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Creating Asset Records

xAssets IT Asset Management User Guide
Asset Management

Creating Asset Records

Asset records can be created in several ways depending on whether you are entering data manually, cloning existing records, or importing from external sources. This page covers each method and when to use it.

Manual Entry

The most common way to create an asset is through the New Asset link in the toolbar:

  1. Click New Asset in the header bar:

New Asset button in the header toolbar

  1. Select a category for the asset (e.g., PC - Desktop, PC - Laptop, Server). The category determines which form is displayed and what fields are available.
  2. Click Next.
  3. Complete the fields on the asset form. Required fields are marked with an indicator (typically a red asterisk or bold label).
  4. Click OK to save the new asset.

The asset is created immediately and assigned a unique reference number. You can continue editing it or return to the results screen.

Creating from a Template

Templates provide pre-populated field values to speed up data entry and ensure consistency:

  1. Click New Asset in the header bar.
  2. Instead of selecting a category, select a template from the list. Templates are listed alongside categories, typically with a naming convention that identifies them as templates.
  3. Click Next. The new asset form opens with the template's field values already filled in.
  4. Review and modify fields as needed, then click OK to save.

Tip: Templates are especially useful for standardised equipment. For example, if your organisation deploys a standard laptop configuration, create a template with the correct manufacturer, model, and specification fields pre-filled. Users creating new laptop records can start from the template instead of entering every field manually.

Cloning an Existing Asset

To create a new asset that is similar to one that already exists:

  1. In any results screen, select the asset you want to clone.
  2. Choose Create a new Asset like the Selected One from the Actions on Selected Records menu.
  3. The system creates a copy with the same field values.

TODO Screenshot: ClickMenu "Asset List" | ClickItem "#newbtn" | PrintScreen "itam-asset-management-creating-asset-records-2"

  1. Edit any fields that should differ from the original (e.g., serial number, asset tag).
  2. Click OK to save the cloned asset.

Tip: Cloning is faster than using a template when you already have a similar asset in the system. It copies all field values including specification data, which templates may not include.

Splitting an Asset

The split function applies to asset records with a quantity of 2 or more. A single record with a quantity greater than 1 represents multiple physical items treated as a group. Use split when those items need to be tracked separately -- for example, when one item moves to a different location or needs different data.

TODO Screenshot (manual): Requires specific dialog state during asset creation

  1. Open the asset in the editing screen.
  2. Click the Split... button at the bottom of the screen.
  3. In the dialog that appears, enter the number of new records to create and the quantity for each.
  4. Click OK. The system clones the original asset into the specified number of records and adjusts the quantities accordingly. Financial transactions are posted against the original record to reflect the split.

Warning: Splitting an asset creates financial adjustments if the asset has financial tracking. Review the resulting records and transactions to ensure the values are correct.

Importing Assets

For bulk data loading, xAssets provides import facilities:

Standard Import:

  1. Navigate to Admin > Transformations > Run a Standard Import.
  2. Prepare a file in Standard Import Format (a structured CSV or Excel template). The required columns and format are documented in the Configuration Guide.
  3. Upload the file through the import screen.
  4. Review the results and resolve any validation errors.

Custom Import:

For non-standard data sources (e.g., data from another asset management system, a procurement system, or a custom spreadsheet), custom import transformations can be created. These use the xAssets transformation engine to map source columns to asset fields. See the Configuration Guide for details.

Tip: Discovery is the most common way assets enter the system -- most hardware records are created automatically by network discovery. Manual entry, cloning, and importing are used for assets that cannot be discovered (e.g., contracts, off-network equipment) or for initial data loading.