Adding equipment

This is the task you’ll do most: add a piece of equipment so the lab has a record of it. Sign in at inventory.nuilab.org first.

Model vs. asset — the one thing to understand

Snipe-IT separates the kind of thing from the specific thing:

• A Model is the product — for example, “Quest 3”.
• An Asset is one physical unit of that model — our third Quest 3, serial ABC123.

Model:  Quest 3
          ├─ Asset  NUI-000001   (serial ABC123)
          ├─ Asset  NUI-000002   (serial DEF456)
          └─ Asset  NUI-000003   (serial GHI789)

You create the Model once, then add an Asset for each unit you physically have. Getting this right is what keeps the list clean — three Quest 3 headsets should be three assets under one model, not three separate “Quest 3” models.

Adding another unit of something we already have

If a Model already exists (search the Models list to check), you only add the asset:

1. In the left menu, open Assets, then click Create New.
2. Fill in the form:
   • Asset Tag — leave it. The system fills in the next tag automatically (NUI-000007, and so on).
   • Model — pick the product.
   • Status — usually Ready to Deploy.
   • Serial — the serial number from the device, if it has one. Not sure where it’s printed? See Serial numbers — one page per device family.
   • Default Location — where the item lives (see Locations and loans ).
   • Ownership — defaults to NUILAB; change it if the item belongs to Ortega, the department, or someone else.
3. Click Save.

That’s one unit logged. To add several of the same model at once, use the quantity option on the create form, or a spreadsheet import .

Adding a brand-new type of equipment

If there’s no Model yet, create the supporting pieces first, then add the asset:

1. Category — the broad type (for example, VR HMD or Cameras). See the conventions for the categories we’ve set up.
2. Manufacturer — who makes it (Meta, Sony, Dell).
3. Model — the exact product. When you create it, set its Fieldset to NUILAB Standard so the Ownership field appears on its assets.
4. Asset — now follow the steps above.

Each of those has its own Create New button. You only make a category or manufacturer once; after that it’s in the dropdown for everyone.

Search before you create. If a Model, Manufacturer, or Category already exists, use it — a second “Quest 3” model splits the same gear across two records and makes the counts wrong.