A. Physical Inventory Requirement

University and contracting/granting agencies' regulations require campus departments to conduct periodic physical inventories of assigned equipment and to verify and update departmental equipment records. Decals should be affixed to items as soon as possible after receipt and serial numbers recorded. (Engraving and more permanent marking is available through the Campus Police Department.) A listing of a department's equipment and detailed instructions for conducting the inventory is mailed to each department annually. The verified and annotated list, signed by the Equipment Custodian and the Department Chair/Director, is returned to Equipment Management by the indicated due date. It is recommended that departments make a copy of the annotated list for their records.

1. EQS Departmental Online System

   The EQS Departmental Online System is available for authorized users to change equipment information online.

2. Physical Verification and Annotation of the EQ920

   Entries are made on the EQ920 to verify the existence, condition, availability or nonavailability of equipment for sharing:

   1. Verify the room location of each item in the column under "Room Number," correcting erroneous room numbers.
   2. Verify the two-character, alpha-numeric code that best describes the condition of each item in the column under "Cond": e.g. O2 = used, good. If the condition is other than O2, cross out and write in the appropriate code. Indicate "Scrap," if the equipment is not operating, no longer useful for intended purpose, or repair is uneconomical. An Equipment Inventory Modification Request (EIMR) form should then accompany the EQ920.

      First Character (alpha)	Second Character (numeric)
      N - new	1 - excellent
      E - used, reconditioned	2 - good
      O - used, without reconditioning	3 - fair
      R - repairs needed	4 - poor

   3. Description errors should be crossed out with a light pencil line and the correct description written in.
   4. For equipment not located or no longer in existence, indicate lost, stolen, destroyed, etc., and enclose an Equipment Inventory Modification Request (EIMR) form with your EQ920 when it is returned to Equipment Management.
   5. Write in any missing serial numbers or correct erroneous ones. Insertion of missing serial numbers is particularly critical in reporting or tracing lost or stolen property.
   6. A list of building numbers (alpha listing, numeric listing) accompanies the inventory listing. Verify and correct the numbers under "Bldg" on the EQ920.
   7. Sign all pages where stamp appears, thus assuring verification of equipment acquired under contracts and grants. Return the verified EQ920 to Equipment Management by the indicated due date.

B. Bar Code Scanning Alternative

Bar code scanning is an automated alternative to manual physical inventory which is available to those departments that have re-tagged all of their items with bar coded decals and that have a sufficient number of items (at least 100) to make this alternative worthwhile. Interested departments may contact Equipment Management, 824-6111, to schedule the loan of a bar code scanner and to arrange a brief training session, if necessary.

C. Disposition of Inoperable Equipment

Departments ensure that assigned equipment is needed by their department and is in usable condition. Idle, obsolete, inoperable, and other equipment no longer useful or needed by the department should be reported to Equipment Management on an Equipment Inventory Modification Request (EIMR) form for disposition and removal from the inventory records.

D. Lost or Stolen Property

Lost or stolen property should be reported to the Campus Police immedialty. A follow-up report should be sent to Equipment Managment.

E. Random Sample Audit

University regulations require that a small, randomly selected sample of items from the campus equipment database be physically verified by a representative from Equipment Management at least every two years. Since the sample is randomly selected, not all campus departments will have assigned items. Those that do have assigned items in the sample will receive a list of usually one or two items to be located. The department then contacts Equipment Management to arrange a suitable time for verification.