Trackable Assets Inventory
IMMS allows materials managers to track the inventory of Trackable Assets using Notification Rules. Notification Rules in IMMS allow Users to define Model, Location, Contract and minimum quantity to track, and then receive email notification when the actual quantity of the specified Asset falls below the set minimum.
Defining Inventory Notification Rules
To create an inventory notification rule, the materials manager would click on "Inventory Notification Rules" under the Materials Inventory section of the Main Menu. By clicking on the "New" button, a Notification Rule form will appear. Required fields within the form include: Rule Name, Contract, Models and minimum quantity.
Once the User selects Contract(s) and Model(s), a number of Assets matching these criteria is shown at the bottom of the form (e.g., "Matching assets count: 10").
Minimum quantity specifies the minimum quantity of the specific Asset that has to be maintained. When the actual quantity of the Asset is less than the minimum quantity defined in the Notification Rule, the rule will generate an email notification. The email will contain information about the Notification Rule (e.g., Rule Name and description), minimum quantity, actual quantity and recommended reorder quantity (i.e., minimum quantity less actual quantity) and a link to the IMMS Instance/website. To receive an email notification, a User must be subscribed to the Notification Rule.
When all required fields are set in the form, the Notification Rule can be saved and activated.
The material manager has the option to specify additional criteria. The User can:
- select a specific Storage/Warehouse Location to track - When a Location(s) is selected, the matching count is recalculated showing matching Assets only in the selected Location(s).
- select Asset Status(es) to track (e.g., In Stock, Deployed) - When status(es) are selected, the matching count is recalculated to show matching Assets in the selected Status(es).
- select Usability (i.e., Usable, Not usable, Not Set) - When a User selects "Usable", all usable Asset Conditions are selected and will be tracked by this rule. If the User selects "Not Usable", all not usable Asset Conditions will be tracked. If a User selects "Not Set" for usability, then all Assets that have no Condition code set, will be tracked. If all or none of the usability codes (i.e., Usable, Not Usable, Not Set) are selected, then Assets of all Condition codes are tracked, including Assets with no condition code set.
- add subscribers to the Notification Rule - Users who should receive email notifications (e.g., material manager, warehouse supervisor, site supervisor, project supervisor) can be added.
When all desired criteria are set for the Notification Rule, it can be saved. All new Notification Rules are created in Draft status. In order to receive email notifications, the Notification Rule has to be activated by a material manger. (i.e., the User must transfer the rule into Active status.)
Viewing Inventory Notification Rules and Statuses
The Inventory Notification Rules view is located under the Material Inventory section of the Main Menu. This view consists of a filter panel, main view grid and details panel. Note: the details panel is not seen unless a notification rule is selected. The filter options for this view include Contract, Model Name, Location (i.e., the Storage/Warehouse Locations, as well as the Installation/Service Locations for Deployed Assets), Asset Status, Asset usability, minimum quantity and rule subscriber.
The main view grid shows a list of Notification Rules (e.g., Rule Names, statuses, Contracts, Models, Locations, minimum quantity, actual quantity, etc.) The main view grid also shows a rule's execution information (i.e., whether the rule is applied - triggered, when it was last scanned, when subscribers were last notified, when Status was updated).
Selecting a Notification Rule on the main view grid will open that rule's Notification Rule details panel on the right side of the screen.
A User with Administrative User Permissions, or material managers, can edit and/or delete existing Notification Rules.
An Administrative User can also change selected, or all, Notification Rules' statuses. Notification Rule statuses and characteristics are as follows:
Draft -"Draft" is the initial status for new Notification Rule. A rule in Draft status is skipped during IMMS's daily scan (i.e., notifications are not sent.) A rule in Draft status can transition into Active or Inactive status.
Active - A rule in "Active" status is included in IMMS's daily scan. If the rule is triggered during that scan, a notification is immediately sent. A rule in Active status can transition into Inactive or Acknowledged status. Once "Acknowledged", notification emails will stop being sent.
Inactive - A rule in "Inactive" status is skipped during IMMS's daily scan. A rule in Inactive status can transition into Active status.
Acknowledged - A rule in "Acknowledged" status is included in IMMS's daily scan, but notifications are muted based on the IMMS Instance’s settings. Acknowledged status expires after a number of hours (e.g., 24 hours) set in IMMS Instance’s settings. Once the Acknowledged status expires, the rule is set back to Active status for IMMS's next daily scan. A rule in Acknowledged status can be manually transitioned into Active or Inactive status.
Notification Rules in Active status are processed automatically by IMMS, typically at 4 am each day. Sometimes, however, there is a need for an Administrative User to process a Notification Rule on demand. An Administrative User can scan selected, or all, Notification Rules to re-calculate actual quantity against minimum quantity via the "Rescan" button. This operation is useful when it is known that equipment has been received or otherwise sent out of the site. Administrative Users can also send emails to notify rule subscribers of selected, or all, triggered Notification Rules via the "Notify" button.
The Inventory Notification Rules view supports Saved View option, giving Users the ability to save pre-set filters and column order into a customized Saved View that can be shared with other Users.