How to inventory IT assets using Alloy Inventory Scanner

Applies to Alloy Inventory Scanner 2.0

Alloy Inventory Scanner, our mobile asset tracking solution, helps you identify, view, and inventory IT assets in the field in real time. This article explains how to perform physical inventory in Alloy Navigator Express by scanning barcodes or QR codes using your mobile device.

Alloy Inventory Scanner is available for iOS and Android devices.

Who can use Alloy Inventory Scanner?

If you have a technician account in Alloy Navigator Express, you can use the Alloy Inventory Scanner app, no matter which security roles you have. However, checking inventory results in Alloy Navigator Express requires the View permission on IT assets (Computers, Inventory Items, Software Licenses) to be inventoried. If you are not sure whether you have the required permissions, please contact your Alloy Navigator Express administrator.

What can you scan?

You can scan barcodes or QR code labels on your assets (computers, inventory items, and software licenses). To generate and print out labels, you or your Alloy Navigator Express administrator can use a standard report shipped with Alloy Navigator Express: Asset QR Code Labels or Asset Barcode Labels. For details, see Administration Guide: Auto-Generation of IT Asset Barcodes.

Before you begin

Before can start using the mobile app, you need to obtain these connection settings from your Alloy Navigator Express administrator:

• API URL - the address of the Alloy Navigator Express API.

  Ask your Alloy Navigator Express administrator for that URL if you don't have it. You can obtain that URL as a QR code or as an actual URL, such as https://navigator.example.com/api or https://192.0.2.0:81/api.

• Username/ Password - the credentials of your Alloy Navigator Express technician account. These are the same credentials you use to sign in to the Alloy Navigator Express Web App or Mobile App.

Use Alloy Inventory Scanner for mobile inventory

Use the Inventory Scanner app to inventory IT assets, which are computers, inventory items, and software licenses anytime and anywhere. Scan a barcode or QR code using your device's camera, view asset details on the screen, and perform physical inventory on the spot by confirming the physical location of the asset.

You can use Alloy Inventory Scanner in two modes: online and offline. If a connection is temporarily unavailable, work offline, and Alloy Inventory Scanner will store inventory results in the offline queue until the device is online again.

To work online:

1. Open the Alloy Inventory Scanner app on your mobile device. The Connection Settings screen appears.

2. Sign in to Alloy Navigator Express as follows:

   1. Supply the API URL. Depending on how the administrator shared the URL, you may either need to scan a QR code or manually enter the URL address. This is the address from the “Before you begin” section.

   2. Provide the credentials of your Alloy Navigator Express technician account: the username and the password. These are the credentials from the “Before you begin” section.

      IMPORTANT: To sign in under a Windows account, type in your Windows domain user account name as <Domain name>\<User account name> and your Windows domain password.

   3. Tap SIGN IN to connect.

3. Scan the asset barcode or QR code using the device's camera.

4. View the asset details on the screen.

5. Tap INVENTORY!.

6. On the Inventory screen, confirm the physical location of the asset or choose a new one.

7. Optionally, type in a comment.

8. Tap SAVE.

9. Tap SUBMIT.

To work offline:

1. On the Connection Settings screen, tap WORK OFFLINE.

   To access the Connection Settings screen, you may need to tap Settings on the app menu.

2. On the Offline Queue screen, scan the asset barcode or QR code. Alternatively, you can enter the identifier by hand.

3. Enter the Location ID for the physical asset location. If the location barcode or QR code is available, you can scan it.

4. Optionally, type in a comment.

5. Tap SAVE.

6. Repeat steps 2-5 to scan all assets you need.

7. When a reliable connection is available, tap Offline Scan Queue on the app menu.

8. On the Offline Queue screen, view the queue and tap the up arrow to upload the queued scan results.

To check the results of your inventory in Alloy Navigator Express:

1. Launch Alloy Navigator Express (use the Web App or Desktop App).

2. Open the Computer / Inventory Item / Software License record for the inventoried asset.

3. On the Finance tab, view the Last Inventory Date and Inventoried by values. If the initial location has been changed, view the new value of the Location field.

4. On the Notes tab, view the details of your inventory and your comment.

Customize Alloy Inventory Scanner (for administrators)

Alloy Navigator Express comes with the default mobile configuration for Alloy Inventory Scanner, which contains all settings to start your mobile asset inventory right away. However, Alloy Navigator Express administrators can access the configuration and make some customizations, if needed.

INFO: For information about the Alloy Inventory Scanner configuration, see Settings App Help: Configuring Alloy Inventory Scanner.

Related Information:

Administration Guide: Auto-Generation of IT Asset Barcodes

Related Information for Administrators:

How to generate QR code for Alloy mobile apps

Installation Guide: Installing and Configuring the API Module

Installation Guide: Mobile Clients: Alloy Inventory Scanner