Manage

The Manage section allows you to change the structure of your IRIS Assets system, add and edit singles and multiple Assets, and find Assets. The following section is ordered by the menu options. Manage is only available through IRIS Assets Online.

Asset Types, Departments and Locations

Asset Types, Departments, and Locations make up the structure of your IRIS Assets system. They are displayed and function like a standard folder structure, Assets are shown with Red icons, the blue icons are your Asset Types, Departments, or Locations depending which you are in. You have the following editing options (if you have access to Setting):

Drag and Drop — Hold the left mouse button on the folder and drag it to a new location.

Create a New Folder — Right-click on the folder you want to create your new folder within, select create in the menu and enter in the new folders name.

Manage Questions — Right-click on the folder you want to view or create the questions in, then select Manage Questions.

Depreciation (Asset Types only) — Right-click on the folder you want to access the Depreciation setting for. Depreciation reports are created in the Reports section.

Rename — Right-click on the folder you want to rename, select rename in the menu, then enter in the new name.

Delete — Right-click on the folder you want to delete, select Delete in the menu.

If you do not have access to Settings these sections is still useful as it gives a useful overview of Assets. You can also select an Asset to open its Edit Asset page to review it and make changes.

Manage Questions

The Manage Questions page allows you to add or edit questions for the selected folder.

New Questions can be created in the Create New Question section is on the right of the page. The Current Questions section on the left of the page displays all the questions that currently apply to the selected folder. To edit any of the current questions, select the question name. This replaces the Create New Question section with the Edit Option section with the question details filled in.

Create/Edit Question

  1. Name or rename your Question in Name using only alphanumeric characters and spaces.

  2. Set Question Types:

    • Open Answer — allows the User to enter in their own answer in a provided box. The format of the answer can be selected in the Answer Format option further down the page.
    • Preset Answer — used to provide users with useful information. Selecting a Preset Answer and entering a value means that when adding an Asset to the database the answer remains fixed for this question and cannot be changed by the User when adding or editing the Asset.
    • Pick From List — adding one item per line under the pick from list option creates a drop-down menu in the specific question (e.g. a list of manufacturers or a Yes/No answer), it is good practice to add a Please Select and an Other option to your list of answers.
    • Answer Format — if you have selected an Open Answer in Question Type you may choose from the following formats:

      • Text
      • Text Box
      • Number
      • Date (DD/MM/YY)
      • Currency (₤0.00)
    • Apply down the tree — if Yes is checked then the current question is applied to the current folder and all folders within it. For example, if your question asks who the Asset Guardian is and you are creating/modifying the question in the Electronics folder, selecting Apply down the tree means that all Assets logged in this folder and the sub-folders are asked this question.

    • Important? — if Yes is selected the question have a red asterisk (*) next to the question. This indicates whether a response to this question is required or not. There is no option to create a mandatory question.

Save button — select the save buttons to finish creating or editing your questions.

Delete button (Edit question only) — delete the Question (when a question is deleted so is the data associated with that question).

Depreciation

This area allows you to set depreciation profiles for your Asset Types. To set up a depreciation profile set the following:

Depreciation Method — select either Disabled, Straight Line, or Reducing Balance, the default is Disabled.

Depreciation Period — set the correct time the Asset(s) depreciate over.

Depreciation Percent — set the percentage the Asset(s) depreciate the by each year. If you selected Straight Line in Depreciation Method this is calculated for you automatically.

Apply down the tree — select to apply these depreciation settings to this folder and all sub-folders.

Save — to finish and save your settings.

Depreciation Reports can then be created in Report Builder. Play the video for a full guide to using IRIS Assets Depreciation features.

Add Assets

This page allows you to manually add single or multiple Assets to your database and edit any details held for your Assets singularly or in multiples.

This process is the same for all Asset types including soft Assets such as licences and contracts.

Add Asset

To add an Asset, enter an Asset ID, Asset Name, then select the Asset Type, Department, and Location of the new Asset. Select Go to proceed to go the Edit Asset page.

Enter the answers to the relevant questions provided. Once all details have been added, select Save to save the Asset to the database.

Create Multiple Assets

How many Assets do you want to add? — You can create up to 50 Assets at a time.

Preceding Name — Enter the name for all Assets (Asset name is displayed as NAME-ID).

Starting from ID — Add the first ID number e.g. from your IRIS Assets tags (numeric ids only).

Asset Types, Department, Location, and Current Status — Set the required options. These have to be the same for all Assets created together.

Select Go to go to the Asset Questions for page. This page displays all the questions relevant to the Assets your creating. Add the Answers to the relevant Questions, then select Go to finish creating the Assets.

Edit Assets

Edit an existing Asset

To edit an existing Asset, enter the Asset ID or Asset Name in the ID or Name. Existing Assets are displayed as you enter the details. Select the required Asset to view the properties.

Enter the required answers to the questions provided. Once all details have been added, select Save to save the changes.

There are two links at the bottom of the page. The first one allows you to create up to a maximum of 50 copies of this specific Asset. The second one allows you to re-label the Asset (very useful where the Asset tag has been removed) without adding to the number of Assets on the database.

Play the video for more information about creating copies of an Asset.

Edit Multiple Assets by Asset Type

To edit all Assets of a specific Asset Type irrespective of the Location or Department, select the Asset Type, then select Go.

You can change the answers for up to a maximum of 3 questions. Select Go to proceed.

Edit Multiple Assets by Location

To edit all Assets in a specific Location irrespective of the Asset Type or Department, select the desired Location, then select Go.

You can change the answers for up to a maximum of 3 questions. Select Go to proceed.

Edit Multiple Assets by Department

To edit all Assets in a specific Department irrespective of the Asset Type or Location, select the Department, then select Go.

You can change the answers for up to a maximum of 3 questions. Select Go to proceed.

Edit Multiple Assets

To edit multiple Assets, select the Asset Type, Location, and Department, then select Go.

You can change all of the questions in the first listed Asset and then use the individual Copy link to apply the change to all listed Assets.

Click here to upload information to overwrite existing data

This allows you to update dynamically from an imported CSV spreadsheet and modify up to 3 Answers per Asset at a time. To do this:

  1. Make sure you have a spreadsheet that has correct Asset IDs for the Assets you want to update and accurate updated information for the Answer you want to edit. Save your spreadsheet as a .CSV comma delaminated. Make sure the Asset ID is in column A and that the answers to up to 3 questions that you want to modify are in columns B, C, and D. Select all the relevant cell and copy them (we recommend you copy the column titles with the data).
  2. In Edit Assets select Click here to upload information to overwrite existing data to display the Update From Import page. Paste your spreadsheet data, delete any additional blank lines, if relevant, select Tick if the first row is column titles, then select Go.
  3. In the next screen you have a list of the columns in your spreadsheet with a drop-down selection of all your IRIS Assets questions. Selecting the correct Questions for listed spreadsheet columns to edit, then select Go.
  4. A table with the Assets and data is displayed and be updating, this can be compared to your spreadsheet to make sure it is correct. Once you are happy it is correct, select Go.
  5. A confirmation page is displayed with details that the update is complete.

The most effective way to use this feature is to create and download a CSV of a Report Builder report containing all the relevant Assets and Questions. Then update this Report CSV with the data you need while making sure you have suitable Questions to upload the data to. Once done you upload the updated Report CSV without encountering common issues. For more information, play the video.

Click here to edit the Current Status of multiple Assets using any answer to a particular question

Allows the User to enter Asset IDs (or other unique information, such as serial numbers) from a CSV file and modify the Status of all of the Assets listed. An example of the use of this feature is where the User needs to make a bulk change of Assets that are due for replacement to the Disposed-End of Life status, thereby saving the need to manually change these one-by-one.

Import Assets

This feature allows you to Import Assets into your IRIS Assets system where all Assets you are importing have the same Asset Name, Asset Type, Department, Location, and Current Status. We do provide a service where we can carry out more complex imports for you, which is a service for you are charged for.

If your current Asset register is in a spreadsheet or Access database, save it in Comma Separated Format (CSV) before continuing.

Select the Asset Name, Asset Type, Department, Location, and any Answers, followed by the Current Status of the Assets you are about to import from your CSV, then select Go.

The Import Assets - Import Data page is displayed.

Tips for a successful import:

  • Make sure there are clearly named column titles and those titles are logical for all users and that they already exist as a Question or add one before importing.
  • Delete any blank rows from your data as they create blank Assets.
  • If you have any dates in your data e. g. purchase date, warranty expiry dates, make sure they are in DD/MM/YY or DD/MM/YYYY format.
  • Make sure each Asset has a name (this does not need to be unique and may be a model name or description).
  • Make sure each Asset has an Asset Type that is already in your Asset Tree or add one before importing.
  • Make sure each Asset has a Location that is already in the Location Tree or add one before importing.
  • Make sure each Asset has a Department that is already in the Department Tree or add one before importing.
  • Make sure your data is saved as a CSV file.

The table at the top of this page displays the Location, Department, and Asset Type you have selected for your import. The rows below display the questions that are relevant to the selected Asset Type.

Copy the required data from your CSV file, then paste this information into the required space.

If the first row of pasted data contains the column titles, select the check box below the data.

It is important that there are no blank lines in your data as this creates empty Asset IDs. Check that the cursor is at the end of your data and not on an empty line as this also results in an empty Asset ID.

Select Go to proceed to the next step. On this page the system advises the total number of Assets that have been recognised from your data.

If this is correct, enter the first Asset Tag number.

If this is incorrect select Back in your browser to go back to the previous page where changes can be made to your data and then return to this page.

Select Go to proceed. In this page you map the data in your database with the fields in Asset Manager

If you selected to include titles in your data at the import stage, then you can choose these titles as you proceed.

The first step is to decide whether to use the Asset Name from your data (if it is present) or use the Asset ID as the name. Select Please Pick to select the required Asset ID.

The next step is to work through the various items in the ID column (these are actually the questions that are set up through Manage - Asset Types) matching these to the titles or data in your import. If the titles in the CSV file match exactly, then the system already populates the details, otherwise use the lists to select the appropriate data.

If the data does not contain the information for a particular option, then you do not need to map this and the entry remains blank.

Select the required Display on report options to produce a useful report, which can be printed to allow the placement of the correct Asset ID tag on the relevant Asset. It is suggested that a unique data field, such as serial number, is included in the report.

Select Go to proceed.

Find Assets

This page allows the User to find and then edit Assets by searching for them by Asset ID, Asset Name, or the Answer to a Question such as serial number. Searching by Answer requires 4 characters minimum. Enter the search detail (you can search by part details), then select Go.

You cannot search by Asset Types, Locations, or Departments but it is easy to look through these in their named Manage section.

Select Click here to find an Asset from CSV to set the Question you are searching by, paste your CSV data (make sure there are no blank lines at the bottom of your pasted information), then select Go to display the search results.

Find Assets at the Top of every page

At the top of every IRIS Assets page are:

Scan (Purple with a QR code icon) — Activates any compatible available webcam so you scan the QR code on a IRIS Assets tag.

Search for Asset — enter your search detail. You can search by Asset ID, Asset Name, or the Answer to a Question, such as serial number (Searching by Answer requires 4 characters minimum). As you enter details a list of Assets is displayed. Select Asset ID and Name to display the details. Alternatively, select Click here for all search results to display up to three tables:

The Assets table displays Assets where the search detail is in the Asset ID or Name.

The Answers Results table displays Assets where the search detail is the Answer to a question.

The Relabelled/Moved Assets table displays Assets where the search detail is an old Asset ID (Asset has been relabelled) or a Moved Asset.

To open an Asset in any of these tables, select the Asset ID or Name.

You can only search for Assets using alphanumeric characters.

If you need further help using the system, log a support ticket (a Service Cloud account is required) to contact our Support Team.