Imagine a donor pulling you aside at your next fundraiser, excited to show another guest a sculpture they donated years ago. You quickly think about what is on view, but remember the piece was rotated into the vault last year. Eager to meet the donor’s request, you open your collection management system to confirm its location–and hesitate. Is the record up to date? Was it moved during a recent appraisal? In those quiet seconds, location reporting moves from a back-end function to a front-line necessity.
For Collector Systems users, locating an object is easy. If, after seeing the Marcel Broodthaers they gifted years ago, a donor then requests to see the Joseph Kosuth in storage, you can quickly and confidently take them to the correct location using our mobile app.
To update an object’s location, search for the item or scan the object’s barcode or QR code using your phone. From the object’s record, you can add, select, or scan the unique code to update the item’s location. Rotating objects on view or moving them to a different home? To save time, you can easily batch update locations by selecting multiple objects in the app, then scan their new location’s code to update the records instantly.
Since Collector Systems is cloud-based, any changes to an object’s location are immediately updated across the system–so you don’t have to worry about having out-of-date information in front of an important client or donor.
You can also easily manage objects across multiple locations using both our mobile and web apps, including adding and updating sub-locations. If you are working with an appraiser, for example, you can not only see what items are currently located at the Telluride home, but also what items are currently in the sub-location of the basement lounge bar, or if you’re a collecting institution, what items are in the paintings vault, sub-location rack 17(b).
Use location to denote where an object is currently located, and permanent location for where an item is primarily stored or exhibited. For instance, the Mona Lisa’s permanent location would be the Salle des États within the Louvre, but the location might temporarily be updated to conservation or the vault when the painting is being conditioned or temporarily not on view.
Unique barcodes and QR codes can be generated for locations and sub-locations. To find records associated with an object or location, simply scan the object or location code using our Mobile App. From our web app, you can view the location history of an object, including all related sensor data, like relative temperature and humidity.
The result is streamlined location management that saves time and eliminates uncertainty. By simplifying every step–from scanning to reporting–Collector Systems transforms how you manage object locations. Less time searching, more time stewarding your collection.
