Creating and Managing Locations - Organize Assets by Physical Space

Overview

Locations represent the physical spaces where your assets are stored or used - from entire buildings to specific rooms or even equipment racks. A well-organized location structure helps you:

• Find assets quickly by narrowing down physical search areas
• Conduct efficient audits by checking one room or floor at a time
• Analyze asset distribution across your facilities
• Plan relocations with complete transfer history
• Optimize space utilization by tracking asset density

This guide covers creating single locations and building hierarchical structures.

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Creating a Location

Step 1: Access Location Management

1. Navigate to Dashboard > Settings
2. Click Locations in the left sidebar
3. Click the + New Location button

Step 2: Enter Location Details

Fill in the location information:

Name (Required)
The location's identifier. Use clear, searchable names:

• ✅ Good: "Building A - 3rd Floor - Room 305"
• ✅ Good: "Warehouse - Aisle B - Shelf 12"
• ❌ Avoid: "Loc1", "Space", "Room"

Description (Optional)
Add context about the location's purpose or contents:

• "Executive offices with 10 workstations"
• "Server room - climate controlled"
• "Storage area for IT equipment"

Parent Location (Optional)
Create hierarchical relationships by selecting a parent:

• Building → Floor → Room → Zone
• Campus → Building → Department → Office
• See Hierarchical Location Structure for details

Step 3: Save the Location

Click Create Location to save. The new location:

• ✅ Appears in location dropdowns when creating/editing assets
• ✅ Shows up in location reports and filters
• ✅ Can be assigned a parent location later if needed

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Location Naming Best Practices

Use Consistent Naming Conventions

Choose a pattern and stick to it across your organization:

Building-Floor-Room Pattern:

Building A - Floor 1 - Room 101
Building A - Floor 1 - Room 102
Building B - Floor 2 - Conference Room A

Code-Based Pattern:

HQ-01-101 (Headquarters, Floor 1, Room 101)
WH-02-A12 (Warehouse, Section 2, Aisle A Shelf 12)
RDC-03-LAB1 (R&D Center, Floor 3, Lab 1)

Functional Pattern:

IT Department - Server Room
HR Department - Reception
Manufacturing - Assembly Line 2

Include Identifying Details

For large facilities, add context that helps people locate the space:

• Floor numbers: "3rd Floor - East Wing"
• Building names: "Corporate Center - Building C"
• Landmarks: "Near main entrance", "Behind cafeteria"

Keep It Searchable

Use terms people will naturally search for:

• ✅ "Warehouse" not "WH" (unless everyone knows the code)
• ✅ "Conference Room A" not "CR-A" (unless standardized)
• ✅ Include both codes and names: "WH-A12 (Warehouse Aisle A)"

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Managing Existing Locations

Edit a Location

1. Go to Dashboard > Settings > Locations
2. Click the Edit icon next to the location
3. Update the name, description, or parent location
4. Click Save Changes

Important: Renaming a location updates it everywhere:

• Asset records automatically show the new name
• Reports reflect the updated location
• History logs preserve the old name for audit trails

Delete a Location

You can only delete locations with no assets assigned:

1. Go to Dashboard > Settings > Locations
2. Verify the location shows 0 assets
3. Click the Delete icon
4. Confirm the deletion

If assets are assigned:

• Move assets to another location first
• Or unassign them (set location to "None")
• See Moving Assets Between Locations

Merge Duplicate Locations

If you accidentally created duplicate locations:

1. Choose which location to keep (the "primary")
2. Edit each asset in the duplicate location
3. Change their location to the primary location
4. Once empty, delete the duplicate location

Bulk Method (if available):

• Select all assets in the duplicate location
• Use bulk edit to change location
• Delete the now-empty duplicate

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Location Types and Examples

Physical Buildings

For multi-building organizations:

Headquarters Building
Warehouse - North
Warehouse - South
Manufacturing Plant 1
Retail Store - Downtown

Floors and Levels

Within buildings:

Building A - Ground Floor
Building A - 1st Floor
Building A - 2nd Floor
Building A - Basement

Rooms and Spaces

Specific areas:

Conference Room A
Server Room
Storage Closet - Floor 2
Reception Area
Cafeteria

Functional Zones

Department or purpose-based:

IT Department
HR Department
Manufacturing - Assembly
Manufacturing - Quality Control
R&D Lab

Mobile/Virtual Locations

For assets that move:

Field Technician - John Doe
Delivery Van #3
Customer Site - Project Alpha
Remote Worker - Home Office

Storage Details

Granular warehouse tracking:

Warehouse - Aisle A - Shelf 1
Warehouse - Aisle A - Shelf 2
Storage Room - Rack B - Level 3
IT Closet - Cabinet 2

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Quick Tips

Start Simple, Expand Later
Begin with broad locations (buildings/departments) and add detail as needed. You can always create sub-locations later.

Match Your Physical Space
Mirror your actual facility layout. If you organize by building and floor, use that structure in UniAsset.

Use Locations for Audits
Locations make physical inventory counts easier. See Location-Based Asset Audits.

Consider Asset Density
If one location has hundreds of assets, consider breaking it into sub-locations for easier management.

Include Temporary Locations
Create locations for temporary situations:

• "In Transit"
• "Under Repair - External"
• "Pending Deployment"
• "Warehouse Receiving"

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Next Steps

• Hierarchical Location Structure - Build multi-level location trees
• Moving Assets Between Locations - Track physical transfers
• Location Reports - Analyze asset distribution
• Location-Based Asset Audits - Conduct physical inventory checks

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Common Questions

Can I use the same location name in different buildings?
Yes, but it's clearer to include the building name: "Building A - Room 101" vs "Building B - Room 101". This prevents confusion in reports.

Should I create a location for every single room?
Only if you need that level of tracking. For rooms with few assets or low activity, group them under a floor or department location.

What if an asset has no physical location?
You can leave location blank or create a "Virtual" or "Cloud Service" location for software licenses and cloud resources.

Can I change a location's parent later?
Yes. Edit the location and change its parent. The hierarchy updates immediately, and all assets under it move in the tree.

How many location levels can I create?
There's no hard limit, but 3-5 levels is typical:

• Level 1: Campus/City
• Level 2: Building
• Level 3: Floor
• Level 4: Room
• Level 5: Zone/Rack

More than 5 levels becomes hard to manage.