Assigning Assets to Locations - Physical Location Tracking

Overview

Location assignment tracks where assets are physically located. Use this for fixed equipment, shared resources, and assets that stay in one place rather than moving with individuals.

When to Assign to Locations vs. Users

Assign to LOCATION when:

• Asset is fixed in place (projectors, furniture, HVAC)
• Shared by multiple people in that space
• Room or facility owns the asset
• Tracking physical placement for audits/inspections

Assign to USER when:

• Asset moves with person (laptops, phones)
• Individual is accountable for asset
• Equipment for exclusive personal use

Critical: An asset cannot be assigned to both a location AND a user simultaneously. Choose one or the other.

Before You Start: Create Locations

Locations must exist before you can assign assets to them.

1. Go to Settings → Locations
2. Create hierarchical structure (Building → Floor → Room)
3. Then return to assign assets

See Creating Location Hierarchies for detailed setup.

Assigning an Asset to a Location

Method 1: From Asset Detail Page

1. Navigate to Assets
2. Click asset name to open detail page
3. Click "Edit" button
4. Scroll to "Assignment" section
5. In "Location" dropdown, select location path
6. Clear "Assigned To" (user) field if populated
7. Click "Save"

Method 2: Quick Assign from List

1. Go to Assets page
2. Find asset in list
3. Click three-dot menu → "Assign to Location"
4. Select location from hierarchical dropdown
5. Click "Assign"

What Happens When You Assign

• Asset shows location in asset list
• Location appears on asset detail page
• Audit trail entry created: "Asset assigned to location [Location Name]"
• If previously assigned to user, user assignment is cleared

Understanding Location Paths

UniAsset uses hierarchical location paths separated by " → ".

Example:

HQ Building → Floor 2 → Conference Room A

When selecting location in dropdown, you'll see full paths:

• HQ Building
  • HQ Building → Floor 1
    • HQ Building → Floor 1 → Lobby
    • HQ Building → Floor 1 → Server Room
  • HQ Building → Floor 2
    • HQ Building → Floor 2 → Conference Room A
    • HQ Building → Floor 2 → Conference Room B

Select the most specific level (usually the room/zone, not the building).

Bulk Assigning to Locations

When outfitting a new office or room:

1. Go to Assets page
2. Filter assets (e.g., all projectors, all office chairs)
3. Select multiple assets with checkboxes
4. Click "Bulk Actions" → "Assign to Location"
5. Select location from dropdown
6. Click "Assign All"

Use case: Moving 20 desks into "HQ → Floor 3 → Open Office Area" at once.

Moving Assets Between Locations

When relocating equipment:

1. Open asset detail page
2. Click "Edit"
3. Change "Location" dropdown to new location
4. Click "Save"
5. Audit trail records: "Location changed from [Old] to [New]"

Bulk Relocation

Moving entire room of equipment to new floor:

1. Filter: Location = "Old Conference Room"
2. Select all assets
3. Bulk Actions → "Assign to Location"
4. Select new location
5. Click "Reassign All"

Unassigning Location

To remove location assignment (e.g., asset going into storage or being assigned to user):

1. Open asset detail page
2. Click "Edit"
3. Set "Location" dropdown to (None)
4. Optionally assign to User if that's the next state
5. Click "Save"

Filtering Assets by Location

Find all assets in a specific location:

1. Go to Assets page
2. Click Filters → Location
3. Select location from dropdown
4. Asset list shows only assets in that location

Include Child Locations

When filtering by location, UniAsset shows:

• Assets directly assigned to that location
• Assets in child locations (sub-locations)

Example: Filtering by "HQ Building → Floor 2" shows assets in:

• Floor 2 (general)
• Floor 2 → Conference Room A
• Floor 2 → Conference Room B
• Floor 2 → Break Room

To exclude child locations, select the specific room instead.

Location-Based Workflows

Physical Audits

Conduct room-by-room audits:

1. Print asset list filtered by Location
2. Walk location with printout
3. Verify each asset physically present
4. Mark discrepancies (missing, wrong location)
5. Update asset locations in UniAsset after audit

Facility Planning

Track equipment density:

1. Filter: Location = "Building A"
2. View count and total value
3. Compare to other buildings
4. Identify over/under-equipped facilities

Move Management

When relocating offices:

1. Export all assets for current building
2. Plan new locations in new building
3. Use bulk assign to update locations
4. Print new location labels
5. Track move progress with location changes

Location Assignment for Different Asset Types

Fixed Equipment

HVAC, Elevators, Generators:

• Assign to specific building/zone
• Example: "Main Campus → Building A → Mechanical Room → HVAC Unit #1"

Projectors, TVs, Conference Equipment:

• Assign to room where installed
• Example: "HQ → Floor 2 → Conference Room B → Ceiling Projector"

Office Furniture

Desks and Chairs:

• Assign to desk/cubicle number if tracked that granularly
• Or assign to floor/area: "HQ → Floor 3 → Open Office Area"

Shared Furniture (Conference Tables):

• Assign to room: "HQ → Floor 1 → Conference Room A"

IT Equipment

Servers, Network Equipment:

• Assign to server room/rack
• Example: "Data Center → Room 101 → Rack 5 → Server"

Desktop Computers (Fixed):

• Assign to room or assign to USER who sits there (use user assignment instead)

Manufacturing Equipment

CNC Machines, Assembly Lines:

• Assign to production bay/station
• Example: "Factory A → Production Floor → Bay 3 → CNC Machine #12"

Location Reports

Assets by Location

1. Go to Reports → Asset Value by Location
2. See breakdown: total assets and value per location
3. Export for facilities budget planning

Location Utilization

Identify underutilized spaces:

1. Run report showing asset count per location
2. Low-count locations may be candidates for consolidation

Best Practices

1. Be Consistent with Naming

Use consistent format:

• Good: Building → Floor → Room → Equipment (if needed)
• Bad: Mixing "Building A Floor 2" and "Bldg B - 2nd Fl"

2. Assign to Most Specific Level

Don't assign to "HQ Building" if you know it's in "HQ Building → Floor 2 → Room 205".

Specific locations make audits easier.

3. Update Immediately When Moving Assets

Don't wait until next audit. Update location when asset is physically moved.

4. Use Notes for Exact Placement

Location might be "Server Room" but Note can say: "Server Rack 5, Position 12U, next to firewall."

5. Photograph Asset in Location

Upload image showing asset installed/positioned. Helps with identification during audits.

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: New Office Buildout

You're furnishing a new 10-room office:

1. Create locations first (Settings → Locations)
2. Receive furniture delivery
3. Create assets in UniAsset
4. As each piece is placed, assign location
5. Print location-filtered lists for each room
6. Use for move-in inspection

Scenario 2: Asset Audit Discrepancy

Audit shows asset not where system says:

1. Find asset physically
2. Note actual location
3. Update asset's location in UniAsset
4. Add Note: "Found in [actual location], updated from [old location] on audit 2026-01-02"

Scenario 3: Room Decommission

Room being renovated, equipment relocating:

1. Filter assets by old room location
2. Export list (record of what was there)
3. Bulk reassign to new locations or "Storage - Pending Relocation"
4. Track when items redeploy post-renovation

Troubleshooting

"Location not in dropdown"

Cause: Location hasn't been created yet.

Solution:

1. Go to Settings → Locations
2. Create the location
3. Return to asset and assign

"Cannot assign - asset already assigned to user"

Solution:

1. Clear "Assigned To" (user) field first
2. Then assign location
3. Or decide: does this asset need user OR location? (Can't be both)

"Child locations not showing when filtering"

Check: Ensure you selected parent location. Filtering by "Floor 2 → Room A" won't show Floor 2's other rooms. Select "Floor 2" (parent) instead.

"Bulk assign not working"

Limits: Bulk operations limited to 100 assets at once. For larger sets, do in batches.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I assign an asset to multiple locations?

No. One asset = one location (or one user, or neither). Multi-location tracking requires duplicating asset records (not recommended).

Does location affect who can see the asset?

No. Location is for physical tracking only. All users with appropriate role can see all assets regardless of location.

Can I use locations for geographic regions (cities, countries)?

Yes, but it's not ideal. Locations are designed for facilities (buildings/rooms). For geographic reporting, use Department or custom field instead.

What if asset is in transit between locations?

Create a location: "In Transit" or "Shipping - Pending Delivery" and assign there temporarily.

Can Viewers edit asset locations?

No. Viewers are read-only. Only Manager, Admin, and Owner can change locations.

Related Articles

• Creating Location Hierarchies - Set up locations before assigning
• Assigning Assets to Users - When to use user assignment
• Physical Asset Audits - Conduct location-based audits
• Assignment vs. Location - Understand the difference

Need Help?

If you need assistance designing your location hierarchy or bulk updating locations, contact support.