UPDATE Sept.29, 2020: New features added, full details at bottom of page; “CLONING (duplicating) ASSETS“, and “ASSET NICKNAMES”
Asset management is the central function of Custodian™ CMMS.
Repairing assets. Maintaining assets. Deploying assets. Re-locating, Repairing, and Retiring assets. But what is an asset?
What is an “Asset”?
An asset is anything your company needs to do business:
- Hard Assets:
- Machinery, Equipment, Tools
- Computers, Network Components or Devices
- Office Furniture, Fixtures
- Soft Assets:
- Software and Subscriptions
- Licenses, Certifications
- Permits
Asset Details
your asset database includes many details about each individual asset:
- Manufacturer
- Model
- Serial number
- Purhase date
- Warranty expiration
- Price
- Maintenance records
- Location, Site, and Area
- Images
To avoid confusion between similar assets, the Custodian™ database generates a unique identification number for each asset. This unique number is called the Asset-Tag.
Asset Organization
Assets are organized into very general classifications called Asset-Categories. Categories are broad terms.
Each Asset-Category is sub-divided into more specific Asset-Types.
For example: The Asset-Category “Computers” might include three Asset-Types: “Desktop PCs”, “Laptops”, and “Tablets”
Asset-TAGS (Numbers)
When configuring Custodian™ Asset-Types (outlined in the steps below) you will have the option of customizing Asset-Tags.
For example – it might be useful if all “Desktop PCs” have an Asset-Tag that starts with the abbreviation DPC. We call this a TAG-PREFIX. All assets that belong to the “Desktop PC” asset-type will be numbered sequentially, always starting with the tag-prefix “DPC”: DPC0001, DPC0002, DPC0003, etc.
You can make up your own tag-prefixes. We recommend a three letter abbreviation. Some examples:
- DPC = Desktop PC
- PRN = Printer
- CAM = Camera
- KPD = Keypad
- BLR = Boiler
… You get the idea.
Asset CATEGORIES
First, we’ll need to create a few asset categories to help keep things organized. Categories are very general – no details – just a name.
In the left menu-panel, choose Assets > Categories.
To create a new Asset-Category, click the + NEW ASSET CATEGORY button.
Give your new category a broad, descriptive NAME.
Click SAVE.
Repeat and create as many asset-Categories you need. There is no limit.
Asset TYPES
Since Asset-Categories are very general, we need to narrow down the field into slightly more specific sub-categories – called Asset-TYPEs.
To see a list of asset-TYPEs within an asset-category, click the TYPES button. This will expand or collapse the list.
To create a new Asset-Type within a Category, click the + NEW ASSET TYPE button. This will open the Asset-Type modal.
Give your new Asset-Type a descriptive NAME … and a TAG-PREFIX (as described above).
And we’ll add some CONFIGURATIONS …
Configurations
Configurations are characteristics that are common among all assets within an Asset-Type.
For example: if your Asset-TYPE is Desktop PCs, some relevant configurations might include:
- Operating System
- Processor
- RAM
- Static IP
- Monitor connection type.
When you finish adding your CONFIGURATIONS, click SAVE.
Adding New Assets
Finally – you’re now ready to start adding ASSETS to your Custodian™ CMMS database.
In the left menu-panel, choose Assets > Add New Asset. This will open the Add-Asset modal.
From the drop-down lists, choose your new Asset’s CATEGORY, TYPE, and the AREA where your asset will be deployed.
Give your new Asset a NICKNAME.
From the drop-down list, set the STATUS of the new Asset;
- Deployed = currently in use somewhere in your company
- Inventory = not currently used, available to be deployed
- Requires Repair = not usable, needs to be fixed
- Retired = no longer usable; obsolete
And select the CONDITION of the Asset.
Click NEXT.
Enter the MANUFACTURER, MODEL, and SERIAL NUMBER.
The Custodian™ database will automatically generate an Asset-TAG. If your company already uses a tag-numbers, you can manually key it in here.
Click NEXT.
The following fields are optional: Purchase Date, Cost, and Warranty expiration.
Click NEXT.
Also optional, you can upload a picture of the Asset. This can be very useful for technicians.
Enter any NOTES about the Asset that haven’t already been entered, and fill-in the custom CONFIGURATIONS.
Click FINISH.
To view or edit any of an Asset’s details, return to your list of Assets. You can search for an Asset by keyword or tag number.
UPDATES
Some new features were not discusses in the video …
Cloning (duplicating) an Asset
If your company has a number of almost identical assets, you can save time by cloning an asset in your Custodian™ CMMS database. Perform the following steps to clone an asset:
In the left menu panel, choose View/Edit Assets to open your company’s Asset List.
In the Asset List, click the appropriate view
button to open the Asset Details page for the asset to be cloned.
In the Asset Details page, under the Deployment card, click the CLONE button. This will open a New Asset modal, pre-populated with all the details of the original asset. A new Asset Tag will automatically be generated sequentially. Modify any of these details as necessary.
Click SAVE when complete.
Asset NICKNAMES
Each asset can now be assigned an optional NICKNAME for easier identification. A Nickname can be anything you like; for example, “Bob’s Computer”, “Jane’s Printer”, etc.
If a nickname is duplicated, the system will append it with (1), (2), (3), etc., to indicate that there are other assets with the same Nickname.
You can define a Nickname when creating a new asset, or you can add/modify the Nickname of an existing asset in the Asset Details page.