User Activity Logs - Track User Actions and Changes

Overview

UniAsset automatically tracks every user action across the system, creating an immutable audit trail for compliance, security, and accountability. View who did what, when, and why across all assets, maintenance, and system changes.

Who Can Access This

All users can view activity logs, subject to role-based access:

Owner & Admin:

• View all user activity across entire organization
• Filter by user, asset, date, action type
• Export activity logs for audits

Manager:

• View activity related to assets they manage
• See maintenance logs they created or completed
• View category and location activity

Viewer:

• View activity for assets they have read access to
• Cannot see user management activity

Employee:

• View activity for assets assigned to them
• See their own maintenance activities

Where to Find User Activity

Asset-Level Activity

Location: Asset Detail Page → History Tab

Shows:

• All changes to specific asset
• Who made each change
• Timestamp of action
• Before and after values

Example entries:

• "Status changed from Active to In Maintenance by John Smith on Jan 15, 2024 10:30 AM"
• "Assigned to Jane Doe by Admin on Jan 16, 2024 2:45 PM"
• "Purchase cost changed from $1,000 to $1,200 by CFO on Jan 17, 2024"

How to access:

1. Navigate to any asset (Dashboard → Assets → Select asset)
2. Scroll to History section (or click History tab)
3. View chronological list of all changes

Filter by:

• Event type (Status Change, Assignment, Maintenance, etc.)
• Date range (Last 7 days, 30 days, All time)
• User (who made the change)

Organization-Wide Activity

Location: Settings → Audit Log (planned feature)

Shows:

• All user actions across organization
• User invitations and role changes
• System configuration changes
• Bulk operations (CSV imports, mass updates)

Planned functionality:

• Filter by user: See all actions by specific person
• Filter by action type: User management, asset changes, maintenance, etc.
• Date range: Specific time window for investigation
• Export: Download CSV of audit log for external analysis

Maintenance Activity

Location: Asset Detail → Maintenance Tab

Shows:

• Maintenance tasks created, updated, completed
• Who logged maintenance
• Who completed tasks
• Parts replaced and costs

Example entries:

• "Maintenance created by Tech Lead on Feb 1, 2024: Replace battery"
• "Task completed by Field Tech on Feb 5, 2024: Battery replaced, $45 cost"
• "Preventive maintenance auto-created on Feb 10, 2024: Quarterly inspection"

What is Tracked

Asset Events

Tracked actions:

• CREATED - Asset created (via form or CSV import)
• UPDATED - Asset details modified (name, serial, cost, etc.)
• STATUS_CHANGED - Status transition (Active → Damaged → Disposed)
• ASSIGNED - Assigned to user or location
• UNASSIGNED - Removed from assignment
• LOCATION_CHANGED - Physical location updated
• DEPARTMENT_ASSIGNED - Department allocation changed
• ARCHIVED - Asset soft-deleted
• RESTORED - Archived asset restored

Metadata captured:

• Old value → New value
• User who made change
• Reason (if provided)
• Timestamp (to the second)

Maintenance Events

Tracked actions:

• Maintenance task created
• Task updated (description, due date, cost)
• Task completed (date, completion notes)
• Task deleted (Admin only)

Metadata captured:

• Maintenance type (Repair, Preventive, Inspection)
• Technician assigned
• Parts used
• Labor and parts costs
• Downtime duration

Document & Image Events

Tracked actions:

• Document uploaded
• Document deleted
• Image added
• Image removed
• Primary image changed
• Document expiry date set

Metadata captured:

• File name and type
• Uploader user
• Expiration date (for compliance docs)
• Reason for deletion (if provided)

User Management Events

Tracked actions:

• User invited (email sent)
• User accepted invitation
• User role changed (Manager → Admin)
• User removed from organization
• User deactivated/reactivated (when implemented)

Metadata captured:

• Old role → New role
• Who made the change
• Target user email
• Timestamp

System Configuration Events

Tracked actions:

• Category created, updated, archived
• Location created, updated, archived
• Department created, updated, archived
• Custom status created

Metadata captured:

• What was changed
• Who made change
• Before and after values

Understanding Activity Entries

Entry Format

Each activity log entry shows:

[Icon] [Event Type]
Changed by: [User Name] ([Role])
Date: [Jan 15, 2024, 10:30 AM PST]
Details: [What changed]

Example:

📝 Asset Updated
Changed by: Jane Doe (Admin)
Date: Feb 10, 2024, 2:45 PM PST
Details: Purchase Cost changed from $1,000 to $1,200
Reason: Vendor invoice correction

Event Icons

• 📝 Asset Updated
• ✅ Status Changed
• 👤 Assigned/Unassigned
• 📍 Location Changed
• 🔧 Maintenance Logged
• ✔️ Maintenance Completed
• 📎 Document Added/Removed
• 🖼️ Image Added/Removed
• 🗑️ Archived
• ↩️ Restored

Metadata Details

Click "View Details" on any entry to see full metadata:

For Status Change:

{
  "oldStatus": "Active",
  "newStatus": "In Maintenance",
  "reason": "Annual servicing",
  "userId": "usr_abc123",
  "userName": "John Smith"
}

For Assignment:

{
  "fromUserId": "usr_123",
  "fromUserName": "Jane Doe",
  "toUserId": "usr_456",
  "toUserName": "Bob Smith",
  "reason": "Department transfer"
}

Filtering Activity Logs

By Date Range

Preset ranges:

• Last 7 days
• Last 30 days
• Last 90 days
• This month
• Last month
• This year
• All time

Custom range:

• Select start date and end date
• Click Apply

Use case: "Show me all changes in January 2024"

By Event Type

Filter options:

• Asset Changes (Created, Updated, Archived)
• Status Changes
• Assignments
• Maintenance
• Documents
• Images
• System Configuration

Use case: "Show me only maintenance activity"

By User

Filter options:

• All users
• Specific user (dropdown)
• Multiple users (checkbox list)

Use case: "Show me everything John Smith did last month"

Combined Filters

Apply multiple filters simultaneously:

• User = "Jane Doe" AND Event Type = "Assignments" AND Date = "Last 30 days"
• Results: All assignments made by Jane in the last 30 days

Exporting Activity Logs

Export to CSV

1. Apply filters (date range, user, event type)
2. Click Export button (top right)
3. CSV file downloads with columns:
   • Timestamp
   • Event Type
   • Asset ID (if applicable)
   • Asset Name
   • User Name
   • User Email
   • Details
   • Metadata (JSON)

Use cases:

• Financial audits
• Compliance reporting
• Investigation analysis
• Management reports

Export to PDF

Planned feature: Export formatted activity report with:

• Company header
• Date range
• Filtered activity entries
• Signatures (for compliance)

Common Use Cases

Scenario 1: Compliance Audit

Situation: External auditor requests proof of asset custody chain

Steps:

1. Navigate to asset detail page
2. Go to History tab
3. Filter by Event Type: "Assignments"
4. Export to CSV
5. Send to auditor showing complete assignment history

Result:

• Proves who had asset, when
• Shows transfer dates and reasons
• Demonstrates accountability

Scenario 2: Investigate Unauthorized Change

Situation: Asset purchase cost mysteriously changed

Steps:

1. Navigate to asset detail page
2. Go to History tab
3. Find "Purchase Cost" change entry
4. See who changed it (John Smith, Admin, Feb 10 at 2:45 PM)
5. Contact John to understand why

Result:

• Identifies responsible user
• Provides timestamp for investigation
• Prevents future unauthorized changes (re-train user)

Scenario 3: Track Maintenance Compliance

Situation: Prove quarterly maintenance performed on critical equipment

Steps:

1. Navigate to asset (e.g., "HVAC Unit #3")
2. Go to Maintenance tab
3. Filter by date range: "Last 12 months"
4. Export maintenance history
5. Highlight quarterly inspection entries

Result:

• Demonstrates compliance with maintenance schedule
• Shows preventive maintenance performed on time
• Provides evidence for regulatory audits

Scenario 4: User Accountability Review

Situation: Manager wants to see what team member accomplished last month

Steps:

1. Settings → Audit Log (when implemented)
2. Filter by User: "Jane Doe"
3. Filter by Date: "Last month"
4. Review all actions: 15 assets created, 8 maintenance tasks completed

Result:

• Objective performance data
• Evidence of productivity
• Identifies training needs (if many errors found)

Scenario 5: Dispute Resolution

Situation: User claims they never received assigned laptop

Steps:

1. Navigate to laptop asset page
2. Go to History tab
3. Find assignment entry: "Assigned to [User] on [Date] by [Admin]"
4. Show user the audit trail entry

Result:

• Proof of assignment
• Shows who assigned it and when
• Resolves dispute with evidence

Activity Log Security

Immutable Audit Trail

Activity logs cannot be edited or deleted by any user, including Owner.

Why:

• Prevents tampering
• Ensures compliance integrity
• Maintains evidence for legal disputes

Only way to remove activity:

• Delete entire organization (30-day grace period)

User Attribution

Every action is permanently attributed to the user who performed it.

If user is removed:

• Their actions remain in audit trail
• Attribution shows "Deleted User (ID: 12345)"
• Historical accuracy preserved

GDPR Compliance:

• If user requests data deletion (Right to be Forgotten), user's name is anonymized
• Action attribution becomes "User ID: [number]" instead of name
• Audit trail integrity maintained

Role-Based Visibility

Data privacy:

• Managers see only activity for assets they manage
• Viewers see only activity for assets they can view
• User management activity visible only to Owner/Admin

No way to hide activity from appropriate role holders

Limitations

No Real-Time Activity Feed

UniAsset does not have a "live feed" of actions as they happen.

Current: View historical activity after actions complete

Planned: Real-time notifications for critical events (asset status changes, high-value asset assignments)

No Activity Alerts

Currently no automatic alerts for unusual activity.

Workaround:

• Manually review activity logs weekly
• Export and analyze in Excel (flag anomalies)

Planned: Alert notifications for:

• High-value asset assigned to non-authorized user
• Mass deletions (>10 assets)
• Role escalation (Manager → Admin)

No Activity Retention Policy Configuration

Activity logs are retained forever (while organization is active).

Cannot:

• Set custom retention period (e.g., delete logs after 7 years)
• Automatically purge old logs

Why: Compliance often requires indefinite retention

If you need custom retention: Contact support for enterprise options

Best Practices

1. Regular Activity Reviews

Owner/Admin should review:

• Weekly: High-level activity summary (who's active, major changes)
• Monthly: Detailed review of asset changes, user management
• Quarterly: Export audit log for compliance records

2. Train Users on Accountability

Remind team:

• Every action is logged with their name
• Changes are permanent and traceable
• Encourage thoughtful, accurate data entry

Effect:

• Reduces careless errors
• Increases data quality
• Promotes responsible behavior

3. Use Activity Logs for Performance Reviews

Track user productivity:

• How many assets created/updated
• Maintenance tasks completed
• Compliance with data entry standards

Objective data for performance conversations

4. Document Unusual Activity

If you find suspicious changes:

• Screenshot the activity log entry
• Save to internal incident tracker
• Follow up with user for explanation

5. Export Logs Before Major Changes

Before:

• Organization restructure
• Mass user removal
• Plan downgrade

Export activity log to preserve snapshot of pre-change state

Troubleshooting

"I can't see activity for an asset"

Possible causes:

1. No activity yet (newly created asset)
2. You don't have permission to view asset
3. Activity tab not visible (wrong page)

Solution:

• Check asset detail page → History tab
• Verify you have read access to asset

"Activity shows wrong user"

Audit trail shows who was logged in, not who requested action.

Example:

• Admin Jane makes change on behalf of Manager Bob
• History shows "Changed by: Jane" (correct - she executed the action)

Best practice: Use Notes field to clarify: "Updated on request from Bob"

"Export failing"

Large activity history (1000+ entries) may timeout.

Solutions:

1. Filter to smaller date range before exporting
2. Export by event type (e.g., Maintenance only)
3. Contact support for bulk export assistance

"Activity log missing details"

Early system actions (before audit trail fully implemented) may have incomplete metadata.

Solution: Actions after [implementation date] have full details

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete activity log entries?

No. Activity logs are immutable for compliance and security.

Can I edit an activity log entry if I made a mistake?

No. Audit trail cannot be edited. If you made an error (e.g., wrong asset updated), create a correcting entry (reverse the change) and add a Note explaining the correction.

How long are activity logs kept?

Forever (while organization is active). After organization deletion, logs are permanently deleted after 30-day grace period.

Can I see who viewed an asset (read-only access)?

No. Only write actions are logged (create, update, delete). Read-only views are not tracked.

Can I filter by multiple users?

Not yet. Current filtering supports single user selection.

Workaround: Export all activity, filter in Excel by user column

What timezone are timestamps in?

Your browser's timezone. Activity logs display in your local time for convenience.

In exports: Timestamps include timezone offset (e.g., "2024-02-10 14:30:00 PST")

Related Articles

• Understanding Audit Trail
• Asset History and Change Tracking
• Compliance Reporting
• User Roles and Permissions

Need Help?

Questions about activity logs?

• Email: support@uniasset.app
• Include: Specific activity you're looking for, user involved, approximate date