An asset is something that has value to you.
A wedding ring may not have been expensive but the sentimental value if lost or stolen could be a lot.
A laptop may not have been expensive but the data on it may be irreplaceable for a business and its loss could close down the business (hopefully not if were backed up).
That is why businesses have asset registers – hardware, software, knowledge bases – something that may have a cost value or an impact on the business.
If you are having to create or maintain them in large organisations that might create a lot of work but one way and another you need to start looking at whether those registers are there.
It becomes more complicated for public sector organisations – due you really want to publish them/be forced to publish them because of Freedom of Information (FOI) requirements?
My personal opinion is that is like giving the keys to your house to someone and say help yourself – FOI works on the basis that you have to prove that a concern is more than a possibility to justify not releasing the information.
Talking of computer assets issues during the pandemic – how many have bee counted out and counted back in? Second hand value is second hand value but would bring some money back into the public sector at a point where resources are thin on the ground.