Creating Your First Asset

This guide walks you through creating an asset in UniAsset, field by field. You'll learn what each field means, which are required, and best practices for data entry.

Accessing the Create Asset Form

There are two ways to create an asset:

Option 1: From the Dashboard

1. Log in to UniAsset
2. Click + New Asset button in the top-right corner
3. The create asset form opens

Option 2: From the Assets Page

1. Navigate to Dashboard → Assets (left sidebar)
2. Click + New Asset button above the asset list
3. The create asset form opens

Section 1: Basic Information (Required)

These fields uniquely identify the asset and are required to save.

Asset Name

What it is: A human-readable name or description of the asset.

Examples:

• ✅ "Dell Latitude 5520 Laptop"
• ✅ "Toyota Forklift FD25"
• ✅ "Steelcase Executive Chair"
• ❌ "Asset 1" (too generic)
• ❌ "ABC123" (use serial number field instead)

Best practices:

• Include manufacturer + model for equipment
• Use descriptive names for unique items ("Conference Room Projector - Building A")
• Keep it under 100 characters
• Be consistent: if you use "Dell Latitude 5520" for one laptop, use same format for all Dell laptops

Validation:

• Must be 1-255 characters
• Cannot be blank

Serial Number

What it is: A unique identifier for this specific asset.

Where to find it:

• Computers/Laptops: Sticker on bottom or back, or in BIOS/About This Mac
• Monitors: Back panel sticker
• Vehicles: VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) on dashboard or door jamb
• Office Equipment: Sticker on back or bottom
• Custom equipment: Your internal asset tag number

Examples:

• ✅ "ABC123456789" (manufacturer serial number)
• ✅ "AST-2023-0042" (internal asset tag)
• ✅ "VIN:1HGBH41JXMN109186" (vehicle VIN)
• ❌ "Laptop" (not unique)

Best practices:

• Use manufacturer serial number if available (easier for warranty claims)
• If no manufacturer S/N exists, create internal asset tags with consistent format (e.g., AST-YYYY-####)
• For assets without S/N (furniture, generic tools), use location + number format ("CHAIR-FL1-042")
• Take a photo of the serial number sticker and upload to Documents section

Validation:

• Must be unique across all assets (cannot duplicate)
• Must be 1-255 characters
• Cannot be blank

⚠️ WARNING: Once created, serial numbers cannot be changed (to preserve audit integrity). Double-check before saving!

Category

What it is: The type or class of asset (computers, furniture, vehicles, etc.).

How to select:

1. Click the Category dropdown
2. Select from your predefined categories

Common categories:

• Computers & IT
• Furniture
• Vehicles
• Tools & Equipment
• Office Equipment
• Manufacturing Equipment
• Medical Devices

Best practices:

• Create categories before adding assets (Settings → Categories)
• Use broad categories (not too specific): "Laptops" instead of "Dell Laptops" and "HP Laptops"
• Limit to 5-10 categories to keep selection manageable

Validation:

• Must select a category from the dropdown
• If no categories exist, you'll see "No categories available" — create categories first in Settings

💡 TIP: Categories are used for filtering and reporting. You can run reports like "Total value of all Vehicles" or "Maintenance cost by category."

Status

What it is: The current operational state of the asset.

Default statuses:

Custom statuses (optional):

You can create industry-specific statuses in Settings → Statuses:

• Healthcare: "In Calibration", "Awaiting Sterilization", "Quarantined"
• Manufacturing: "Awaiting Parts", "Under Warranty Repair", "Reserve Stock"
• IT: "Pending Deployment", "Awaiting Pickup", "Being Wiped"

Best practices:

• Start with Active for new assets
• Change status when asset state changes (e.g., Active → In Maintenance when you send laptop for repair)
• Use Disposed only when asset is permanently removed from inventory
• Avoid creating too many custom statuses (causes decision paralysis)

Validation:

• Must select a status from the dropdown
• Status can be changed anytime (unlike serial number)

Section 2: Cost Information (Optional but Recommended)

These fields track financial data and enable TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) analytics.

Purchase Price

What it is: The original acquisition cost of the asset (before tax, typically).

Examples:

• ✅ "$1,200.00" (laptop purchase price)
• ✅ "$35,000.00" (vehicle purchase price)
• ✅ "$0.00" (donated equipment)

Best practices:

• Enter the net purchase price (excluding sales tax, shipping, installation)
• For bundled purchases, prorate the cost (e.g., if you bought 10 chairs for $1,000, enter $100 per chair)
• For donations/gifts, enter fair market value or $0
• Use your organization's default currency (set in Settings → Organization)

Validation:

• Must be a number ≥ 0
• No currency symbol needed (auto-formatted)
• Decimals allowed (1200.50)

💡 TIP: Purchase price is used to calculate Total Asset Value dashboard metric and depreciation (if enabled).

Purchase Date

What it is: The date the asset was acquired or put into service.

Examples:

• ✅ "2023-06-15" (acquired June 15, 2023)
• ✅ "2022-01-01" (put into service Jan 1, 2022)

Best practices:

• Use the invoice date or delivery date
• For donated assets, use the date received
• For older assets where exact date is unknown, use January 1 of that year
• Earlier purchase dates will show more depreciation in reports

Validation:

• Must be in YYYY-MM-DD format (date picker helps)
• Cannot be in the future

Warranty Expiry Date

What it is: The date when the manufacturer or extended warranty ends.

Where to find it:

• Warranty card included with purchase
• Manufacturer website: Enter serial number to check warranty status (Dell, HP, Apple support sites)
• Invoice/receipt: Often lists warranty period (e.g., "3-year warranty")

Examples:

• ✅ "2026-06-15" (3 years after purchase date)
• ✅ "2025-12-31" (extended warranty ends)

Best practices:

• Set this for all assets with warranties (computers, vehicles, equipment)
• UniAsset sends alerts 30 days before expiry so you can plan renewals
• Leave blank if no warranty or warranty unknown

Validation:

• Must be in YYYY-MM-DD format
• Can be in the past (for expired warranties)

💡 TIP: Filter assets by "Warranty expiring in next 30 days" to identify renewal opportunities.

Section 3: Assignment & Location (Optional)

These fields track who is responsible for the asset and where it's physically located.

Assigned To (User Assignment)

What it is: The person responsible for this asset.

When to use:

• ✅ Laptops, phones, tools issued to specific employees
• ✅ Vehicles assigned to drivers
• ✅ Equipment loaned to contractors

When NOT to use:

• ❌ Shared equipment (conference room projectors, printers)
• ❌ Fixed assets that don't move (HVAC units, elevators)
• → Use Location field instead

How to assign:

1. Click Assigned To dropdown
2. Search for user by name or email
3. Select the user

What happens when you assign:

• User receives email notification ("Asset XYZ has been assigned to you")
• User can see the asset in their My Assets view
• Asset shows up in user profile under "Assigned Assets"

Best practices:

• Assign at deployment time (when user receives the laptop)
• Unassign when user returns the asset or leaves the company
• Use assignment for accountability (who's responsible if asset is lost/damaged)

Validation:

• User must exist in your organization
• One asset can only be assigned to one user at a time

💡 TIP: Use the "Assigned To" field for accountability. Use the "Location" field for physical location. They're often different (user works from home but asset is technically "registered" to HQ location).

Location

What it is: The physical location where the asset is stored or deployed.

Examples:

• ✅ "HQ - Floor 1 - IT Department"
• ✅ "Warehouse A - Shelf B3"
• ✅ "Manufacturing Plant - Production Floor"
• ✅ "Remote - Employee Home" (for work-from-home equipment)

How to select:

1. Click Location dropdown
2. Select from your predefined locations

Best practices:

• Create locations before adding assets (Settings → Locations)
• Use hierarchical names ("Building → Floor → Room") for clarity
• Update location when asset physically moves
• For remote workers, create a "Remote - Employee Home" location

Validation:

• Must select from dropdown (free-text not allowed)

Department

What it is: The organizational unit that "owns" this asset for cost allocation and budgeting.

Examples:

• ✅ "IT Department" (owns all laptops and servers)
• ✅ "Facilities" (owns furniture and building equipment)
• ✅ "Operations" (owns production machinery)

How to use:

1. Click Department dropdown
2. Select the owning department

Best practices:

• Assign department based on budget owner, not physical location
• Useful for cost reports by department (e.g., "How much did IT spend on asset maintenance this year?")
• Leave blank if your organization doesn't use departmental cost tracking

Validation:

• Must select from dropdown (free-text not allowed)

💡 TIP: Department is about financial ownership. Location is about physical presence. A laptop might be in "HQ - Floor 2" (location) but owned by "IT Department" (department).

Section 4: Additional Details (Optional)

These fields provide extra context and are entirely optional.

Manufacturer

What it is: The company that made the asset.

Examples:

• Dell
• HP
• Toyota
• Steelcase
• Canon

Best practices:

• Use official brand names (not abbreviations)
• Be consistent: "Hewlett-Packard" OR "HP", not both
• Useful for filtering ("Show me all Dell assets") and warranty lookups

Model

What it is: The specific model or product number.

Examples:

• "Latitude 5520" (Dell laptop model)
• "FD25" (Toyota forklift model)
• "MX922" (Canon printer model)

Best practices:

• Check the product label or spec sheet
• Include model number, not marketing names ("iPhone 14 Pro" OR "A2890", not both)
• Useful for finding replacement parts or manuals

Notes

What it is: Free-form text field for any additional information.

Examples:

• "Purchased for remote work program"
• "Includes extended warranty until 2026"
• "Requires annual safety inspection per OSHA"
• "Donated by XYZ Foundation"

Best practices:

• Keep notes concise (under 500 characters)
• Use notes for context that doesn't fit other fields
• Don't duplicate information already in other fields

Section 5: Documents & Images (Optional)

Attach files related to the asset.

Upload Documents

What to upload:

• ✅ Warranty certificates
• ✅ Purchase invoices/receipts
• ✅ User manuals
• ✅ Calibration certificates
• ✅ Service contracts

How to upload:

1. Scroll to Documents section
2. Click Upload Document button
3. Select file from your computer
4. Optionally add expiry date (for warranties, certificates)

Supported formats: PDF, DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX
Max file size: 10 MB per document

💡 TIP: UniAsset automatically alerts you 30 days before document expiry (useful for warranties and certifications).

Upload Images

What to upload:

• ✅ Photo of the asset
• ✅ Photo of serial number label
• ✅ Photo of damage (for insurance claims)

How to upload:

1. Scroll to Images section
2. Click Upload Image button
3. Select image from your computer

Supported formats: JPG, PNG, WEBP
Max file size: 5 MB per image

💡 TIP: The first image uploaded becomes the "cover image" shown in asset lists.

Saving the Asset

Once you've filled in all desired fields:

1. Scroll to the bottom of the form
2. Click Create Asset button

What happens next:

• Asset is created with a unique Asset ID (e.g., #AST-00001)
• You're redirected to the asset detail page
• If you assigned the asset to a user, they receive an email notification
• Asset appears in the Dashboard and Assets list

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Using generic names: "Laptop 1", "Chair A" → Use "Dell Latitude 5520", "Steelcase Leap Chair"
❌ Duplicate serial numbers: Each asset needs a unique S/N
❌ Leaving category blank: Category is required
❌ Confusing Location and Assigned To: Use both fields appropriately
❌ Not uploading warranty docs: You'll forget expiry dates without them

After Creating the Asset

Immediate Next Steps

1. Verify data on the asset detail page
2. Upload missing documents (warranties, manuals)
3. Set up preventive maintenance if applicable (see Preventive Maintenance)

Long-term Maintenance

• Update status when asset state changes (Active → In Maintenance → Active)
• Log all repairs in the maintenance log
• Update location when asset moves
• Archive or dispose when asset reaches end of life

Related Articles

• Quick Start Guide — Full setup walkthrough
• CSV Import Guide — Bulk create assets
• Understanding Asset Lifecycle — Lifecycle phases
• What is an Asset? — Asset vs consumable decision tree
• Assignment vs Location — When to use each field

Need Help?

If you encounter validation errors or have questions about specific fields, contact support at support@uniasset.app.