Custom assets
Almost no risk exists without something it is about. A custom asset list is where you keep those things, so they are defined once and referenced everywhere.
The vocabulary
| Term | Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| List | A collection of similar things | Applications |
| Record | One row in a list | Core Banking |
| Attribute | A column | criticality |
| Primary attribute | The naming column | name → “Core Banking” |
A record has no separate name field — its name is the value of the list’s primary attribute.
Creating a list
- Go to Settings → Custom assets and select Create list.
- Name it in the plural — Applications, Vendors, Processes.
- Add attributes and choose the primary one.
- Add records, or import them.
Attribute types
text · number · select · boolean · date · relation
A relation points at another list and stores the target record’s identity while displaying its primary attribute. Rename the target and every reference follows automatically.
Relation depth is capped at one hop. You can filter on country.status, but not country.region.head.name. Deeper paths make expressions impossible to reason about and queries impossible to predict.
Rules that protect your data
- Cycles are detected when you create a relation. The model is a graph, and nothing else stops you pointing two lists at each other.
- A referenced record cannot be hard-deleted. Usage counts are shown per record; deletion is either blocked or converts the record to inactive.
- Every list carries a status convention so records can be retired without breaking values captured against them historically.
Worked example
A list called Applications with attributes name (primary), criticality (select: Tier 1 / 2 / 3), internetFacing (boolean), owner (text) and country (relation → Countries).
On its own this is a useful inventory. Combined with a field and a factor it becomes automatic scoring — continue to Custom fields.
Jira Assets instead
With Jira Service Management Premium you can point a field at a JSM object schema rather than a custom list. The rest of the chain is identical. Custom asset lists exist so that asset-driven risk does not require the Premium tier.