This documentation supports the 25.1 version of BMC Helix ITSM Asset Management.To view an earlier version, select the version from the Product version menu.

Managing asset inventory

When you procure a large number of assets that you planned to backfill, or an employee leaves the organization and the asset is returned back to the IT department, the impacted assets must be moved into inventory. You can do that by updating the asset status to In Inventory .

Related topic

Importing In Inventory assets (BMC Communities blog)

Inventory location

Before you move assets into inventory, make sure that you have an Inventory Location asset. The Inventory Location is derived from the Inventory Location CMDB CI class. The Inventory Location is the name of the Inventory Location CI. It is typical to have locations of similar names, but different locations in most environments. For example, a company that has offices in Los Angeles, London, and Tokyo might have an inventory location called Cell Phone Storage for all 3 sites. In this scenario, when you search for the inventory location Cell Phone Storage, you see the site, floor, and other information in the search results.

When you move an asset into inventory, you must assign an inventory location to help you track the asset better. However, you can move the following asset types into inventory without assigning any inventory location:

  • Access Point
  • Account
  • Activity
  • Admin Domain
  • Application
  • Application Infrastructure
  • Application Service
  • Application System
  • Base Element
  • Business Process
  • Business Service
  • Cluster
  • Collection
  • Communication Endpoint
  • Concrete Collection
  • Connectivity Collection
  • Connectivity Segment
  • Database
  • Default Account Permissions
  • Document
  • Inventory Storage
  • IP Connectivity Subnet
  • IP Endpoint
  • IP X Connectivity Network
  • LAN
  • LAN Endpoint
  • LNs Collection
  • Logical Entity
  • NT Domain
  • Organization
  • Person
  • Physical Location
  • Protocol Endpoint
  • Resource Allocation Setting Data
  • Resource Pool
  • Role
  • Service Offering Instance
  • Settings
  • Software
  • Software Server
  • System
  • System Component
  • System Service
  • Transaction
  • User Community
  • Virtual System Setting Data
  • WAN

If you want to make inventory location mandatory for any of the above asset classes, you must set the In Inventory flag in the SHR:SchemaNames form to Yes.

The following video explains how to change the status of an asset to In Inventory:



icon-play.pnghttps://youtu.be/8h3rg4Mk83k

To move assets into inventory

As an Asset Manager, you can move an asset into an inventory so that it can be deployed at a related site.

You cannot use bulk updates to move multiple assets into inventory at the same time.

  1. In Asset Console, edit an asset that you want to add to the inventory. 
  2. Click Status and select In Inventory.
    The Note dialog box is displayed for asset types for which you must specify an inventory location.
    image2021-1-21_14-7-5.png

  3. If displayed, close the Note dialog box. Else, go to step 4.

    The Select inventory location window is displayed.inventory.png

  4. In the Location field, type or select a location.
  5. From the search results displayed in Table , select the inventory location, and click Save .
    The selected inventory location is displayed below the status.

The status of the asset is updated to In Inventory and an entry is added to the timeline and the activity feed of the asset.

The asset is associated with the inventory location and is listed as an asset for that inventory location. Location details in the asset record are updated to reflect the inventory location. The asset is removed from the inventory location after the asset is deployed (the status is changed to Deployed).


Instructions for classic interfaces

View instructions for classic Smart IT

To place nonbulk CIs in inventory

  1. Open a CI.
  2. Select More > Put into inventory.
    image2023-3-1_17-16-44.png


  3. Choose a location for the inventory
    image2023-3-1_17-17-31.png
  4. Click Save.
View instructions for Mid Tier

You can create bulk inventory CIs, reserve the CIs, deploy the CIs, relocate the CIs, and so on.

To place nonbulk CIs in inventory

  1. Open a CI, as described in Searching for tickets, assets, resources, and people in BMC Helix ITSM .
  2. From the Status list, select In Inventory.
  3. Click OK in the confirmation message that appears.
  4. In the Search Inventory Locations dialog box, from the Location list, select a location, make sure other values are correct, and click Search.
  5. Select a location and click Return.
  6. In the CI Information form, click Save.

To create a bulk inventory CI

When creating CI entries for a large number of items, you do not need to create a record for each individual item. Instead, you can classify bulk items by the type of item, for example, cables or printer cartridges. After you create these records, you manage your bulk item quantities and your storage locations from the Manage Inventory form. You can also indicate the quantity and the base unit as defined by the application administrator and set notifications for reorder when the item reaches the specified reorder quantity.

  1. In the Applications pane, select Asset Management > Asset Management Console.
  2. In the Functions pane, click Manage CIs.
  3. In the Select a CI Type dialog box, from the Type list, select Bulk Inventory > Bulk Inventory, and click Create.
    image2021-7-8_10-6-0.png

  4. On the Bulk Inventory form, complete the following required fields:

    Field name

    Description

    CI Name

    Enter the name of the bulk inventory item, for example, Microsoft Windows XP.

    Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3

    Categorize the item, as described in Creating-and-updating-assets.

    Received Quantity

    Enter the number of items received.

  5. Click Save.

    Important

    Bulk inventory items are not tracked by a separate record for each item. Instead, bulk items are tracked by quantities of the item type. For example, cables used to connect desktop computers to the network do not require individual records but rather, one record for a bulk quantity of the specific cable type.

    Bulk inventory items can not be returned to inventory once they are used or reserved.

To create an inventory location CI

  1. In the Applications pane, select Asset Management > Asset Management Console.
  2. In the Functions pane, click Manage CIs.
  3. In the Select a CI Type dialog box, from the Type list, select System > Inventory Location, and click Create.
  4. On the Inventory Location form, in the CI Name field, specify the location name.

  5. Complete the other optional fields as necessary.

    Important

     If CIs related to this inventory location are created from a purchase requisition, they appear on the  Inventory Transactions  tab.

To place bulk CIs in inventory

Tip

If you do not see a location, make sure that the CI has a CI type of inventory location, and not physical location.

  1. In the Applications pane, select Asset Management > Asset Management Console.
  2. In the Functions pane, click Manage CIs.
  3. In the Select a CI Type dialog box, from the Type list, select Bulk Inventory > Bulk Inventory, and click Search.
  4. From the search results, open the bulk CI.
  5. On the Inventory Location tab, click Add.
  6. In the Search Inventory Locations dialog box, specify the search criteria and click Search.
  7. From the Results List table, select a location and click Relate.
    A message appears stating that the selected inventory location has been related to the bulk inventory record.
  8. In the message about the relationship, click OK.
    On the Bulk Inventory form, the Inventory Location tab lists each of the related locations.
  9. (Optional) If the inventory is stored in multiple locations, for each location, repeat step 6 and step 7.
  10. Click Close.
    On the Bulk Inventory form, the Inventory Location tab lists each of the related locations. 
  11. Click the Quantity Per Location field for a location, and type the quantity in that location; continue to enter the quantity for each location, until all the quantity in stock for the bulk CI is accounted for.
    quantloc_44991_516.gif
  12. Click Save.


Important

When you save the Bulk Inventory CIs by entering the quantity received in the Received Quantity field, the Quantity In Stock field is automatically updated with the quantity entered in the Received Quantity field. However, if you allocate some or all of this quantity to a location and add more additional quantity for the same Bulk Inventory CI, the Quantity in stock field is not updated. Also, you cannot allocate this additional quantity to any location. 

For example, you receive 50 bulk inventory CIs, enter the quantity received in the Received Quantity field, and allocate 30 CIs to location A. You then receive 20 more CIs for the same Bulk Inventory CIs and enter 20 in the Received Quantity field. But the Quantity in stock field does not get updated with the 20 additional CIs, and you cannot allocate these 20 CIs to any location. This situation means, you can only allocate the 20 CIs that are remaining from the first lot of 50 CIs entered and updated in the Quantity In Stock field, but not the 20 additional CIs.

To view inventory locations

You can view the locations of all of your configuration items (CIs) from the Manage Inventory dialog box. If the status of the CI is In Inventory, the Inventory Location field is displayed under the CI Information section of the CI form.

  1. In the Applications pane, select Asset Management > Asset Management Console.
  2. In the Functions pane, click Manage Inventory.
  3. Specify your search criteria, and click Search.
  4. Select a CI or bulk inventory item from the table, and click View Location.
  5. In the Inventory Location form, view the CIs in the inventory


To relocate CIs

  1. In the Applications pane, select Asset Management > Asset Management Console.
  2. In the Functions pane, click Manage Inventory.
  3. In the Manage Inventory dialog box, specify your search criteria, and click Search.
  4. Select the CI or bulk inventory item that you want to relocate, and click Relocate CIs.
  5. In the Search Inventory Locations dialog box, from the Location list, select the location where you want to relocate the CI if necessary; delete the default Company and Support Company values; and click Search.
  6. Select the location where you want to relocate your CI.
  7. In the Quantity field, specify the number of CIs that you want to relocate.
  8. Click Relocate.


To reserve and use inventory

  1. In the Applications pane, select Asset Management > Asset Management Console.
  2. In the Functions pane, click Manage Inventory.
  3. In the Manage Inventory dialog box, specify your search criteria, and click Search.
  4. Select the CI or bulk inventory item that you want to reserve and use.

  5. Click the Transaction Qty column and specify the number of CIs or bulk inventory items that you want to use.

    trqty_45154_516.gif

  6. Click Reserve/Use Inventory. 
    The number of CIs or bulk inventory items in the Qty in Stock column is reduced by the number reserved and used. The number in the Trans Qty column is cleared. If you reserve the total number in stock, the item is removed from the table.

To deploy a CI

  1. In the Applications pane, select Asset Management > Asset Management Console.
  2. Search and open the CI in the Modify mode.
  3. From Status list, select Deployed.
  4. Click Save.

To deploy multiple CIs

  1. In Asset Console, perform search for a CI that you want to use from the reserved inventory.
    To search the CI from the reserved inventory, select the status as In Inventory. 
  2. Select the CI from the search results that you want to move from the reserved inventory.
  3. Click Modify All.
  4. From the Status list, select Deployed.
  5. Click Save.

The following video shows you how to reserve a CI and deploy a single or multiple CIs:




icon-play.png  https://youtu.be/SUZZkwEwlpo

To release a reserved hardware inventory

  1. In Asset Console, select Filter by > By Computer By Status > Reserved.
    The table displays all CIs with the Reserved status.
  2. Select a CI and open the record.
  3. From the Status menu, select an option for releasing the hardware.
    For example, Deployed, In Inventory, Transferred, and so on.
  4. Click Save.

To view hardware inventory reservations

  1. In Asset Console, select Filter by > By Computer By Status > Reserved.
    The table displays all CIs with Reserved status
  2. Select a CI and open it.
  3. In the CI form, select Functions menu > Reservation Details.
    The Manage Reservation window shows the current hardware inventory reservations. 
    Hardware_Reserve_137401_516.gif
  4. Select a record and click View.
    If the request to reserve this hardware originated from an Incident Service Desk request, the Incident Request Information window is displayed. BMC Helix ITSM: Asset Management supports Service Requests, Incidents, Infrastructure Changes, and Work Orders for reserving hardware.
  5. (Optional)To reserve hardware from within an application, use the Functions > Manage inventory option available on the left pane of the application console.
  6. Click Close to return to the CI form.

To reserve a CI

You can reserve CIs only if you have Asset Management Administration and Asset Management Configuration permission and the status of the CI is In Inventory.

  1. In Asset Console, select Functions > Manage Inventory.
  2. In the Select a CI Type dialog box, from the Type list, select Bulk Inventory > Bulk Inventory, and click Search.
    ManageInventory_Reserve_137403_516.gif
  3. Enter your search criteria and click Search.
  4. Select the CI and click Reserve/Use Inventory.
    The hardware is now reserved, and the record disappears from the table.
  5. Use the breadcrumb bar to return to Asset Console.
    The status of the CI is now Reserved.



 

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