Definitions

Trail uses a few key definitions that make the system much easier to use once you are familiar with them.

When you understand what department, category, model, item and other terms mean, you can organize your assets correctly and take advantage of them when searching in different views.

Department

Department defines visibility of items between different users. A department information is required when adding a new item. With departments, you can limit which users or groups see specific items.

If there is no need to restrict visibility, the same department can be assigned to all items.

👉 Note: An item can only belong to one department at a time.

👉 Examples of departments: Sound, IT, Transport, Biotechnology

Category and subcategory

A category is required when adding a new item.

Category defines what type of product it is. They group together similar models.

Subcategory provides more detailed grouping. Not mandatory.

👉 Examples of categories: Computers, Speakers, Trusses, Lighting fixtures

👉 Examples with subcategories: Main category: Vehicles → Subcategories: Cars, Trucks, Buses

Model and manufacturer

The model is the product name and is required.

Each product should have a manufacturer (if known) and the model name given by the manufacturer. This makes it possible to see how many items exist for each product.

👉 Examples of model names:

  • Nikari Akademia (manufacturer = Nikari)
  • Volvo V60 (manufacturer = Volvo)
  • Coffee maker (if the manufacturer or official model is not known, the model can also be a generic name)

Item

An item is a single tracked asset unit that belongs to a specific model. For example, there may be 6 items of the model Nikari Akademia.

Each item in Trail gets its own unique identifier and an item card that stores details such as:

  • Purchase date and price
  • Location
  • Specific information like serial number or color

Location and sublocation

Location tells where the item physically is or belongs. The most common location is a physical place (e.g., room, warehouse). In some cases, the location can be another item, such as a rack.

Sublocations can be used for more detailed hierarchies.

👉 Examples of location hierarchies:

  • Building 1 → Office → Meeting room 102
  • Teatterikuja 4 → Main stage
  • Outdoor storage → Shelf A-01-03

Item type

The item type defines which additional fields appear on the item card. Selecting an item type is mandatory when creating a new item. Each item has basic fields such as location, category, supplier, purchase date, etc.

Based on item type, the card can include additional fields, e.g.:

    • Serial number
    • Warranty period

The most common item type is Item (Device). A new item type can be considered if there is a group of items that require the same special fields not included in the standard Item type (e.g., license plates and fuel types for vehicles).

If existing item types are not sufficient, Trail Support can help with adding new fields or item types. Alternatively, extra information can be saved in the Description field.

Example diagram of the terms

⭐ Item card and how to add a new one:

Item card – Each individually added item gets its own item card, which shows all the related details.

Adding new items - New items can be added either via Excel import or directly in the system.