Workflow Template

Equipment Checkout Workflow

Manages equipment checkout requests end-to-end: intake, availability check by the equipment coordinator, borrower terms acceptance, checkout, check-in with condition/outcome recording, follow-up action on damage/late return, and status tracking throughout.

Someone submits a request to borrow a piece of equipment, and instead of a string of emails and a spreadsheet nobody updates, the request becomes a tracked record from the start. The workflow handles the acknowledgement email, routes the coordinator's availability check, sends borrowing terms for acceptance, and records condition and return outcome when equipment comes back — with a follow-up step if something's damaged or late. Your team always knows what's out, what's due back, and what needs attention, without chasing details across inboxes.

Business Outcomes

Fewer missed or forgotten equipment checkout requests thanks to automatic acknowledgements and status tracking
Clearer visibility into what's available, checked out, or overdue at any given time
Reduced back-and-forth chasing borrowers for terms acceptance or return details
Better accountability with condition and outcome recorded at checkout and check-in
Faster follow-up on damaged or late returns instead of issues slipping through the cracks

Workflow Steps

Steps

1
Create Checkout Recordcreate record
Creates the equipment checkout record from the submitted request form.
2
Set Status to Requestedupdate record
Sets the checkout status to Requested.
3
Email Acknowledgementsend email
Sends the borrower an acknowledgement email with their reference number.
4
Coordinator: Check Availabilitycreate task
Equipment coordinator records availability, condition at checkout, and the due-back date.
5
Save Availability Resultupdate record
Persists the availability, condition at checkout, and due-back date to the record.
6
Route on Availability
Routes based on whether the equipment is available.
availability: "Available"→Send Terms & Due-Back Date to Borrower
availability: "Not available"→Set Status to Unavailable
Default→End
7
Set Status to Unavailableupdate record
Sets the checkout status to Unavailable.
8
Email Borrower - Unavailablesend email
Notifies the borrower that the equipment is not available.
9
Send Terms & Due-Back Date to Borrowerrequest external input
Emails the borrower the due-back date and borrowing terms and waits for their acceptance.
10
Set Status to Checked Outupdate record
Sets the checkout status to Checked Out after the borrower accepts the terms.
11
Coordinator: Check Equipment Back Increate task
Equipment coordinator records the returned condition and outcome when equipment is checked back in.
12
Save Check-In Resultupdate record
Persists the condition on return and return outcome to the record.
13
Route on Return Outcome
Routes to a follow-up task if the equipment was returned damaged or late.
return_outcome: "Returned damaged"→Coordinator: Follow-Up Action
return_outcome: "Returned late"→Coordinator: Follow-Up Action
return_outcome: "Returned in good condition"→Set Status to Returned
Default→Set Status to Returned
14
Coordinator: Follow-Up Actioncreate task
Equipment coordinator records the action taken in response to a damaged or late return.
15
Save Follow-Up Actionupdate record
Persists the follow-up action taken to the record.
16
Set Status to Returnedupdate record
Sets the checkout status to Returned.
17
Email Borrower - Thank Yousend email
Sends the borrower a thank-you email confirming the return.

Fields

Show all 14 fields

FormEquipment Checkout Request

Borrower Name*· Text
Borrower Email*· Email
Equipment*· Text
Date Needed*· Date
Return Date*· Date
Purpose*· Long text

TaskCoordinator: Check Availability

Availability*· Choice
Condition at Checkout*· Long text
Due-Back Date*· Date

TaskCoordinator: Check Equipment Back In

Condition on Return*· Long text
Return Outcome*· Choice

TaskCoordinator: Follow-Up Action

Follow-up Action Taken*· Long text

Other fields

Checkout Status· Choice
I accept the borrowing terms*· Checkbox

Borrower Name*
Borrower Email*
Equipment*
Date Needed*
Return Date*
Purpose*

Forms

Equipment Checkout Request

6 fields

Data Views

Equipment Checkouts

borrower_name, equipment, due_back_date, checkout_status

Dashboard Widgets

Checkouts by Status

Recommended integrations

Setup the following integrations to extend workflow capability.

Send email in the workflow
AWS SES

equipment checkoutequipment check intool checkoutasset trackingequipment loan

Similar Workflows

Asset Handover and Return Workflow IT Equipment Request Workflow Work Order Workflow

Similar Categories

Operations Management Information Technology Maintenance

FAQs

Do I need to set this up from scratch, or is it ready to use?

The template is ready to use as soon as your workspace publishes it — there's no installation or development project involved. Your equipment coordinator can start receiving and processing checkout requests within minutes.

Can my team customise the steps to match our own checkout process?

Yes, you can describe the change you want in plain English or edit the steps directly in the workflow editor. Earlier versions of the workflow are kept, so you can adjust it over time without losing your original setup.

Who is responsible for checking equipment availability?

The equipment coordinator is assigned the availability check task, where they record whether the item is available, its condition at checkout, and the due-back date. The workflow waits for this input before routing the request further.

What happens if the equipment isn't available?

If the coordinator marks the equipment as not available, the status is set to Unavailable and the borrower automatically receives an email letting them know. This keeps borrowers informed without the coordinator needing to send a separate message.

Does the borrower need an account to accept the borrowing terms?

No — borrowers take part entirely through emailed forms, so there's no account required. They receive the due-back date and terms by email and the workflow waits for their acceptance before moving the status to Checked Out.

What gets recorded when equipment is returned?

The equipment coordinator records the condition on return and a return outcome, such as returned damaged, late, or in good condition. Those details are saved on the record, so there's a clear timeline of what happened.

What happens if equipment comes back damaged or late?

The workflow routes to a follow-up task assigned to the equipment coordinator, who records the action taken in response. This action is then saved to the record before the status is updated to Returned.

Is this suitable for tracking multiple pieces of equipment or borrowers at once?

Yes, every request becomes its own record with a reference number, status, and timeline, so multiple checkouts can be tracked independently. Table views and dashboards show all records by status, making it easy to see what's outstanding at a glance.

Can we notify borrowers by text message instead of email?

Email and SMS are both built into the platform, so a workspace can choose to send notifications by SMS as well. If you want to route specific messages through your own SMS provider, that can be connected at the workspace level.

Ready to use this workflow?

Create a free account and customise this workflow for your business.