Understand the fundamentals
Receiving begins an evidence trail
A shipment is a set of items that must be compared with the record of what should arrive. Use the approved receiving process to check each item’s identifiers, the quantities and the condition. Photograph visible damage only where it is safe and permitted. Keep three states separate: an item that arrived, an item that passed inspection, and an item released for deployment (cleared to be installed).
Record serial numbers, exact model names, asset tags and accessories, each in its own field. An asset tag is the ID label your site uses in its own records. A label on the shipping box may describe only the packaging. It does not prove the identity or condition of every item inside. If a count, ID or condition does not match, record the mismatch. Never change the counts just to make them agree.
See how it works
Location and service state change over time
Inventory is most useful when it records two things: where each item is, and what state it is in. Example states are received, awaiting inspection, deployed (installed and in use), removed, awaiting repair and ready for reuse. Your site chooses the exact words. Each state must still stay clearly separate from the others.
Replacing a part adds another link to track. A control board or PSU (power supply unit) may have its own ID and service history. Record which supported part went into which machine, and why. That history helps you find parts that do not work well together and failures that keep coming back.
The asset stays the same when its location changes
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Connect it to the field
Example: a repair loop without lost identity
Asset M104 is removed from rack B2 and sent for repair. Its location changes. Its worker name (the label the pool uses to credit its work) may also need an approved update. Another miner, M205, takes the B2 position. If the database stores only “B2,” a later alarm can be blamed on the wrong machine.
Track each machine’s identity separately from its location, and record the time of each change. Before a repaired machine returns to service, check its record. It should show the repair done, its current settings and whether it passed its acceptance checks. Good inventory is part of diagnosis, because it links each observation to the correct machine.
Terms used in this lesson
- Receipt
- The record of what arrived, when and in what condition.
- Traceability
- Being able to link a physical machine or part to its ID and its history.
- Disposition
- The recorded decision about where the unit goes next: storage, inspection or another approved state.
Optional references & further reading
Use current manufacturer instructions for the exact equipment and your site’s approved procedures. Course levels do not grant task authorization.