The asset owner is accountable for an asset: its budget, whether it is fit for purpose, when it should be maintained, replaced or disposed of. The owner is usually a role or department — "Head of IT", "Facilities" — rather than the person using the item, who is the custodian.
Why it matters
Somebody must be able to say yes to a repair, a replacement or a write-off. Named owners stop decisions stalling and make it clear who reviews audit exceptions for their assets.
Example
Owner: Clinical Engineering — approves repair vs replace for infusion pumps. Custodians: individual wards that use them.
Typical owner responsibilities
- Approving purchases, major repairs, transfers and disposals
- Reviewing audit results and write-off requests for their assets
- Setting policies — who may use or check out the assets, and where they may go
- Planning replacement budgets from age, condition and cost history
In Asetavo
Departments, custodians and role-based permissions let you reflect who is accountable and who can make which changes.