DepreCore User Guide
Fixed-asset management, depreciation, maintenance & integrations
Getting started
DepreCore is an integrated system for tracking physical assets through their full lifecycle —
acquisition, depreciation across multiple accounting books, preventative maintenance, disposal — alongside
a parts inventory, a contacts/CRM directory, an alerting engine, and connectors to email, webhooks, and ServiceNow.
Most day-to-day work follows one of these flows:
- Record an asset → set its books & depreciation → attach warranties, files, photos, and maintenance plans.
- Maintain it → complete preventative-maintenance services, log tasks and notes, draw down spare parts.
- Account for it → review the general ledger per book, run reports, and record disposals or impairments when it leaves service.
You can reopen this guide at any time from the ? icon in the top bar. Use the topic list on the
left, or the search box, to jump to a subject. The Print / Save PDF button produces a complete printable manual.
Signing in
Sign in with your email and password. Your role determines which screens and actions are available
(see Roles & permissions). If a screen is missing from your
left-hand menu, your role does not grant access to it.
Interface & navigation
The left navigation rail
The rail on the left lists every screen your role can access. Some items expand to reveal sub-items:
Assets contains Scan, Assignments, and Templates; Maintenance
contains Parts inventory; and Financial contains Books and Tax rules.
Admin expands to Users & Teams, Application Configuration, and Integrations.
Collapse the rail to icons using the chevron at the top of the rail
(or the menu button in the top bar) to give content more room; your choice is remembered on this device.
The top bar
- Shows the current screen title and a short description.
- Screen-specific actions (such as New asset) appear on the right.
- The ? icon opens this user guide.
- Your avatar opens the profile menu for theme selection and sign-out.
Themes & appearance
Open the profile menu (your avatar, top-right) to personalize the interface. All choices are saved to your account and
follow you between devices:
- Theme — several dark options (Dark, Ocean, Slate, High contrast) and light options (Light, Sepia).
- Text size — Small, Normal, Large, or Extra large; this scales the whole interface for easier reading.
- Accent colour — pick a preset swatch or enter any custom hex value; choose “default” to return to the theme’s colour. Button text automatically switches to black or white for legibility.
- High-contrast boost — strengthens borders, text, and link underlines on top of whichever theme you’re using.
Accessibility
DepreCore is built to work with assistive technology:
- Press Tab to reveal a “Skip to main content” link, and to move through controls with a clear keyboard focus outline.
- Images and photos carry descriptive text for screen readers, and icon-only buttons have spoken labels.
- The text-size and high-contrast options above support low-vision use, and the app honours your system’s “reduce motion” setting.
Tables
Most lists use a consistent table with the same controls everywhere:
- Filter box — type to narrow the rows.
- Sortable columns — click a header to sort; click again to reverse, a third time to clear.
- Rows per page and pagination at the bottom; choose All to show everything.
- Headers stay visible (sticky) while you scroll long lists.
Dashboard
The Dashboard is your portfolio at a glance. It summarizes the number of assets, total cost, how many are in
service versus disposed, and a chart of value by category, with a supporting breakdown table beneath it.
It also surfaces recent activity and upcoming work so you can see what needs attention without opening each screen.
The Dashboard is read-only — it is a reporting surface. Make changes from the relevant screen (Assets, Maintenance, etc.)
and the Dashboard updates automatically.
Assets — creating & managing
The Asset register lists every asset. Use the filter and status selector to find records, select
rows for bulk actions, and open any asset to edit it in the asset workbench (the panel that slides in from the right).
Creating an asset
- Click New asset in the top bar.
- Optionally pick a Template to pre-fill category, life, method, GL accounts, and custom fields.
- Fill in the Details: description, category, acquisition cost, acquired / in-service dates, useful life, location, custodian, serial number, and so on.
- Click Save asset. The workbench stays open on the new record so you can immediately add books, files, photos, warranties, and maintenance.
An Asset ID is generated automatically if you leave it blank. You can also type your own identifier.
The asset workbench tabs
| Tab | What it’s for |
|---|
| Details | Core asset data, GL accounts, condition, and the barcode label (print a single label here). |
| Books | Per-book depreciation settings — each book can carry its own cost, method, life, §179, bonus, and convention. See Books, depreciation & tax. |
| Files | Attach invoices, manuals, and insurance records. Files are stored with the asset and can be downloaded later. |
| Photos | Identification photos — what the asset looks like, where it is, nameplates and serial labels. Each photo can have a caption. On a phone, Add photos opens the camera. |
| Warranties | Provider, coverage window, limits, and details. Expiring warranties raise alerts. |
| Tasks | Ad-hoc to-dos (inspection, calibration, renewal). Overdue tasks raise alerts. Tick a task to complete it. |
| Notes | A running, timestamped log of comments about the asset. |
| Disposal | Record a sale/retirement and impairments — see Asset lifecycle. |
| Lease | Capture lease terms and view the amortization schedule — see Asset lifecycle. |
| PM | Attach preventative-maintenance plans and complete services — see Preventative maintenance. |
Editing & bulk changes
- Open any row to edit it, then Save asset.
- Select multiple rows and use mass edit to change status, location, or department across all of them at once.
- Import a spreadsheet to create/update many assets, and export the register to a file.
Status values
Assets move through statuses such as in service, CIP (construction in progress), reserved,
checked out, disposed, and retired. Status drives filtering, the Dashboard counts, and which
records appear in reports.
Asset lifecycle — disposal, leases & impairment
Disposing of an asset
Open the asset, go to the Disposal tab, and:
- Choose the book the disposal is calculated against, the disposal type (sale, exchange, abandonment, like-kind, involuntary conversion), and the date.
- Enter the sale price and any selling expense. For a partial disposal, tick Partial and enter the cost basis being removed.
- Click Calculate gain/loss to preview accumulated depreciation, net book value, proceeds, and the resulting gain or loss.
- Click Record disposal to finalize. The asset is marked disposed and the entry appears in the disposal history (you can reverse it from there if needed).
Gain/loss is computed from the selected book’s net book value at the disposal date, so the figure reflects that book’s
method and conventions. Disposals also feed the disposal and gain/loss reports.
Impairments & adjustments
Below the disposal form, record an impairment, write-down, write-up, or revaluation against a specific
book with an amount, date, and reason. These adjust the asset’s carrying value and appear in the adjustments report.
Leases
On the Lease tab, capture the lessor, total contract value, start/end dates, discount rate, and payment
frequency. Select a saved lease to view its amortization schedule — present value (right-of-use asset),
periodic payment, and the period-by-period split of interest, principal, and remaining liability. Leases nearing their
end date raise alerts.
Barcodes & scanning
Printing labels
Every asset can carry a barcode value (it falls back to the Asset ID if left blank). Print a single label from the
asset’s Details tab, or select multiple assets in the register and print a label sheet for batch tagging.
The Scan screen
Use Scan to find an asset in the field: point your device camera at a barcode (or type the code), and the
matching asset opens so you can update its status, location, department, custodian, and condition, or add a quick note on the spot.
Camera scanning requires a secure (HTTPS) connection or running on the local machine. Where the camera isn’t available,
manual code entry works everywhere.
Books, depreciation & tax
A book is a parallel set of depreciation figures — for example GAAP (financial statements), Federal tax,
State, AMT, ACE, and your own user-defined books. The same physical asset is depreciated independently in each book, so you
can satisfy financial reporting and several tax regimes from one record.
How the financial modules relate to asset tracking
- Books screen — defines the registry of books available across the whole system: which are enabled, each book’s default method and convention, and which tax rule set it uses.
- Asset → Books tab — every enabled book appears here for each asset, where you can override cost, life, method, §179, bonus, and convention per book, per asset.
- Tax rule sets — supply the catalog of depreciation methods and the statutory limits (e.g. §179 caps, bonus %) that a book draws on. Assigning a rule set to a book is what makes that book follow a given jurisdiction’s rules.
- Depreciation engine — calculates each book using its assigned rule set; the results drive the general ledger, reports, and disposal gain/loss.
In short: Tax rule set → assigned to a Book → applied per Asset → produces depreciation → rolls up to the GL and reports.
Configuring books
On the Books screen you can:
- Enable/disable books, set each book’s default method and convention, and assign its tax rule set.
- Create a user-defined book (e.g. IFRS or an internal management book) with the New book button. Newly enabled books automatically appear on every asset’s Books tab.
- Delete a book that isn’t a primary or maintenance book and isn’t in use.
The general ledger view
Select a book to view its GL ledger in debit/credit format — asset cost, accumulated depreciation, and the
period’s depreciation expense rolled to GL accounts, with per-asset detail and a summary. You can export the ledger.
This rollup is computed automatically from depreciation; the Journal entries panel below it is a separate,
editable layer (the two do not double-count).
GL journal entries — add, edit, import & track changes
Below the computed ledger, the Journal entries panel holds stored, editable GL postings for the selected
book and year. Use it to record manual journal lines or to load entries from another system.
- Add / edit / delete. Click Add entry (or the pencil/trash on a row) to capture a
date, GL account, account type, description, reference, debit and/or credit, and an
optional external ID. The panel shows running debit, credit, and balance totals.
- Import (CSV or Excel/XLS). Click Import and choose a
.csv,
.xlsx, or .xls file. Column headers are matched flexibly (Date, Account, Debit, Credit,
Reference, Description, External Id, …).
- Conflict / merge resolution. The import first shows a preview that classifies every
row as New, Update (matches an existing entry but differs), Duplicate (identical), or
Error, with counts. Rows are matched to existing entries by external ID first, then by a
natural key (date + account + debit + credit + reference). You then pick a strategy — Skip conflicts,
Merge (update existing + insert new), or Insert as new — and confirm. Set an external ID
on your entries for the most reliable re-import matching.
- Export. The Export menu downloads the current entries as CSV or Excel (XLSX).
- Change history. Every add, edit, delete, and import is fully logged. Click the history
(clock) icon on a row to see that entry’s timeline — who changed it, when, and a field-level before→after diff. The same
events are searchable system-wide in Admin → Activity & Audit Trail.
Depreciation methods & critical fields
Each book’s depreciation is computed from the depreciation-critical fields: property type, placed-in-service date,
acquisition value, depreciation method, estimated life, salvage value, Section 168 (bonus) allowance %, Section 179, and
business-use %. Supported 200% declining-balance methods include MF200 (MACRS formula),
MT200 (MACRS tables), and MI200 (MACRS, Indian-reservation) — which ignore salvage and
recover the full basis — and DB200, DH200 (half-year), and DD200 (full-year),
which honor salvage (depreciating only down to it). All switch to straight-line when that yields a larger deduction.
When you change a depreciation-critical field on an asset that already has depreciation, a prompt asks when to apply
the change: Placed-in-service date (rebuild the whole schedule) or Current period — going forward (keep depreciation
already recorded).
Special depreciation zones
Assign a Special depreciation zone on the asset’s Details tab (e.g. New York Liberty Zone) and the
engine automatically applies the zone’s §168 special allowance (30% for NY Liberty) to the federal book when the
asset’s placed-in-service date falls within the zone’s window. The form shows a note confirming the allowance, the date window,
and any leasehold-improvement life. Zones are managed in Admin → Application Configuration → Depreciation zones
(create your own, set the allowance %, date window, and notes).
A zone can instead (or also) carry an increased §179 limit — this is how
Enterprise / Empowerment Zone property is handled. Set the zone’s §179 limit increase
(e.g. +$35,000 for 2002–2020) and its §179 cost factor (e.g. 0.5, meaning only 50% of the property’s cost counts
toward the investment-phaseout threshold). When such a zone is assigned to an asset placed in service within the window,
the federal book’s §179 deduction may exceed the standard annual limit by that increase. The base annual §179 deduction
limits and phaseout thresholds themselves are maintained in
Admin → Application Configuration → Section 179 limits; the engine caps each asset’s §179 deduction at the
applicable year’s limit (less any dollar-for-dollar phaseout). If no limit is configured for an asset’s placed-in-service
year, the entered §179 amount is left uncapped.
A zone can combine both incentives. The seeded Qualified Gulf Opportunity (GO) Zone applies a
50% §168 allowance (placed in service 2005–2011) and a +$100,000 §179 increase
(which ends earlier, in 2008) with the phaseout threshold raised by the lesser of $600,000 or the property’s cost. To
support cases like this, each zone has an optional separate §179 window (so the §179 increase can expire before
the bonus allowance does) and a §179 threshold-increase cap. Assign the zone on the asset and the engine applies
each benefit only while the asset’s placed-in-service date is inside that benefit’s own window. Other seeded disaster/relief
zones follow the same pattern — e.g. the Qualified Recovery Assistance (Kansas Disaster Zone) (50% allowance
+ $100,000 §179 increase, placed in service 2007–2008).
Listed property & passenger automobiles (§280F)
Two switches on an asset’s Details tab drive the §280F rules (IRS Pub 946):
- Listed property — when such an asset is used 50% or less for qualified
business (its Business use %), the engine automatically switches it to ADS straight-line
and disallows §179 and bonus depreciation, exactly as §280F requires. Above 50%, it depreciates normally.
- Passenger automobile — flags the asset for the annual luxury-auto depreciation caps.
Each year’s depreciation is limited to the §280F cap for the placed-in-service year (the higher first-year figure
applies when bonus is claimed), reduced by the business-use %. Any basis not recovered within the recovery period
continues at the final-year cap until the asset is fully depreciated.
The yearly cap amounts are maintained in Admin → Application Configuration → §280F passenger-auto limits
(indexed annually by the IRS); like the §179 limits, they are editable data — no software update needed when the IRS
publishes new figures.
Section 179 limitation & carryover
While the engine caps each asset’s §179 at the annual dollar limit and investment phase-out, the
Financial → Section 179 screen provides the return-level view: it totals the §179
elected across the company’s assets for a tax year and applies the annual dollar limit (reduced by the
phase-out once §179 property cost exceeds the threshold) and your business taxable-income limit
(§179 can’t create a loss). Enter your taxable income, and the worksheet shows the allowed deduction and the
carryover of any disallowed amount. Saving stores the carryover so the next year automatically
picks it up as additional available §179.
The PM (maintenance) book
A dedicated PM book tracks actual maintenance spend per asset rather than depreciation. Its ledger
aggregates the cost captured when preventative-maintenance services are completed (see Preventative maintenance).
Reports
The Reports screen is catalog-driven: choose a report, set parameters (book, year, etc.), and view a table
with totals and an optional chart. Reports cover depreciation schedules and expense, net book value, roll-forwards,
acquisitions, disposals and gain/loss, adjustments, journal entries, several tax forms, and maintenance/PM and alert
reports. You can save report configurations to rerun later and export results to PDF, Excel, or CSV. To print an individual
PM plan, run the PM plan report and export it.
The catalog is grouped for audit-grade internal, board, and client reporting:
- Journals & registers — the Asset journal (a full per-asset dossier of financials,
maintenance history, notes, warranties, adjustments and disposals, with photo thumbnails embedded in the PDF/print
export), the Fixed asset journal (complete register), and GL journal entries (debit/credit)
for monthly depreciation, disposals, revaluations, and write-offs.
- Transactions — event listings for assets purchased, disposed,
revalued, and written off, each filterable by year and an optional month.
- Summaries — aggregated by category or method: asset, depreciation, YTD depreciation, purchase,
disposal, revaluation, and write-off summaries.
- Detail — Asset history, a chronological timeline of every event for one asset
(acquisition, edits, maintenance, notes, warranties, adjustments, and disposal).
Reporting conventions: a “… journal” is a double-entry GL posting (debits = credits); a
“… transaction” lists the underlying records. Revaluation reports cover
revaluation / write-up / write-down adjustments; write-off reports cover impairments plus abandonment
disposals. Future depreciation calculation is the multi-year projection.
Period close — month-end & year-end
Financial → Period Close is a guided wizard that walks you through closing an accounting
period for the fixed-asset subledger. It reviews the period's activity, posts the journal entries the
close generates into the general ledger, reconciles the Fixed Asset Register to the GL, and then
locks the period so it can't be changed after the fact. Every action is recorded in
Activity & Audit Trail.
Scope: which book, which period
- A close runs against one book — pick it at the top of the screen; it defaults to your
primary book (the one that feeds the financial GL). Run a separate close for each book you
maintain (for example, close GAAP for the financial GL; tax books are reviewed at year-end).
- Choose Month (a fiscal year + month) or Year (a full fiscal year), then
Start / Resume. A close in progress is saved, so you can leave and come back to it. The
Recent closes list shows every period with its status and a 🔒 lock badge.
The month-end checklist
Each step shows the live data for the period and lets you act, then mark it done:
- Record additions — review capital purchases placed in service in the period. Any asset
below your capitalization threshold is flagged so you can confirm it belongs on the register.
- Record disposals — review assets sold, scrapped, or retired in the period (cost,
accumulated depreciation, gain/loss). You can post the disposal journal entries here.
- Capitalize WIP — review Construction-in-progress assets and capitalize
completed ones, which moves them into service and begins depreciation.
- Process & post depreciation — compute the period's depreciation and post it to
the GL, allocated by department / cost center. Fully-depreciated assets that would still compute
depreciation are flagged for review.
- Check for impairments — review flagged assets and record any impairment loss (from the
asset's Adjustments tab).
- Reconcile subledger to GL — compare the register to the GL control accounts and clear or
acknowledge any variance (see below). Required to finalize.
- Generate reports — run and file the Fixed Asset Register, Depreciation Summary, and
Additions / Disposals reports for your records.
- Finalize & lock — freeze the period.
What gets posted to the GL
The close writes real, balanced journal entries into the stored GL layer (visible under
Books → GL and Journals). The accounts come from your
GL posting defaults (per-asset overrides win where set):
| Event | Debit | Credit |
|---|
| Period depreciation (by department) | Depreciation Expense | Accumulated Depreciation |
| Capitalize WIP | Fixed Asset cost | Construction-in-progress (CWIP) |
| Disposal | Accum. depreciation + Proceeds (+ Loss) | Asset cost (+ Gain) |
| Year-end roll-forward | Retained Earnings | Depreciation Expense |
Every close posting is tagged to its period, which makes posting idempotent:
re-running a step (for example, re-posting depreciation after a correction) replaces the prior entries rather
than duplicating them. Manage the accounts these entries use in
Books → GL and Journals → Chart of accounts (the
posting defaults: asset cost, accumulated depreciation, depreciation expense, CWIP, gain/loss,
proceeds clearing, and retained earnings).
Reconciling the subledger to the GL
The Reconcile step compares the Fixed Asset Register (the subledger) to the GL
control-account balances — cost, accumulated depreciation, and
net book value — and shows the variance per account. A green Balanced badge means
they agree; otherwise the variance is shown so you can clear it (post an adjusting entry) or
acknowledge it and finalize anyway.
When you first adopt closes, the GL won't yet hold the asset's full history, so the register
(life-to-date) and the GL (only what's been posted) will differ — that opening variance is expected. Post an
opening-balance entry to clear it, or acknowledge it. Once you run closes forward period over period, the two
stay in step.
Finalizing & the period lock
Finalize & lock becomes available once the required steps are done and the reconciliation
has been run. Finalizing snapshots the period's totals and sets the period to Closed. A
closed period is locked:
- Any change whose effective date falls inside the closed period is rejected — including
GL journal entries (for that book), and disposals, impairments, and asset
financial-date / cost edits (gated by the primary book's locked periods, since
that book is the subledger that feeds the GL).
- Edits to non-financial fields (location, custodian, notes, and so on) are not blocked.
Year-end close
The year-end checklist includes everything above, plus:
- Final month-end close — confirm the final month is closed and its depreciation posted.
- Physical inventory — confirm you've verified high-value / mobile assets still exist.
- Update tax books — recompute tax depreciation (MACRS / §179) and review book-vs-tax
differences.
- Roll-forward — finalizing a year close automatically posts the roll-forward
that clears the year's depreciation expense into Retained Earnings and locks the year.
Reopening a closed period
If you must correct a closed period, use Reopen (requires the close permission). Reopening
reverses all of that close's posted entries, returns the period to in progress,
and unlocks it so corrections can be made — then you re-run and finalize again. The reopen, the reversed
entries, and the re-close are all audited.
Running the close needs the “Run month-end / year-end close & reopen periods” capability
(included in the Finance role). Because closing posts to the GL and locks the books, keep this permission to
the people responsible for the close.
Tax rule sets
A tax rule set defines the depreciation methods and statutory limits for a jurisdiction
(for example US federal, or a particular state). A book consults its assigned rule set to compute depreciation.
The Tax rules editor
The screen has two parts: identity fields on the left (Name, Jurisdiction, Version, Effective date, Source note, Active) and a JSON editor holding the rule body. The toolbar offers:
- New / Upload JSON — start a fresh set or load one from a file.
- Format — validate and tidy (pretty-print) the JSON. Save is disabled while the JSON is invalid.
- Regenerate method catalog — auto-fill the full set of standard depreciation methods, so you rarely have to type the
methods list by hand.
- Export — download the set as a JSON file.
- Activate — make this version the one in effect for its jurisdiction (this deactivates other versions for the same jurisdiction).
- Save / Delete.
The fastest way to build a set: click New, fill the identity fields, click Regenerate method catalog to populate the standard methods, adjust the limits for your jurisdiction, then Format, Save, and Activate. Finally, assign it to a book on Financial → Books.
A quick JSON primer
The rule body is written in JSON. A few rules cover almost everything you need:
- The whole document is an object wrapped in curly braces.
- Inside, you list "key": value pairs, separated by commas.
- Keys and text values are wrapped in double quotes —
"like this".
- Numbers (
60, 0.15) and true / false / null are written without quotes.
- A list uses square brackets, with items separated by commas. Objects and lists can nest inside each other.
- Do not put a comma after the last item in an object or list — a trailing comma is the most common mistake. Use Format to catch errors.
Top-level fields
| Field | Type | Purpose |
|---|
| schema | text | Optional tag identifying the file format. |
| jurisdiction | text | The jurisdiction this set governs (e.g. US-FED, US-CA). Also set by the identity field. |
| name | text | Display name for the rule set. |
| version | text | Version label; must be unique within a jurisdiction. |
| effectiveDate | date text | When the rules take effect, as "YYYY-MM-DD". |
| sourceNote | text | Free-form note about the source or authority. |
| books | list of text | Reference list of the books this set is intended for. |
| conventions | list of text | Conventions in use (reference): half_year, mid_quarter, mid_month, full_month, none. |
| limits | object | Statutory reference limits — §179, bonus, de-minimis (see below). |
| assetLives | list of objects | Reference list of class lives, each { code, label, months }. |
| methods | list of objects | The calculation catalog the engine actually uses (see below). |
Name, jurisdiction, version, effective date, source note, and active status are also editable in the identity fields beside the editor; keeping them in the JSON too is fine.
The limits object
- section179:
deductionLimit (number), phaseOutBegins (number), cannotCreateLoss (true/false).
- bonusDepreciation:
qualifiedPropertyPercent (e.g. 100), effectivePlacedInServiceAfter (date text).
- deMinimisSafeHarbor:
defaultThreshold (number), auditedFinancialStatementThreshold (number).
These limits document the jurisdiction’s caps for reference. The actual §179 and bonus amounts applied to a given
asset are the values you enter on that asset’s Books tab.
Inside methods — the calculation catalog
Each entry in methods is one depreciation method. When you pick a method on an asset’s Books tab, the engine
matches your choice by its code and computes depreciation using that entry’s settings.
| Field | Type | Purpose |
|---|
| code | text | Unique identifier; this is what a book’s “method” selection points to. |
| family | text | Grouping shown in the picker — e.g. MACRS, ACRS, GAAP, Manual, Lease. |
| label | text | Human-readable name shown in pickers and reports. |
| formula | text | How depreciation is calculated (see values below). |
| lifeMonths | number | Recovery period in months (e.g. 60 = 5 years). |
| defaultConvention | text | First/last-year convention this method applies (overrides the book’s convention). |
| rateMultiplier | number | Declining-balance rate: 2 = 200%, 1.5 = 150%. |
| switchToStraightLine | true/false | For declining balance, switch to straight-line once it yields a larger deduction (typical for MACRS). |
| rates | list of numbers | For the rate_table formula: the per-year fractions of basis (should total ≈ 1.0). |
| fallbackFormula | text | Used when a rate table is empty (e.g. straight_line). |
| system | text | Optional label such as GDS, ADS, or ACRS. |
Accepted formula values
| Value | Behavior |
|---|
straight_line | Even amount over the life. Used as the fallback for any unrecognized formula. |
declining_balance | Accelerated, using rateMultiplier. |
macrs_declining_balance | Declining balance that switches to straight-line (the standard MACRS behavior). |
sum_of_years_digits | Accelerated sum-of-years-digits. |
rate_table | Applies the per-year fractions in rates. |
acrs_alternate_straight_line | ACRS alternate (modified) straight-line. |
manual | You enter each year’s amount on the asset (no automatic calculation). |
Sample rule set
A compact example showing the three most common method styles — straight-line, declining balance, and a rate table:
{{ sampleRuleSet }}
Rule sets ship as starter templates. Always confirm current tax law, rates, and elections before relying on a set for a filing.
To put a set to work, open Financial → Books and assign it to a book.
Templates
Templates speed up asset entry and standardize data. A template defines default values (category, useful life,
depreciation method, GL accounts, business-use %, etc.) and a set of custom fields (text, number, date, or
checkbox) that should be captured for that kind of asset.
Creating a template
- Open Templates and give the template a name and description.
- Set the default values new assets should start with.
- Add custom fields, marking any that are required.
- Save. The template is now selectable from the Template picker when creating an asset.
Choosing a template on a new asset fills the defaults and adds its custom fields to the Details tab.
Editing & deleting templates
The templates list (right) is searchable and paginated, and shows how many fields each template has and how many
assets currently use it. Use the pencil to load a template back into the editor and save your changes,
or the trash to delete it.
Deleting a template is safe for your data: assets that used it keep all their values and are simply
unlinked from the template. The only other effect is that the template is no longer offered when creating new assets.
The confirmation dialog tells you how many assets are affected before you proceed.
Preventative maintenance
The Maintenance screen manages reusable PM plans — standard procedures performed on a
schedule — which you then attach to specific assets and complete over time.
Creating a PM plan
- On Maintenance, click New plan.
- Name the plan and set its frequency (every N days, weeks, months, quarters, bi-yearly, or years).
- Add ordered steps (the checklist a technician follows), each with an optional time estimate — the plan’s total estimated time totals automatically.
- Add components / parts (part number, description, supplier, cost) to capture expected materials and cost.
- Add guidance photos (diagrams, part locations, before/after) with captions — these are shown to the technician while completing the service.
- Save the plan.
Attaching a plan to an asset
Open the asset, go to the PM tab, choose a plan, and set the interval, first-due date, and an end date
(it pre-fills to the asset’s depreciation end). The schedule now tracks the next due date and raises alerts as it approaches or passes.
Completing (closing) a service
- On the asset’s PM tab, click Complete on an active schedule.
- The form records who is closing it (you), shows any guidance photos, and lets you tick off each step.
- Give 1–5★ condition ratings: Safety (is it safe?), Physical condition, and Operating condition.
- Add completion notes and photos of the work, confirm the parts cost, and capture a signature (required).
- Click Mark complete. The next-due date rolls forward automatically (the schedule closes if it has passed its end date), and the cost is recorded to the PM book.
Completed forms — with signature, ratings, notes, and photos — are viewable from both the asset’s PM tab and the
Completed PM forms list on the Maintenance screen.
Dynamic scheduling — usage meters & the lifespan wear curve
Beyond a fixed calendar interval, a schedule’s next-due date can adjust to real-world use. When usage and
age signals are enabled, the next service is due at the earliest of three triggers — the
calendar interval, a projected usage threshold, or an age-compressed date — and the asset’s PM list shows a
small badge (📅 date, ⏱ usage, or 📉 age) indicating which one is driving the date.
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Usage meters. Add one or more meters to a PM plan (e.g. Operating Hours, kWh,
gallons, cycles) with a “due every” threshold. Record the current reading when completing a service, or
anytime via Log reading on the asset’s PM tab. DepreCore infers the usage rate
from successive readings and pulls the due-date in when a machine is running hard; crossing a threshold
raises a usage alert (e.g. “Operating Hours 512/500”).
-
Lifespan wear curve. Turn on “Tighten the interval as the asset ages” on a plan to shorten
the service interval as an asset approaches its estimated life (from the asset’s useful-life months). New
equipment is serviced on the base cadence; near end-of-life it is serviced more often, along a curve you
tune in PM settings.
Both signals are opt-in: an administrator enables “Usage-based scheduling” and the “Lifespan
wear curve” (with its end-of-life factor and aggressiveness) under Admin → Application Configuration →
Preventative maintenance defaults. A nightly job re-projects due-dates so usage/age schedules stay
current even when an asset isn’t serviced for a while; admins can also run it on demand with Run
now.
Parts inventory
Parts inventory (under Maintenance) is a standalone stockroom for maintenance parts and supplies. It is
deliberately separate from the asset register — parts are consumables, not depreciating assets.
Adding a part
- Open Maintenance → Parts inventory and click New part.
- Enter the part number, name, category, unit of measure, unit cost, and a reorder point (used for low-stock flagging).
- Add identification details — measurements, manufacturer part number, barcode, and photos.
- Pick a supplier from your Contacts (vendors, service providers, or contractors).
- Save, then add stock locations and movements.
Stock, locations & reservations
- Store a part in one or more locations (chosen from your Work Location contacts), each with an aisle and bin.
- Each location tracks quantity on hand and how much is reserved; available = on hand − reserved.
- Record movements: receive (add stock), issue (consume), adjust (set an absolute count), reserve, and unreserve. Every movement is logged with history.
- Parts at or below their reorder point are flagged low stock; use the low-stock filter to see what to reorder.
Contacts & CRM
Contacts is a directory of the people and organizations you work with: employees, vendors, service
providers, contractors, work locations, and other. The form adapts to the type you choose.
Managing contacts
- Use the type selector and filter box to find records; create a contact with New contact.
- Capture name/organization, international-friendly address and phone, and email.
- Type-specific fields: employee ID/department/manager/start date; contractor tax ID or business license; vendor and service-provider star rating and credit term.
- Location map — once an address is entered, the contact card can show an embedded Google map of the location, with an Open in Google Maps link. For a new contact the map appears on a Show map click; when you open an existing contact with an address it’s shown automatically.
- Keep a per-contact notes log for running history.
How contacts connect to the rest of the app
- Work location contacts populate the Location dropdown on the asset form and are the locations where parts stock is held.
- Vendor / service-provider / contractor contacts populate the asset form’s Vendor dropdown and are selectable as the supplier on parts.
- Employee records can be brought in automatically from Workday when that connector is configured (see Administration).
Assignments (custody)
Assignments tracks who has custody of which asset. Assign an asset to an employee, department, or location,
and the full custody history is retained so you always know where an asset is and who is responsible for it.
- The employee list is filterable and paginated.
- Assign an asset, then release it (with a reason) when custody changes — both events are kept in the traceability history.
- Employees can be added here directly, or synced from Workday.
Alerts & reminders
The Alerts screen surfaces everything that needs attention: overdue and upcoming tasks, preventative
maintenance due/overdue, and warranties or leases about to expire. Each alert has a severity — critical
(overdue/expired, or within seven days) or warning.
Working alerts
- Run scan recalculates the current alerts from your data.
- Acknowledge an alert to mark it in-progress; Dismiss one to stop it reappearing.
- Filter by status and type, and use the summary tiles for a quick count of open and critical items.
Delivery channels
Beyond the on-screen list, alerts can be pushed outward (all configured in Administration):
- Email digest — when email is enabled and a mail server is configured, new alerts are emailed to the recipient list. You can also trigger Email digest now from the Alerts screen.
- Webhook — each new alert can be posted to an external URL as a JSON object, optionally signed for authenticity. Useful for chat tools or custom automation.
- Microsoft Teams — post a digest card of new alerts to a Teams channel or chat (see Microsoft Teams integration).
- ServiceNow incident — raise a ticket from any alert (see below).
Forwarding an alert to ServiceNow
When the ServiceNow connection is configured, each open alert shows a ServiceNow action. Click it to create
an incident; the alert’s Ticket column then shows the incident number as a link straight into ServiceNow.
Re-clicking returns the existing ticket rather than creating a duplicate. With auto-create enabled, the system raises
an incident automatically for each new critical alert. Alert severity maps to the incident’s impact/urgency.
See ServiceNow integration for setup.
ServiceNow integration
DepreCore connects to ServiceNow in two directions, both configured in Administration → ServiceNow integration:
pushing incidents out, and pulling asset data in from the CMDB.
Connecting
- Enter your ServiceNow instance URL (e.g. https://yourcompany.service-now.com) and the username/password of an integration user.
- Click Test connection to confirm the credentials work.
- Save. The stored password is never displayed back; leave it blank to keep the existing value, or use Clear password to remove it.
Pushing incidents (tickets)
- Turn on Allow submitting alerts as incidents to enable ticket creation.
- Optionally turn on Auto-create incidents for new critical alerts so critical items raise tickets automatically.
- Set the incident table (usually incident) and, if you wish, a default assignment group and caller.
- Tickets are then raised from the Alerts screen, with the incident number linked back to ServiceNow.
Pulling assets from the CMDB
This populates your asset register from ServiceNow configuration items (CIs):
- Set the CMDB CI table (for example cmdb_ci_hardware) and, optionally, a filter to limit which CIs are pulled and a maximum number per sync.
- Review the field mapping — which CI fields populate which asset fields. Sensible hardware defaults are provided; adjust as needed.
- Click Sync CMDB now. The last sync time and a result summary are shown.
Re-syncing is safe: existing assets are matched (by their ServiceNow identifier, then serial number, then asset tag) and
updated in place rather than duplicated. CMDB-sourced assets receive default depreciation books like any other asset,
which you can then refine on the Books tab.
Microsoft Teams integration
DepreCore can post newly raised alerts to a Microsoft Teams channel or chat. One digest card is sent per
alert cycle, alongside (or instead of) email, webhook, and ServiceNow delivery. Configure it in
Administration → Integrations → Microsoft Teams.
Connecting
- In Teams, create an incoming webhook for the target channel — a Workflows “post to a channel when a
webhook request is received” flow (recommended), or a legacy Incoming Webhook connector.
- Paste the webhook URL into DepreCore and pick the matching card format: Adaptive Card (Workflows)
for the modern flow, or MessageCard (legacy connector).
- Choose a minimum severity to post (e.g. Warning and above) so the channel only gets what matters, turn on
Enable Teams delivery, and click Send test card to confirm it lands in the channel.
Cards are colour-coded by severity and summarize the pending alerts (title, detail, due date, asset). Each alert is delivered
once across all channels. Note: this “Teams” (Microsoft Teams chat) is unrelated to Admin → Users &
Teams, which groups your DepreCore users.
Administration
Admin (admin role) is where the application is configured. It is split into sub-screens in the
navigation rail: Users & Teams, Password & Security,
Activity & Audit Trail, Application Configuration (companies, application
settings, asset classes, depreciation zones, Section 179 limits, §280F passenger-auto limits, asset ID templates, asset categories,
asset departments, PM categories, parts categories, maintenance defaults, tax rule sets), and
Integrations (email, webhook, Microsoft Teams, ServiceNow, Workday). Each is described below.
Users & roles
- Create and edit users — name, email, team, role, status, and password.
- The list paginates and is filterable. A user’s role controls what they can see and do.
- Company access — assign which companies a user may see and switch between (administrators
always see every company). See Companies.
- You can require a password change at next sign-in, and a locked account (after too many
failed sign-ins) shows an Unlock action — see
Password & security.
Companies
Add, edit, and dispose/restore companies, each with its own books, GL, and data. Covered under
Companies.
Password & security
Password complexity/expiry/history rules and account lockout. Covered under
Password & security.
Activity & audit trail
A searchable, exportable log of every change made in the system. Covered under
Password & security.
Teams
Group users into teams. Select a team to edit or delete it (a team in use by members can’t be deleted until they’re reassigned).
Roles
Create and edit roles and the capabilities they grant — including custom roles. See Roles & permissions.
Application settings
Server name, allowed cross-origin domains, and the database driver/path (read-only) used by this deployment.
Asset ID templates
Define naming patterns that auto-assign asset tags. Put # characters where the running number goes —
it’s zero-padded to that width and increments automatically. For example DT-###### produces DT-000001,
DT-000002, … and T-A##### produces T-A00001. Each template has a “next number” you can set (e.g. to
continue an existing sequence), and a live preview of the next tag.
Assign a template to a category in Asset categories (below). Then, when someone creates an asset and
picks that category, the Asset ID is filled in automatically from the template — they can still type
their own ID to override it. Categories with no template use the default MA-##### sequence. Deleting a
template never renames existing assets; it just unassigns the affected categories.
Asset classes
A managed catalog of IRS asset classes (class number, GDS/ADS recovery periods), pre-loaded from the IRS tables —
commonly-used assets, manufacturing industry, and business activity. Create, edit, and delete entries here;
filter by source or search by description/class number. These power the “Look up IRS asset class” search when you set a
category’s class number. Deleting a class never changes assets or categories — it only removes it from the lookup.
Asset categories
Create, rename, and delete the categories offered in the asset form’s Category dropdown — so users
choose from a controlled list instead of typing free text. The list is searchable and paginated and shows how many
assets use each category, plus the ID template assigned to it (chosen when you create or edit a category).
- Renaming a category automatically updates every asset that uses it, so it’s also the way to merge two categories (rename one to match the other).
- Deleting a category leaves existing assets’ values untouched; the category simply stops appearing in the dropdown. The confirmation tells you how many assets are affected first.
- Asset class number — an optional number on the category that is shared by every asset in it. New assets inherit it automatically, and changing it cascades to all existing assets in the category. It appears (read-only) on each asset’s Details tab. Use the built-in “Look up IRS asset class” search to pick from the IRS tables — commonly-used assets, manufacturing industry, and business activity; each result is tagged Common, Manufacturing, or Business and shows its GDS/ADS recovery periods. You can also type a custom number.
Asset departments
Works exactly like Asset categories, but for the asset form’s Department dropdown — create, rename
(cascades to assets, and merges by renaming to match), and delete (assets keep their value; it just leaves the dropdown).
PM categories
The same management, but for the Category dropdown on preventative-maintenance plans — and kept
separate from asset categories. Renaming cascades to PM plans; deleting leaves existing plans’ values
and removes the option from the dropdown.
Parts categories
The same management again, for the Category dropdown on parts inventory — separate from asset and PM
categories, and pre-loaded with a starter set (Electrical, Plumbing, Structural Component, Electronic Component, Fire
Safety, Mechanical Safety, Other). Renaming cascades to parts; deleting leaves existing parts’ values.
Email & alerts (SMTP)
- Turn email alerts on/off, set how many days ahead to warn, and the recipient list.
- Configure the mail server (host, port, security, username, from-address). The password is write-only — blank keeps the stored value.
- Use Send test to verify delivery.
Alert webhook
Enable webhook delivery and set the destination URL to have each new alert posted as a JSON object. An optional signing
secret adds a verification signature to each request. Send test event confirms the endpoint works, and a sample
payload is shown for whoever builds the receiving side.
Microsoft Teams
Post alert digests to a Teams channel — webhook URL, card format, and minimum severity. Covered under Microsoft Teams integration.
ServiceNow integration
Connection, incident push, and CMDB pull settings — covered in detail under ServiceNow integration.
Maintenance (PM) defaults
Set the default maintenance frequency for newly attached plans and how many days ahead PM-due alerts should appear.
This is also where you enable dynamic scheduling: usage-based scheduling (meters) and the
lifespan wear curve (with its end-of-life interval factor and curve aggressiveness), plus the
nightly recompute job (on/off, hour of day, and a Run now button). See
Preventative maintenance for how these signals drive due-dates.
Workday connector
- Configure the connection to your Workday tenant to sync employees, departments, and locations.
- Run a manual Sync workers, or enable automatic scheduled sync and set the interval in hours.
- Synced employees populate both the assignments employee list and the Contacts directory (with manager and start-date enrichment).
Tax rule sets
A quick reference list of the rule sets in the system; manage them fully on the Tax rules screen.
Roles & permissions
Every user has one role, and a role is a set of capabilities (granular permissions such as “Create & edit
assets” or “Manage integrations”). Capabilities decide which screens appear and which actions are allowed. Roles are managed
in Admin → Users & Teams → Roles, where you can edit the built-in roles or create your own.
Built-in roles
| Role | Typical use & access |
|---|
| Administrator | Full access (every capability), including users, roles, settings, and integrations. Always retains all capabilities. |
| Finance | Assets, books, reports, tax rules, maintenance, parts, contacts, assignments, alerts — everything except system administration. |
| Operations | Day-to-day asset, maintenance, parts, contacts, scanning, assignments, and alert work. No financial or system configuration. |
| PM Admin | Owns preventative maintenance: create/edit PM plans & defaults, complete services, manage parts, and work alerts. |
| PM User | Completes preventative maintenance and views assets, parts, and alerts — but can’t change PM plans. |
| Viewer | Read-only access to dashboards, assets, maintenance, and reports. |
Custom roles (role editor)
In Admin → Users & Teams, the Roles panel lets you tailor access:
- New role — name it, then tick the capabilities it should grant (grouped by area: Assets, Maintenance, Finance, etc.).
- Edit any role to change its name, description, or capabilities. Changes take effect the next time affected users sign in. The Administrator role can’t be restricted.
- Delete a custom role once no users are assigned to it. Built-in roles can’t be deleted.
- Assign a role to a user in the user’s edit dialog; the role list there always reflects your current roles.
If you expect a screen or button that isn’t there, your role likely doesn’t include the capability for it — an administrator
can grant it on the Roles panel or move you to a different role.
Companies (multi-company)
DepreCore can manage multiple companies, each with its own assets, books and general ledger, PM plans,
alerts, reports, reference data (categories/locations/departments), contacts, templates, saved reports, parts, and
employee directory. You work in one active company at a time.
Switching companies
When you have access to more than one company, a company switcher appears in the top bar. Choosing a
company instantly re-scopes every screen — dashboard, assets, books, maintenance, alerts, reports, and so on — to that
company. Your selection is remembered between visits.
Managing companies
Administrators manage companies in Admin → Application Configuration → Companies:
- Add / edit a company — name, legal name, base currency, fiscal year-end month, and separate
Federal, State, and (optional) Local tax IDs. A new company is
created with the standard book set and the standard reference data so its ledger works immediately.
- Dispose (archive) a company to retire it — all of its assets, books, GL, and history are
preserved, but it’s hidden from the switcher and can’t be selected for new work. The last active company can’t be
disposed. Disposed companies can be restored at any time.
Who can see which company
Each user is granted access to one or more companies (set in the user’s edit dialog — see
Administration); the switcher only lists the companies they may use, and a
user can’t reach another company’s data. Administrators see every company.
A few things are deliberately shared across all companies: the tax-rule-set catalog (each company still
selects which set each of its books uses), IRS reference data (depreciation zones and §179 limits), the integrations
(email/Teams/webhook/ServiceNow/Workday), and the users/roles and audit/security layer.
Password & security · audit trail
Password & account security policy
Administrators set the rules for locally managed passwords in Admin → Password & Security. They are
enforced whenever a password is set or changed and at sign-in:
- Complexity — minimum length and required character classes (uppercase, lowercase, number, symbol),
and a rule that a password may not contain the user’s name or email.
- Rotation & reuse — expire passwords after N days, block reuse of the last N passwords, and an
optional minimum password age.
- Account lockout — lock an account for a set number of minutes after too many failed sign-ins. A locked
user is refused until the window passes or an administrator clicks Unlock on the user.
The live rule preview shows users exactly what’s required. Users change their own password from the account menu
(Change password); when a change is required (expired, or set by an admin) they’re prompted at sign-in.
Activity & Audit Trail
Admin → Activity & Audit Trail is a complete, searchable record of user activity — sign-ins and
lockouts, password and permission changes, GL and data edits, imports, and every create/update/delete across the app.
- Filter by user, action, entity type, date range, or
free-text search, with pagination.
- Each entry can expand to show the full before → after detail of what changed.
- Export CSV for external review or retention.
Because every change is captured here with full before/after detail, the audit trail is the system-of-record for change
tracking — for example, each GL journal-entry edit is logged here and also surfaced inline via the entry’s
history icon (see Books, depreciation & tax).