Sunflower Systems Useful Software Tips

Duplicating Asset Records Through Maintain Inventory Assets

If you need to add more than one asset of the same Manufacturer/Model Number combination through the Maintain Inventory Assets screen, you should be using Sunflower’s “Duplicate” feature to create additional asset records.  Let’s say you’ve received 10 Dell 3500 Inspiron laptops:

1. Add and save the first Dell asset record
2. Once saved, hit the F4 key on your keyboard (or, follow the menu path Functions> Record> Duplicate)
3. The Identifier and Serial Number of the first asset record will disappear, and you will see the word Duplicate at the top of the screen
4. Enter an Identifier and Serial Number for the second Dell asset record
5. Update additional information as needed, such as User and Location
6. Save the record
7. Repeat steps 2-6 until all 10 asset records are in the system

Exporting Reports to Microsoft Excel

Exporting your most useful reports to Excel may be easier than you think.  Once you submit a report:

1. Choose Text file export (where available)
2. Save file to Desktop
3. Rename file, adding .csv to the end of the file name (e.g. file name.txt.csv)
4. Hit the Enter key on your keyboard
5. Choose Yes to approve the change – this changes the Text file to an Excel file
6. Open Excel file and manipulate columns as needed

Note: To get this to work properly, you may have to go to your computer’s Control Panel first, and uncheck the “Hide extensions for the known file types” box in Folder Options/View

Save keystrokes and time - set up your Steward code as a default value

Do you get tired of typing in your Steward code every time you add an asset through Maintain Inventory Assets?  If so, follow the steps below to populate your Steward code automatically when adding an asset:

1. Go to the Admin module, select People, select Enter Personal Parameter Values
2. Hit the Find button (the flashlight) to enter query mode
3. Type MANAGEMENT in the Category field
4. Type DSTEWARD in the Code field
5. Hit the Find button once more – you will now see a description that says Default steward
6. Next to Value, under Default steward, type in your Steward organization
7. Hit the Save button

Now when you enter Maintain Inventory Assets to add an asset, you should automatically see your Steward code.

Quickly Generate Your Favorite Reports – Without Time Consuming Data Entry

Use the Previously Run Report feature in Sunflower to quickly generate your most commonly run reports - without having to re-enter the report parameters.  Each report generated in Sunflower is assigned a unique number called a Selection Criteria.  This number can be found on the cover page of each report, and can be used to run the same report, with up-to-the-minute information, just by typing in the Selection Criteria number.  To use this feature:

• Generate your most commonly run reports using the exact parameters you’d like to see on each.
• Once each report is generated, take note of the Selection Criteria number on the cover page.
• Next time you run the report, navigate to the Reports module.
• Click on the Previously Run Report menu item.
• Enter the Selection Criteria number and Submit.

Once you execute, the report will give you all the real-time information you need.  To verify this, check out the cover page – it contains the same parameters you entered the first time you ran the report.

“The Flashlight is your Friend”

Are you taking advantage of Sunflower’s powerful query capabilities?  From most screens in Sunflower you can use the Find (flashlight) button on the toolbar to queue up the specific asset records you need.  For example, if you need to retire several assets because the room they were located in burns down, use the Find button, enter the specific Location parameters, and quickly query and retire all the assets in the room.  Or, if accepting several asset transfers into your organization at once, use the Find button – in conjunction with the Requested radio button in the Query Criteria screen – and all the assets that have been requested for transfer to your organization will populate the screen.

And what if you need to move all the assets from one room into another due to a renovation?  Simple: access the Change Inventory Asset Information screen, enter the new Location at the top of the screen, then use the Find button to generate a query for all the assets at the prior location.  Once you Save, all the assets will be updated from the old location to new.

Resolutions and the Review Module

If you are currently using the Review module, keep in mind that Sunflower uses a variety of Resolutions to define the types of ‘touches’ that can be valid for your review campaigns.  The more obvious Resolution types include Barcode Scan and Online Physical. (Both mean someone has physically found and accounted for the asset).  As a way to minimize manual data entry, Sunflower can also log resolutions as outcomes of events.  For example, if an asset gets a location update or is transferred to an internal organization, Sunflower will automatically log resolutions for each of these events, since in each example someone has physically moved the asset.  Or perhaps  you log regular maintenance activities on your assets; these can be valid Resolutions as well.

To decide which Resolutions you should use, think about the many different Ongoing Events that occur to your assets each day, and how you can use Resolutions to help you execute your review campaigns more quickly and efficiently.