Asset Inventory Operations
The University maintains an asset control program, as required by the state, to identify, monitor, and track fixed and small and attractive assets. The program is managed by the Asset Inventory Operations (AIO) Office within Central Services in partnership with Accounting Services.
Fixed Assets
All fixed Assets (or capital items) including equipment and/or similar objects, which have an individual value of $10,000 or greater are identified, tagged, and placed within the campus’s inventory. Capitalized assets are included within the University’s financial statement and reported to the state annually.
Required account codes for purchases are the following:
| Capital/Fixed Asset Items | Acct Code | Account Code Description | Account Code to use if below cost range |
|---|---|---|---|
| If unit cost* is $10,000 or greater Computers, Computer equipment, and Servers | E412 | Capital F/A - Computer Equipment greater than or = to $10K | If below $10,000, use E407 Except for laptops always use E409 no matter the cost |
| All other equipment with a unit* cost of $10K or greater | E414 | Capital F/A - Other Equipment greater than or = to $10K | If below $10,000, use E408 |
| Furniture when the item unit* cost is $10K or greater | E415 | Capital F/A - Furnishings greater than or = to $10K | If below $10,000, use E405 |
*The unit cost is the cost of an individual item including ancillary costs such as sales tax, shipping, installation, warranties, etc.
Small and Attractive (S&A) Assets
The other items included in the asset control program are designated as “Small and Attractive” which have a value between $1,000 to $9,999 and are deemed particularly attractive and vulnerable to loss. S&A assets are not capitalized in the University’s financial statements; however, these S&A assets are required to be tagged, inventoried, tracked internally by the custodial department. A risk assessment is conducted on a regular basis to review what is considered a S&A asset.
The following items are currently considered Small and Attractive assets by the University and are required to be tagged. In order to ensure an effective tagging and inventory process, these assets must be coded as shown below during the purchasing process:
| Small & Attractive Item | Acct Code | Account Code Description | Account Code to use if below cost range |
|---|---|---|---|
| If cost is between $1,000 - $9,999 (including taxes and fees): | E408 | Inventory/Small & Attractive Other | If below $1,000, use E404. If above $9,999 see Fixed/Capital Assets above. |
| If cost is between $1,000 - $9,999 (including taxes and fees): Laptops Notebooks Tablets Smart Phones | E409 | Inventory/Small & Attractive Comp/IT | If below $1,000, use E407. If above $9,999 see Fixed/Capital Assets above. |
| If cost is under $9,999: Weapons, Firearms, Signal guns, Accessories | E408 | Inventory/Small & Attractive Other | If above $9,999, see Fixed/Capital Assets above. |
Mandatory Biennial Inventory of Assets
Only the fixed/capital assets and S&A assets are included in the biennial inventory. Every two years, each department that has such assets will be contacted by Asset Inventory Operations (AIO) Office to verify the existence of those assets listed under their org code. Please refer to standards and procedures below regarding the inventory process.
Learn more about Asset Polies including the Standards for Conducting Physical Inventories of University Assets and the Procedures for Conducting a Physical Inventory of a Department’s Assets.
Asset Control Custodian Required to be Delegated for each Department
Financial Managers are required to designate an Asset Control Custodian (ACC) who will be responsible to manage and track inventory under their org codes and work with the Asset Inventory Operations office during their biennial inventory process. See Section 4 of the Managing and Safeguarding University Assets Policy (POL-U5346.01).
Policy, Standards, and Procedures
All employees are to follow the policy, standards, and procedures for managing and safeguarding University Assets.
Policy Update: The Managing and Safeguarding University Assets policy was revised on June 10, 2020.
Download a summary of changes to the policy.
Questions about Asset Inventory Control?
Contact
Asset Inventory
Nicole Junell
assetinventory@wwu.edu
(360) 650-2188