How to create custom asset statuses
Every asset has a status. UniAsset ships with three, and lets you add your own on Orbit and above.
The three built-in statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Active | In normal operation |
| Damaged | Impaired or defective |
| Disposed | Retired or written off |
These are created for you at sign-up, which is why no configuration is needed before your first asset. They cannot be edited or removed.
Requirements
- Available on: Orbit, Odyssey, Cosmos — for custom statuses
- Roles: Owner, Admin
The three built-in statuses work on every plan, including Nova. The gate is on adding your own.
Steps
- Go to Settings → Asset Statuses, or Dashboard → Asset Statuses.
- Click New Status.
- Give it a name and a colour.
- Set its order in the list.
- Save.
What happens next
The status becomes selectable on every asset, and appears in asset lists, filters, and reports alongside the built-in ones.
Good custom statuses
The useful ones describe an operational state that changes what someone should do:
- In Repair — it is away being fixed
- On Loan — it is with another department
- Pending Inspection — it cannot be used until checked
- In Transit — it is between sites
Status is not the same as…
Availability. Whether an asset is checked out is derived from its checkout record, not its status. An asset can be Active and checked out.
Criticality. Criticality records how much your operation depends on the asset, and multiplies SLA response windows. It is a separate field.
Archived. Archiving removes an asset from active lists, reporting, and alert evaluation. It is not a status.
PM status. Whether preventive maintenance is due is computed from PM rules.
Using status for any of these produces two sources of truth that will disagree.
Archiving a status
Statuses are archived, not deleted. Archiving removes it from the list of choices for new assets while assets that already carry it keep their history intact.
What happens if you downgrade
Nothing is deleted. Custom statuses and the assets carrying them survive a downgrade untouched. The functionality stops answering while the capability is absent and resumes on upgrade.
Common mistakes
Creating a status for every situation. Twenty statuses is a filter nobody uses. If a state does not change what someone does, it does not need a status.
Using status to record location. Location is its own field, with a hierarchy.
Using status instead of archiving. A "Retired" status keeps the asset in active lists, reporting, and alert evaluation. Archive it instead.
Duplicating the built-ins. "Broken" and "Damaged" side by side means half your damaged assets are in each.
Troubleshooting
I can't add a status — the page shows an upgrade prompt. Custom statuses need Orbit or above.
I can't reach the Asset Statuses page. It needs Owner or Admin.
I can't edit Active, Damaged, or Disposed. Those are system statuses. They are fixed so that reports and integrations can rely on them.
A status I archived is still on some assets. Archiving stops it being chosen for new assets; it does not rewrite history. Change those assets individually if you want them moved.
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