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How to Retire or Dispose of an IT Asset

xAssets IT Asset Management User Guide
How To

How to Retire or Dispose of an IT Asset

Disposing of an asset marks it as no longer in active service. The record is preserved with its full history for audit purposes, but the asset is removed from standard queries and reports. Use this process when equipment is sold, scrapped, lost, stolen, donated, or returned to a vendor.

Prerequisites

  • You must have permission to dispose of assets (your user group must allow this operation).
  • Know the appropriate disposal status for the situation (e.g., Sold, Scrapped, Lost, Stolen, Donated, Returned to Vendor).

Steps

  1. Navigate to a query that shows the asset(s) you want to dispose of (e.g., Asset List).

  2. Select one or more assets:

    • Click a single asset to select it.
    • Hold Ctrl and click to select multiple individual assets.
    • Click one row, then Shift+Click another to select a range.

  3. Open the Actions on Selected Records menu in the toolbar.

  4. Choose Disposal of or Delete Assets.

  5. The disposal dialog appears with the following fields:

    Field What to Enter
    Status Select the disposal reason: Sold, Lost, Stolen, Scrapped, Donated, or Returned to Vendor
    Date The date the asset was or will be disposed of. Defaults to today.
    Permanently Delete Leave this unchecked unless you specifically need to permanently remove the record (administrators only).
    Use Batch Process Check this box if disposing of a large number of assets to run the operation in the background.

  6. Select the appropriate status and date.

  7. Click OK to execute the disposal.

What Happens After Disposal

  • The asset's status changes to the selected disposal status (e.g., Sold, Scrapped).
  • The Date Disposed Of field is set.
  • If financial tracking is configured, transactions are posted to write off the asset's remaining Net Book Value.
  • The asset no longer appears in standard inventory queries. It appears in the Disposed Assets query instead.
  • The full history of the asset is preserved and can be viewed at any time.

Reversing a Disposal

If an asset was disposed of in error:

  1. Navigate to the Disposed Assets query (found under the Disposal and Obsolescence tab on the Asset Inventory Dashboard, or via Asset > Disposed Assets).
  2. Find and select the incorrectly disposed asset.
  3. Use the Un-Dispose function to restore it to active status.

Tips

  • Avoid using Permanently Delete unless absolutely necessary. Disposal preserves the audit trail; deletion destroys it permanently.
  • Review the Due for Disposal query periodically to identify assets approaching their scheduled end-of-life date.
  • The Low Specification Assets query on the Disposal and Obsolescence tab identifies hardware that may be candidates for disposal or upgrade based on specifications.