Lost and Found Management System Training Manual

When you open the Items page, you will see a table displaying all items with the following information:

• Tag Number – Unique identifier for the item (Transaction Number)
• Found Date – Date when the item was found
• Transport – Type of transportation
• Article Description – Description of the item
• Brand/Make – Brand or manufacturer of the item
• Storage Location – Where the item is currently stored
• Expiration Date – Date when the item will be disposed if not claimed
• Notes – Additional information about the item
• Claimed By – Name of the person who claimed the item
• Actions – Edit button for each item

Filtering Items by Status:

Use the filter buttons at the top of the page to view items by status:

• All Items – Shows all items regardless of status
• Unclaimed Items – Shows items that have not been claimed yet
• Claimed Items – Shows items that have been matched with owners
• Expired Items – Shows items marked as expired
• Returned Items – Shows items marked as returned

The active filter button will be highlighted in a solid color, while inactive filters appear with an outline.

Sorting the Table:

Click on any column header to sort the table by that column. Click again to reverse the sort order. An up or down arrow appears next to the sorted column name.

Searching for Items:

Each column has a search box in the header row. Type in any search box to filter items by that specific field. You can search multiple columns simultaneously.

Exporting Data:

Click the “Export” button to download the currently visible items (after filters and search) as an Excel file. The exported file will be named with the current date and filter status.

Adding a New Item

To add a new found item to the system:

1. Click the “Add Item” button at the top of the Items page
2. The Add Item modal will open with multiple sections

Basic Information Section:

• Tag Number (Required) – Enter a unique transaction number for the item
• Found Date – Select the date the item was found (cannot be a future date)
• Found Time – Enter the time the item was found
• Found By – Name of the person who found the item

Location and Transport Section:

• Transport Type (Required) – Select the type of transportation (Bus)
• Operating Division – Enter the operating division
• Route – Select the route from the dropdown (routes are filtered based on transport type)
• Location Found – Enter where the item was found
• Direction (NSEW) – Select the direction (North, South, East, West, etc.)
• Coach Number – Enter the coach or vehicle number
• Block Number – Enter the block number

Article Details Section:

• Item Category (Required) – Select the category of the item from the dropdown
• Item Type (Required) – Enter a description of the item
• Brand/Make – Enter the brand or manufacturer
• Color – Enter the color of the item
• Model/Carrier – Enter the model or carrier type
• Serial/Cell Number – Enter any serial or cell phone number associated with the item
• Cash Found – Enter the amount of cash found (if applicable)
• Item Status – Automatically set to “Unclaimed” for new items

Storage and Processing Section:

• Stored Location (Required) – Enter where the item is stored
• CRA Name (Required) – Automatically populated with your name (read-only)
• Date Received CSC (Required) – Select the date received at Customer Service Center (defaults to today, cannot be future date)
• Expiration Date (Required) – Automatically calculated as 14 days from the Found Date
• Potential Owner Name – Enter the name if known
• Cash Counted By – Enter who counted the cash
• Cash Verified By – Enter who verified the cash

Additional Notes Section:

• Notes – Enter any additional information about the item

Fill in all required fields (marked with a red asterisk)

Click “Save” to add the item to the system

Click “Cancel” to close the modal without saving

Validation:

• Required fields cannot be left empty
• Tag Number must be unique (the system will alert you if the number already exists)
• Found Date and Date Received CSC cannot be future dates
• If validation fails, fields with errors will be highlighted in red

To edit an item:

1. Click the “Edit” button in the Actions column for the item you want to modify
2. The Edit Item modal will open with the item’s current information

Field Restrictions:

When editing an item, certain fields are read-only and cannot be changed:

Read-Only Fields:

• Tag Number
• Found Date
• Found Time
• Found By
• Transport Type
• Operating Division
• Route
• Location Found
• Direction (NSEW)
• Coach Number
• Block Number
• Item Category
• Item Type (Article Description)
• Brand/Make
• Color
• Model/Carrier
• Serial/Cell Number
• Cash Found
• CRA Name
• Date Received CSC

Editable Fields:

• Stored Location
• Expiration Date
• Potential Owner Name
• Cash Counted By
• Cash Verified By
• Notes
• Item Status

The Item Status field controls the workflow of items through the system. The available status options depend on the status:

From Unclaimed Status:

When an item is Unclaimed, you can change it to:

• Expired – Mark as expired

To change an item to Claimed status, you must add contact information.

Adding Contact Information to Claim an Item:

When you open an Unclaimed item for editing, a “Contact Information” section appears in the modal:

1. Fill in the following required fields:
   • First Name (Required)
   • Last Name (Optional)
   • Phone Number (Optional, must be exactly 10 digits if provided)
   • Email (Optional, must be valid email format)
   • Date Contacted (Required, defaults to today)
   • Entered By (Required, automatically populated with your name)
   • Notes (Optional)
2. Once all required contact fields are filled, the Item Status dropdown will include “Claimed” as an option
3. Select “Claimed” from the Item Status dropdown
4. Click “Save”

The system will:

• Create a new contact record with the information provided
• Link the contact to the item
• Change the item status to Claimed

From Claimed Status:

When an item is Claimed, you can change it to:

• Expired
• Returned

For Claimed items, the contact information is displayed as read-only fields showing:

• Contact Name
• Phone Number
• Email

Expired and Returned Status:

Items with Expired or Returned status have additional sub-categories:

Expired Status Sub-Categories:

• Donated
• Disposed

Returned Status Sub-Categories:

• Surrendered to Law Enforcement

When you select Expired or Returned as the status, checkboxes appear below the status dropdown. Select the appropriate sub-category checkboxes.

For Expired and Returned items, the status dropdown becomes read-only and cannot be changed.

The system automatically logs changes to specific fields:

• Item Status
• Article Contents/Notes
• Stored Location

These changes are tracked in the Activity Log with before and after values, modified by user, date, and time.

The Contacts page displays a table with the following information:

• Date Contacted – Date when the contact reported the loss
• Name – Contact’s first and last name
• Phone Number – Contact’s phone number
• Email – Contact’s email address
• Article – Comma-separated list of articles associated with this contact
• Notes – Additional notes about the contact
• Entered By – Name of the staff member who entered the contact
• Actions – Edit button

Sorting:

Click any column header to sort the table. The default sort is by Date Contacted in descending order (newest first).

Searching:

Each column has a search box in the header row. Type to filter contacts by any field. Multiple search filters can be applied simultaneously.

To add a new contact with reported lost items:

1. Click the “Add Contact” button at the top of the Contacts page
2. The Add Contact modal opens with three main sections

Contact Information Section:

• First Name (Required)
• Last Name (Optional)
• Phone Number (Optional) – Enter 10 digits, automatically formatted as XXX XXX-XXXX
• Email (Optional)

Additional Details Section:

• Date Contacted (Required) – Defaults to today’s date
• Entered By – Automatically populated with your name (read-only)
• Notes (Optional) – Enter details about what the contact reported

New Item Section:

This section allows you to add a reported lost item associated with this contact:

• Date Lost (Required) – Date the item was lost
• Time Lost (Optional) – Time the item was lost
• Transport Type (Required) – Select Bus
• Route (Optional) – Select from routes filtered by transport type
• Location (Optional) – Where the item was lost
• Article (Required) – Description of the lost item
• Brand (Optional) – Brand of the item
• Color (Optional) – Color of the item

3. Fill in the contact information
4. Fill in the reported item information
5. Click “Add Item” to add the item to the “Associated Items” list
6. You can add multiple items by repeating step 4 and clicking “Add Item” again
7. Click “Save Contact” to create the contact and all associated items
8. Click “Cancel Contact” to close the modal without saving

Validation:

• First Name, Last Name, Date Contacted, and Notes are required for the contact
• Phone Number must be exactly 10 digits or left empty
• Email must be a valid email format or left empty
• At least one item should be added to the Associated Items list (though you can save without items)

Phone Number Formatting

The system automatically formats phone numbers as you type:

• Enter 10 digits
• The system formats it as XXX XXX-XXXX
• Only numeric digits are stored in the database

To edit an existing contact:

1. Click the “Edit” button in the Actions column for the contact
2. The Edit Contact modal opens with the contact’s information

Editable Contact Fields:

• First Name (Required)
• Last Name (Required)
• Phone Number (Optional, 10 digits)
• Email (Optional)
• Date Contacted (Required)
• Entered By (Required)
• Notes (Required)

Associated Items Table:

Below the contact information, you will see a table displaying all items associated with this contact:

• Date – Date the item was lost
• Time – Time the item was lost
• Transport – Transportation type
• Route – Route information
• Location – Where the item was lost
• Description – Article description
• Brand – Brand/Make of the item
• Color – Color of the item

Adding New Items to an Existing Contact:

1. Click the “Add Item” button below the Associated Items table
2. A “New Item” form appears with the same fields as when adding a contact
3. Fill in the item details
4. Click “Save Item” to add the item to the contact
5. Click “Cancel Item” to hide the form without adding the item

Validation:

Same validation rules apply as when adding a contact. Fields with errors will be highlighted in red.

The Matching page is divided into two main sections displayed side-by-side:

Left Side – Found Items:

Displays items with status “Unclaimed” that are available to be matched. These are physical items that have been found and logged into the system.

Columns:

• Select – Checkbox to select an item
• ID – Transaction Number
• Date – Date the item was found
• Description – Article description
• Brand – Brand/Make
• Color – Color
• Location – Where it was found

Right Side – Reported Items (Lost):

Displays items that have been reported lost by contacts. These are items that people have contacted you about losing.

Columns:

• Select – Checkbox to select an item
• Date – Date the item was lost
• Contact – Name of the person who reported it
• Description – Article description
• Brand – Brand/Make
• Color – Color
• Location – Where it was lost

Step 1: Search and Filter

Each column in both tables has a search box:

• Type in any search box to filter items
• Search boxes work independently for each table
• Use search to narrow down potential matches (e.g., search for “blue” in the Color column)

Step 2: Select Items

1. Click on a row in the Found Items table to select it
2. Click on a row in the Reported Items table to select it

You can only select one item from each table at a time. Clicking a different row will deselect the previously selected row.

Step 3: Initiate Match

Once you have selected one found item and one reported item:

• The “Match Selected Items” button at the bottom becomes enabled (turns from gray to colored)
• Click the “Match Selected Items” button

Step 4: Review Match Details

A confirmation modal opens displaying detailed information about both items:

Found Item Details:

• Date
• Time
• Transport
• Route
• Location
• Article Description
• Brand/Make
• Color
• Model/Carrier
• Contents/Notes
• Serial/Cell Number

Reported Item Details:

• Same fields as Found Item

Contact Information:

• Name
• Phone Number
• Email
• Date Contacted
• Notes

Step 5: Confirm or Cancel

Review all the details carefully:

• Click “Confirm Match” to complete the match
• Click “Cancel” to go back without matching

When you confirm a match, the system performs the following actions:

1. Updates the Found Item (Transaction Number):
   • Changes Item Status from “Unclaimed” to “Claimed”
   • Copies non-null values from the Reported item to the Found item (fills in any missing information)
2. Success Confirmation:
   • A success message appears at the top of the page
   • The page reloads automatically to show updated data
   • Both items are removed from the matching tables

After Matching

Once items are matched:

• The Found item now appears in the “Claimed Items” filter on the Items page
• The contact information is associated with the Found item
• You can edit the item to change its status to “Returned” once the owner picks it up

1. Routes Management (Admin Only)The Routes page allows administrators to manage transportation routes used throughout the system.Note: This page is only accessible to users with the Customer Support Admin role.Viewing RoutesThe Routes page displays a table with:
   • Transport Type – Type of transportation
   • Route Details – Description or name of the route
   • Actions – Edit and Delete buttons

   Sorting:

   Click the “Transport Type” or “Route Details” column header to sort the table. The default sort is by Transport Type in ascending order.

   Adding a New Route

   1. Click the “Add Route” button at the top of the page
   2. The Add Route modal opens
   3. Fill in the following fields:
      • Transport Type (Required) – Select or enter the transport type
      • Route Details (Required) – Enter the route description or identifier
   4. Click “Add Route” to save
   5. Click “Cancel” to close without saving

   Validation:

   • Both fields are required
   • Fields with missing values will be highlighted in red

   Editing a Route

   1. Click the “Edit” button next to the route you want to modify
   2. The Edit Route modal opens with the current values
   3. Modify the fields:
      • Transport Type (Required)
      • Route Details (Required)
   4. Click “Save” to update the route
   5. Click “Cancel” to close without saving

   Deleting a Route

   1. Click the “Delete” button next to the route you want to remove
   2. A confirmation modal appears asking “Are you sure you want to delete this route?”
   3. Click “Delete” to permanently remove the route
   4. Click “Cancel” to keep the route

   Warning: Deleting a route removes it from the database. Existing items that reference this route will still retain the route information, but the route will no longer be available in dropdown lists for new items.

   How Routes are Used

   Routes are used in:

   • Add Item and Edit Item modals – Route dropdown is populated based on selected Transport Type
   • Add Contact and Edit Contact modals – When adding reported items
   • Matching page – Displayed in item details

Item Categories Management (Admin Only)

The Item Category page allows administrators to manage the categories used to classify items.

Note: This page is only accessible to users with the Customer Support Admin role.

Viewing Item Categories

The Item Category page displays a table with:

• Category – Name of the category
• Actions – Edit and Delete buttons

Sorting:

Click the “Category” column header to sort alphabetically. The default sort is ascending (A to Z).

Adding a New Category

1. Click the “Add Category” button at the top of the page
2. The Add Category modal opens
3. Fill in the following field:
   • Category (Required) – Enter the category name (maximum 50 characters)
4. Click “Add Category” to save
5. Click “Cancel” to close without saving

Validation:

• Category name is required
• Category name must be unique (duplicate categories are not allowed)
• Maximum length is 50 characters
• If a duplicate category is entered, the system displays an error: “Category already exists”

Editing a Category

1. Click the “Edit” button next to the category you want to modify
2. The Edit Category modal opens with the current category name
3. Modify the field:
   • Category (Required) – Edit the category name
4. Click “Save” to update the category
5. Click “Cancel” to close without saving

Validation:

• Same validation rules apply as when adding
• The system checks for duplicate categories excluding the current one being edited

Deleting a Category

1. Click the “Delete” button next to the category you want to remove
2. A confirmation modal appears asking “Are you sure you want to delete this category?”
3. Click “Delete” to permanently remove the category
4. Click “Cancel” to keep the category

Warning: Deleting a category removes it from the database. Existing items that reference this category will still retain the category name, but the category will no longer be available in dropdown lists for new items.

How Item Categories are Used

Item categories are used in:

• Add Item modal – Item Category dropdown when creating new found items
• Edit Item modal – Displayed as read-only when editing items
• Dashboard and reports – For categorizing and analyzing items

The Activity Log page displays a history of changes made to items in the system. This provides an audit trail for tracking modifications.

Note: This page is only accessible to users with the Customer Support Admin role.

What is Logged

The system automatically tracks changes to the following fields:

• Item Status – Changes from Unclaimed to Claimed, Expired, Returned, etc.
• Article Contents/Notes – Edits to the notes field
• Stored Location – Changes to where the item is stored

For each change, the system records:

• Item Tag Number – Transaction number of the item that was modified
• Field Updated – Which field was changed
• Before Value – The value before the change
• After Value – The value after the change
• Modified By – Name of the user who made the change
• Modified Date – Date of the modification
• Modified Time – Time of the modification

Viewing the Activity Log

The Activity Log page displays a table with all logged activities. The table includes:

• Tag – Item Tag Number
• Field – Field Updated (displayed as “Item Status”, “Notes”, or “Location”)
• Before Value – Previous value (displayed in black text)
• After Value – New value (displayed in black text)
• Modified By – User who made the change
• Date – Modified Date (displayed in local timezone)
• Time – Modified Time (displayed in local timezone)
• Actions – View button to see full details

Default Sort:

The activity log is sorted by Date in descending order (newest changes first).

Sorting the Activity Log

Click any column header to sort by that column:

• Tag – Sort alphabetically by transaction number
• Field – Sort alphabetically by field name
• Before Value – Sort alphabetically by before value
• After Value – Sort alphabetically by after value
• Modified By – Sort alphabetically by user name
• Date – Sort chronologically by date
• Time – Sort chronologically by time

Click the same header again to reverse the sort order.

Searching the Activity Log

Each column has a search box in the header row:

• Type in any search box to filter activities
• For example, search for a specific Tag Number to see all changes to that item
• Search for a field name like “Item Status” to see all status changes
• Search for a user name to see all changes made by that person

Multiple search filters can be applied simultaneously.

Viewing Full Activity Details

To see complete information about an activity entry:

1. Click the “View” button in the Actions column
2. A detail modal opens displaying:
   • Item Tag Number
   • Field Updated
   • Before Value – Displayed with light yellow background
   • After Value – Displayed with light green background
   • Modified By
   • Modified Date (Local)
   • Modified Time (Local)
3. Click “Close” to close the detail modal

Exporting Activity Log

To export the activity log data:

1. Apply any filters or searches you want
2. Click the “Export” button at the top of the page
3. An Excel file will be downloaded containing all visible activities (after filtering)
4. The file will be named “activitylog-YYYY-MM-DD.xlsx” with the current date

The exported file includes:

• Tag Number
• Field
• Before Value
• After Value
• Modified By
• Date
• Time

System Access and Authentication

Logging Into the System

The Lost and Found Management System uses secure Microsoft authentication to protect sensitive data.

Steps to log in:

1. Navigate to the login page
2. You will see the Lost and Found Management System login screen
3. Click the “Sign in with Microsoft” button
4. Enter your organizational Microsoft account credentials
5. After successful authentication, you will be redirected to the Home page

User Roles:

The system supports two user roles with different access levels:

• Customer Support – Can view and manage items, contacts, and perform matching operations. Has access to Items, Contacts, Matching, and Dashboard pages.
• Customer Support Admin – Has all Customer Support permissions plus the ability to manage routes, item categories, and view activity logs.

Access Denied:

If you see an “Access Denied” message, you do not have the required permissions. Contact your system administrator to request access.

Logging Out

To log out of the system, click your user profile and logout button in the navigation menu. This will end your session and redirect you to the login page.

Home Page

The Home page serves as the landing page after successful authentication. From here, you can navigate to different sections of the application using the navigation menu.

Navigation Menu:

The top navigation bar contains links to all major sections:

• Home – Returns to the landing page
• Items – Manage all found items
• Contacts – Manage contacts who reported lost items
• Matching – Match found items with reported items
• Dashboard – View Power BI analytics and reports
• Routes – Manage transportation routes (Admin only)
• Item Category – Manage item categories (Admin only)
• Activity Log – View system activity history (Admin only)

Dashboard and Analytics

The Dashboard page displays embedded Power BI reports and analytics for the Lost and Found system.

Accessing the Dashboard

Click “Dashboard” in the navigation menu to open the analytics page.

What You Will See

The Dashboard page displays an embedded Power BI iframe that contains interactive reports and visualizations.

Interacting with Power BI Reports

Power BI reports are configured, you can:

• Click on charts and graphs to drill down into data
• Use filters and slicers to focus on specific time periods or categories
• Export data from visualizations

Note: The Power BI iframe URL is configured by system administrators. If you see a blank page, contact your system administrators.

Data Entry Best Practices

When Adding Items:

• Use clear, descriptive information in the Article Description field
• Include specific details like brand, color, and model to help with matching
• Be consistent with naming conventions for locations and routes
• Take note of unique identifying features like serial numbers
• Add detailed notes about the condition and contents of items

When Adding Contacts:

• Collect complete contact information including phone and email
• Ask detailed questions about the lost item (brand, color, model, where and when lost)
• Record specific details in the Notes field
• Encourage contacts to report items as soon as possible

Matching Tips

To improve matching accuracy:

• Use the search boxes to filter by key characteristics (color, brand, location)
• Compare dates – reported lost date should be close to found date
• Check transportation type and route – they should match
• Review all details in the confirmation modal before confirming
• If unsure about a match, do not confirm – you can always match later

Item Lifecycle

Typical workflow for an item:

1. Found – Item is found and added to system with status “Unclaimed”
2. Contact Made – Someone reports losing an item, creating a contact and reported item with status “Reported”
3. Matched – Staff matches the found item with the reported item
   • Found item status changes to “Claimed”
   • Contact is linked to the found item
4. Returned – Owner picks up the item, status changes to “Returned”

Using Filters Effectively

On the Items page:

• Start with the status filter to narrow down items
• Use column search for specific characteristics
• Export filtered results for reports or offline review

On the Contacts page:

• Search by date to find recent contacts
• Search by name to follow up with specific individuals
• Check the Article column to see what items are associated

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue: Cannot log in

• Ensure you are using your organizational Microsoft account
• Check that you have been granted access by an administrator
• Verify you have one of the required roles (Customer Support or Customer Support Admin)
• Clear browser cache and cookies, then try again

Issue: Access Denied to certain pages

• Routes, Item Category, and Activity Log pages require Customer Support Admin role
• Contact your system administrator to request elevated permissions

Issue: Cannot add item – Transaction Number already exists

• Transaction Numbers must be unique
• Check if the item is already in the system by searching for the Transaction Number
• Use a different Transaction Number

Issue: Cannot add category – Category already exists

• Category names must be unique
• Check the existing categories list
• Use a different category name or edit the existing one

Issue: Phone number not accepted

• Phone numbers must be exactly 10 digits
• Remove any formatting, dashes, or spaces (the system will format automatically)
• Phone number field is optional – you can leave it blank if needed

Issue: Cannot select future dates

• Found Date, Date Contacted, and Date Received CSC cannot be future dates
• This is intentional to maintain data integrity
• Select today’s date or an earlier date

Issue: Match button is disabled

• You must select exactly one item from the Found Items table
• You must select exactly one item from the Reported Items table
• Click on rows to select them (they will highlight in blue)
• The button will enable once both items are selected

Issue: Dashboard page is blank

• The Power BI iframe URL may not be configured
• Contact your system administrator to set up Power BI integration

Issue: Changes not saving

• Check for red-highlighted fields indicating validation errors
• Ensure all required fields (marked with asterisk) are filled
• Check the browser console for error messages
• Try refreshing the page and attempting the operation again

Issue: Search not working

• Search is case-insensitive and looks for partial matches
• Clear other search boxes that might be hiding results
• Check that you are typing in the correct column’s search box

Issue: Excel export not working

• Ensure you have at least one visible item in the table
• If all items are filtered out, the export will show “No data to export”
• Check browser popup blocker settings

Browser Compatibility

The Lost and Found Management System works best with modern web browsers:

• Google Chrome (recommended)
• Microsoft Edge
• Mozilla Firefox
• Safari

Recommended browser settings:

• Enable JavaScript
• Allow cookies for the application domain

Data Protection

The Lost and Found Management System implements several security measures:

• Microsoft authentication ensures only authorized users can access the system
• Role-based access control restricts sensitive features to administrators
• Session management automatically logs users out after 24 hours of inactivity
• All data transmissions are encrypted using HTTPS
• User actions are logged in the Activity Log for audit purposes

Handling Sensitive Information

When working with contact information:

• Only collect information necessary for returning items
• Follow your organization’s privacy policies and procedures

When handling valuable items:

• Cash Found field should be used for monetary items
• Record who counted and verified cash in the appropriate fields
• Follow organizational procedures for securing high-value items
• Update storage location accurately

For technical support or questions about the Lost and Found Management System, contact your system administrator or IT support team.

Common support requests:

• Access and permission issues
• Password or login problems
• Feature requests or system enhancements
• Bug reports or unexpected behavior
• Training or additional documentation
• Power BI dashboard configuration

When reporting issues, please provide:

• Your name and role
• Page where the issue occurred
• Steps to reproduce the problem
• Any error messages displayed
• Browser and version you are using
• Screenshots if applicable