Configure assets and their customer relationships

Updated Monday, October 26, 2026 · Marc Staine

Assets store the products, equipment or other items relevant to support cases. Categories, hierarchy and company/contact links give agents the context needed to support the right item.

Applies to: Supportbench Core. Location: Settings → Assets → Assets. Access and available controls depend on your role and account capabilities.

Before you begin

You need permission to edit this configuration. Ask an administrator if the page is available but its editing controls are not.
Review the current configuration and where it is used before making a change. Available choices depend on your account, enabled modules, division access and role.
Use a test record or a controlled test account for behavior checks. Do not change production routing or send customer messages just to try an example.

Configure and verify

Open Settings → Assets → Assets.
Find the item in the list and open it, or choose the page’s new-item action.
Enter a clear name and description. Set the fields below, including any scope, hierarchy, visibility or availability controls.
Save the item and resolve any validation message. Reopen it to confirm the saved values.
Check the relevant selection list or form using a user with the intended access. Repeat for an excluded user or division when scope is restricted.

Settings reference

Details

Setting	What it controls	How to choose
Name / External ID / Description	Name and external ID up to 50 characters; description up to 250.	Use a recognizable name and a stable external reference.
Category	An active asset category.	Choose the appropriate product or equipment group.
Parent asset	Places the asset in a hierarchy; cycles are rejected.	Use only genuine parent/child relationships.
Visibility	Everywhere, Internal or External.	Choose the audience intended for this asset.
Active	Availability for normal use.	Review linked cases and customer relationships before deactivating.

Fields and linked records

Setting	What it controls	How to choose
Fields	Asset custom fields available to the record.	Capture the identifiers and facts needed for support.
Companies / Contacts	Supported customer associations.	Link only the organizations or people related to the asset.
Audit	Record change details when available.	Use it to review maintenance history.

Behavior to know

A new asset starts Active and visible Everywhere, without a category or parent; review those selections before saving.
Visibility and customer associations are separate controls.

Recommended use

Use terminology that agents and customers already understand. Explain the intended meaning in the description.
Keep the initial configuration small enough for people to choose consistently. Add options when they represent a real operational difference.
Review existing references before renaming, changing scope, or deleting. Where supported, deactivate an obsolete option before considering permanent deletion.

Worked example

Create a test asset in the correct category.
Enter a stable external identifier and relevant custom-field values.
Choose visibility and link the intended company/contact.
Save and inspect the asset from the relevant customer and case context.

Troubleshooting

Problem	What to check
The item is missing from a picker.	Check Active, division access, parent hierarchy, enabled modules, and the user’s role. Reopen the consuming form after saving.
The form rejects a save.	Read the displayed validation message. Check required values, text limits and permitted scope; do not change unrelated settings to bypass validation.
An existing record still shows an old value.	A configuration change and a record change are different operations. Inspect the record and relevant references before assuming the save failed.

Assets → Configure asset categories
Customers → Manage companies and customer organization details
Customers → Manage contacts and customer portal access
Configuration → Configure custom fields and dropdown choices

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