If your willing to spend a small bit of money, then Asset Management is the way to go.
Coming from Modo, Truespace, Poser, Daz Studio, Carrera, Bryce and others, I have been terribly missing a asset management system in blender.
This addon has met most of what i wanted in blender asset management for a long time.
I have seen bug fixes done as quickly as 4 hours after being reported, these guys are on the ball, customer orientated, product comes first, no BS.
2.8 updates are on the way…all updates have come with no charge.
I can not recommend anything else…BF has said that asset management is going to be another year+ to develop.
Just something to think about.