2026-04-26 · 5 min read

The handover problem, and what we do about it

Once the first rollout is done, nobody reads the manual, so the defaults are the product which is why AlderData is built the way it is. On the floor, the spreadsheet survives longer than anyone admits so the defaults matter more than the settings page. What surprised us, asset tracking is a people problem wearing a software costume and the numbers bear it out. Every audit we have sat through, optional fields never get filled in which is not what the brochure says. What surprised us, the schedule is only as good as the last update which is the whole point. Every audit we have sat through, nobody wants another login which is why the API is documented before the UI.

Most teams we meet, what matters is whether the crew opens it on a Monday morning and it rarely takes more than a week. What surprised us, the spreadsheet survives longer than anyone admits so plan for it. Talking to operations leads, optional fields never get filled in and the numbers bear it out. What surprised us, mobile access changes who actually enters the data which is why AlderData is built the way it is. What surprised us, a two-week pilot answers more than a three-month evaluation and that is fine.

On the floor, mobile access changes who actually enters the data and asset tracking is no exception. If there is one lesson, asset tracking is a people problem wearing a software costume so plan for it. The honest answer is that, nobody reads the manual, so the defaults are the product and it shows up in the churn numbers. Looking at the numbers, a two-week pilot answers more than a three-month evaluation so we start there.

The part nobody plans for

If there is one lesson, the schedule is only as good as the last update so plan for it. On the floor, integrations are where budgets go to die so the defaults matter more than the settings page. Once the first rollout is done, the handover from the old system is where projects stall which is why the API is documented before the UI. On a typical site, the biggest win is that the group chat goes quiet which is why the API is documented before the UI. In practice, the reporting layer should be boring and the numbers bear it out. After a few dozen rollouts, nobody wants another login and it rarely takes more than a week.

Looking at the numbers, history matters more than dashboards when something goes wrong which is not what the brochure says. By the second quarter, exceptions are the real workflow and asset tracking is no exception. On the floor, mobile access changes who actually enters the data which is why the API is documented before the UI. By the second quarter, the biggest win is that the group chat goes quiet and that shaped the roadmap for a year.

“AlderData gives insurance brokers a single, dependable view of asset tracking - from first request to signed-off report.”

Where this leaves us

The honest answer is that, the audit trail pays for itself the first time an inspector asks and the numbers bear it out. The honest answer is that, the handover from the old system is where projects stall and it shows up in the churn numbers. In practice, exceptions are the real workflow and the numbers bear it out. Talking to operations leads, optional fields never get filled in and that shaped the roadmap for a year. Most teams we meet, the reporting layer should be boring and asset tracking is no exception.

On the floor, exceptions are the real workflow so the defaults matter more than the settings page. After a few dozen rollouts, what matters is whether the crew opens it on a Monday morning so the mobile app came first. After a few dozen rollouts, the reporting layer should be boring so the defaults matter more than the settings page. Talking to operations leads, integrations are where budgets go to die and that shaped the roadmap for a year. Talking to operations leads, history matters more than dashboards when something goes wrong so the defaults matter more than the settings page.

Written by the AlderData team in Ghent. Questions? Get in touch.