Condition tracking

Every loan records the shape a tool left in and the shape it came back in — so “it was already broken” stops being an argument.

How it flows

1. On the item. Each item carries a current condition, picked from your organization's condition labels — e.g. Good, Fair, Worn. Managers edit the label list in Settings; renaming a label changes what the pickers offer next, while past loans keep exactly the label they recorded.
2. At checkout. The item's condition at that moment is copied onto the loan line as condition out. It's a snapshot: later edits to the item don't rewrite what the loan recorded.
3. At return. Staff can record a condition on return and a return note. The loan line keeps both sides, and the item's current condition is updated to what you recorded — so the next checkout snapshots the new reality.

Leave the return condition blank and the item's condition simply stays as it was; the loan line records that nothing was noted.

When something comes back damaged

Record the damage as the condition on return (with a note), then open the item and mark it out of service with a reason. It drops out of the checkout picker until it's repaired and marked back in service.

Where the history lives

Closed loans keep every line's condition out, condition in, and return note permanently. Item edits — including condition changes — are also recorded in the audit trail with before and after values.

Next: Overdue reminders