Assigning Users & Sending Invites

Overview

ARMOR supports two user participation methods: Assigned Users (internal staff with portal access) and External Users (anyone with a unique link). This article explains how to add both types, generate blind inventory links, and manage user access throughout your inventory project.

Assigned Users (Internal Staff)

Who Are Assigned Users?

Assigned users are ARMOR portal users who:

• Have existing login credentials
• Can view expected assets for the site
• Track their own progress
• Submit assets through portal or mobile app

Best for: Internal staff, department leads, trusted employees conducting routine counts

Adding Assigned Users

1. Open your inventory from the dashboard
2. Click "Manage Users" or "Assign Users" tab
3. Click "Add Assigned User"
4. Search by name or email
5. Select one or more users from results
6. Click "Save"

What Happens After Assignment?

• Users receive email notification with inventory details
• Email includes: Inventory name, site, due date, instructions
• Users can access inventory immediately from portal
• Their name appears in user list with status indicator

User Status Indicators

The user list shows real-time activity:

Indicator	Meaning
● Green dot	User is actively scanning (submitted in last 10 minutes)
● Gray dot	User assigned but not yet active
Submission count	Number shows total scans submitted by this user

Removing Assigned Users

1. Navigate to user list
2. Find the user to remove
3. Click "Remove" or trash icon
4. Confirm removal

Important: Removing a user does NOT delete their submissions. All scans they submitted remain in the inventory.

External Users (Blind Inventory)

What Is Blind Inventory Capture?

Blind inventory allows anyone with a unique URL or QR code to submit asset scans without:

• ARMOR login credentials
• Portal access
• Visibility into your asset database
• Knowing what assets are expected

When to Use External Users

• Annual compliance audits requiring independent verification
• Large-scale inventories (500+ assets) with many field workers
• Temporary staff or contractors who shouldn't access your database
• Third-party auditors conducting external reviews
• Multi-user parallel scanning to accelerate collection
• Unknown asset discovery (finding equipment not in the system)

Generating Blind Inventory Links

Option 1: Unique URL

1. Open inventory details
2. Click "Generate Blind Link" or "External Access" tab
3. Click "Generate New Link"
4. System creates unique URL
5. Copy link to clipboard
6. Distribute via email, SMS, or messaging apps

Example URL:

https://armor.app/inventory/blind/abc123def456ghi789

Option 2: QR Code

1. Navigate to external access options
2. Click "Generate QR Code"
3. QR code appears on screen
4. Download image or print directly
5. Post QR codes at inventory site entrances or work areas

Distributing External Links

Email Distribution

When emailing links, include:

• Purpose: "Please help us complete our annual inventory audit"
• Instructions: "Click link, scan asset tags using your phone camera"
• Timeline: "Complete by Friday, January 31st"
• Contact info: "Questions? Email john.smith@company.com"
• What to scan: "Asset tags, serial numbers, or barcodes"

Sample Email:

Subject: Dallas Warehouse Inventory - Your Help Needed

Hi Team,

We're conducting our annual inventory audit at the Dallas warehouse. Please use the link below to submit asset scans from your mobile device:

[Unique Link]

Instructions:

• Click the link on your phone
• Use camera to scan asset tags or barcodes
• Submit each asset you find
• No login required

Timeline: Please complete by January 31st

Questions? Contact John Smith at john.smith@company.com

Thank you!

SMS Distribution

For mobile-first teams, send links via SMS:

Dallas Inventory: Help us scan assets at the warehouse. Click link to start: [URL]

Scan asset tags with your phone camera. No login needed. Questions: Call John at 555-0100

QR Code Distribution

• Print and post: At site entrances, break rooms, common areas
• Include with physical materials: Clip to clipboards, attach to scanning equipment
• Laminate for durability: Especially for outdoor or industrial environments
• Add instructions: Print "Scan this code to start inventory" above QR code

How External Users Access Inventory

1. User clicks link or scans QR code
2. Mobile-optimized interface opens in browser (no app required)
3. User sees simple scanning interface with camera access
4. They scan asset tags, barcodes, or serial numbers
5. System confirms each submission
6. User continues scanning until done

External User Capabilities

External users can:

• Scan asset identifiers (tags, barcodes, QR codes, serial numbers)
• Manually type asset IDs if scanning fails
• Attach photos of assets
• Add notes or observations
• See confirmation after each submission

External users cannot:

• View existing asset records
• See expected asset list
• Track overall progress
• Process submissions or generate reports
• Access other inventories or areas of ARMOR

Managing External Submissions

As administrator, you can:

• View real-time submission count from external users
• See active external users (green indicator when submitting)
• Process external submissions through Match/Review/Results tabs
• Approve, reject, or request more information

Hybrid Approach: Assigned + External Users

Many organizations combine both methods:

• Assigned Users: 3-5 internal staff for high-value equipment
• External Users: 10-20 temporary workers for bulk counting
• Result: Fast collection with trusted oversight

Example Hybrid Workflow

Team	Method	Responsibility
IT Manager	Assigned User	Servers, network equipment, security cameras
3 Department Leads	Assigned Users	Department-specific equipment
15 Temporary Staff	External Users (blind link)	All other IT assets across facility

User Management Best Practices

For Assigned Users

• Add users before activating inventory (gives them advance notice)
• Limit to trusted internal staff (5-10 max for most projects)
• Provide portal training before starting
• Set expectations for verification thoroughness
• Use for high-value or sensitive equipment

For External Users

• Generate link after inventory is activated (not during draft)
• Include detailed instructions with link distribution
• Provide examples of what to scan (photos help)
• Set clear timeline expectations
• Collect participant names/emails separately for accountability
• Plan for 20-30% of project time spent processing submissions

Security Best Practices

• Don't share links publicly (social media, public websites)
• Distribute to known participants only
• Use QR codes for controlled environments (posted inside facility)
• Complete inventory promptly to invalidate links after use
• Monitor submission patterns for suspicious activity

Tracking User Activity

Real-Time Indicators

The inventory dashboard shows:

• Active users (green): Currently submitting (last 10 minutes)
• Inactive users (gray): Assigned but not recently active
• Submission counts: Total scans per user
• Progress percentages: Completion rate per assigned user

User Performance Metrics

For assigned users, track:

• Number of assets verified
• Time to complete their portion
• Quality of submissions (flags, rejections)
• Notes and observations provided

Common Scenarios

"User didn't receive invitation email"

Solutions:

• Check spam/junk folders
• Verify email address in user profile
• Resend invitation from user list
• Provide direct link to inventory in portal

"External link not working"

Check these issues:

• Is inventory activated? (Links don't work during draft)
• Was inventory completed or cancelled? (Invalidates links)
• Is user on correct network? (Some organizations restrict external access)
• Try different browser or device

"Too many duplicate submissions from external users"

Prevention strategies:

• Provide clearer instructions about one scan per asset
• Include submission confirmation messages
• Designate areas for each external user to avoid overlap
• Use Match tab to quickly resolve duplicates during processing

"Need to add more users mid-project"

You can add users anytime:

• Assigned users: Add from user management anytime
• External users: Blind link remains valid; share with new participants
• No disruption to existing users

What's Next?

• Understanding Blind Inventory Capture - Deep dive into external user workflows
• Mobile Field Worker Workflows - How users participate from mobile devices
• Match Tab - Reconciling Submissions - Processing external submissions efficiently
• Tracking Progress & Submission Metrics - Monitor user activity and completion

Getting Help

For assistance with user management or link generation, contact the ARMOR Support Team.