Manageable Options for Ordering Large amount of hardware for users

[CrispyG]

What are some options your company is using for ordering a large amount of equipment for users via request?

A typical use case is a division needs to order new 300 laptops, docks, and monitors for a refresh project. Having a project lead entering 300 - 900 requests seems overboard. Is there a way they can just enter all the information they have in one area?

We have strong requirements to track all assets and consumables in these requests and to associate them in the request to the user receiving the equipment through automation.

Any advice here would be appreciated. Thank you

[RaghavendraGund]

Hello

Instead of keying 300–900 requests, use one spreadsheet upload + a flow that creates a request per row. Here's the pattern:

Catalog item / Record Producer — two fields: "requested for" and an Attachment variable restricted to .xlsx (set allowed_extensions).
Spreadsheet — one row per device: recipient email, model, quantity, cost center.
Service Catalog–triggered flow — fires on submit, hands the flow the RITM automatically.
Script action — query sys_attachment for the uploaded file, parse it with GlideExcelParser.
Loop each row — resolve email → user and model, then order a device item via Cart API (sn_sc.CartJS) with requested_for set to that row's user. That auto-associates each asset to its recipient (your automation requirement).
This is High Level Design, if you need more inputs I can work on it.

Please mark Helpful, if you found my research helpful

[fknell]

Hi @CrispyG,

In case your SKUs already include AI, you can use the agentic workflow 'Help manage hardware asset requests' to help you fulfill the requirement. More information can be found in the docs: Using agentic workflows in Now Assist for HAM 

Otherwise, you manually have to source all the requests if you stick to the ootb workflow.

Hope this helps!

[Mark Manders]

How it's handled, depends a bit on the situation. If the division in your use case is setting up an office space with the monitors and dockings, setting up flexible workspaces, it will be hard to assign them to a specific user. In that case, I would require a project responsible person that gets everything assigned and is responsible for it coming back after the project finishes.

If it's truly assigned to the users (fixed workplace in the office or to have their own workplace at home), you can assign each to the users.

Also the delivery will be part of the considerations. Are you sending 300 laptops to an office and do they get one from the stack and register it themselves, based on serial number, or are the assigned upfront and do they get 'their' laptop.

But for the request step, there are several options:
- create a bulk catalog item on which every item can be selected with a number of items and a list field where all users can be selected
- create the same item, but allow for an attachment for uploading the users that everything needs to be assigned to

You mention you want the assignment automated. For traceability it would be good to have it created as one RITM for the project responsible and a task (or RITM) per user (depending on the process of delivery). Within that separate record, you assign the hardware automatically and close it. The top RITM is closed when all is assigned and delivered. 

I probably missed some steps, but I don't know your order/delivery process.

[fknell]

Hi @Mark Manders,

The item to bulk order is already part of the OOTB workflow. It’s called 'Hardware Inventory Stock Order'. I withdraw to mention it because my understanding is the issue is the sourcing with a user reservation.

Finally, you need to do the reservation/user assignment at a certain point. If you want to do it at the beginning, there is no bulk order option; if you want to do it later, you either have to do it once the asset is created or handed out.