The study, compiled using data from 1,500 financial executives in construction, logistics, field services, and utilities across seven countries, identifies Mexico as the market with the largest increase in the frequency of high-value asset theft over the past five years . Sixty-two percent of the Mexican organizations surveyed reported an increase in these incidents, exceeding the global average of 49%.
However, the report warns that the problem goes beyond theft . The lack of visibility into assets forces companies to dedicate time and resources to locating equipment, modifying project plans, making emergency purchases or rentals, and absorbing costs that affect daily operations.
This impact is reflected in productivity. Ninety-eight percent of organizations indicated that asset tracking is part of their daily or weekly activities, and in more than a quarter of companies lacking real-time visibility, employees spend more than 10 hours per week locating lost equipment. In Mexico, 49% reported lost employee time for this same reason.
The consequences also extend to project execution. 93% of Mexican organizations stated that the loss of a critical asset led to the closure or significant delay of a project during the last 12 months.
In addition, 36% indicated that they have stopped participating or competing for new projects due to the theft , loss, or misplacement of critical assets, while 47% said they had resorted to emergency rentals or replacement purchases to keep their operations running.
The report also identifies a shift in the source of losses. While the theft of heavy machinery often receives the most attention, 72% of operating costs stem from assets valued at less than 170,000 pesos, such as tools, sensors, generators, and specialized spare parts essential for daily operations. Consequently, 25% of the budget allocated for acquiring new equipment ends up being used to replace stolen or lost assets.
The lack of tracking also hinders equipment recovery. Without monitoring systems, locating a lost asset takes an average of 25 days, and 54% of organizations fail to recover even half of their stolen high-value equipment. Furthermore, operations without tracking systems are 70% more likely to face seven-figure losses due to asset theft or loss.
At a financial level, the study estimates that medium-sized operations without asset tracking face average losses of 230 million pesos per year, considering both direct replacement costs and those associated with operational interruptions, unproductive labor, emergency rentals, and contractual penalties.
Faced with this scenario, organizations that incorporate asset tracking and visibility tools report improvements in their performance. In Mexico, 56% stated they had reduced project closures and delays after implementing these systems , while 36% indicated they had negotiated lower insurance premiums.
The report concludes that asset management has ceased to be solely a matter of asset control and has become a component of operational continuity. The ability to know the location and availability of equipment in real time is beginning to influence productivity, project completion, and the competitiveness of companies.
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