Understanding the Dashboard

The UniAsset dashboard is your command center for asset management. This guide explains every element of the interface so you can navigate confidently.

Dashboard Layout Overview

The dashboard consists of three main sections:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Top Header (Logo, Search, Notifications)  │
├─────────┬───────────────────────────────────┤
│         │                                   │
│ Left    │     Main Content Area            │
│ Sidebar │     (Metrics, Charts, Lists)     │
│         │                                   │
│         │                                   │
└─────────┴───────────────────────────────────┘

Top Header

Organization Logo & Name

Location: Top-left corner

What it shows: Your organization name and logo (if uploaded)

Actions:

• Click logo to return to dashboard home

Global Search

Location: Top-center

What it does: Search across all assets by:

• Asset name
• Serial number
• Category
• Location
• Assigned user

How to use:

1. Click the search box (or press Ctrl+K / Cmd+K)
2. Type your search query
3. Results appear instantly as you type
4. Click a result to view asset details

Examples:

• Search "Dell" → finds all Dell assets
• Search "ABC123" → finds asset with serial number ABC123
• Search "John Smith" → finds all assets assigned to John

💡 TIP: Global search is the fastest way to find specific assets. Use it instead of manually browsing lists.

Notification Bell

Location: Top-right corner (bell icon)

What it shows: In-app notifications for:

• Overdue maintenance tasks
• Maintenance due soon (within 7 days)
• Documents expiring soon (within 30 days)
• Assets assigned to you
• Warranty expiring soon

How to use:

1. Click the bell icon
2. View unread notifications (red dot indicates new alerts)
3. Click a notification to view details
4. Click "Mark all as read" to clear alerts

Notification types:

User Profile Menu

Location: Top-right corner (your name/avatar)

Options:

• My Profile: View/edit your personal details
• My Assets: See all assets assigned to you
• Settings: Organization settings (Admin/Owner only)
• Help & Support: Access knowledge base and contact support
• Sign Out: Log out of UniAsset

Left Sidebar Navigation

The sidebar provides quick access to all major sections.

Dashboard (Home)

Icon: 🏠 Home
Path: /dashboard

What it shows:

• Key metrics (Total Assets, Total Value, Overdue Maintenance)
• Recent activity
• Quick actions

When to use: Daily starting point to check overall system health

Assets

Icon: 📦 Assets
Path: /dashboard/assets

What it shows:

• Complete list of all assets
• Filterable by category, status, location, department
• Sortable by name, purchase date, value
• Search within assets

When to use:

• Browse all inventory
• Apply advanced filters (e.g., "Show me all Active laptops in IT Department")
• Bulk actions (future feature)

Maintenance

Icon: 🔧 Maintenance
Path: /dashboard/maintenance

What it shows:

• All maintenance logs (past repairs and servicing)
• Preventive maintenance schedule
• Overdue maintenance tasks
• Upcoming maintenance (next 30 days)

When to use:

• Log completed repairs
• View maintenance history for specific assets
• Check upcoming preventive maintenance tasks

Documents

Icon: 📄 Documents
Path: /dashboard/documents

What it shows:

• All uploaded documents across all assets
• Filter by document type (warranty, invoice, manual, certificate)
• Documents expiring soon
• Documents without expiry dates

When to use:

• Find a specific warranty or invoice
• Check expiring certifications
• Audit document coverage (which assets are missing warranties?)

Reports

Icon: 📊 Reports
Path: /dashboard/reports

Available reports:

• Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): Asset value + cumulative maintenance costs
• Maintenance Cost Analysis: Costs by asset, category, or department
• Asset Value Report: Total inventory value, depreciation
• Warranty Expiry Report: Assets with expiring warranties
• Asset Status Report: Distribution by status (Active, Damaged, etc.)

When to use:

• Monthly/quarterly financial reviews
• Identify high-cost assets for replacement
• Justify budget requests with data

Locations

Icon: 📍 Locations
Path: /dashboard/locations

What it shows:

• All configured locations
• Asset count per location
• Total value per location

When to use:

• Manage location master data (add/edit locations)
• See which locations have most assets
• Plan physical audits

Import/Export

Icon: 📥 Import/Export
Path: /dashboard/import-export

Features:

• Import Assets: Upload CSV to create bulk assets
• Export Assets: Download current inventory as CSV/Excel
• Download Template: Get CSV template for importing

When to use:

• Initial inventory upload
• Bulk updates (export → edit → re-import)
• Reporting in Excel

Settings

Icon: ⚙️ Settings
Path: /dashboard/settings

Sections:

• Organization: Name, logo, address, currency, time zone
• Categories: Manage asset categories
• Locations: Manage locations (also accessible via Locations page)
• Departments: Manage departments
• Statuses: Create custom asset statuses
• Users: Invite/manage team members
• Notifications: Configure email and in-app alert preferences
• Billing: Manage subscription, view invoices (Owner only)

When to use:

• Initial setup (add categories, locations, departments)
• Invite new users
• Customize notification frequency

⚠️ WARNING: Settings page is restricted to Admin and Owner roles. Managers and Viewers cannot access it.

Main Content Area - Dashboard Home

When you first log in, you see the Dashboard Home with key metrics and activity.

Key Metrics (Top Cards)

These cards provide at-a-glance insights:

Total Assets

What it shows: Count of all assets (excluding Disposed status)

Example: "247 Assets"

Calculation:

Total Assets = COUNT(assets WHERE status != 'Disposed')

Why it matters: Track inventory growth over time

Total Asset Value

What it shows: Sum of purchase prices for all active assets

Example: "$487,250.00"

Calculation:

Total Asset Value = SUM(purchasePrice WHERE status = 'Active')

Why it matters: Understand total capital invested in inventory

Overdue Maintenance

What it shows: Count of preventive maintenance tasks past their due date

Example: "3 Overdue Tasks"

Color coding:

• 🟢 Green (0 overdue): All caught up
• 🔴 Red (1+ overdue): Action required

Why it matters: Overdue maintenance increases failure risk and costs

Maintenance Due Soon

What it shows: Count of preventive maintenance tasks due within next 7 days

Example: "12 Tasks Due Soon"

Why it matters: Plan upcoming workload and parts ordering

Recent Activity Feed

What it shows: Timeline of recent events:

• Assets created
• Maintenance logged
• Documents uploaded
• Status changes
• Assignments

Example entries:

• "Laptop Dell Latitude 5520 (#AST-00123) created by John Smith - 2 hours ago"
• "Maintenance logged for Forklift FD25 (#AST-00456) - 1 day ago"
• "Printer HP LaserJet (#AST-00789) status changed from Active to In Maintenance - 3 days ago"

Why it matters: Audit trail and team activity visibility

Quick Actions

Location: Usually top-right of dashboard

Buttons:

• + New Asset: Create an asset
• Log Maintenance: Record a repair or service
• Upload Document: Attach a file to an asset
• Run Report: Navigate to Reports page

💡 TIP: These quick action buttons save clicks—use them instead of navigating through menus.

Customizing Your Dashboard

Changing Notification Preferences

1. Go to Settings → Notifications
2. Toggle email/in-app notifications on/off
3. Set notification frequency (immediate, daily digest, weekly digest)
4. Save changes

Filtering the Asset List

On the Assets page:

1. Click Filters button
2. Select filter criteria:
   • Category
   • Status
   • Location
   • Department
   • Assigned User
   • Purchase Date Range
3. Click Apply Filters
4. Export filtered results or save filter as a preset (future feature)

Sorting Asset Lists

Click column headers to sort:

• Name (A-Z or Z-A)
• Purchase Date (newest first or oldest first)
• Purchase Price (highest to lowest or vice versa)
• Status (alphabetical)

Mobile Responsiveness

The UniAsset dashboard is fully responsive and works on mobile devices:

On mobile (< 768px width):

• Sidebar collapses into a hamburger menu (☰)
• Tap hamburger to show/hide navigation
• Metric cards stack vertically
• Tables scroll horizontally if needed

On tablet (768px - 1024px):

• Sidebar remains visible but narrower
• Metric cards display 2 per row
• Charts resize automatically

💡 TIP: Use mobile for quick asset lookups and maintenance logging in the field. Use desktop for reporting and bulk operations.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Speed up navigation with keyboard shortcuts:

Common Dashboard Questions

Why don't I see the Settings option?

Answer: Settings is restricted to Admin and Owner roles. If you're a Manager or Viewer, you won't see this option. Contact your organization owner to request Admin access.

Why are some assets missing from Total Asset Value?

Answer: Only assets with a purchasePrice value are included. If you didn't enter a purchase price when creating the asset, it's excluded from this metric. Also, Disposed assets are excluded.

How do I clear all notifications?

Answer: Click the notification bell → Click "Mark all as read" at the bottom of the notification panel.

Can I customize which metrics appear on the dashboard?

Answer: Not yet, but customizable dashboards are planned for a future release. Contact support if you have specific dashboard needs.

Related Articles

• Quick Start Guide — Complete setup walkthrough
• Creating Your First Asset — Asset creation guide
• Inviting Team Members — User management
• Understanding Roles & Permissions — Access control
• Running Reports — TCO and maintenance reports

Need Help?

If you can't find a feature or have questions about the dashboard layout, contact support at support@uniasset.app.