A client-supplied asset register should show what arrived, who is responsible for it, what use was agreed and how its return or other agreed disposition will be confirmed. Use it for physical equipment and digital files when losing track would interrupt delivery or undermine client confidence.
The register need not be complicated. It does need to distinguish the original item from a working copy and identify who can answer the client's next question about it.
Photo by insung yoon on Unsplash.
Record receipt before work starts
An email saying “files received” may be too vague when a client sends several versions or delivers equipment in separate packages.
A useful receipt record includes:
Client, job reference and named custodian.
Item identifier, filename or equipment description.
Date received, sender and receiving person.
Condition, version and any missing components.
Agreed purpose and authorised users.
Current location or controlled file link.
Changes made and agreed return or disposition.
Confirmation of the final handover.
Agree the level of detail with the client and the work involved. Do not assume that receiving an item authorises every possible use of it. Questions about ownership, retention or permission should go to the appropriate authorised person.
Separate originals, copies and replacements
Consider a design agency receiving a client's product sample and three image folders. The sample has a small mark on its base, one folder is described as final and a later email replaces two images.
Record the sample's identifying details and initial condition. Keep the replacement instruction with the relevant file record. Label the working set clearly so the designer does not use the earlier images because they remain in a familiar folder.
A single entry saying “client assets received” cannot resolve any of those questions. Equally, an inventory that records every trivial file without a usable version rule can become expensive administration.
Make custody changes explicit
When an item moves between people or locations, record the handover at the level of risk involved. The next custodian should be able to confirm what they received and any unresolved issue.
Use clear handover acceptance for the transfer itself. Apply a practical version-control rule to digital material so approved source files can be distinguished from drafts and exports.
If something is missing or damaged, record the known facts, protect the remaining material and assign the next client communication. Avoid changing the receipt record to make the discrepancy disappear.
Agree what completion looks like
“Returned” should identify the item, recipient, date and confirmation. For digital files, returning a delivery copy does not automatically settle what should happen to working copies, access or records. Follow the agreed instructions and relevant business requirements rather than improvising a deletion rule.
At a periodic review, look for items with no current custodian, obsolete links or an expected return date that has passed. Start with those exceptions instead of counting the register's rows.
Ask Hili Consulting to help clarify the custody and handover steps around client-supplied material when your team cannot readily establish what it holds or who should return it.
