What is tracked in CAMS?
All property that meets the university definition of equipment must be tracked in the KFS Capital Asset Management System (CAMS). Departments are also required to track in CAMS equipment acquired under a contract or grant that sets a dollar limit of less than $5,000 for inventorial items. Please refer to PPM 350-50.II.B for a complete list of items required to be tracked in CAMS.
The university is required to track equipment at its original acquisition value for the entire time it is under the care of the university. Per the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB), Statement 34, "Capital assets should be reported at historical costs."
Departments have the option of tracking items that would otherwise meet the definition of equipment above, but do not meet the acquisition value criteria (under $5,000).
How items are tracked in CAMS
Equipment is assigned to a custodial code, a four-digit number assigned by Equipment Management to a specific department. All departments have at least one custodial code, and some departments have multiple custodial codes. At the Medical Center in Sacramento, custodial codes are referred to as cost centers. Departmental custodial codes can be located using the Asset Custodial Code Lookup in KFS.
All equipment purchased through the purchasing departments at the campus and Medical Center is automatically added to CAMS by Equipment Management. Equipment Management uses the information on the Purchase Order created by Purchasing to add equipment items to CAMS.
Departments need to process an Asset Global (Add) document in KFS if:
- Equipment is acquired by a method other than through a purchase (e.g., loan from an outside agency, gift, transfer in with new PI).
- They wish to track items below the equipment threshold.
Affixing decals and updating information
After the equipment is added to CAMS, a UCOP Tag Number is assigned, and an asset decal is sent to the asset representative assigned to the Asset Custodial Code. The asset decal should be applied to the equipment in an easily visible location. Update the asset information using the Asset screen.