Whether you are a new user or an experienced one, importing your bulk equipment into your database accurately is an important and crucial step. By following the instructions below, you can smoothly import your bulk equipment without error or duplication.
Beige columns vs Blue columns
When reviewing your import file, be sure to focus on the colored column headers. They indicate whether the entered data applies to general equipment or serialized equipment.
| If the column header is coloured: | |
| Beige | the data below should be general information applicable to all identical serialized equipment. |
| Blue | the data below represents unique individual serialized equipment data. Having a unique QR code for example. |
Tip: Let's focus on inputting data into the beige columns. We can ignore blue columns since we are not importing serialized equipment. Delete those columns!
Keep it simple
When first importing bulk equipment, only fill in the columns that are absolutely necessary. There is always time afterwards to quickly mass update the other columns in your database with ease.
These are the mandatory columns that Rentman recommends you fill out when importing bulk equipment:
| Column | Description |
|
Name (In Database) |
Name of the equipment or combination |
| Type of Equipment |
Item, Physical Combination or Virtual Combination. |
| Rental/Sales | Is the equipment for rent or for sale? Rentman handles the two differently |
| Stock calculation method | Bulk or serialized? |
| Rental / Sales price | Rental or sale price of the equipment. Can be filled in at another time |
| Quantity | Total quantity of bulk equipment. Indicate a quantity is only for bulk equipment. Serialized equipment are counted individually |
Note: Rentman will auto generate QR code for you if you leave those columns empty. Feel free to enter your own barcodes or QR codes if you have any.
Tip: Want to see what the rest of the column's description? Download and read the descriptions in our example import file below.
3 Best Practices to follow for a smooth Bulk import
| # | Best Practices | Reason |
| 1 | Only enter data underneath the beige columns | Info under the beige columns indicate bulk equipment, so make sure to enter all data exclusively in that section. The data under the blue columns are exclusively for serialized equipment. |
| 2 | Each row is its own separate bulk equipment | Each bulk equipment item has its own row in the import file. This keeps bulk equipment grouped together and prevents duplication. |
| 3 | Enter a quantity for bulk equipment | If the equipment is bulk, enter a quantity in the quantity column. Only bulk equipment requires quantity in that column since serialized equipment are always counted individually. |
Tip:An example of these rules in action can be seen for equipment Shure SM58 Microphone in the example import file below.
Next Steps
Looking to import serialized equipment? Check out this article on formatting your file for serialized equipment.
Finished formatting your file? Follow this article on importing the file itself!
Finished importing both your bulk and serialized equipment? Import your default content directly into your combinations here.
Additional Tips
- Use constant font style and sizes throughout the file. Having an inconstant format can cause unexpected results.
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Delete any empty columns. This minimizes the data Rentman needs to process, reducing the error rate.
- Duplicate the empty import sheet multiple times. Do not keep using the same one.
- If you are importing a lot of equipment, try separating them into different sheets by a category or brand. Do not try to squeeze hundreds of equipment into one sheet. Keep it simple!
- After importing, all equipment will be under a unique import tag. You can easily access and make adjustments to all equipment under that specific import.