Settings: Activities and Categories

In this video we look at two settings (activities and categories) which determine the types of equipment you can store in GearLog.


Introduction

The video explains how to configure the "Activities" and "Categories" settings. These two settings are crucial as they control the types of assets your organization stores in GearLog.



Activities

This is the top-level setting.

  • The "Activities" option determines the kinds of sports or activities your organization is involved in.
  • Examples: For an activity center, this might include climbing and bouldering, general purpose (for equipment like tents and boots), other activities (for equipment like archery), and water sports. Rescue teams commonly select climbing, mountaineering, and rescue.
  • Action: You should review the activities, turn on the ones relevant to your organization, and turn off those you do not need.


Categories

Categories provide the detail level inside the activities.

  • After setting up activities, go to Settings and then Categories to select the relevant equipment categories within each activity.
  • GearLog has around 700 categories. If a category seems to be missing, contact us; it might be listed under another activity or, if not, we can be add it to the platform.
  • You can turn categories on or off to ensure only relevant items are listed.
  • The "General Purpose" activity includes facilities management categories, useful for managing facilities alongside PPE and sports equipment.


Category Options

At the category level, several independent settings can be configured:

  • Default Inspection Frequencies: Set default frequencies for inspection, servicing, and functional testing. These schedules are independent. For example, setting a monthly inspection automatically forwards the next date by one month. These can be overridden at the list or equipment level.
  • Stock Tracking: Set minimum and recommended stock levels. The platform will show the variance between current stock and required levels. Stock levels can also be set for specific sites.
  • Default Image: Upload a default image for a category (e.g., all belay devices) to be used if a specific item image is not provided.
  • Usage Tracking: Set units of usage (e.g.minutes for time, or miles/kilometers for distance). You can also set maximum limits for the total number of uses or minutes allowed.