Asset Management Template sheet

Hi,

I have been using and adapting the asset management template sheet to try and use it for tracking items of luggage. We issue and loan luggage to personnel for travelling around the world and each bag has its own number physically embroidered onto the bag. We are trying to use Smartsheet to keep a log of these bags and track when they are loaned and who to and when they are returned. Some of the luggage bags will be issued to personnel for a whole year and others will only be loaned the luggage for a month or two. Unfortunately we have duplicate numbers on some of the bags but we do still have a distinguishable factor between them, this being the year they were bought (there are small features that differ from year to year on the bags). Currently I am having trouble with stopping duplicate entries via the form being made. I would like to be able to view the history of a bag throughout the year and see who it was loaned out to and when it was returned, this becomes difficult when trying to take a bag out of circulation because it has been loaned to someone, if anyone has any ideas of how this could be done please let me know.

Thanks,

Toby.

Answers

  • Paul.Woodward
    Paul.Woodward ✭✭✭✭✭

    Hello, Toby.

    First off, I need to work for a company that loans out luggage! I always end up using my own—haha!

    I’d love to talk this through a bit more. From what I understand, you're tracking luggage that’s being lent out, each with a specific number. Some numbers are duplicated, but you can distinguish them further by a secondary feature like the year (or small year-specific traits).

    Could you clarify what you mean by "duplicate entries"? Are these identical items logged multiple times or similar items with shared numbers?

    Here’s what I’m thinking:

    • You could create a form to log details for each piece of luggage, including its number, additional features, who borrowed it, and when it’s needed.
    • On the intake sheet, you could add editable columns like:
      • Returned: Checkbox (Yes/No)
      • Date of Return
      • Condition Upon Return
      • Purchase Date
      • Rotation Lifespan

    Once an item is returned, you’d check it off. When a new request is submitted through the form, it would automatically generate a new entry to track from there.

    From this data, you could build a live report, sortable by each luggage piece. This would give you an easy view of who borrowed it and its history.

    Does this approach make sense to you?

    Looking forward to your thoughts!

  • Hi Paul,

    So the duplicate entries are occuring because I am attempting (quite badly) to add each luggage bag onto the sheet via a form before it is lent out to anyone so that we have a log of how many luggage bags we have "in main" this means luggage that is new and has not yet been allocated to or lent out to a person and so is effectively in stock. With this we can then see how many luggage bags we have available. However when a new form entry is submitted to use a luggage bag, for example "Luggage Bag Number 001" this then creates a second Luggage Bag Number 001 to the one I already have on the sheet therefore it is a duplicate entry. Ideally it would be great if the new entry for the bag to be allocated to someone adjusts the existing status of luggage bag 001. I might just be missing something simple on this or it might not even be possible but I feel like there might be some way of doing it, I just can't figure it out at the moment.

    Everything you've mentioned is exactly what I'm thinking would be needed, I'm just struggling to work out if I would need to delete a current row stating the luggage bag is "in main" when the new entry is submitted and then work off of that new entry row or if there is any other way of keeping a log of when the luggage bag was first put onto the system and every time it was loaned out and returned since then.

    Hopefully the above makes sense! Let me know if not and if you have any recommendations that would be greatly appreciated!

    Thanks,


    Toby.