Asset Status Management

Every asset in UniAsset has a status that indicates its current operational state. This guide explains default statuses, how to create custom statuses, and best practices for status workflows.

What is Asset Status?

Asset status answers the question: "What is the current state of this asset?"

Statuses track:

• Operational state: Is it in use, broken, or retired?
• Availability: Can it be assigned to a user right now?
• Lifecycle stage: Is it actively deployed or at end-of-life?

Status is used for:

• ✅ Filtering asset lists ("Show me all Active assets")
• ✅ Availability management ("Which laptops are available for assignment?")
• ✅ Reporting ("How many assets are currently In Maintenance?")
• ✅ Workflow automation (future: auto-assign assets when status changes to Active)

Default Statuses

UniAsset includes four built-in statuses that cover most use cases:

Active

Meaning: Asset is operational and in use.

When to use:

• Asset has been deployed to a user or location
• Asset is functioning normally
• Asset is available for daily operations

Examples:

• Laptop assigned to employee
• Forklift in daily use on warehouse floor
• Conference room projector installed and working

Key characteristics:

• ✅ Counted in "Total Assets" dashboard metric
• ✅ Included in "Total Asset Value" calculation
• ✅ Can be assigned to users
• ✅ Subject to preventive maintenance scheduling

💡 TIP: "Active" is the default status for newly created assets.

In Maintenance

Meaning: Asset is temporarily out of service for repairs, servicing, or preventive maintenance.

When to use:

• Asset sent to repair shop
• Undergoing scheduled preventive maintenance
• Awaiting parts for repair
• In calibration (medical devices, test equipment)

Examples:

• Laptop sent for screen repair
• Forklift undergoing annual safety inspection
• Medical ultrasound machine in calibration lab

Key characteristics:

• ✅ Still counted in inventory (not disposed)
• ✅ Temporarily unavailable for assignment
• ✅ Should have corresponding maintenance log entry
• ❌ Not available for new assignments

Workflow:

• Asset status changed from Active → In Maintenance when repair begins
• Maintenance is logged with details (cost, technician, parts)
• Status changed back to Active when repair completes

💡 TIP: Set up alerts for assets that have been "In Maintenance" for > 30 days (indicates bottleneck or decision needed: repair vs replace).

Damaged

Meaning: Asset is broken or non-functional and awaiting disposition decision.

When to use:

• Asset has failed and cannot be used
• Awaiting decision: repair, replace, or dispose?
• Asset has been in maintenance but repair is not economical

Examples:

• Laptop with cracked screen (awaiting cost estimate for repair)
• Forklift with engine failure (evaluating repair cost vs replacement)
• Printer that constantly jams (considering disposal)

Key characteristics:

• ✅ Still counted in inventory
• ❌ Not operational
• ❌ Cannot be assigned
• ⚠️ Signals need for action (repair or dispose)

Workflow:

• Asset fails → Status changed to Damaged
• Manager evaluates:
  • Option A: Repair → Status changes to In Maintenance
  • Option B: Not worth repairing → Status changes to Disposed

💡 TIP: Run a weekly report of "Damaged" assets to ensure timely decisions. Assets shouldn't linger in Damaged status indefinitely.

Disposed

Meaning: Asset has been permanently removed from service (sold, scrapped, donated, lost, or stolen).

When to use:

• Asset sold or donated
• Asset scrapped/recycled
• Asset lost or stolen
• Asset reached end of useful life and discarded

Examples:

• Old laptop sold on eBay
• Forklift scrapped after 15 years of service
• Office chair donated to charity
• Smartphone lost by employee

Key characteristics:

• ❌ Excluded from "Total Assets" dashboard count
• ❌ Excluded from "Total Asset Value"
• ✅ Retained in system for audit trail (not deleted)
• ❌ Cannot be assigned
• ❌ No longer subject to maintenance scheduling

Workflow:

• Asset reaches end of life → Status changed to Disposed
• Disposal details logged in Notes (e.g., "Donated to ABC Nonprofit on 2024-06-15" or "Sold for $50 on 2024-07-01")
• Asset remains searchable but hidden from active inventory

⚠️ WARNING: Setting status to "Disposed" is irreversible from a workflow perspective. It signals the asset is no longer part of your active inventory. Only use Disposed when the asset is truly gone.

Custom Statuses

If the four default statuses don't fit your workflow, you can create custom statuses tailored to your industry or process.

When to Create Custom Statuses

Use custom statuses when:

• ✅ You have industry-specific states (e.g., "In Calibration" for medical devices)
• ✅ You need granular tracking (e.g., "Awaiting Parts" vs "In Repair" instead of generic "In Maintenance")
• ✅ You have unique workflows (e.g., "Pending Deployment" for IT assets awaiting assignment)

Don't create custom statuses when:

• ❌ Default statuses are sufficient (KISS principle: Keep It Simple)
• ❌ You'd have 20+ statuses (causes decision paralysis)

Custom Status Examples by Industry

Healthcare

• In Calibration: Medical device undergoing periodic calibration
• Awaiting Sterilization: Surgical instruments in sterilization queue
• Quarantined: Equipment suspected of contamination, awaiting inspection

Manufacturing

• Awaiting Parts: Asset broken, parts ordered but not yet received
• Under Warranty Repair: Asset sent to manufacturer for warranty repair
• Reserve Stock: Backup equipment not in active use

IT Department

• Pending Deployment: New laptop/device awaiting assignment to user
• Awaiting Pickup: Asset ready for user to collect
• Being Wiped: Asset being data-wiped before disposal/reuse

Rental/Leasing Business

• Available for Rent: Asset in inventory, ready to be rented out
• Rented Out: Asset currently leased to customer
• Awaiting Inspection: Asset returned, needs inspection before re-rental

Creating Custom Statuses

Navigate: Settings → Statuses → + New Status

Fields:

• Status Name: Short, descriptive (e.g., "In Calibration")
• Description: Optional explanation (e.g., "Medical devices undergoing periodic calibration per FDA requirements")
• Color: Choose color badge for visual identification (green = good, yellow = attention needed, red = problem)

Best practices:

1. Use Action-Oriented Names

   • ✅ "Awaiting Parts"
   • ❌ "Broken" (too vague)

2. Limit to 6-10 Total Statuses

   • 4 default + 2-6 custom = 6-10 total
   • More than 10 becomes unmanageable

3. Make Statuses Mutually Exclusive

   • An asset should clearly fit in one status only
   • Avoid overlap (e.g., "In Repair" and "Awaiting Parts" should be separate, not both applicable)

4. Document Your Workflow

   • Write down when to use each status
   • Train team members on status definitions

Status Workflows

Here are common status workflows:

Standard Asset Lifecycle

Purchase → Active → In Maintenance → Active → ... → Damaged → Disposed
                    (repeat as needed)

IT Equipment Workflow

Purchase → Pending Deployment → Active → In Maintenance → Active → Being Wiped → Disposed

Medical Device Workflow

Purchase → Active → In Calibration → Active → In Maintenance → Active → ... → Disposed
          (calibration every 6 months)

Rental Equipment Workflow

Purchase → Available for Rent → Rented Out → Awaiting Inspection → Available for Rent → ...
                                (repeat rental cycle)

Changing Asset Status

Manual Status Change

1. Navigate to asset detail page
2. Click Edit Asset button
3. Change Status dropdown
4. Click Save

When status changes, log the reason:

• If changing to "In Maintenance": Log a maintenance record with details
• If changing to "Damaged": Add note explaining what failed
• If changing to "Disposed": Add note with disposal method and date

Bulk Status Change (Future Feature)

Currently, you must change status one asset at a time. Bulk status updates are planned for a future release.

Status-Based Reporting

Common Reports by Status

1. Active Assets Count

• Filter: Status = "Active"
• Metric: Total asset count and value

2. Overdue Repairs

• Filter: Status = "In Maintenance", Days in Status > 30
• Metric: Assets stuck in maintenance (indicates bottleneck)

3. Damaged Assets Requiring Decision

• Filter: Status = "Damaged"
• Action: Review each asset, decide repair vs dispose

4. Disposal History

• Filter: Status = "Disposed", Date Range = Last 12 Months
• Metric: Disposal rate, replacement needs

Best Practices

1. Keep Status Up-to-Date

• Update status immediately when asset state changes
• Train team to log status changes (not just maintenance)
• Outdated status data makes reporting useless

2. Use Status as a Trigger

• Weekly review: "Show me all Damaged assets" → Make repair/dispose decisions
• Monthly audit: "Assets in In Maintenance > 60 days" → Escalate stuck assets
• Quarterly: "Disposed assets this quarter" → Inform replacement budget

3. Pair Status Changes with Logs

• Changing to "In Maintenance"? → Log a maintenance record
• Changing to "Damaged"? → Add note explaining failure
• Changing to "Disposed"? → Note disposal method (sold, donated, scrapped, lost)

4. Don't Overuse Custom Statuses

• Start with default 4 statuses
• Add custom statuses only if you have a clear business need
• Review status usage after 90 days—delete unused custom statuses

Common Questions

Can I rename default statuses?

No. Default statuses (Active, In Maintenance, Damaged, Disposed) cannot be renamed (to maintain consistency across all UniAsset organizations). Create custom statuses if you need different terminology.

Can I delete a status?

Custom statuses: Yes, if no assets currently use that status.
Default statuses: No, cannot be deleted.

What happens if I delete a custom status?

If 10 assets use "Awaiting Parts" status and you delete it, those assets revert to "Active" (default status).

Can I restore a Disposed asset?

Yes. Change status from "Disposed" back to "Active" or "In Maintenance". The asset will reappear in active inventory counts.

Related Articles

• Understanding Asset Lifecycle — Lifecycle phases and transitions
• Maintenance Logging — Recording repairs and servicing
• Creating Your First Asset — Asset creation guide
• Archiving vs Disposing Assets — End-of-life management

Need Help?

If you need help designing a custom status workflow for your industry, contact support at support@uniasset.app with your use case.