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Holder Management

Holder Management tracks WHO currently has the asset - whether it's at a Customer location, Vendor custody, or internal Location. Asset Pro maintains complete holder history for audit trails and compliance.

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Understanding Holders​

What is a Holder?​

A Holder is the entity that currently has physical custody of an asset.

Holder Types:

  • Customer - Asset at customer site (sold, on loan, demo, service)

  • Vendor - Asset with vendor (repair, storage, lease)

  • Location - Asset at internal location (warehouse, department, facility)

  • Cost Center - Asset at our cost center (department, facility)

  • Blank - No holder assigned (not yet in circulation)

Holder ≠ Owner

  • Holder = Physical custody ("Where is it?")

  • Owner = Legal ownership ("Who owns it?")

Example: You own equipment (Owner = Our Company), but it's at a customer site for repair (Holder = Customer C-001).

Current Holder Information​

Every asset stores its current holder:

Current Holder Fields​

Current Holder Type (Enum)

  • The type of holder

  • Options: Customer, Vendor, Location, Cost Center or blank

  • Read-only on Asset Card

Current Holder Code (Code, 20 characters)

  • Specific Customer No., Vendor No., Location Code, Cost Center Code

  • Links to master data

  • Read-only on Asset Card

Current Holder Address Code (Code, 10 characters)

  • Ship-to Address (for Customers)

  • Order Address (for Vendors)

  • Not applicable for Locations

  • Enables tracking to specific customer/vendor address

  • Read-only on Asset Card

Current Holder Name (Text, 100 characters)

  • Name of holder entity

  • Auto-populated from master data

  • Read-only on Asset Card

Current Holder Since (Date)

  • Date when current holder received asset

  • Set automatically on holder change

  • Used for custody duration tracking

Why Current Holder is Read-Only​

Audit Trail Requirement:

Current Holder fields are intentionally read-only because:

  1. Every holder change creates ledger entry (Holder Entry)

  2. Complete custody history must be maintained

  3. Compliance and audit requirements

  4. Cannot skip custody chain - every change documented

Result: You cannot click and type in Current Holder fields. You must use approved methods.

Three Methods to Change Holders​

Asset Pro provides three methods for changing asset holders:

| Method

|

Use When

|

Scope

|

Complexity

| | --- | --- | --- | --- | |

Change Holder Dialog

|

Single asset, quick change

|

One asset

|

Simple

| |

Asset Journal

|

Multiple assets, batch changes

|

Many assets

|

Medium

| |

Document Integration

|

Sales/purchase/transfer posting

|

Automatic

|

Advanced

|

Choose Your Method:

  • One asset, need it now → Change Holder Dialog

  • Multiple assets, batch processing → Asset Journal

  • Posting BC documents → Automatic via Document Integration

Method 1: Change Holder Dialog​

What is Change Holder Dialog?​

A quick dialog for changing one asset's holder at a time.

When to Use:

  • Changing one asset holder

  • Quick manual changes

  • Ad-hoc custody updates

  • Simple transfers

When Not to Use:

  • Batch processing (use Asset Journal)

  • Document-driven transfers (use Document Integration)

  • Complex multi-asset moves

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Opening Change Holder Dialog​

Method 1: From Asset Card

  1. Open Asset Card

  2. Click Actions → Change Holder

  3. Dialog opens

Method 2: From Current Holder Code Field

  1. Open Asset Card

  2. Navigate to Current Holder Code field

  3. Press Alt+↓ (assist button)

  4. Dialog opens

Step-by-Step: Changing Holder​

Scenario: Move MRI scanner from Vendor (repair) to Location (warehouse)

Step 1: Open Dialog

  1. Open Asset Card for MRI scanner

  2. Note Current Holder: Vendor V-001 (Repair Shop)

  3. Click Actions → Change Holder

  4. Dialog shows Current Holder: Vendor V-001

Step 2: Select New Holder Type

  1. In New Holder section

  2. Type field: Select "Location"

  3. Code and Address fields clear

Step 3: Select New Holder Code

  1. Code field: Click lookup (Alt+↓)

  2. Location List opens

  3. Select "WAREHOUSE"

  4. Name auto-fills: "Main Warehouse"

Step 4: Address Code (if applicable)

  • Not applicable for Locations

  • Would be used for Customers/Vendors

Step 5: Confirm

  1. Review Current vs. New holder

  2. Click OK

  3. Holder change processed

  4. Asset Card updates

Result:

  • Current Holder now: Location WAREHOUSE

  • Holder Entry created (audit trail)

  • Current Holder Since set to today

Change Holder Validation Rules​

Rule 1: New Holder Must Be Different

  • Cannot change holder to same holder

  • Example: Cannot change from Customer C-001 to Customer C-001

  • Exception: Can change address code for same holder

Rule 2: New Holder Must Be Specified

  • Type and Code are required

  • Cannot leave blank

  • Must select valid holder

Rule 3: Holder Must Exist

  • Customer, Vendor, or Location must exist in system

  • Lookup validates existence

  • Cannot specify invalid code

Change Holder and Child Assets​

Important: Changing parent holder also impacts children

Rule: Assets with parent cannot be transferred separately

Workaround:

  1. Detach child from parent

  2. Transfer both assets separately to new holder

  3. Re-attach child to parent at new holder

Or:

  • Transfer only the parent asset

  • Children automatically follow (future enhancement)

Method 2: Asset Journal​

What is Asset Journal?​

A batch-processing worksheet for changing multiple asset holders at once.

When to Use:

  • Transferring multiple assets

  • Batch processing

  • Excel import/edit capabilities

  • Regular bulk transfers

  • Scheduled holder updates

Benefits:

  • Process many assets in one posting

  • Review before posting

  • Edit in Excel

  • Document number tracking

  • Reason code assignment

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Opening Asset Journal​

Method 1: From Role Center

  1. Open Asset Manager Role Center

  2. Navigate: Transfers → Asset Journal

  3. Journal opens

Method 2: Direct Search

  1. Press Alt+Q

  2. Enter "Asset Journal"

  3. Choose related link

  4. Journal opens

Journal Batches​

Asset Journal uses batches to organize lines:

What is a Batch?

  • Container for journal lines

  • Separate batches for different purposes

  • Example batches:

    • DEFAULT - General transfers

    • MONTHLY - Monthly location transfers

    • REPAIR - Assets to/from repair vendor

    • CUSTOMER - Customer site transfers

Managing Batches:

  1. Click Batch Name field

  2. Press Alt+↓ (lookup)

  3. Select existing batch or create new

  4. Journal filters to that batch

Creating Batch:

  1. Open Asset Journal Batches

  2. Click New

  3. Name: REPAIR

  4. Description: Repair Transfers

  5. Save

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Asset Journal Fields​

Asset No. (Code, 20 characters)

  • The asset to transfer

  • Lookup shows non-blocked assets

  • Restriction: Cannot transfer child assets (with parent)

  • Auto-fills description and current holder on selection

Asset Description (Text, 100 characters, Read-only)

  • Asset name

  • Auto-populated from asset

  • Reference only

Current Holder Type/Code/Address Code (Read-only)

  • Shows asset's current holder

  • Auto-filled from asset

  • Cannot edit (informational)

New Holder Type (Enum)

  • Select holder type: Customer, Vendor, Location

  • Required field

  • Determines lookup for New Holder Code

New Holder Code (Code, 20 characters)

  • Select specific holder

  • Lookup shows valid holders for selected type

  • Required field

  • Validates holder exists

New Holder Address Code (Code, 10 characters)

  • Ship-to Address (Customers) or Order Address (Vendors)

  • Optional

  • Lookup shows addresses for selected holder

Posting Date (Date)

  • When holder change occurs

  • Defaults to WorkDate

  • Used for Holder Entry posting date

Document No. (Code, 20 characters)

  • Reference document number

  • Manual entry or from number series

  • Groups related transfers

Description (Text, 100 characters)

  • Free-form description of transfer

  • Example: "Move to warehouse after repair"

  • Optional but recommended

Reason Code (Code, 10 characters)

  • Reason for holder change

  • Links to Business Central Reason Codes

  • Example: REPAIR, RELOCATION, SALE

  • Optional

External Document No. (Code, 35 characters)

  • External reference (customer PO, vendor invoice, etc.)

  • Optional

  • Useful for cross-referencing

Creating Journal Lines​

Step 1: Select Batch

  1. Open Asset Journal

  2. Select appropriate batch (or use DEFAULT)

Step 2: Add Line

  1. Click in first empty line

  2. Asset No.: Select asset (or type asset number)

  3. Current holder auto-fills

Step 3: Specify New Holder

  1. New Holder Type: Customer, Vendor, or Location

  2. New Holder Code: Lookup and select holder

  3. New Holder Address Code: (if applicable)

Step 4: Add Details

  1. Posting Date: Today (or specific date)

  2. Document No.: Reference number

  3. Description: "Transfer to warehouse"

  4. Reason Code: RELOCATION

Step 5: Repeat

  • Add more lines for additional asset transfers

  • All lines in batch posted together

Posting the Asset Journal​

How to Post:

  1. Review all journal lines

  2. Click Post action

  3. Or press F9

  4. System validates all lines

  5. If valid: lines post and clear

  6. If errors: error message shown, fix and retry

What Happens During Post:

  1. System validates each line

  2. Creates Holder Entries (audit trail)

  3. Updates Current Holder on each asset

  4. Sets Current Holder Since to Posting Date

  5. Deletes journal lines

  6. Confirmation message

Validation Checks:

  • Asset exists and not blocked

  • Asset is not child asset (no parent)

  • New holder exists

  • New holder different from current

  • Posting date valid

  • No circular transfers

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Edit in Excel​

Asset Journal supports Edit in Excel for bulk editing:

How to Use:

  1. Open Asset Journal

  2. Click Actions → Edit in Excel

  3. Excel opens with journal data

  4. Edit lines in Excel (add, modify, delete)

  5. Publish back to Business Central

  6. Changes reflected in journal

  7. Post as normal

Benefits:

  • Familiar Excel interface

  • Copy/paste from other sources

  • Bulk operations (fill down, formulas)

  • Review in spreadsheet format

Use Case: Transferring 100 assets - easier to manage in Excel

Journal Actions​

Post (F9)

  • Post all lines in current batch

  • Validate and create holder entries

  • Clear posted lines

Test Report (Future)

  • Preview posting before committing

  • Check for errors

  • Dry run

Asset (Navigation)

  • Open Asset Card for selected line

  • View asset details

  • Verify current holder

Holder Entries (Navigation)

  • View holder history for selected asset

  • Check past transfers

  • Audit trail

Method 3: Document Integration​

Holders can change automatically when posting Business Central documents:

Sales Document Posted:

  • Asset moves from Location → Customer

  • Triggered by Posted Sales Shipment

Purchase Document Posted:

  • Asset moves between Vendor ↔ Location

  • Triggered by Posted Purchase Receipt/Return Shipment

Transfer Order Posted:

  • Asset moves between Locations

  • Triggered by Posted Transfer Shipment/Receipt

See Also: Sales Integration, Purchase Integration, Transfer Integration (in Document Integration section)

Holder Entry (Audit Trail)​

Every holder change creates a Holder Entry - permanent audit record.

What is Holder Entry?​

Holder Entry = Ledger entry recording asset custody change

Created When:

  • Change Holder Dialog used

  • Asset Journal posted

  • Document with asset posted

  • Initial holder assignment

Cannot Be Deleted: Permanent audit trail

image-20251215-204144.png

Holder Entry Types​

Initial Balance:

  • First holder assignment

  • When asset enters circulation

  • Starting point for holder history

Transfer Out:

  • Asset leaving holder

  • Example: Asset leaving Location WAREHOUSE

  • Paired with Transfer In

Transfer In:

  • Asset arriving at holder

  • Example: Asset arriving at Customer C-001

  • Paired with Transfer Out

Pairing: Transfer Out + Transfer In = One holder change (linked by Transaction No.)

Holder Entry Fields​

Entry No. (Integer)

  • Unique entry identifier

  • Auto-assigned sequence

Asset No. (Code, 20 characters)

  • Asset being transferred

  • Links to Asset table

Posting Date (Date)

  • When holder change occurred

  • From journal or document posting date

Entry Type (Enum)

  • Initial Balance, Transfer Out, Transfer In

Holder Type/Code/Name (Holder info)

  • Which holder (Customer, Vendor, Location)

  • Specific holder code

  • Holder name at time of entry

Holder Address Code (Code, 10 characters)

  • Ship-to or Order Address

  • If applicable

Transaction No. (Integer)

  • Links Transfer Out/Transfer In pairs

  • Same transaction no. = one holder change

Document Type/No./Line No. (Document linking)

  • Source document if from document posting

  • Asset Journal, Sales Shipment, Purchase Receipt, Transfer Shipment

External Document No. (Code, 35 characters)

  • External reference

  • Customer PO, Vendor invoice, etc.

Reason Code (Code, 10 characters)

  • Why holder changed

  • REPAIR, SALE, RELOCATION, etc.

Description (Text, 100 characters)

  • Free-form description

  • Transfer details

User ID (Code, 50 characters)

  • Who created entry

  • Auto-captured

Source Code (Code, 10 characters)

  • BC Source Code

  • Identifies process that created entry

Viewing Holder History​

From Asset Card:

  1. Open Asset Card

  2. Click Actions → Holder History

  3. Holder Entries page opens

  4. Filtered to current asset

  5. Sorted by Posting Date

From Holder Entries Page:

  1. Search for "Holder Entries"

  2. Page opens (all entries)

  3. Filter as needed

From Asset List:

  1. Select asset

  2. Click Holder History action

  3. Entries for that asset

Interpreting Holder History​

Example History:

Entry Date Type Holder Type Holder Code Transaction No.

1 2024-01-01 Initial Bal Location WAREHOUSE 1 2 2024-02-15 Transfer Out Location WAREHOUSE 2 3 2024-02-15 Transfer In Customer C-001 2 4 2024-03-20 Transfer Out Customer C-001 3 5 2024-03-20 Transfer In Location WAREHOUSE 3

Reading:

  • Entry 1: Asset started at WAREHOUSE (Initial Balance)

  • Entries 2-3: Asset moved from WAREHOUSE to Customer C-001 (Transaction 2)

  • Entries 4-5: Asset returned from C-001 to WAREHOUSE (Transaction 3)

Current Holder: Location WAREHOUSE (latest Transfer In)

Holder and Child Assets​

Parent-Child Holder Rules​

Rule: Child asset must have same holder as parent

Why: Child physically inside parent - cannot be at different location

Validation: System prevents assigning child to asset at different holder

Transferring Parent and Children​

Option 1: Transfer Parent Only (Current)

  1. Transfer parent asset

  2. Manually transfer each child

  3. Each child creates separate holder entries

  4. Time-consuming for many children

Option 2: Automatic Child Transfer (Future Enhancement)

  • Transfer parent

  • Children follow automatically

  • One operation transfers entire assembly

Current Limitation: Must transfer children manually

Detaching Before Transfer​

If you need to transfer child to different holder:

  1. Open Child Asset Card

  2. Click Detach from Parent

  3. Child becomes standalone

  4. Transfer child to new holder

  5. Transfer parent to different holder (if needed)

  6. Optionally re-attach at new location

[Screenshot Placeholder: Detach and Transfer workflow]

Setup Options​

Blocking Manual Holder Changes​

Administrators can restrict manual holder changes:

Asset Setup → Block Manual Holder Change = TRUE

Effect:

  • Change Holder Dialog disabled

  • Asset Journal still available

  • Enforces document-driven transfers only

  • Use when strict control needed

Use Case: Organizations requiring all holder changes via formal documents (sales orders, purchase orders, transfer orders)

Troubleshooting​

Problem: Change Holder Action Not Visible​

Cause: Manual holder changes blocked in setup

Solution:

  • Use Asset Journal instead

  • Or contact administrator to enable manual changes

Check:

  1. Open Asset Setup

  2. View Block Manual Holder Change setting

  3. If TRUE, manual changes disabled

Problem: Cannot Transfer Asset - "Asset has parent"​

Cause: Asset is child of parent asset

Solution:

  • Detach from parent first

  • Transfer parent and child separately to same new holder

  • Re-attach if needed

Steps:

  1. Open Child Asset Card

  2. Click Detach from Parent

  3. Transfer child via Asset Journal

  4. Transfer parent via Asset Journal

  5. Re-assign parent on child

Problem: "New holder must be different from current holder"​

Cause: Trying to change to same holder and address

Solution 1 (Change address only):

  • Holder Type: Customer C-001

  • Address Code: Change from MAIN to BRANCH

Solution 2 (Actually different holder):

  • Select different holder code

Problem: Holder Entry Posted to Wrong Date​

Cause: Posting Date incorrect in journal

Correction:

  • Cannot delete or modify posted entries

  • Post correcting entry with correct date

  • Add description: "Correction - actual date [date]"

  • Document in notes

Problem: Asset Journal Line Won't Post - Validation Error​

Cause 1: Asset blocked
Solution: Unblock asset on Asset Card

Cause 2: Asset has parent
Solution: Detach from parent or transfer parent first

Cause 3: New holder doesn't exist
Solution: Create Customer/Vendor/Location first

Cause 4: New holder same as current
Solution: Select different holder

The holder history is a complete, permanent audit trail. Always use the proper methods to change holders (Dialog, Journal, or Documents) to ensure this trail remains accurate and compliant. Never try to bypass the system!