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Joiners and Leavers

xAssets IT Asset Management User Guide
Asset Management

Joiners and Leavers

The Joiners and Leavers workflow provides a structured process for managing asset assignments when employees join or leave the organisation. It ensures that new starters receive the equipment they need from storage and that leavers have their assets returned, wiped, and reassigned or stored.

Overview

In any organisation, the movement of people drives a significant portion of asset management activity. The Joiners and Leavers workflow automates and standardises these processes:

  • Joiners (New Starters): Assets are selected from storage, prepared, and deployed to the new user with an updated custodian assignment and location.
  • Leavers (Departures): Assets are collected from the departing user, returned to storage or marked for disposal, and the custodian assignment is cleared.

Without a structured process, joiner and leaver events often result in lost assets, delayed equipment provisioning, and inaccurate asset records.

The Joiners and Leavers Dashboard

The dashboard provides a consolidated view of pending joiner and leaver activity. It typically shows:

Section What It Shows
Pending Joiners New users who need equipment assigned
Pending Leavers Departing users whose equipment needs to be recovered
In Progress Joiner or leaver actions currently being processed
Recently Completed Actions completed in the current period

The dashboard helps IT asset managers prioritise their work and ensures that no joiner or leaver request is overlooked.

Joiner Workflow (Deploying to a New User)

When a new employee joins the organisation, the typical workflow is:

Step 1: Identify Equipment Requirements

Determine what equipment the new starter needs based on their role. Common assignments include:

  • Laptop or desktop computer
  • Monitor(s)
  • Keyboard, mouse, and peripherals
  • Mobile phone or tablet
  • Software licences

Step 2: Select Assets from Storage

  1. Navigate to the storage query to view available assets (e.g., Asset > Storage, Spares and Library > Deploy Assets from Storage)
  2. Select suitable assets that match the requirements
  3. Verify that the assets are in working condition and have current operating system images

Step 3: Assign to the New User

  1. Select the assets to deploy
  2. Use the Transfer or Deploy action to assign the assets to the new custodian
  3. Update the location to the new user's work location
  4. The asset status changes from storage to active

Step 4: Record the Deployment

The system automatically records the custodian change, location change, and status change in the asset history. This provides a full audit trail of when the equipment was deployed and to whom.

Leaver Workflow (Recovering from a Departing User)

When an employee leaves the organisation:

Step 1: Identify Assets Assigned to the Leaver

  1. Search for the departing user's name in the Search box, or navigate to the custodian query
  2. Review all assets currently assigned to that user

Step 2: Recover the Assets

  1. Physically collect the equipment from the departing user
  2. For each recovered asset, decide the next action:
Condition Action
Good condition, reusable Move to storage for redeployment to the next joiner
End of life or damaged Mark for disposal
Leased equipment Return to the leasing company

Step 3: Clear the Custodian Assignment

  1. Select the recovered assets
  2. Use the Transfer action to clear the custodian or reassign to a storage custodian
  3. Update the status (e.g., "In Storage" or "Due for Disposal")
  4. Update the location to the storage location

Step 4: Data Security

For computers and mobile devices, ensure that:

  • User data is backed up if required by policy
  • The device is wiped or re-imaged before redeployment
  • Any personal accounts are removed

Integration with HR Systems

The Joiners and Leavers workflow can be linked to HR data through xAssets transformations. When HR provides a feed of starters and leavers (e.g., via CSV, API, or integration with an HR platform), xAssets can automatically create joiner and leaver tasks, reducing manual effort and ensuring that IT is notified promptly. See the Transformations Overview for details on setting up data feeds from external systems.

Tips

Tip: Process leavers promptly. Delays in recovering equipment from departing employees are the most common cause of lost assets. Aim to recover all equipment on or before the employee's last day.

Tip: Maintain a buffer stock of common equipment in storage so that joiner requests can be fulfilled immediately without waiting for procurement.

Tip: Use the asset history and audit trail to verify that all equipment issued to a leaver has been accounted for. If any assets are missing, escalate before the employee's access is fully revoked.

Tip: Combine the Joiners and Leavers workflow with Email Notifications to alert the IT team automatically when a new joiner or leaver task is created.