Tracking each item when several are identical
Published on
In a register, three identical cameras often become a single line: camera, quantity 3. As long as everything goes well, that is enough. As soon as a lens is scratched or a camera goes in for repair, nobody knows which one is concerned. Here is how to track each unit, and when it is worth it.
Why a quantity is no longer enough
A line with a quantity says how many items exist, not which one went out, nor what condition each is in. When an item comes back damaged, you cannot tell whether it is the unit lent to that person or another, and the same item is lent again and again without its fault being tied to anything.
A number and a label for each unit
The first step is to give each item its identity: a number, and a label to stick on it. In Fluxalyo, you just turn on the Track each unit option on the product. Each unit then gets its number, its label to print, its condition and its history.
Scanning the label identifies the unit directly, without searching for it in a list.
Choosing which one you lend
When the loan is made, Fluxalyo asks Which one? and shows the units that are available, those already lent and to whom, and those reserved from a certain date. You no longer lend an item at random, and two people can no longer end up with the same reservation.
A condition that follows the item, not the line
Each unit has its own condition: Good, To check, Damaged or Out of service. An out of service unit cannot be lent. At every return, the recorded condition is tied to the unit and to the specific loan, with a photo if needed. You therefore know which camera has a problem, and since which loan.
When to turn on tracking, and when to skip it
Unit tracking is worth it for equipment that has value, gets damaged or where each piece counts: cameras, laptops, tools, instruments. It is pointless for consumables or small interchangeable items. You can turn it on product by product, provided no loan or reservation is in progress on that product.
Frequently asked questions
?When should you turn on unit tracking?
+
For valuable or fragile equipment where each piece has its own history: cameras, computers, tools, instruments. For consumables or interchangeable items, a simple quantity is enough.
?How do you label each unit?
+
Once tracking is on, Fluxalyo generates a label for each unit, which you print and stick on the item. A scan is then enough to identify it.
?What happens to a unit marked out of service?
+
It stays recorded with its history but can no longer be lent.