Custody & accountability
Know who has it, since when — and prove they accepted it
Assign gear to people, capture a signature on handover and return, and keep an unbroken chain of custody. Accountability without the paperwork.
The pain
Sound familiar?
- You can't say who's currently holding a given asset.
- There's no record that someone accepted — or returned — equipment.
- Disputes over damage have no paper trail.
- Clearing a leaver of their assigned gear is a manual scramble.
How Stackroom helps
Everything you need, in one place
Assign & return
Assign to a person with a held-by date. Reassign or return in a tap, with the current holder always visible.
Signatures + PDFs
Capture handover, return and clearance signatures on-device and generate a PDF agreement automatically.
Chain of custody
A complete custody history per asset — who, when, and for how long — ready for audits or disputes.
Checkout approvals
Optional request-and-approve workflow with notifications, so high-value gear needs a sign-off.
How it runs
What this looks like day to day
- 1Assign
Hand it over against a name
Issuing an asset records who took it, when, and from where. The person becomes the accountable holder rather than the item simply being marked 'out'.
- 2Sign
Capture agreement on the spot
A signature on the device turns the handover into a record. Where the item is high value, the signature can be paired with a photo of its condition at the time.
- 3Hold
Everyone can see who has what
The holder is visible on the asset, and each person has a page listing everything currently in their name, which is what makes recovery straightforward later.
- 4Return
Close the loop
Returning checks the asset back in, records condition, and ends that custody period. The history keeps every previous holder rather than overwriting.
In detail
The questions that come up next
Why does a signature matter?
Because it changes the conversation. Without one, a disputed handover is one person's memory against another's. With a timestamped signature, the record simply exists and the dispute does not happen. Most of the value is preventative rather than forensic.
What happens when someone leaves?
Their page lists everything still in their name, so offboarding becomes a checklist rather than an investigation. This is where most teams see the return, since equipment that leaves with a departing employee is rarely recovered once they are gone.
Can we require approval for expensive items?
Yes. High-value categories can require sign-off before issue, so a laptop or a lens does not leave on a verbal say-so, while low-value consumables stay quick to hand out.
Does this create friction for the team?
Issuing is a scan and a signature, measured in seconds. The friction people object to is usually the paperwork that custody systems replace, not the custody itself.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Is a signature captured on a phone legally binding?
It records who agreed to what and when, which is the practical question in almost every internal dispute. For contractual obligations beyond internal accountability, take your own legal advice, since requirements vary by jurisdiction.
Can one person hold many assets at once?
Yes. A technician can hold a full kit, and their page shows everything in their name. Items can be returned individually or in bulk when a job finishes.
What if equipment is passed directly between two people?
Record it as a handover so custody moves in one step, rather than requiring a return to the store first. The history shows the chain, including transfers that never passed through a store room.
Do we have to sign for every single item?
No. Signature capture can be reserved for the categories where it matters, so consumables stay frictionless while high-value gear is properly accounted for.
Can we see who held an asset a year ago?
Yes. Custody history is kept for the life of the asset, so you can answer who had it, when, and what condition it came back in, long after the event.
Ready to know where every asset is?
Start free — tag your first 100 assets and run a real checkout in your first session. No credit card required.