Hi, I'd like to use Excel to help manage a laptop swap program we are conducting for our company. We use Barcode scanners, so as we receive new shipments of laptops we scan them into our inventory. I'd like to be able to scan the Asset Tag [AT] or Serial Number [SN] and enter any status changes to that device (re-image, on hold, deployed). As we deploy laptops, we will scan the users old device back into our inventory and track it as well, whether it is re-imaged for re-deployment or shipped back to the warehouse.



Here are the 'states' a laptop could be in:
-New Laptop [SN],[AT] received with software image [X], [Y], [Z]
-Laptop [SN],[AT] re-imaged to software image [X], [Y], [Z]
-Laptop [SN],[AT] on special hold for [USERID]
-Laptop [SN],[AT] given to [USERID] (removed from inventory)
-Old Laptop [SN],[AT],[USERID] recieved
-Old Laptop [SN],[AT] shipped back to warehouse [Waybill#] (removed from inventoy)

I'd like there to be a 'Current Status' sheet listing all laptops in inventory with their status, and also a 'history of changes' sheet where we can look up the timestamps of each status change - it's these components that I'm wondering how to do, I think I'm ok with building the data capture parts.

Once we clear that hurdle, a couple more questions: we actually have several depots, and I'd like to be able to import the data perhaps daily to a central spreadsheet, so that head office can have a birds-eye view. At this point I think each depot should have their own spreadsheet on a central network share, and perhaps head office uses an Access database (so they can sort in different ways and run reports)? I'd like this to be simple and as idiot-proof as possible - would Access be a better solution in general?

Depots use Office 2010 and head office has Office 365 (ya, they're working on the upgrades...) so no co-authoring at this point.

Thanks for your time...

Please post a sample sheet with some data, what you already tried, and expected results. Thanks

__________________
Did you know you can thank someone who helped you? Click on the tiny scale in the right upper hand corner of your helper's post