Standardized Asset Return Process

What's New?

Tracking Assets is an integral part of managing software and hardware assets. If not tracked accurately, it may lead to the financial losses and security concerns. SummitAI enables best-in-class asset tracking mechanism. It enables tracking of assets through return type movement and default type movement.

Now, in addition to the default Asset movement types (Store Movement, Floor Movement, Sent To Repair, and Returned From Repair), the Return type is added newly. As a part of Tahoe SP1 release, the asset return process is enriched to monitor the assets in the following scenarios:

  • Let’s consider that a user is working from home and is not available at the company location. Due to certain reasons, the user has to return the asset to the company. This feature enables the user to select any nearest location or the authorized centers of the company to drop the asset rather than travelling all the way to the location from where the asset was allocated.
  • The Asset that belongs to the same office premises, but the employee has carried the assets out of the premises.

Process Flow

Let’s dive deeper to understand the complete flow of Asset return process. The following are the chronological details of each phase of Asset return movement:

Figure: Figure: Phases of Return Type Movement

Step 1. Configuration

The following Configuration must be performed:

Configuration Name

Sub-Configuration

Description

Navigation

Movement Configuration


Details section

On the Details section you configure the following:

·       Return Type Movement

·       Level of Approvals

·       Required for return

·       Approver Type

·       Default Store

·       Enable Print Gate Pass

·       Enable physical check of Asset at approval level

·       Enable update of store location at approval level

Asset > Others > Movement Configuration > Details

Location Wise Approver Configuration

The location-wise approval configuration must be set for all the assets for which the return movement is configured.

On the Location-wise Approver page, you can configure the following:

·       Approver

·       Approver type

·       Location

·       Super approver

The Approver mapped with that particular location are notified to approve the respective assets of that location.

Note: If location-wise approver is configured for all the required location, then a validation message is prompted stating that the approver is not configured for that location.

 Asset > Others > Movement Configuration > Location-Wise Approver icon on the ACTIONS panel

Category-wise approval configuration

On the Category-Wise Approval page, you to control the asset movement based on the asset category where you can decide the asset categories for which the movement approval has to be configured.

Asset > Others > Movement Configuration > Category- Wise Approver icon on the ACTIONS panel.

Location and Store configuration

If the Default location for the Tenant is not configure, then on the Location and Store page you can configure it. Accordingly, on the My Asset list page, the default store value is populated which when initiating a return movement of asset.

Asset > Others > Movement Configuration > Location and Store icon on the ACTIONS panel.

Asset Return Type

Details

You can configure various return types for a tenant. Based on the Configuration, the drop-down values are displayed for Return type on the Movement Configuration page. It enables the user, Security person to select the exact reason of asset return.


Asset > ConfigurationAsset Masters > Asset Return Type

Step 2. Initiate Return Movement

As per requirement, the End User can initiate return movement for the accepted assets. On the My asset List page, the user can select the asset and click Return on the ACTIONS panel. On the Return Asset List pop-up, user must fill in required details such as Return type, Schedule return Date, drop location of asset, and remark. On submission of the return form, the asset of selected asset on the MY Asset List page change to Pending for Return from Accepted status.

 Post movement initiation, a movement ID is generated which the end user can view under the Movement Request tab of My asset List page (See, My Asset List).

Note:

  • Return movement can also be initiated by security person on behalf of end user. For more information, see Asset Return Request For User.
  • End user can cancel the return movement of asset by selecting the required asset and clicking Cancel Movement from the ACTIONS panel under the Movement request tab. It is applicable for the assets which are in Movement Initiated status and approval movement is not yet started.

Step 3. Approval

After the return movement is initiated, the configured approver gets e-mail notification to approve the return movement. Further, the approver decides to approve or reject the asset movement based on the scenario.  If more than one approver is configured for the return type, then all the level approvers must approve the return type to complete the return movement transaction. If approved, the initiator of the asset movement is notified. Once the last approver approves the return movement, a message is prompted “Do you want to proceed with the deallocation to close the Return Request? The last level Approver can select either OK or cancel.

Action

Result

OK

If OK is selected, the approver is navigated to the Deallocation page. On the deallocation page, the approver must fill the required details such as asset condition, Sub status, remarks etc., and submit the form. The existing asset count in the in -store increased based on the number of deallocations.

For the end user, the deallocated asset is nor more displayed under the Movement Request tab of the My Asset List page.

For more information about deallocation, see Deallocating Asset

CANCEL

If CANCEL is selected, the return movement is closed and on the My Asset list, the asset status is displayed as Pending For return. A notification is triggered to Store Manager to deallocate asset. Post deallocation, end user is notified of the same.  

Note: For more information about approval, see Approving Asset movement

Once the return movement is closed, the initiator is notified.

Note:

A store manager based on the configured role template can view and edit all the movement ID in the following scenarios, the Store manager can deallocate the Assets:

  • Return Movement initiated but no Movement configuration is defined for that Return Type.
  • Return Movement initiated, Movement configuration is defined, but rejected by the approver.
  • Return Movement initiated, Movement configuration is defined, and asset is pending for Approval.

For More information about all movement ID, see Asset Return Type 1.

New Workflows based on Persona

Following are the new workflows in place depending upon the scenario when initiated by a specific User (End user/Analyst):

 End User
  • For a selected tenant, when end-user is initiating the return request, if return request type and matrix are not configured, then a Default Movement ID will be generated and the same will get auto approved.
  • If Return Request Type and Approval matrix are configured, then based on the selected return request type, the movement will get initiated and goes for approval process. Once the final level approver approves the request, the system will prompt for deallocation that can be performed at the same time or later.

 Analyst on Asset Inventory -> Deallocate Action
  • For a selected tenant, if no return request type is configured, then Analyst is redirected to the Deallocation page of the asset. 
  • For the selected tenant, if Return Request Type is configured without Approval matrix configuration, then a Movement ID will be generated for the selected return type movement and the same will get auto approved. After that Analyst needs to perform the deallocation of assets from Asset Return Request page.
  • For the selected tenant, if both Return Request Type and Approval matrix are configured, then Analyst is directed to Asset Return Request User page.

Scenario:

Analyst is performing the Deallocation action from Asset Inventory page. Let’s assume Asset1 & Asset2 are selected. On clicking DEALLOCATE in the Actions panel, the Analyst is redirected to Asset Return Request page where the allocated user(s) is/are displayed in the corresponding field. All the assets allocated to the user(s) will be displayed on the page with Asset1 & Asset2 auto selected.


 Analyst on Asset Return Request page -> Deallocate Action
  • If Analyst selects auto approved movement request and if Maker-Checker is enabled for deallocation, then Maker-Checker process will be followed for deallocation of the corresponding asset(s).
  • If Analyst selects return movement request approved by approvers and if Maker-Checker is also enabled for deallocation, then Maker-Checker process will be skipped for deallocation, even if both movement request and Maker-Checker approvers are different. 

Note:

  • Post deallocation, if there is a change in asset destination location during the approval process, new store name will get updated for those assets on final deallocation of assets. This is applicable for Fixed assets only. 
  • Change of destination location is not applicable for Accessories assets. All the returned accessories will get moved to the same original store itself.


 Analyst on Asset Inventory -> Reallocate Action:
  • No changes from the existing functionality.
 Analyst on Asset Inventory -> Deallocate and Deactivate Action:
  • |No changes from the existing functionality.