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Understanding Categories

Asset categories group similar types of equipment together. They help organise your asset register, generate meaningful asset codes, and determine which check templates apply to which assets.

What categories do

Each category defines:

  • Name — a descriptive label (e.g. "Fire Safety")
  • Code prefix — a short code used to generate unique asset identifiers (e.g. FS produces codes like FS-001, FS-002)
  • Default criticality — the criticality level automatically assigned to new assets in this category
  • Check template association — templates can be linked to a category so they apply to all assets of that type

System default categories

When you create your organisation, AssetBuddy sets up the following default categories:

CategoryCode PrefixDefault Criticality
General EquipmentGENLow
VehiclesVEHHigh
Fire SafetyFSCritical
Access EquipmentACCHigh
Building SystemsBSMedium
ElectricalELEHigh
PPEPPEMedium

These defaults cover common asset types, but you can create your own categories for anything specific to your organisation.

How categories relate to templates

Check templates can be linked to a specific category. When a template is linked to a category:

  • It applies to all assets in that category
  • Scheduled checks are generated automatically for matching assets
  • You can quickly see which inspections are required for each type of equipment

How categories relate to authorities

Authorities can restrict which asset categories an operator or supervisor is allowed to perform checks on. This ensures only competent, trained personnel inspect specific types of equipment.