Assignment vs Location

Two of the most misunderstood fields in asset management are Assigned To (user assignment) and Location (physical location). This guide clarifies when to use each.

The Key Difference

They are often different!

A laptop might be:

• Assigned To: Jane Smith (Finance Manager)
• Location: Remote - Employee Home (Jane works from home)

This separation allows you to track both accountability (who's responsible if it's lost/damaged) and physical location (where it actually is).

Assigned To: User Accountability

What Does "Assigned To" Mean?

"Assigned To" indicates the person responsible for:

• Custody of the asset
• Proper use and care
• Returning it when leaving the organization or changing roles
• Reporting loss, theft, or damage

When to Use "Assigned To"

Use "Assigned To" for assets that are:

✅ Issued to specific individuals

• Laptops
• Smartphones
• Tablets
• Company vehicles (assigned to specific drivers)
• Power tools (assigned to specific technicians)
• Medical equipment (assigned to specific practitioners)

✅ Need accountability

• High-value items (> $500)
• Theft-prone items (smartphones, cameras)
• Regulated items (medical devices requiring licensed operators)

When NOT to Use "Assigned To"

❌ Shared equipment (no single owner)

• Conference room projectors
• Office printers
• Kitchen appliances
• Shared tools

❌ Fixed assets (cannot be moved)

• HVAC systems
• Elevators
• Built-in furniture

For these, use Location field only.

What Happens When You Assign an Asset?

When you assign an asset to a user:

1. Email notification sent: User receives "Asset XYZ has been assigned to you"
2. Appears in user's "My Assets" view: User can see all assets assigned to them
3. Assignment history tracked: Audit trail shows who had the asset and when
4. User profile updated: Admin can see "John has 5 assets assigned to him"

Assignment Workflow

Scenario: New employee joins, needs a laptop

1. IT retrieves laptop from storage
2. IT assigns laptop to new employee:
   • Asset: Dell Latitude 5520 (#AST-00123)
   • Assigned To: Jane Smith (new employee)
   • Location: Remote - Employee Home (Jane works from home)
3. Jane receives email: "Laptop #AST-00123 has been assigned to you"
4. Jane uses laptop for her work

When Jane leaves the company:

1. Jane returns laptop to IT
2. IT unassigns laptop:
   • Assigned To: (leave blank or assign to "Unassigned")
   • Location: HQ - IT Department (laptop back in storage)
3. Laptop is now available for next employee

Location: Physical Tracking

What Does "Location" Mean?

"Location" indicates where the asset can be physically found right now.

This is used for:

• Physical audits ("Count all assets in Warehouse A")
• Asset retrieval ("I need to find the Dell laptop #AST-00123")
• Site-based reporting ("What's the total asset value at our Boston office?")

When to Use "Location"

Use "Location" for:

✅ All assets (assigned or unassigned)

• Every asset should have a location (even if assigned to a user)

✅ Fixed equipment

• HVAC units: "Building A - Rooftop"
• Printers: "HQ - Floor 2 - Copy Room"
• Conference room equipment: "HQ - Conference Room B"

✅ Inventory in storage

• Unassigned laptops: "HQ - IT Storage Room"
• Spare equipment: "Warehouse - Shelf A3"

Location vs Assignment Examples

Here are real-world scenarios showing how Location and Assignment work together:

Scenario 1: Laptop Assigned to Remote Worker

• Asset: Dell Latitude 5520
• Assigned To: Jane Smith (Finance Manager)
• Location: Remote - Employee Home

Interpretation:

• Jane is accountable for the laptop (Assigned To)
• The laptop is physically at her home (Location)

Scenario 2: Forklift in Warehouse

• Asset: Toyota Forklift FD25
• Assigned To: Bob Jones (Warehouse Operator)
• Location: Warehouse A - Bay 3

Interpretation:

• Bob is responsible for the forklift (Assigned To)
• The forklift is physically in Warehouse A, Bay 3 (Location)

Scenario 3: Shared Printer (No Assignment)

• Asset: HP LaserJet Printer
• Assigned To: (blank/unassigned)
• Location: HQ - Floor 2 - Copy Room

Interpretation:

• No single person is responsible (shared equipment)
• The printer is physically in the copy room

Scenario 4: Laptop in Storage (Awaiting Assignment)

• Asset: Dell Latitude 5520
• Assigned To: (blank/unassigned)
• Location: HQ - IT Storage Room

Interpretation:

• No user assigned yet (available for next new hire)
• The laptop is physically in IT storage

Scenario 5: Company Vehicle

• Asset: 2022 Ford F-150
• Assigned To: Mike Davis (Field Technician)
• Location: Remote - Employee Home (Mike parks at home)

Interpretation:

• Mike is accountable for the vehicle
• The vehicle is physically at Mike's home (not at HQ)

Common Scenarios

New Hire: Laptop Deployment

Before deployment:

• Assigned To: (blank)
• Location: HQ - IT Storage Room

After deployment:

• Assigned To: Jane Smith (new hire)
• Location: Remote - Employee Home (if Jane is remote) OR HQ - Floor 2 (if Jane works in office)

Employee Changes Desks

Before move:

• Asset: Dell Monitor
• Assigned To: Jane Smith
• Location: HQ - Floor 1 - Desk 42

After move:

• Assigned To: Jane Smith (still accountable)
• Location: HQ - Floor 2 - Desk 87 (updated physical location)

Action: Update Location only (assignment stays the same)

Asset Sent for Repair

Before repair:

• Assigned To: Jane Smith
• Location: Remote - Employee Home

During repair:

• Assigned To: Jane Smith (still her laptop)
• Location: Repair Shop - Dell Depot
• Status: In Maintenance

After repair:

• Assigned To: Jane Smith
• Location: Remote - Employee Home (returned to Jane)
• Status: Active

Action: Update Location and Status during repair, then revert when returned

Employee Leaves Company

Before departure:

• Assigned To: Jane Smith
• Location: Remote - Employee Home

After return:

• Assigned To: (blank/unassigned)
• Location: HQ - IT Storage Room (laptop returned to IT)

Action: Remove assignment, update location

Best Practices

1. Always Fill Both Fields (When Applicable)

For assigned assets:

• ✅ Set both "Assigned To" and "Location"
• ❌ Don't leave Location blank just because it's assigned

For shared/fixed assets:

• ✅ Set Location (required)
• ✅ Leave Assigned To blank

2. Update Location When Assets Move

If Jane moves from Floor 1 to Floor 2:

• Update Location from "HQ - Floor 1" to "HQ - Floor 2"
• Keep Assigned To as "Jane Smith"

3. Update Assignment When Custody Changes

If Jane's laptop is reassigned to Bob:

• Change Assigned To from "Jane Smith" to "Bob Jones"
• Update Location if Bob is in a different location

4. Use "Remote - Employee Home" for WFH Equipment

For work-from-home equipment:

• Don't create individual locations per employee ("Jane's Home", "Bob's Home")
• Do use a generic "Remote - Employee Home" location

Why?

• Privacy (don't track employee home addresses in asset system)
• Simplicity (one location for all remote workers)
• Assigned To field already identifies which employee has it

5. Create "Unassigned" Location for Storage

For unassigned inventory:

• Assigned To: (blank)
• Location: "HQ - IT Storage Room" OR "Warehouse - Inventory"

This allows you to filter "All unassigned assets in storage" for quick assignment to new hires.

Comparison Table

Reporting Use Cases

Report 1: "What assets does Jane Smith have?"

Filter:

• Assigned To = "Jane Smith"

Result:

• Laptop Dell Latitude (#AST-00123), Location: Remote - Employee Home
• iPhone 13 (#AST-00456), Location: Remote - Employee Home

Report 2: "What assets are physically in Warehouse A?"

Filter:

• Location = "Warehouse A"

Result:

• 15 Forklifts (some assigned to operators, some unassigned)
• 50 Pallet Jacks (shared, no assignment)
• 8 Workbenches (fixed, no assignment)

Report 3: "Which laptops are available for assignment?"

Filter:

• Category = "Computers & IT"
• Assigned To = (blank)
• Status = "Active"

Result:

• Dell Latitude #AST-00789, Location: HQ - IT Storage
• Dell Latitude #AST-00790, Location: HQ - IT Storage

Common Mistakes

❌ Using Location for accountability

• Don't use "Jane's Desk" as a location
• Use "Assigned To: Jane Smith" + "Location: HQ - Floor 2"

❌ Leaving Location blank for assigned assets

• Even assigned assets need a physical location
• Remote workers: use "Remote - Employee Home"

❌ Assigning shared equipment

• Don't assign conference room projectors or shared printers to individuals
• Use Location only

Related Articles

• Creating Your First Asset — Field-by-field asset creation
• Categories, Locations, and Departments — Organizational structures
• User Assignment Workflow — Step-by-step assignment guide
• Location Management — Create and organize locations

Need Help?

If you're unsure whether to use Assignment or Location for a specific scenario, contact support at support@uniasset.app.