Assets — User Guide

Recommended roles:

• Assets Admin
• Maintains asset master data, categories, lifecycle statuses, and governance rules.
• Operations / Facilities
• Records assignments, transfers, returns, and maintenance actions.
• IT / Equipment Custodian
• Manages devices (laptops, phones, peripherals) assignments and return evidence.
• Finance
• Reviews value fields and depreciation information (when used).
• Approver (optional)
• Reviews disposals/retirements and sensitive status changes.

Best practice:

• Restrict “retire/dispose” and major value edits to a small number of users.

### 1) Define categories and naming conventions

• Create asset categories (IT, Vehicles, Office equipment, Tools, etc.).
• Decide a consistent naming rule:
• Asset name + model + unique tag
• Example: `Laptop — Dell 5420 — XF-IT-00231`

### 2) Define identifiers (asset tags)

• Decide your tag format (recommended):
• Prefix by category + sequential number
• Ensure tags are unique and never reused.

### 3) Define lifecycle statuses
Keep the first version simple:

• Active
• Assigned
• Under maintenance
• In storage
• Retired / disposed

### 4) Decide assignment policy
Define:

• Who can assign assets
• Evidence required on handover/return (signature, photo, document)
• SLA for returns when employees offboard

### 5) Define maintenance recording policy

• What counts as maintenance (repair, inspection, upgrade)
• Required fields:
• date, outcome, notes, attachments
• Who can mark “under maintenance” and when it should return to “active”

### 6) Depreciation setup (optional)
If finance wants depreciation visibility:

• Decide which fields are required (purchase date, cost, depreciation schedule)
• Align depreciation rules with your accounting policy
• Ensure only finance/admin can edit depreciation fields

### Workflow 1: Create an asset record

1. Assets → Add new asset
2. Set:

• Asset tag / identifier
• Category
• Description (model/spec)

1. Add supporting documents (invoice, manual, certificate)
2. Save and verify it appears in asset list

### Workflow 2: Assign an asset to an employee/department

1. Open the asset record
2. Assign to:

• Employee (recommended for devices)
• Department/team (for shared equipment)

1. Record handover date and notes
2. Confirm assignment appears in history

Tip:

• Always record a return/handover note to preserve audit trail.

### Workflow 3: Transfer and return
Transfer:

1. Open asset record
2. Transfer to a new owner (employee/department)
3. Record reason and effective date

Return:

1. Mark returned/unassigned (based on your flow)
2. Attach evidence if required (handover form)
3. Set status to “In storage” or “Active” depending on policy

### Workflow 4: Log maintenance

1. Change status to “Under maintenance”
2. Add a maintenance entry:

• date, notes, actions taken
• attach service report (if available)

1. When completed:

• update status back to “Active” or “Assigned”
• record outcome

### Workflow 5: Retire or dispose an asset

1. Confirm ownership and return status
2. Set status to “Retired/Disposed”
3. Record:

• retirement/disposal reason
• date
• supporting documentation (where needed)

1. Ensure asset remains searchable for audit history

Common views:

• Assets by status (active/maintenance/retired)
• Assets by category
• Assets by department/owner
• Assignment history
• Maintenance activity overview
• Depreciation summary (when used)

Recommended cadence:

• Monthly: review “under maintenance” and “overdue returns”
• Quarterly: audit sample of assignments vs reality
• Yearly: retirement/disposal reconciliation

### I can’t find the Assets menu

• Confirm the module is enabled.
• Confirm staff role has Assets permissions.

### Duplicate assets exist (same item registered twice)

• Standardize naming + tag rules.
• Merge/retire duplicates and keep one canonical record.
• Train users to search before creating new assets.

### Assignment history is missing

• Ensure assignments/transfers are done through the asset workflow (not only notes).
• Require a minimum set of fields for any transfer.

### Depreciation fields are inconsistent

• Restrict editing to finance/admin.
• Define a single depreciation policy and document it.
• Audit changes quarterly.

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