# Reporting Lost Assets

When an asset is lost, stolen, or cannot be located, use the **Report Lost** feature to document the loss, update inventory, and maintain compliance records.

***

## 1. 🚨 When to Report Lost

* Asset cannot be found after search
* Asset was stolen
* Asset was misplaced and considered unrecoverable
* Asset disappeared (e.g., during move, natural disaster)

**Important:** Reporting lost **reduces** the total quantity of the asset. The item is removed from available inventory.

***

## 2. 📍 Access the Feature

**From Asset List:**

1. Go to **Assets** → **Assets**
2. Click on the asset
3. Use the **Report Lost** or **Lost** action

**From Asset Detail:**

* Open the asset and find the **Report Lost** button in the actions menu

***

## 3. 📝 Fill in Lost Report Details

### Required Information

| Field         | Description                                              |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Lost Code** | Auto-generated (e.g., LST-00000001) — editable if needed |
| **Quantity**  | Number of units lost                                     |
| **Lost Time** | Date and time the loss was discovered or reported        |

### Optional Information

| Field           | Description                                                   |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Description** | Circumstances, location last seen, police report number, etc. |

### Reference

* **Remaining Quantity** — Shows current available vs. total before this action

***

## 4. ✅ Save the Report

Click **Save**. The system will:

* ✅ Generate a unique lost report code
* ✅ **Reduce total quantity** of the asset
* ✅ Update `total_lost` counter
* ✅ Record the event in inventory history
* ✅ Log the action in the audit log
* ✅ Trigger webhook `asset.lost` (if configured)

***

## 5. ⚠️ Validation Rules

* **Quantity** cannot exceed available quantity (total - allocated)
* **Quantity** must be a positive integer
* **Lost Time** is required

***

## 6. 📊 Impact on Inventory

| Before                  | Action        | After                           |
| ----------------------- | ------------- | ------------------------------- |
| Total: 10, Available: 6 | Report 2 lost | Total: 8, Available: 4, Lost: 2 |

Lost items are permanently removed from the asset's quantity. They cannot be "un-lost" — you would need to use **Additional Asset** to add new units if the asset is later found or replaced.

***

## 💡 Best Practices

* 📋 **Document thoroughly** — Include police report numbers, witness names
* 🔒 **Review security** — Use loss patterns to improve procedures
* 📊 **Track trends** — Run reports to identify high-loss categories
* 🛡️ **Insurance** — Keep records for insurance claims