Company Assets
How to track company-owned equipment and items assigned to employees, including assignment, return, and condition monitoring.
The Assets page allows you to manage company-owned equipment and items that are issued to employees for work purposes. This includes laptops, mobile phones, uniforms, ID badges, vehicle keys, and any other physical items the company provides. The system tracks who has what, when it was issued, its current condition, and when it should be returned.
Navigation: HR > Benefits & Allowance > Assets
Purpose
Fleet management companies issue a variety of equipment to their employees and drivers. Without proper tracking:
- Equipment gets lost or unaccounted for when employees leave
- There is no visibility into the total value of assets in circulation
- Replacement and maintenance planning becomes guesswork
- Offboarding becomes difficult without knowing what to collect
The Assets module solves these problems by maintaining a centralized register of all company assets and their assignments.
Viewing Assets
The Assets page has two main views:
Asset Register
The full inventory of all company assets:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Asset Name | The name or description of the asset (e.g., "iPhone 14 Pro") |
| Asset Tag | A unique identifier or barcode for the asset |
| Category | The asset category (e.g., Electronics, Uniform, Vehicle Accessory) |
| Serial Number | The manufacturer's serial number (if applicable) |
| Purchase Date | When the asset was purchased |
| Purchase Cost | The original cost of the asset |
| Current Condition | New, Good, Fair, or Damaged |
| Assignment Status | Available, Assigned, Under Maintenance, or Retired |
| Assigned To | The employee currently holding this asset (if assigned) |
Employee Asset View
A view grouped by employee, showing which assets each person holds:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Employee | Name and employee ID |
| Department | Employee's department |
| Assets Assigned | Number of assets currently held by this employee |
| Total Value | Combined value of all assets assigned to this employee |
Click on an employee to see the full list of their assigned assets.
Asset Categories
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Electronics | Laptops, tablets, mobile phones, chargers |
| Communication | Two-way radios, SIM cards, headsets |
| Uniform | Shirts, jackets, safety vests, helmets |
| Vehicle Accessories | GPS devices, dash cameras, vehicle keys, fuel cards |
| Office Equipment | Monitors, keyboards, chairs, desks |
| Safety Equipment | Fire extinguishers, first aid kits, reflective triangles |
| ID & Access | Employee ID badges, access cards, building keys |
Adding an Asset to the Register
To add a new asset:
- Click Add Asset at the top-right of the Asset Register tab.
- Fill in the asset details:
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Asset Name | Yes | A clear description of the item |
| Asset Tag | Yes | A unique identifier (can be auto-generated or manually entered) |
| Category | Yes | Select the asset category |
| Serial Number | No | Manufacturer's serial number |
| Brand / Model | No | Brand and model information |
| Purchase Date | No | When the asset was purchased |
| Purchase Cost | No | The original purchase price |
| Condition | Yes | Current condition: New, Good, Fair, or Damaged |
| Warranty Expiry | No | When the manufacturer's warranty expires |
| Notes | No | Any additional notes about the asset |
- Click Save to add the asset to the register.
Using a consistent naming convention for assets makes searching and reporting easier. For example, "Laptop - Dell Latitude 5540" is more useful than just "Laptop." Include the brand and model in the name whenever possible.
Assigning an Asset to an Employee
To issue an asset to an employee:
- Find the asset in the register and click on it (or use the Assign button).
- Fill in the assignment details:
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Employee | Yes | The employee who will receive the asset |
| Assignment Date | Yes | The date the asset is being issued |
| Expected Return Date | No | When the asset should be returned (leave blank for indefinite) |
| Condition at Assignment | Yes | The condition of the asset when handed over |
| Acknowledgment | No | Whether the employee has signed an acknowledgment receipt |
| Notes | No | Any notes about the assignment (e.g., "Includes charger and case") |
- Click Assign to confirm.
The asset's status will change from "Available" to "Assigned" and the employee's name will appear in the Assigned To column.
It is strongly recommended to have employees sign an acknowledgment when receiving company assets. This creates a clear record that the employee accepted the item and understood their responsibility for it.
Returning an Asset
When an employee returns a company asset:
- Open the asset detail.
- Click Return Asset.
- Fill in the return details:
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Return Date | Yes | The date the asset was returned |
| Condition at Return | Yes | The condition of the asset when returned (Good, Fair, Damaged) |
| Notes | No | Any notes about the return (e.g., "Screen has minor scratches") |
- Click Confirm Return.
The asset's status will change to "Available" and it can be assigned to another employee. If the asset is damaged, you may want to change its status to "Under Maintenance" instead.
Asset Status Workflow
| Status | Description | Next Possible Statuses |
|---|---|---|
| Available | Asset is in the register and ready to be assigned | Assigned, Under Maintenance, Retired |
| Assigned | Asset is currently held by an employee | Available (when returned), Under Maintenance |
| Under Maintenance | Asset is being repaired or serviced | Available, Retired |
| Retired | Asset is no longer in service (sold, disposed, or written off) | None (final state) |
Tracking Asset History
Each asset maintains a full history of assignments:
| Record | Description |
|---|---|
| Assignment Date | When the asset was given to the employee |
| Employee | Who held the asset |
| Return Date | When the asset was returned |
| Condition Change | Any change in condition during the assignment period |
| Notes | Relevant notes from either the assignment or return |
This history provides a complete audit trail for each asset, which is valuable for:
- Investigating loss or damage
- Planning replacement cycles
- Understanding usage patterns
- Compliance and auditing
Offboarding and Assets
When an employee leaves the organization, all their assigned assets must be collected. The Assets module supports this by:
- Providing a quick view of all assets assigned to the departing employee
- Allowing batch return processing for multiple assets at once
- Recording the condition of each asset at the time of return
Include the employee's asset list in your offboarding checklist. Before processing the final payroll, verify that all assets have been returned or accounted for. Some organizations deduct the replacement value of unreturned assets from the final settlement.
Best Practices
- Tag everything -- Assign a unique asset tag to every item. Use barcodes or QR codes for faster scanning during audits.
- Audit regularly -- Conduct asset audits at least once per quarter. Verify that assigned assets match the records in the system.
- Record condition changes -- If an asset's condition changes (e.g., screen cracked), update the record immediately rather than waiting for the return.
- Set expected return dates -- For temporary equipment (e.g., a loaner phone), always set an expected return date so you can follow up.
- Plan replacements -- Use purchase dates and condition data to plan asset replacement cycles. Assets older than their expected lifespan or in "Fair" or "Damaged" condition should be flagged for replacement.
- Coordinate with offboarding -- Make asset return a mandatory step in the offboarding process. Do not process the employee's final settlement until all assets are accounted for.