How to Allocate Assets to a Project

How to allocate assets to a project

Allocation records that an asset is earmarked for a project. It is the project's claim on the asset for planning and coordination — not a transfer of custody.

Requirements

• Available on: Odyssey, Cosmos, Welcome (while active), and Nonprofit
• Roles: Permission to allocate (project:allocate) — typically Owner, Admin, or Manager
• A project that already exists — see Getting started with Projects
• Assets that already exist in your register

Allocation is not assignment or check-out

If someone needs to take the asset away, use check-out. If responsibility permanently moves, use assignment.

Allocate an asset

1. Open Dashboard → Projects and open the project.
2. Open the Assets tab.
3. Under Allocate an asset, choose the Asset.
4. Optionally enter a Purpose (why this asset is on the project).
5. Confirm the allocation.

The asset appears in the active allocations list.

You may see a warning if the same asset is already allocated to another active project. Overlap is allowed; the warning is informational so you can decide whether that is intentional.

Review current allocations

On the project's Assets tab:

• Active allocations show the asset, purpose, and dates
• Released allocations remain available as history on the project

On the asset:

• Overview → Project Allocations appears when the asset has allocations (hidden when there are none)
• Upcoming Dates can show the allocation period (from project planned dates and any planned or actual release)
• Activity records allocate and release events

Release an allocation

1. Open the project → Assets.
2. Find the active allocation.
3. Choose Release.

Release ends the earmark. It does not check the asset in, change assignment, or move location.

You can also release from the asset Overview when you have allocate permission.

Dates on allocations

• Allocation start for display prefers the project's planned start when set; otherwise the allocation timestamp
• End prefers an actual release date, then a planned release date on the allocation (when used), then the project's planned end
• Missing ends are shown honestly (for example No planned end date) — not as a silent “ongoing” failure

Planned project dates do not automatically release assets when they pass.

Common mistakes

Expecting allocation to hand over the asset. It does not. Use check-out for physical custody.

Using check-out instead of allocation when you only needed initiative context. You lose the project earmark and create overdue noise if return dates are wrong.

Leaving purpose blank when several similar assets are on the same project. Purpose is what makes the list readable later.

Assuming completion releases everything. Completing a project does not auto-release allocations. Release what should no longer be earmarked.

Troubleshooting

Allocate controls are missing. Check plan (Projects locked on Nova/Orbit) and role permissions.

Asset isn't in the list. It may be archived or outside the selectable set for this tenant. Open the asset register and confirm it is active.

"Already allocated on this project." Duplicate active allocations of the same asset on the same project are blocked.

I don't see Project Allocations on the asset. There are no allocations for that asset, or your plan/role cannot view Projects.

Related articles

• Getting started with Projects
• Managing the project lifecycle
• Assignment, location and check-out
• How to check out an asset
• How to assign an asset to a person