Trolley & Asset Tracking with QR Codes – Google Apps Script

Anything that leaves your premises and is supposed to come back — trolleys, cages, crates, cylinders, tools, medical equipment — has the same problem: nobody notices the one that never returned. This counts the days each item has been out and emails you when that number gets too high.

Out, back, and how long between

Every trolley is checked out and later checked in, and the log holds both users, both times, and the days out between them. A returned item shows zero days and a completed status; an item still out shows its running count. That single number is the whole system — it turns a pile of movement records into a list of things to chase.

The alert does the chasing

Set a threshold — seven days, ten, fourteen, whatever your cycle is — and a list of email recipients. A time-based Apps Script trigger checks daily and emails when trolleys pass it, so overdue items reach you without anyone running a report. There is a test-alert button to confirm delivery before you rely on it.

QR instead of typing

Each trolley gets a QR code when it is created. At the loading bay, scan the code with the device camera and the right trolley is selected — no ID typed wrong at the point where accuracy matters most. Trolleys carry their ID, name, current in-or-out status and last in-time.

Four roles that match the floor

This is the part worth copying: quality can only check out, dispatch can only check in, sales can only look, and the admin does everything. Each person's screen offers exactly the action their job allows, which removes the whole class of mistake where someone checks in an item that never left. Around it: user management with email search and created-date filters, activity logs, and a password change screen.