Why keep a device and SIM register?
Devices move. A tracker is taken out of one truck and put in another, a SIM is swapped, a plan runs out. Without a record, a vehicle goes silent and nobody knows why. A register ties the IMEI to the vehicle, the SIM and the person who installed it.
It also helps when a buyer asks for proof. Some tenders ask you to show the IMEI, the SIM and the vehicle for every unit, and warranty claims go faster when the install date and seal number are on record.
How to use the register
- Set the alert windows. On Start here, set how many days of notice you need for a SIM plan and for a warranty. The file starts with 30 and 60 days.
- Enter the SIMs. ICCID, number, operator, plan, APN, activation and renewal date.
- Enter the devices. Type the ICCID of the SIM in the device row. The number and the SIM end date fill in by themselves.
- Read the Check column. It flags a missing IMEI, a duplicate IMEI, a SIM on two devices and an IMEI that is not 15 digits.
- Open Alerts every week. It lists what ends soon or has ended.
Long numbers lose digits if a spreadsheet treats them as numbers. The columns in this file are already text. If you paste from another file, paste as text.
How the alerts work
The 30-day and 60-day windows are typical values. Set your own.
Moves between vehicles
When a device changes vehicle, update its row on Devices and add one line on Movements: date, asset, from, to, reason, who did it and whether the SIM moved with it. The history answers the question that always comes up later: where was this unit in March?
Limits
The register keeps the dates you enter and reminds you of them. It does not read your carrier account or your warranty terms. Those come from your own contracts.