This guide will discuss the three main steps of creating and importing assets in iiQ Resources: Prerequisites, Create/Import Assets, and Add/Import Inventory. Following these steps—from setting up resource groups and asset types to managing inventory—will ensure a methodical and accurate asset management process within the platform.
Prerequisites
What are the prerequisite steps for creating an asset in iiQ Resources?
Create Resource Groups
Create Asset Types
Create/Import Manufacturers
Create/Import Model Categories
Create/Import Models
If your asset types use the Asset Name as their source, follow only steps 1 and 2.
The logic behind those steps:
Step 1. Create Resource Groups
Resource Groups Key Facts
Availability: Available only in iiQ Resources.
Creation: Cannot be imported; must be created manually.
Scope: A Resource Group includes all assets overseen by a specific department.
Access Control: Permissions can be limited to one or multiple Resource Groups.
Examples:
Department name: Curriculum, Special Education.
Grade level: Curriculum-Secondary, Curriculum-Elementary.
Budget code: 23-CTE.
Examples of Resource Groups
Step 2. Create Asset Types
An Asset Type describes a resource and is used primarily for reporting and filtering.
Examples:
Serialized: Calculators, textbooks, teacher editions.
Generic: Novels, furniture.
Consumable: Workbooks.
Key Considerations for Asset Type Creation:
Inventory Type: Must be selected (Serialized, Generic, or Consumable) based on whether materials are barcoded.
Asset Name Source: Choose between:
Asset Name: A free-form text field.
Model: Selected from a drop-down list of Models.
Default Due Date: Can be set as a number of days or a specific date.
Resource Group Association: A single Asset Type has a 1:1 relationship with a Resource Group. To associate an asset type with 2 Resource Groups, you must create 2 Unique Asset Types.
Asset Name Source Options
Asset Name (Free-Form Text)
Use Case: Assets without a specific model or manufacturer (e.g., beakers, Sharpies).
Mechanism: User enters any name (e.g., "Grant Money" asset type).
Risk: Typographical errors can lead to an inconsistent list of available Asset Names.
Model (Drop-down Selection)
Use Case: Assets with models (e.g., "Teacher Material" asset type).
Mechanism: User selects from a drop-down list of Models; the Asset Name is set to Model Name.
The model is used as the source of the Asset Name for the “Teacher Material” asset type.
Once the model is selected, Asset Name = Model Name.
Purpose of Options: Supports assets that lack manufacturer or model data, while allowing merged data filtering.
Step 3: Manage Manufacturers - Create, Import, or Activate
This could be a publisher or an author.
Examples: HMH, McGraw-Hill, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Texas Instruments.
Step 4. Create/Import Model Categories
Model Categories Key Facts
Purpose: Used to group models.
Visibility: Visible to end users in the Resource Request custom field.
OOTB Category: Resources includes an OOTB “Resource Requests” model category for use as a parent.
Examples:
Printed Materials > Math
Devices > Calculators
Furniture > Tables
Step 5. Create/Import Models
Key Considerations for Models:
Description/Use: A model describes an asset and can be used as an Asset Name.
Naming Convention: Book titles can be used as model names.
Examples:
STEMscopes Basic Equipment Kit 7 Bundle Box D
Manufacturer: Accelerate Learning
Asset Type: Science Kit
Advanced Language & Literature: For Honors and Pre AP English Courses
Manufacturer: Bedford
Asset Type: Textbook
AP Physics: Fundamentals of Physics
Manufacturer: HMH
Asset Type: Textbook
Create/Import Assets
Import File Requirements Key Facts:
Serialized Assets (Model Source): The import file must include Asset tag/inventory tag, Asset type, Asset status, and Model name.
Optional Fields (Serialized): Location, Owner, and other columns can be optionally included for serialized assets.
Generic/Consumable Assets (Model Source): The import file must include Asset tag/inventory tag (often an ISBN), Asset Type, Asset Status, and Model Name.
Location/Owner Restriction: The import file for generic/consumable assets cannot have Location or Owner columns.
Best Practice: To feel more comfortable, import one asset type at a time and limit imports to 50,000 rows.
Examples of Import Files:
Serialized Asset:
Asset tag/inventory tag = 12345
Asset type = Textbook
Asset status = In Service
Model name = AP Physics: Fundamentals of Physics
Generic/Consumable Asset:
Asset tag/inventory tag = 0021306494 (ISBN is used here)
Asset Type = Workbooks
Asset Status = In Service
Model Name = McGraw-Hill Reading Wonders: Close Reading Companion
Add/Import Inventory
Restriction: Applicable only to generic/consumable assets.
Import File Required Data: Must include Asset tag, Location, and Inventory count.
Example: Asset tag = 0021306494, Location = Amethyst High School, Inventory = 100.
Optional Import Fields: Room, Unit Cost.
What Else Can I Import?
You can import ISBN data! Here are some key facts about ISBN imports:
Action: Turn on the ISBN extension (located on the Asset Type Details page) for the corresponding Asset Type.
Purpose: Use the integration with The World's Largest Book Database (ISBN Database | ISBNdb).
Result: Automatically generates a set of custom fields on assets belonging to that Asset Type.
Data: Import ISBN-10 or ISBN-13 into the corresponding field.
Automation: Automatically prepopulates the rest of the book data and fills in the book image if the Model does not have one, and an image is available in the database.
