Equipment Pools
Use the equipment pools feature to manage non-serialized equipment, such as cable cords, as a single record of identical, non-serialized equipment units. Equipment pools eliminate the need to create individual records for each unit, saving time and database space. Use cases include:
- When you don't need to track the specific location of each unit within the pool.
- When all units within the pool are considered functionally equivalent.
Benefits
- Simplify your equipment database by avoiding duplicate records for identical items.
- Track the total quantity available within the pool instead of individual units.
- Loan or reserve equipment from the pool without needing to specify a specific unit.
- When creating an Equipment record, check the Equipment Pool checkbox to designate it as a pool of identical items.
- Instead of individual serial numbers, the system uses a Quantity on Hand field to track the total number of units available within the pool.
- When loaning or reserving equipment from a pool, you specify the desired quantity rather than a specific unit.
- Click the Save button to finish.
This checkbox field controls if the Quantity on Hand field is to be used for this Equipment record. Setting this toggle changes the way both mobile screens and web screens process Loans. If the Equipment Pool is set to check, the loan screens will ask for the Quantity to associate with the Loan. In addition to Loan Quantities the Mobile app and Web screens support adjustments to the Quantity on Hand. Both options only appear when the Equipment Pool is checked. This field also controls if multiple loans can occur at the same time. For equipment records that have Equipment Pool checked the system will allow users to have multiple active loans.
Quantities are not validated so it is possible to loan more equipment than you have recorded. The Current Loan section on the equipment record will display the latest Loan record created that is still active (not returned). The Equipment Loan-related list will show the other active and historical loans. The auto loan return functionality that works for standard equipment records is turned off for Equipment Pool equipment records. That means loans must be returned individually by selecting the loan and using the Return Loaned Equipment button on the Equipment Loan Detail page.
Changing the setting on the Equipment Pool should be done with careful consideration. Ideally, there should be no outstanding loans when you change Equipment Pool from true to false or visa versa. If you use the Change Equipment
When processing a loan for a record with Equipment Pool checked, ELTON will ask for a quantity value. This quantity value will always be a positive number. This quantity value will be stored with the Loan record and the Quantity on Hand of the related Equipment record will be reduced by that amount.
The Return Loan feature functions differently for Equipment Pool records.
- The Return Loaned Equipment button displays a message that tells the user to select the loan they are returning. Navigate to the Equipment Loan record and press the Return Loan button on the Equipment Loan Detail screen.
- When the loan is returned the system will not ask for the Returned Quantity (utilizing the Loaned Quantity) and will increase the Equipment record by the loaned quantity. If a loan has returned fewer items than loaned, you must return the loan (returning the full amount) and then enter a Quantity Adjustment to record the shortfall.
