Audiovisual inventory management software built for you
Track all your AV equipment: lighting, sound, screens, cameras, microphones, in one place. Hector gives you real-time visibility into asset availability, automates maintenance alerts and prevents double bookings, so your gear is always ready for production.
What is audiovisual inventory management?
Audiovisual inventory management is a structured approach to tracking and managing AV equipment throughout its lifecycle, from acquisition to rental and maintenance. It covers all the audiovisual gear needed for live events, conferences and productions, ensuring its availability and good condition while monitoring rental and servicing schedules.
This process is crucial for rental and production companies looking to improve project management and maximize profitability. With dedicated software, teams reduce manual tracking, increase efficiency and automate processes like inventory and equipment tracking, using tools such as barcodes and QR codes, particularly useful on mobile devices in the field.
Audiovisual rental software
Audiovisual rental software streamlines workflows through real-time inventory updates, equipment tracking and notifications, improving the user experience while supporting the rental industry’s essential features. The best tools give you instant visibility into equipment availability, pricing and rental calendars, minimizing downtime and making sure all your AV gear is ready to rent.
The most complete solutions also include project management tools, detailed reporting and invoicing. By automating purchase orders, rental coordination and audits, companies cut administrative work and improve their user experience.
Why manage your audiovisual equipment?
Effective audiovisual inventory management is essential for event productions and AV rental companies looking to optimize resources, improve workflows and avoid delays. With the right software, you track all your AV equipment, manage your rentals and monitor gear availability in real time. By reducing reliance on manual tracking, your teams focus on project outcomes, meet client requests and prevent double bookings or inventory losses.
By knowing the condition, availability and location of every piece of audiovisual equipment, your teams improve planning, streamline operations and guarantee availability for any production.
- Three highlights:
Real-time availability, zero double booking. See instantly what is available, reserved or out on rental. - Field tracking by scan. Every camera, microphone or projector identified by barcode / QR; a single mobile scan is enough.
- Maintenance and lifecycle under control. Servicing and inspection alerts to anticipate replacements before a breakdown.
From inventory to production, in 4 steps
01
Build your AV catalog and kits
Model cameras, lenses, microphones, lighting, sound and screens; group recurring sets into kits that book in one tap.
02
Assign by project and publish in self-service
Assign equipment to a project, an event or a location; your teams and students book online, with or without approval.
03
Track in the field by scan
Check-outs, returns and physical inventories by barcode / QR scan from mobile; availability updated in real time.
04
Maintain, invoice and analyze
Maintenance alerts, rental invoicing through an accounting integration, usage and inventory reports in a few clicks.
Manage all your audiovisual inventory
With complete AV rental software, you can track and manage:
- AV equipment: audio systems, video screens, lighting, cameras, microphones and other key assets, with barcode and QR code tracking.
- Project management: assign audiovisual inventory to your projects to keep things running smoothly, avoid conflicts and improve client satisfaction.
- Rental management: coordinate your rentals and track purchase orders to meet demand without hurting equipment availability.
- Servicing notifications: automate notifications for servicing, rental returns and order updates to simplify your workflows.
Examples of tracked gear: cameras, lenses and accessories, microphones and audio systems, lighting and projectors, screens, monitors and video projectors, mixers, cables and peripherals, tripods, cases and consumables, complete kits (studio, capture, sound reinforcement).
Hector vs Excel
Managing an AV fleet in Excel seems simple, until the first camera goes missing the day before a shoot.
| Criteria | Hector | Excel spreadsheet |
|---|---|---|
| Data updates | Automatic via barcode, QR or RFID scan | Manual, one row at a time |
| Risk of error | Reduced by the centralized database | High (copy-paste, duplicates) |
| Real-time mobile access | Synced iOS and Android app | Absent or awkward |
| Servicing and end-of-life alerts | Automatic notifications | You track it yourself |
| Kits and sets (camera + lens + mic) | Grouped into one bookable asset | Rebuilt by hand |
| Traceability (who holds what) | Full history per asset | Approximate |
Software built for every industry
Hector adapts to your needs, whatever your industry.
Everything you need
Asset Tracking
Get an instant overview of all your hardware and software assets, with a flexible tool that adapts to your needs.
Equipment Loans
Automate equipment check-in and check-out, and keep clear track of your loans and rentals.
Mobile App
Access Hector anywhere: track your assets, scan your items and reserve equipment securely.
Report Generation
No more manual reports. Generate your inventories and equipment audits in just a few clicks.
Notifications & Reminders
Get alerted automatically whenever an action, an overdue return or a maintenance task needs your attention.
Data Security
Your sensitive information is protected and stored in a highly secure environment.
Barcodes & QR Codes
Generate and scan barcodes and QR codes to track your assets quickly and without errors.
RFID Inventory
Identify your assets by radio frequency (RFID): no more manual entry or time lost during inventory counts.
See more features
User Synchronization
Import your employees, students or clients so they can access Hector and act autonomously.
Single Sign-On (SSO)
Log in instantly with single sign-on, without re-entering your credentials every time.
Operations Module
Manage your daily activities: procurement, preparation, delivery and repair of your equipment.
Cloud Solution
Your inventory hosted in the Cloud, synced and accessible anytime, anywhere.
Inventory Reconciliation
Compare your physical inventory against your Hector data, spot discrepancies and make your stock reliable fast.
Iris Module
Link your QR codes to specific actions and trigger creation, movement or consumption in a single scan.
Accounting Module
Centralize invoices and payments in Hector: templates, documents and clear tracking of your transactions.
Your questions, answered
What is the best software to manage an inventory of audiovisual equipment (cameras, microphones, etc.)?
The best software centralizes each item’s information (location, condition, availability), tracks maintenance and manages bookings. Hector is especially well suited to audiovisual: barcode / QR tracking, bookings, kits (camera + lens + microphone grouped into a single asset) and real-time availability.
Are there free tools to manage the loan and return of audiovisual equipment?
A few free tools exist, but they are often limited in the number of assets, bookings or maintenance tracking. Most professional solutions offer a free trial: Hector offers a free 15-day trial to test the loan, return and tracking of your equipment.
How do I track servicing and maintenance of my audiovisual equipment with software?
Hector lets you set a maintenance frequency per equipment category and send automatic notifications before each service or inspection. The maintenance history and costs are kept on each asset’s record.
Which inventory management software suits film schools or university technical departments?
Hector suits film schools and university technical departments: students or technicians book equipment in self-service, staff approve requests, and every check-out / return is tracked by scan. Late fees and electronically signed loan agreements keep borrowers accountable.
Which tool should I use to know in real time where my cameras and accessories are?
With Hector, every camera or accessory is identified by a barcode or QR code. A scan through the mobile app updates its location and who holds it. At any time, you know who has what, where and since when.
Are there software tools that let employees or students book audiovisual equipment?
Yes. Hector offers a self-service booking catalog: employees or students book from the web or the mobile app, with or without staff approval, and an availability calendar prevents double bookings.
Which software offers barcode or QR code management for my audiovisual equipment?
Hector generates and customizes your barcode and QR labels, then lets you scan each item through the mobile app for check-outs, returns and physical inventories, especially useful in the field, in production.
What is the best audiovisual inventory management software for a small production company?
For a small operation, what matters is a fast start and a controlled cost. Hector scales from a few dozen to several thousand items, with a free trial, scan-based tracking and centralized bookings, with no administrative overload.
Is there software that combines inventory management and invoicing / rental of audiovisual equipment?
Yes. Hector manages rentals and bookings, and generates invoices through an accounting integration: loans containing billable equipment are converted into invoices, late fees included.
Which software lets me get alerts when a piece of audiovisual equipment needs to be replaced or serviced?
Hector sends automatic notifications for upcoming servicing, rental returns and equipment end-of-life. You anticipate inspections and replacements before a breakdown compromises a production.