In Rentman, a function is a task or job for a project. When setting up functions you need to specify what needs to be done, how many people are needed, and when it should happen. Later on, you assign crew members and vehicles to these tasks.
What is a function?
A function is a task that needs to be performed. A function can be connected to the times in your Time schedule, have its own time, or have a duration if you don't want to specify the exact times.
You can create a one-time function for a single project or create a default function you can use for every future project.
Once you create your crew and transport functions, you can plan and add functions to different projects.
Functions can be planned in function groups that can be connected to your Time schedule.
Crew vs transport functions
Rentman has two function types: Crew and Transport. Except for the price calculation, these functions are essentially very similar. Crew functions have hourly pricing calculations, whereas transport functions base their pricing on distance traveled.
Default functions vs one-time functions
Crew and transport functions can also be default or one-time.
A default function is a predefined or standard function that can be reused across multiple projects, which makes the planning process faster by eliminating the need to recreate it each time.
A one-time function is a function that you set up to only use in one project and cannot re-use it.
Set up your default functions
Setting default functions speeds up the planning process because you can re-use them for every project.
You can also modify the user role rights of other power users to prevent them from editing, creating or deleting default functions.
Add a default function
- Open a project and navigate to the Crew and transport tab.
- In the sidebar on the left, click on the + icon.
- Choose between Add default function for crew and Add default function for transport.
- Fill in the function options.
- Click Save
Edit a default function
To edit a default function, select it and click on edit edit on top of the column.
Hourly and fixed rate
For the same function, you might sometimes charge fixed rates and other times hourly rates.
In this case, we suggest you create two separate functions, one with an hourly rate and one with a fixed rate. You can give these two functions the same external name but different internal names - so you won't get confused, and your clients won't see the difference.
Function options
Functions have all different kinds of options. Below, you read what these options mean.
- Quantity - How many crew members you need for this function.
- Show in planner - Crew is plannable on this function or not.
- External name - The name shown in quotations, contracts, and invoices.
- Internal name - The name shown in callsheets and in the Crew planner.
- Usage period - The period that is important for the customer. If you have quoting and invoicing add-on, this is the period for which the customer is being charged.
- Planning period - The period that is important for the planner and crew member. It is the period that the crew member is occupied.
- Break - Break length (Crew functions only).
- Price
Quoting and Invoicing- What the customer is being charged for the function. You can charge an hourly price/km-price, a fixed price, or combine the two. You can also choose from the custom crew price rates that can be set up in the settings Configuration module.
- Costs
Crew Scheduling Pro- These are the costs for you. You can charge an hourly price/km-price, a fixed price, or combine the two. You can also choose from the custom crew cost rates that can be set up in the settings Configuration module.
- VAT class
Quoting and Invoicing- Select what VAT class should be used for the function.
- Ledger account
Quoting and Invoicing- the default invoice ledger assigned to this function.
- Include in price
Quoting and Invoicing- Deselect this option to exclude the function from the price calculation.
- The distance from your warehouse to the location (Transport functions only).
- Travel time before/after
Crew Scheduling Pro- The travel time needed to get to the location. This is visible for the planner and can be used to select if crew members join drive in a vehicle to the location or not.
- You can add tags to functions and your crew members to find the right person for each job more easily and efficiently using the crew list.
Please note that the tags you add to functions and the tags you add to crew members need to be exactly the same to show up in the "Matching tags" list of the crew list.
- Navigate to thetable_chart Projects module, open a project and go to the Crew and transport tab.
- Select a function from the menu on the left and click on edit Edit button.
- Under Tags, add new tags or edit existing ones. You can add multiple tags to each function.
- Select a customer, planner or crew member and fill a remark which will be used in the communications for these persons.