How do I hand over equipment documentation?
On this page
- Key facts
- Why does the handover matter so much?
- What goes in the equipment section?
- What goes in the IT section?
- Which credentials must be handed over?
- How should the package be delivered?
- What do doctors usually forget to ask for?
- How FloorStack helps
- Free tools for this step
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
As one package the doctor owns, delivered before the last payment. In 2026 that package should include an inventory with model and serial numbers, manuals, warranty registrations in the owner's name, a network diagram, and every admin credential. Keep it at least 6 years: HIPAA requires security documentation to be retained that long (45 CFR 164.316).
Key facts
| Item | Why | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Inventory fields | Asset ID, host name, PO, OS, MAC, IP, user, purchase date, cost, location | HHS 405(d) HICP (PDF) |
| Medical devices in the inventory | HHS includes medical devices, routers, access points, firewalls and software | HHS 405(d) HICP |
| Serial numbers | A-dec asks for the serial number when you request service | A-dec regulatory and warranty guide (PDF) |
| Warranty registration | Midmark requires registration information within 30 days | Midmark |
| Network diagram | CISA advises comprehensive diagrams of systems and data flows | CISA #StopRansomware Guide |
| Hard copies | CISA advises keeping IT asset documentation offline and in hard copy on site | CISA |
| Retention | HIPAA security documentation kept 6 years | 45 CFR 164.316 |
Why does the handover matter so much?
Because the people who installed everything leave. Months later, a sensor fails, a warranty claim needs a serial number, or the practice wants a new IT company, and nobody can find the admin password. Our guides on who owns dental office passwords and IT companies withholding passwords cover what happens when the handover is skipped. Tie the final payment to a complete package; see IT contract ownership clauses.
What goes in the equipment section?
One row per device, with:
- Make, model, serial number and location (room).
- Purchase date, invoice number, cost and vendor.
- Warranty term, start date and registration confirmation.
- Service contacts and support phone numbers.
- Manuals and instructions for use, as PDFs.
A-dec, for example, asks for the serial number when you request service and publishes its manuals in its online Resource Center (A-dec). Use the free equipment inventory CSV (coming soon) or the equipment inventory template as the format. The free equipment inventory & appraisal report (coming soon) is planned to turn it into a report with warranties.
What goes in the IT section?
HHS's cybersecurity practices for small healthcare organizations list the fields an IT asset inventory should capture: asset ID, host name, purchase order, operating system, MAC address, IP address, assigned user, last user logged on, purchase date, cost and physical location. HHS says to include workstations, servers, printers, medical devices, routers, access points, firewalls and software applications (HHS 405(d) HICP).
Add:
- A network diagram. CISA recommends comprehensive diagrams describing systems and data flows, IP addressing schemes and general topology (CISA). See network diagram examples.
- Rack and port map. Which switch port feeds which room.
- Backup details. Where backups go, how they're tested and who checks them. See data backup.
- Software licenses and installers, including imaging drivers and bridges. CISA advises storing executables and license agreements with offline backups (CISA).
FloorStack Studio (live, free plan) produces a device schedule with rooms, ports and cable lengths and a network rack layout (FloorStack FAQ), which covers much of this section.
Which credentials must be handed over?
Every admin account, created in the practice's name or transferred to it:
| System | Credential to hand over |
|---|---|
| Internet service | Account owner login, account number |
| Firewall and router | Admin username and password |
| Switches and Wi-Fi controller | Admin login, cloud management account |
| Domain name and email | Registrar and email admin account |
| Practice management and imaging | Owner/admin account, license keys |
| Backup service | Admin login, encryption key |
| Cameras and NVR | Admin login, cloud account |
| Phone system | Admin portal login |
| Manufacturer portals | Warranty and service accounts |
HIPAA requires a unique user ID for each user (45 CFR 164.312), so vendors should have their own named accounts rather than sharing the owner's. The free credential ownership checklist (coming soon) is planned to list every admin account a practice should own, with a "password hostage" letter template.
How should the package be delivered?
- Digital copy in a folder the practice controls, with the inventory as a spreadsheet.
- Credentials in a password manager or sealed envelope the owner controls, never only in the vendor's system.
- Hard copy of the key pages on site. CISA advises keeping IT asset documentation in physical hard copies and offline backups (CISA).
- Walkthrough with the doctor or office manager, ending with a signed acknowledgment that lists what was received and what is still outstanding.
What do doctors usually forget to ask for?
- The warranty start date. A-dec measures warranty from the A-dec invoice date (A-dec), not from install day, so the invoice belongs in the package.
- Registration deadlines. Midmark's warranty covers the original retail purchaser and needs registration information within 30 days (Midmark).
- BAAs. Any vendor or program that handles patient data should have a business associate agreement; Open Dental recommends one before enabling any imaging bridge (Open Dental).
- Consumables and filters. Part numbers for compressor filters, vacuum traps and amalgam separator canisters, with replacement intervals from the manuals.
Schedule it with the punch list, before the certificate of occupancy and final payment. See warranty registration.
How FloorStack helps
FloorStack is a dental build-out platform built around the practice owning its records. FloorStack Studio (live, free plan) produces the device schedule and rack layout. The credential ownership checklist, equipment inventory & appraisal report and equipment inventory CSV are free and coming soon. Back to the Dental Equipment Inventory hub.
Free tools for this step
- Credential ownership checklist (free tool, coming soon): list every admin account the practice should own, with a "password hostage" letter template.
- Equipment inventory & appraisal report (free tool, coming soon): build an equipment inventory with warranties and an appraisal-ready report.
- Free equipment inventory CSV (free download, coming soon): a spreadsheet template with the columns above.
- FloorStack Studio (live, free plan): a 3D IT plan of your office with every device placed.
Frequently asked questions
What documents should a dental practice get at the end of a build-out?
An equipment inventory with serials, manuals, warranty registrations, a network diagram, a rack and port map, backup details, licenses and every admin credential.
What fields should an IT asset inventory include?
HHS lists asset ID, host name, PO, OS, MAC, IP, user, last user, purchase date, cost and location (HHS 405(d)).
How long should a practice keep this documentation?
HIPAA security documentation must be kept 6 years from creation or last effective date (45 CFR 164.316).
Should the IT company keep the admin passwords?
The practice should own them. Vendors should use their own named accounts, since HIPAA requires unique user IDs (45 CFR 164.312).
Does a dental practice need a network diagram?
CISA recommends one for every organization to support incident response (CISA).
When should the handover happen?
With the punch list, before final payment, so it can't be skipped.
Sources
- HHS 405(d): Health Industry Cybersecurity Practices, Technical Volume 1 (PDF)
- CISA: #StopRansomware Guide
- 45 CFR 164.316: Policies and procedures and documentation requirements (LII)
- 45 CFR 164.312: Technical safeguards (LII)
- A-dec: Regulatory Information, Specifications and Warranty (PDF)
- Midmark: Dental Warranty Information
- A-dec: Warranty
- Open Dental: Program Bridges
- FloorStack FAQ
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