Hand Out and Return of Devices

Overview

LOGINventory offers the possibility to automatically generate an individual label including QR code for all assets - no matter if scanned automatically or created manually. If the QR code is scanned by a smartphone or tablet with a camera, a website opens on the device that displays the details of the asset.

Here, the hand out of the asset to a specific user or the return of the asset can be documented. The receipt of the asset is documented on the smartphone with a digital signature, whereupon a corresponding entry is created in LOGINventory that is linked to both the asset and the user. In this way, the hand out or return of all IT assets (e.g. laptops, monitors, docking stations, webcams, headsets, keyboards, mice, USB sticks) can be documented in a paperless manner and it can be seen at any time which user received / returned which devices and when.

Prerequisites & Preparation

Asset Present in LOGINventory

If an asset is to be transferred that already exists in LOGINventory, this requirement is already met.

If, on the other hand, an asset is to be transferred that has not yet been scanned / created in LOGINventory, there are various possibilities:

If it is a scannable asset (e.g. PC, switch), scan this asset, e.g. using the Remote Scanner or by running LOGINfo.exe (e.g. also via USB stick). If the asset is still in the incoming supply, or in a box that is not to be unpacked yet, but you already know some details of the asset (e.g. model, serial number, etc.), you can use the Asset Editor to create the asset already.

If it is a peripheral device, use the Asset Editor or convert an entry from the list of connected monitors or USB devices to a peripheral device.

Inventory Number Assigned

Make sure that an inventory number has been assigned to the asset: This should be done automatically if the check mark has been set in the dialog for managing inventory numbers so that new assets automatically receive an inventory number. If the asset has not yet been assigned an inventory number, you can also set a number in this dialog.

Web Viewer Published

In order to integrate a link to the LOGINventory Web Viewer in the labels to be printed, the Web Viewer must have been published first.

Using the Authorization Concept

To ensure that not every user can later scan the QR codes to view the details of a device or create lifecycle entries, we strongly recommend using the authorization concept. Adjust the settings so that, for example, only members from the IT department are administrators and "normal" employees in your company either have no access or only guest access.

Only users who have the Power User or Administrator roles can access the web viewer via the QR code.

Optional: Disable Automatic Update of the Owner

If a user is selected via the website called up by the QR code to whom a device is to be transferred, the Custom property Owner (main user), among other things, is changed as a result. This creates a link between the user and the device.

However, LOGINventory also offers the possibility to automatically update the Owner for devices where a last logged in user can be determined (e.g. scan of Windows clients, Windows servers, Linux clients, MacOS devices), if the Owner has not changed during X consecutive scans.

So if it is planned that the handover of such scannable devices via smartphone is also digitally documented, the automatic updating of the owner should be deactivated.

If, on the other hand, only the handover of non-scannable devices (USB sticks, docking stations, monitors, headsets, etc.) is to be digitally documented using a smartphone and the main user for scannable devices is still to be determined automatically, the option for automatic updating can remain activated.

Optional: Add tags & Terms of Use

A list of tags can be stored in the settings, which is available when creating lifecycle entries. These are suitable, for example, for documenting that devices have been handed over “incl. charging cable” or “incl. laptop bag”, which means that this information does not have to be typed manually into the comment field and the handover process can be completed more quickly.

You can also set here that users can add their own tags when creating lifecycle entries that are not yet contained in the Tag list.

Furthermore, the settings can also be used to store your own terms of use in PDF format, which must be accepted by the end user when a device is issued.

Web Server Reachable from Smartphone

In order for the web page of the device to be displayed by scanning a QR code with a smartphone / tablet, the LOGINventory computer must be accessible with the web viewer from the end device. This is possible either by the smartphone being in a WLAN from which the internal LOGINventory computer can be reached. Alternatively, the web viewer can also be made accessible via a public address, e.g. using a port forwarder or reverse proxy. These settings must be implemented by the responsible administrator.

Label Printer and Labels Available

For printing the labels, you should have a label printer that is capable of printing the smallest possible labels so that you can also apply labels to small peripheral devices such as USB sticks or headsets.

Printing Labels

If the label printer is not accessible as a network printer but only connected to a client PC via USB, it is recommended to use the portable version on this client PC to print the labels.

To create a label for a device, navigate to a HardwareAsset, Device or PeripheralDevice entity query, e.g. the Assets node or the Peripheral Devices query.

Select one or more result rows in the Data View, and then select one of the reports in the ribbon menu whose name starts with "QR Codes".

If everything works as desired, you can print the report on the label printer and apply the appropriate labels to the devices.

Documentation of the Hand Out via Smartphone

If the QR code is scanned via smartphone, a URL like http://inventory-server/LOGINventory/details.aspx?invnr=Asset1001 opens. If you use the recommended settings of the IIS, you will be asked for a user name and password when calling this page (=Basic Authentication).

Use the username and password of a domain user who has the permission level Power User or Administrator in LOGINventory.

On the page that opens, you will now see various details of the device. Via the menu Lifecycle, you will see the two buttons Hand Out & Return. When the corresponding button is selected, further options will appear below.

Thus, in the case of a Hand Out, a user can now be selected here to whom the device is to be transferred. Furthermore, there is

• a field to add a note
• a field to select a date
• a field to add tags (this option has to be enabled in the settings beforehand)
• a checkbox to accept terms of use and an option to open the terms of use (this option has to be enabled in the settings beforehand)
• a signature field where the user can sign with his finger.

Completing the hand out process using the Hand Out button deposits a lifecycle entry on the device containing the entered data and signature, and updates the Owner ( main user) of the device.

If the Return of the asset is to be documented, the procedure is similar, but there is no field for selecting the user and no option to accept the terms of use and the Owner property is cleared.

Transfer of Multiple Assets

If several assets are to be transferred during the hand out or return process, the Additional Assets toggle button can be selected. This opens a search window in which further assets can be selected. The name, chassis type, inventory number, serial number and the name of the owner can be used to search.

The assets selected in this search window are then visible below the search window. From here, the assets can also be deselected again with a single click.

In this way, the lifecycle entries are stored for all selected devices and the owner of all devices is set or cleared.

Further Features in the Web Viewer

In addition to documenting the hand out or return of assets, there are other options available in the Web Viewer on the Asset Details page.

Adding Photos

Using the corresponding button on the Asset Details page, it is possible to add a photo / image to the asset. On a smartphone, the camera can be opened to take a photo and store it. The local photo storage can also be searched on the smartphone.

On a computer, the hard disk can be searched to upload a suitable image.

The image stored here can then also be viewed / changed in the info widget.

Editing Custom Properties

An asset's custom properties can be viewed and edited via the Custom Properties tab. The Save button must be clicked for changes to be applied here.

Creating General Lifecycle Entries

The Lifecycle tab can be used to create not only entries for documenting the hand out and return (including owner changes in each case), but also to create general lifecycle entries. These entries additionally have the fields Category and End and can be used, for example, to document maintenance, repairs or similar.

In addition, all lifecycle entries stored on the asset can also be viewed here.

Customizing the Description Field

The description field (Device.Info), which is also visible in the info widget, can be customized via the Asset Details page.

Tracking of Handed Over Devices

By handing over / taking back a device, on the one hand the Owner (main user) of the device is updated, on the other hand a lifecycle entry is stored at the device (visible in the Info Widget, among others), which is linked to the corresponding user.

The evaluation of these entries is possible at different places in LOGINventory.

View via the Web Viewer

Every user - even if they have not been assigned a role in the authorization concept - can use the Web Viewer to view which assets are assigned to them and also see all the lifecycle entries linked to them. To do this, the user must open the User Details page (user.aspx), e.g. http://loginventory-server/LOGINventory9/user.aspx. Depending on the configuration, integrated Windows Authentication (i.e. in the context of the user currently logged on to the Windows computer) or Basic Authentication (i.e. user & password query) is used when logging in.

LOGINventory users with the role of Power User or Administrator can also view the details of all users and thus also use the Web Viewer to evaluate who currently owns which assets.

Evaluations of the Owner

Many included queries (e.g. Assets nodes, Peripheral Devices nodes) have the Owner property selected by default. Of course, you can adapt all existing queries or create new ones and, for example, add the columns Owner.UserAccount.FullName or Owner.UserAccount.Department to get additional information about the main user in the respective evaluation.

If you open the details of a user in the supplied Users query by double-clicking, you can also see here, among other things, the devices for which this user is entered as the Owner. Many other included reports also use the Owner field by default.

Also in the expanded tree structure below the user you can see the user's Assigned Devices.

Evaluations of Lifecycle Entries

To view the Lifecycle entries of a device, the device can be selected in a Device, PeripheralDevice or HardwareAsset entity query (e.g. Assets node, Peripheral Devices node) and then the Info Widget can be opened.

Furthermore, the entries are also visible under Related Lifecycle Entries by double-clicking on a device or user.

In many of the supplied reports, the lifecycle entries are also displayed.