, which can be used to store asset-specific information. You can create fields for asset type, purchase date, warranty expiration, and more.
  • Asset ID: Assign a unique identifier to each asset and use it as a custom field to track and manage individual items.
  • Attachment Support: Attach user manuals, invoices, or other relevant documents to asset records, ensuring that all related information is in one place.
  • Category Tags: Create categories or tags for assets, making it easy to filter and search for specific types of assets.
  • Notifications: Set up email notifications for asset-related events, such as warranty expirations or upcoming maintenance.
Inventory Management:
  • Custom Queries: Create custom queries to view inventory items based on criteria like quantity, location, or category.
  • Inventory Levels: Use Redmine's custom fields to track inventory levels and set up alerts for low stock.
  • Checkout System: Implement a checkout system, where employees can request and check out inventory items for temporary use. Redmine's issue tracking features can be adapted for this purpose.
  • Scanning Barcodes/QR Codes: Utilize Redmine plugins that enable barcode or QR code scanning to quickly log inventory changes.
  • Audit Trail: Maintain an audit trail of all inventory-related actions, ensuring transparency and accountability.
Resource Management:
  • User Roles: Define user roles in Redmine, such as "Resource Manager," who can assign and manage resources.
  • Resource Allocation: Create custom fields for resources, specifying availability, skill sets, or departmental associations.
  • Resource Booking: Use Redmine issues to create bookings or reservations for resources. Each issue can represent a booking for a specific resource at a given time.
  • Capacity Planning: Visualize resource availability and workload by using plugins or custom reports.
  • Integration with Calendar Tools: Sync Redmine with calendar tools like Google Calendar or Outlook to coordinate resource allocation and scheduling.
Integration with Plugins:
To extend Redmine's functionality in these areas, you can explore and install Redmine plugins tailored to asset management, inventory tracking, and resource management. Some popular plugins include:
  • Redmine Assets Management: This plugin provides robust asset tracking features, including asset types, custom fields, and barcode scanning support.
  • Redmine Inventory: A plugin designed to manage inventory within Redmine, with features for tracking quantities, checkouts, and inventory levels.
  • Resource Management with Easy Gantt: This plugin enhances resource management by integrating the Redmine Gantt chart Plugin and resource allocation features into Redmine.
By integrating these plugins and configuring Redmine to suit your organization's needs, you can effectively extend its functionality beyond project management to track assets, inventory, and resources. This versatility can lead to increased efficiency and transparency across various areas of your organization, all within the familiar Redmine environment.
Emily Jones
Business Development Manager