Asset tracking is still too often treated as a back-office admin task, despite it being one of the most effective ways to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and protect margins.

Whether a business is managing vehicles, tools, equipment, IT devices, or stock, the ability to know where assets are and how they’re being used has a direct impact on performance. Without this visibility, businesses are more likely to waste time, overspend, and make decisions based on incomplete information. Effective Asset tracking provides businesses with better visibility into the location, condition, and usage of their valuable resources.

The hidden cost of poor visibility

Poor asset visibility can lead to problems, including:

• Missing items
• Overuse of some equipment
• Delayed maintenance
• Time wasted by staff searching for items that should be easy to find

Over time, these inefficiencies can become a significant financial drain. An accumulation of delays, replacements, unnecessary rentals, and administrative effort chips away at a company’s profitability. Asset tracking helps bring these hidden costs into view, giving leaders a better foundation for action.

Better control = better decisions

When businesses can clearly see their own assets, they’re in a stronger position to make smarter decisions. They can identify when equipment – be it laptops, tools or HGVSs – is being overused, underused, or left idle. This means they can plan maintenance more effectively, spend more strategically, and improve how they allocate these assets across teams or locations.

This is especially valuable for businesses operating across multiple sites or branches, or that have remote staff. In these environments, assets move frequently, and responsibility can become blurred. Tracking creates a clearer record of what’s available, where it’s gone, and who’s responsible for it.

Supporting growth without adding waste

As businesses grow, asset management becomes more complex. What once worked informally begins to break down when more people, locations, and processes are involved.

Without a strategic approach to asset tracking, businesses often end up compensating for poor visibility by buying more equipment than they need or holding excess stock “just in case”.

Asset tracking helps businesses scale more cleanly by making better use of what they already own. It also supports more accurate forecasting, as leaders will have a clearer picture of asset usage, lifecycle needs, and replacement planning.

What to look for in a fit-for-purpose solution

The right asset tracking solution for your business should match the scale, pace, and complexity of your organisation, rather than creating more admin.

Here’s what to look for:

• Real-time visibility: Business owners should look for a platform that offers real-time asset visibility, so location and status are always up to date. This is particularly important where assets move between sites or are used by different teams.
• Automated alerts: Geofencing, motion detection, and tamper notifications all ensure employees are informed quickly if an asset moves unexpectedly or is at risk.
• Clear reporting and analytics: Business leaders need more than a live map; they need real data they can use to inform strategic decisions. A good solution will provide clear reporting and analytics to help employees identify underused assets, support resource planning, and improve utilisation over time.
• Ease of use: If it’s complicated to record an asset or update its status, system adoption rates may be low. The right solution should be straightforward for teams to use consistently, whether they’re in the office, on site, or on the move. Mobile access, simple tagging, and centralised records all help reduce friction.
• Scalability: A system that works for 20 assets may not work for 200, so business owners should look for a solution that can grow with the organisation, support more users, and handle more data, without becoming cumbersome.

Sector spotlight: where asset tracking really earns its keep

The benefits of asset tracking become even clearer when you look at how poor visibility plays out in certain sectors. The impact is different in construction, equipment hire, and fleet operations, but the underlying problem is the same: without trustworthy asset data, it’s harder to protect time, budget and service.

Construction: controlling tools and on‑site equipment

Construction sites are busy, fluid environments. Tools, plant and smaller pieces of equipment move between areas and contractors throughout the day, making them particularly vulnerable to being misplaced or taken off-site.

Giving each item a clear digital record and movement history helps reduce these blind spots. Instead of manually checking stock levels or chasing kit by phone and email, managers can see what’s on site, what’s been moved, and what was not returned when expected.

Asset tracking can also support insurance and incident handling. Claims for stolen tools can be slow and difficult if there’s no proof of ownership or last known location. Location history and movement records provide stronger evidence, making it easier to demonstrate when and where an item was last seen.

In an industry where power tools and small plants are frequent targets for theft, visibility acts as both a deterrent and a recovery aid, helping keep projects on schedule and costs under control.

Equipment hire: protecting availability and revenue

Hire businesses rely on assets being out earning and then being returned on time. In reality, hired items are sometimes returned late, not returned at all, or moved between customer sites without the hire company’s knowledge. Each of those scenarios cuts into availability, utilisation, and revenue.

Asset tracking gives hire teams a near real‑time view of where their equipment is, whether it’s on hire, idle at a depot, or sitting at a customer site longer than expected. That makes it easier to follow up before returns slip, to spot assets that could be redeployed, and to maintain more accurate utilisation figures without constant manual audits.

It also strengthens the evidence base when there are disputes. If a customer claims equipment was returned or not used at a particular location, a clear location history helps resolve the issue quickly and fairly.

Over time, this kind of oversight reduces the risk of assets quietly disappearing and gives hire firms a practical way to locate and recover missing items.

Fleet management: covering the gaps in vehicle-only tracking

Fleet operations often focus on vehicle‑level telematics, but that doesn’t always provide the whole picture.

In some cases, vehicle trackers can be disabled, damaged, or removed by thieves, leaving transport teams without a clear view of where a stolen vehicle has gone. A discreet backup tracker elsewhere in the vehicle, or on associated assets, offers a second point of recovery if the primary unit is compromised.

There’s also the question of what happens to the high‑value items inside the vehicle. Tools, equipment, portable machinery and even cargo can all be removed from a van or lorry, at which point vehicle‑level tracking no longer helps. Tagging individual items or containers extends visibility beyond the vehicle itself, so operations teams can see where those assets end up and respond faster if they move without authorisation.

For lower‑value vehicles or trailers, simpler, lower‑cost asset tags can provide useful protection and operational data, without the significant cost. This combo of vehicle tracking and asset‑level insight gives fleet managers a more resilient way to keep track of what matters most, rather than relying on a single device per vehicle.

 A practical advantage, not just a technical one

The true value of asset tracking is operational. It helps businesses save time, improve accountability, and overcome obstacles that slow work down. For many organisations, this can translate into better customer service, improved staff productivity, and stronger margins.

It also supports compliance and audit readiness by creating more reliable records. When assets are properly tracked, businesses are better placed to demonstrate control, answer questions quickly, and reduce the risk of errors.

Why asset tracking should be a priority

Visibility is a strategic business advantage. Companies that know what they have and how it’s being used can operate with more confidence than those relying on spreadsheets, guesswork, or outdated records.

Asset tracking is not just about preventing loss; it’s about creating a more disciplined, efficient, and informed business. For organisations looking to protect profit while supporting growth, asset tracking is a priority worth taking seriously.

Shares of Thermax tumbled as much as 16% to an intraday low of Rs 3,567 on the BSE on Friday after the company reported an 86% year-on-year decline in net profit to Rs 22 crore for the first quarter of FY27. The sharp drop in earnings was largely due to a one-time project cost overrun of Rs 91 crore recognised in the Industrial Infra segment.

Despite the weak bottom line, revenue from operations rose 7% year on year to Rs 2,303 crore, compared with Rs 2,158 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal, according to the company’s investor presentation.

The company’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell 69.08% year on year to Rs 69.5 crore from Rs 224.8 crore, missing Street estimates of Rs 219 crore by 68.26%. EBITDA margin contracted sharply to 3.02% from 10.42% a year ago and also fell short of Street expectations of 9%.

Order inflow increased 2% year on year to Rs 2,809 crore from Rs 2,748 crore, while the total order book stood at Rs 14,045 crore as of June 30, up 23% from a year earlier.

Thermax weak outlook

The company’s outlook also remained subdued. Thermax said performance in the Industrial Products segment was affected by higher input costs and lower export sales. Order booking and backlog in the Industrial Infra segment declined mainly due to weaker demand, while the ongoing conflict in West Asia continued to weigh on trade sentiment and regional capital expenditure, pointing to softer near-term demand in the Middle East.

The company also highlighted rising cost pressures during the quarter. Between April and June 2026, prices of flat and structural steel, tubes and pipes strengthened due to uneven demand-supply dynamics. Non-ferrous metal prices remained highly volatile amid global supply concerns and changing industrial demand, while movements in the U.S. dollar against the rupee further increased imported material costs and overall cost volatility.
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of Economic Times)

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Mumbai: Returns from mutual fund schemes over the past year show a wide gap between the best- and worst-performing funds across categories, underscoring the importance of scheme selection for investors.

In the flexi-cap category, the largest by assets under management (AUM), the top-performing scheme, Quant Flexi Cap Fund, returned 12.29% over the past year, while the worst performer, Samco Flexi Cap Fund, lost 5.75%.

The divergence was even wider in the small-cap category, where Trust Small Cap Fund gained 27.39%, while Tata Small Cap Fund fell 5.08%.

Wealth managers said the divergence reflects a market that has rewarded stock-specific bets, while traditional sectors such as banks and information technology have lagged. Segments such as defence, power and capital markets, on the other hand, have outperformed.

Read more: AI selloff knocks South Korea, Taiwan down global market cap rankings

“The markets have rewarded stock pickers in the last year, with individual stocks in new age sectors getting bigger,” says Sandeep Bagla, chief executive officer, Trust Mutual Fund. “Portfolios with allocation to companies in defence, data centre, premium consumption and financialisation of savings did well, while those in private banks, traditional IT lagged.”

Selecting the right fund has been a challenge for investors as it goes beyond shortlisting investments based on past returns alone.
“Investors need to understand the style of investing, track record of the investment team in terms of which cycle they are able to play well, portfolio construct and suitability, analyst team strength and coverage universe of stocks,” says Nirav Karkera, head of research at W by Groww.
Some distributors said the gap tends to narrow over longer periods. “Fund managers use strategies that work out over a period of time. Investors who go through a full cycle will see return differentials between schemes narrow over a 3-5 year period,” explains S Shankar, CFP, Credo Capital, a mutual fund distributor.

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Rosalind Wright has had two children at Broomfield Hospital and said parking was already a “nightmare” without the cost increase.

She estimated she had about 10 appointments for scans, vaccinations and blood tests, and spent between £50 to £100 to park the car.

The 39-year-old described the 20 minutes of free parking “pointless”.

“I think you’d be hard-pressed to find anybody that ever got in and out of Broomfield Hospital in 30 minutes, so it always seems like a bit of a pointless kind of advertisement,” she said.

“Your appointment’s never on time… I typically would pay three hours for what would probably be a five-minute appointment,” she said.

Some people living nearby the hospitals rent out their driveways to visitors.

JustPark is one platform that provides this service and it told the BBC that 35 spaces were listed within 2km (1.24 miles) of Broomfield Hospital, including six within 500m.

The spaces cost a daily rate of £6.15 on average, compared with £4.52 average daily rate to park elsewhere in Chelmsford.

Natasha Kerrigan, the chief estates and infrastructure officer for the MSENFT, said it was the first increase in three years and some visitors would not have to pay for parking.

She added patients and visitors could also apply for a weekly parking concession ticket.

“[Including] patients receiving chemotherapy, people visiting patients at the end of their life, birthing partners, carers supporting patients with dementia and disabled parking for Blue Badge holders.

“We recognise that any increase in charges is unwelcome, but the costs associated with operating and maintaining our car parks have increased,” she said.

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WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said Thursday that a deal has been reached for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw its forces from Gaza, but many hurdles, conditions and long timelines remained to wind down the war in the Palestinian territory. Neither Hamas nor Israel gave immediate indication that they had agreed.

The White House announcement comes nine months after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire was signed. Negotiations between Israel and Hamas had largely deadlocked over the implementation of its second phase, including the disarmament of Hamas and the reconstruction of Gaza.

“The agreement will be carried out in carefully structured phases,” Trump said on social media. “As disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw, and the International Stabilization Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to take responsibility for Gaza being safe for its residents and its neighbors.”

Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan calls on the Iran-backed militant group to surrender its weapons and destroy its vast network of tunnels. It also envisions Israeli forces withdrawing from Gaza, the arrival of a new technocratic Palestinian government, deployment of an international security force and the rebuilding of the battered Palestinian enclave after more than two years of war.

But Hamas had insisted on implementing the first phase before moving to discuss its weapons. The group’s founding charter calls for armed resistance against Israel, and it has been reluctant to give up an arsenal, including rockets, anti-tank missiles and explosives, that lies at the heart of its identity.

Hamas announced earlier this month that it had dissolved its government in Gaza and was preparing to transfer power to a technical committee backed by the United Nations as part of the ceasefire deal.
U.S. and Board of Peace officials, describing the deal to reporters on condition of anonymity under guidelines set by the White House, gave an extremely optimistic assessment of the agreement that laid out a scenario very similar to the one described by Trump and his top aides when the Board of Peace, an international body established by Trump to oversee the ceasefire in Gaza, was first formed.The officials were unable to offer specific timelines for the disarmament of Hamas or other groups that operate in Gaza such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad, but said the Gaza police force would turn over weapons to the technocratic Board of Peace-backed Gaza administration in the next two weeks.

The Gaza police force, however, does not include the vast majority of Hamas militants and heavy weaponry is not included in that part of the agreement, according to the officials.

Instead, the surrender of heavy weapons and the decommissioning of Hamas tunnels and other infrastructure are to come later in a process that could take between 200 and 350 days, a Board of Peace official said.

A U.S. official said that Israel, which has been deeply skeptical about Hamas’ willingness to give up its guns or relinquish at least behind-the-scenes control of Gaza, had been consulted at every step of the negotiation.

However, the official said Israel was not being asked to do anything more than what it had initially committed to when it agreed to Trump’s 20-point plan, which essentially involves withdrawing its forces from Gaza and committing to ending airstrikes on the territory.

Israel’s U.N. Mission said it had no immediate comment.

The official added that Hamas sponsor Iran remains a wildcard in the equation because although it counseled Hamas members not to accept a deal, it is also not in a position to offer the group much support because it is preoccupied with the conflict with the United States.

The war in Gaza began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, including those killed since the ceasefire, Gaza’s Health Ministry said.

Israel’s military now controls more than half of Gaza, leaving Palestinians confined to squalid tent camps and heavily damaged urban neighborhoods.

South Korea’s Kospi index jumped more than 16% on Friday, tracking gains on Wall Street as artificial intelligence-related stocks bounced back after losses earlier this week.

U.S. futures edged higher and oil prices slipped.

In early Asian trading, the Kospi surged at the open and ratcheted up, trading 16.5% higher before giving up some of those gains. By midday it was up 14% at 6,376.68. Shares of South Korean technology giant Samsung Electronics surged 21%, while memory chipmaker SK Hynix soared 24.6%.

The Kospi index had sunk more than 17% in the previous three days as investors dumped technology stocks in part over worries about an AI bubble and rising competition from chipmaking and AI rivals in China.

The rebound followed Microsoft’s report Thursday of stronger than expected profits for the last quarter. Microsoft’s shares soared 15.5% for its best day in nearly 18 years. The strong earnings were taken as a signal that big spending on AI is translating into profits.

Traders flooded back into the market to snap up shares in tech companies that had recently swooned over doubts that the huge investments will yield adequate returns.
Despite the big jump Friday, the Kospi remains well below the peak of over 9,000 that it hit in June.Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 climbed 4.4% in early Friday trading, to 64,572.25. Multinational investment holding company and OpenAI-investor SoftBank Group jumped 15%, while chip equipment maker Tokyo Electron rose nearly 11%.

“The market went from throwing AI stocks overboard to fighting for the remaining seats before most traders had finished writing the obituary,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.

The dollar fell sharply against the Japanese yen overnight due to suspected intervention in the market after weeks of it trading above 160 yen, near 40-year highs.

Japan’s Nikkei financial newspaper said the intervention was coordinated, with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York conduction what is known as a “rate check” in which it asks various banks to provide exchange-rate quotes for currency trades.

The Treasury Department did not respond to requests for comment. Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama also declined to comment.

After dropping more than 2.4%, the dollar bounced back early Friday, gaining 0.6% to 160.61 yen.

The Bank of Japan opted to keep interest rates unchanged Friday as it wrapped up a policymaking meeting. That was expected. Analysts said the suspected intervention may have been timed to pre-empt speculative moves linked to the central bank’s decisions.

“Intervention in support of the yen may not work any better now than it has previously, but the persistence of the Japanese authorities suggests to us that the yen will remain around the 160 level this year before staging a more sustained rebound next year,” Jonas Golterman of Capital Economics said in a commentary.

The Federal Reserve likewise kept its benchmark rate unchanged at its policy meeting this week. A gap between interest rate levels in Japan and the U.S. has been a key factor behind the yen’s weakness.

The euro fell to $1.1513 from $1.1524.

Elsewhere in Asian share trading, Taiwan’s Taiex surged more than 7%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.4%, to 8,997.50.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng edged 0.1% higher, to 25,894,21, while the Shanghai Composite index advanced 0.6% to 3,828.00.

Oil prices traded lower as tensions between the U.S. and Iran keep the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for oil transport, largely closed.

Brent crude, the international standard, was down 1.3% to $85.76 per barrel. It was trading near $72 a barrel before the Iran war began in late February.

Benchmark U.S. crude was down 1.5% to $82.32 a barrel.

ING commodities analysts said Friday that there were signs of increased oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, which helped ease the pressure on oil supply, with ship tracking data showing tanker crossings grew slightly, though the numbers were still limited.

On Thursday, Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 gained 1.7% to 7,437.63. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 1.2% to 52,208.06. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite rose 2.8% to 25,122.18.

Share prices jumped in South Korea on Friday, partly reversing a three-day rout that wiped hundreds of billions of dollars off the value of the country’s stock market.

The benchmark Kospi index was almost 17% higher in afternoon trading, driven by chip makers SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics.

It came after earnings updates from US technology giants Amazon and Microsoft helped boost optimism over the huge amounts of money being invested in artificial intelligence (AI). South Korean regulators have also announced measures aimed at curbing this week’s sell-off.

Surging chip stocks also helped push markets in Japan and Taiwan higher.

SK Hynix, which is a major supplier to leading AI chip firm Nvidia, saw its shares gain more than 17%, while Samsung was up by 23%.

Both firms had seen their stock market value slump this week as a sell-off in artificial intelligence-related stocks deepened.

Investors had become concerned over the hundreds of billions of dollars being invested in AI by big technology firms.

In recent months stock market trading has been particularly volatile in South Korea as it has attracted large numbers of retail investors.

South Korea’s tech-heavy Kospi has been halted multiple times this year under a stock market mechanism known as a circuit breaker, which is designed to calm panic selling.

The index had more than doubled in value this year and despite a series of big falls since hitting a record high in mid-June it is still 50% higher than it was at the end of 2025.