Managing Inventory Status & Lifecycle

Overview

Every inventory moves through a defined lifecycle: Draft → Active → Completed (or Cancelled). Understanding these status transitions helps you manage inventory projects effectively and know what actions are available at each stage.

The Four Status States

Status	Description	Duration
Draft	Setup and planning phase	Hours to days before launch
Active	Data collection and processing in progress	Days to weeks (most time)
Completed	All processing done, results finalized	Permanent (read-only)
Cancelled	Abandoned or terminated early	Permanent (archived)

Draft Status

Purpose

Draft status allows you to set up the inventory before anyone can submit assets. Use this time to configure settings, assign users, and prepare materials.

What You Can Do

• Edit basic settings: Name, description, due date
• Assign users: Add internal staff to user list
• Generate links: Create blind inventory URLs (won't work until activated)
• Review expected assets: Verify asset count for the site
• Test workflow: Familiarize yourself with Match/Review/Results tabs
• Delete inventory: Remove entirely if setup was incorrect

What You Cannot Do

• Accept submissions: Users can't submit assets yet
• Change site: Site is locked immediately upon creation
• Process submissions: Nothing to process yet

When to Activate

Move from draft to active when:

• All settings are finalized
• Users have been assigned (or blind links prepared)
• Team is ready to begin scanning
• You've communicated timeline and expectations

Activating Your Inventory

How to Activate

1. Open inventory details
2. Click "Activate Inventory" button
3. Review confirmation message
4. Confirm activation
5. Status changes to Active

What Changes After Activation?

• Submissions enabled: Users can now scan and submit assets
• Blind links active: External URLs become functional
• Progress tracking begins: Dashboard shows real-time metrics
• Notifications start: Daily progress emails begin (if enabled)
• Status indicator: Shows "Active" badge on dashboard

Active Status

Purpose

Active status represents the main inventory period: asset collection and processing happen simultaneously.

What You Can Do

• Accept submissions: Users scan and submit assets in real-time
• Process submissions: Use Match/Review/Results tabs to reconcile data
• Add/remove users: Adjust team composition as needed
• Monitor progress: Track completion percentages and active users
• Update due date: Extend timeline if project runs long
• Edit description: Add notes or updated instructions
• Generate reports: Export interim results anytime

What You Cannot Do

• Change site: Site remains locked
• Delete inventory: Must complete or cancel first
• Change inventory type: Standard/blind approach is set

Active Status Timeline

A typical active inventory has three phases:

Phase	Activities	Typical Duration
Collection	Users scanning assets, high submission rate	60-70% of timeline
Processing	Administrator matching, reviewing, resolving flags	20-30% of timeline
Finalization	Final verifications, generating reports	5-10% of timeline

Extending Due Date

If your inventory needs more time:

1. Open inventory details
2. Click "Edit Details"
3. Update due date field
4. Save changes
5. Users automatically see new deadline

Due date is informational only - inventory doesn't auto-complete when reached.

When to Complete

Move from active to completed when:

• All expected assets have been addressed (found, marked missing, or resolved)
• All flagged submissions are resolved
• All pending submissions are reviewed and approved/rejected
• Final reports have been generated
• No further data collection needed

Completing Your Inventory

Pre-Completion Checklist

Before marking inventory complete, verify:

• ✅ All submissions processed through Match tab
• ✅ No pending items in Review & Process tab
• ✅ All flagged submissions resolved
• ✅ Results tab shows final metrics
• ✅ Reports exported for stakeholders
• ✅ Progress percentage reflects true completion

How to Complete

1. Open inventory details
2. Click "Complete Inventory" button
3. System prompts: "Are you sure? This cannot be undone."
4. Confirm completion
5. Status changes to Completed

What Happens After Completion?

• Submissions disabled: Users can no longer scan assets
• Blind links invalidated: External URLs stop working
• Read-only mode: Data can be viewed but not modified
• Reports remain available: Export results anytime
• Historical record: Inventory preserved for audit trail
• Dashboard badge: Shows "Completed" status

Completed Status

Purpose

Completed status preserves the final inventory state for historical reference, compliance audits, and trend analysis.

What You Can Do

• View all data: Submissions, matches, resolutions
• Generate reports: Export results in multiple formats
• Review audit trail: See who processed what and when
• Compare inventories: Analyze trends over time
• Reference for next cycle: Use as baseline for future inventories

What You Cannot Do

• Accept new submissions
• Modify existing submissions
• Change processing decisions
• Reactivate inventory
• Delete inventory (some systems allow archival)

Data Retention

Completed inventories typically remain accessible indefinitely for:

• Compliance audits (3-7 year requirements common)
• Historical trend analysis
• Dispute resolution
• Training and reference

Cancelled Status

When to Cancel

Cancel an inventory if:

• Project is abandoned mid-stream
• Major error requires starting over
• Business needs change and inventory no longer needed
• Duplicate inventory was created by mistake

How to Cancel

1. Open inventory details
2. Click "Cancel Inventory" option (often in menu)
3. Confirm cancellation
4. Status changes to Cancelled

What Happens After Cancellation?

• Submissions stop immediately
• Blind links are invalidated
• Users notified inventory was cancelled (if notifications enabled)
• Data remains viewable in read-only mode
• Dashboard shows "Cancelled" badge

Cancelled vs. Completed

Aspect	Completed	Cancelled
Reason	Successful finish	Early termination
Data quality	Fully processed and validated	Partial or unprocessed
Reports	Final authoritative results	Incomplete, informational only
Audit value	Official record	Reference only

Status Transition Rules

Allowed Transitions

• Draft → Active: Standard activation
• Draft → Cancelled: Delete setup before starting
• Active → Completed: Successful completion
• Active → Cancelled: Early termination

Forbidden Transitions

• Active → Draft: Cannot undo activation
• Completed → Active: Cannot reopen completed inventory
• Cancelled → Active: Cannot restart cancelled inventory
• Completed → Cancelled: Cannot retroactively cancel successful inventory

Best Practices by Status

Draft Phase

• Keep draft period short (1-3 days max)
• Assign users before activating for advance notice
• Test blind links on mobile device before distributing
• Communicate launch date to team
• Review expected asset count for accuracy

Active Phase

• Process submissions daily (don't wait until end)
• Monitor progress metrics to identify stuck users
• Extend due date early if timeline slips
• Communicate progress updates to stakeholders weekly
• Address flagged submissions promptly

Completion Phase

• Export multiple report formats before completing
• Verify all tabs show zero pending items
• Document any exceptions or unresolved issues in notes
• Archive reports to shared drive for team access
• Schedule next inventory while results are fresh

Common Scenarios

"Can I pause an active inventory?"

There is no "pause" status, but you can effectively pause by:

• Communicating to users to stop submitting
• Not processing submissions temporarily
• Extending due date to give yourself buffer time
• Resuming when ready without changing status

"We finished early - can I complete before due date?"

Yes! Due date is a guideline. Complete anytime when processing is done.

"I accidentally completed the inventory too early"

Unfortunately, you cannot undo completion. Options:

• Use existing data for reporting (may be sufficient)
• Create new inventory for missed assets
• Contact ARMOR support if critical mistake

"Inventory is past due date but still active"

This is normal. Due date is not enforced. Complete inventory manually when ready, or extend due date if still in progress.

Audit Trail and History

ARMOR tracks status changes for compliance:

• Who: User who changed status
• When: Timestamp of transition
• From/To: Previous and new status
• Reason: Optional note explaining change

View audit trail in inventory details under "History" or "Audit Log" tab.

What's Next?

• Dashboard Overview & Navigation - Monitor inventory progress and metrics
• Match Tab - Reconciling Submissions - Process submissions efficiently
• Review & Process Tab - Quality Control - Resolve flagged items
• Results Tab - Reports & Analytics - Generate final reports

Getting Help

For assistance with inventory status management or troubleshooting lifecycle issues, contact the ARMOR Support Team.