Setting up multiple equipment locations correctly is vital to its proper functioning. This article will help you set up the stock locations, migrate your inventory, and start to use multiple equipment locations in your Rentman workspace.

Note: Storage locations are available for Equipment Scheduling Pro licenses, or the combination of Equipment Scheduling Standard + Equipment Tracking add-on.

The additional warehouse add-on is needed for an extra warehouse location to plan from.

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Stock locations

A view of your stock locations can be found as a submodule called Stock locations in the category  Equipment module.

Setting up stock locations

There are two types of stock locations; warehouses and storage locations. Please find more about the difference between the both in the part about Storage locations and Warehouses.  

When setting up stock locations for the first time, all equipment will be in one stock location named Default stock location. We recommend renaming this to the location that contains the most equipment. To rename this, or any other stock location:

1. Select    the stock location 
2. Click edit Edit
3. Type a new name in the "Name" field
4. Save

Once Default stock location is renamed, you can add a stock location by clicking
+ Add stock location

You can set a permission for a user role to limit the access to the stock location module.

Deactivating stock locations

Stock locations can be made inactive, but not deleted. When a stock location is made inactive, the stock location will no longer show up in Rentman, for instance, when planning projects or booking equipment. A stock location should only be made inactive when:

• All equipment has been transferred to another stock location
• No future projects are or will be planned from this stock location
• All equipment has been returned in the Warehouse module

To make an stock location inactive:

1. Select    the stock location 
2. Click edit Edit
3. Set the "Active" field to "No"
4. Save

Archiving stock locations

Stock locations can also be archived. A stock location should only be archived when:

• All equipment has been transferred to another stock location
• No future projects are or will be planned from this stock location
• All equipment has been returned in the Warehouse module
• All equipment has been repaired in the Maintenance module

To archive an stock location:

1. Select    the stock location 
2. Click the More actions more_vert button.
3. Choose "Archive".

Assign equipment to a stock location

Once stock locations are set up, equipment can be assigned to a stock location. This works in one of two ways, depending on the stock calculation method of the equipment.

Bulk equipment

Assigning bulk equipment to a stock location is done through stock movements. Each stock movement can have a stock location assigned to it. The amount of stock at a given stock location can be changed by moving equipment to another stock location or correcting the current stock at the given stock location. Stock locations of past stock movements cannot be changed.

Individual equipment (serialized)

Each serial number has a stock location assigned to it. The stock location of a serial number can be changed by selecting another location in the Stock location field.

The stock location of multiple serial numbers can be changed at the same time by selecting the serial numbers and clicking edit Edit.

Types of stock locations

In Rentman, you can choose between two types of stock locations, the warehouse and the storage location.

Storage locations

Imagine: You have two warehouses; one in Amsterdam and one in Rotterdam. On top of this, you also have some equipment stored in some small storage locations (e.g. garage boxes) that you rarely need, only for specific projects.

You do not need to plan projects from these storage locations, however, you do want to have insight into where this equipment is stored, which equipment is exactly available, and arrange internal transportation to your main warehouse when needed.

In this situation or similar, we advise you to make use of a storage location instead of adding a new warehouse to your account. The following is important to know when it comes to storage locations: 

• Storage locations are free of charge, and you create as many as you wish; you do however need to make use of our Add-on: equipment tracking which is available in combination with the license Equipment Scheduling Pro and 
• You can not plan a project from a storage location; equipment first needs to be transferred to a warehouse. 

Set up a storage location 

1. Go to the category Equipment module and select 'Stock locations' submodule
2. + Add stock location 
3. Fill in the name + address details of this storage location 
4. For Type choose “Storage location”
5. Active: Yes 

Warehouse

If you want to plan your projects directly from a specific stock location, you can do so by creating an additional warehouse location in your account. You can do so by taking the following steps: 

1. Go to the category Equipment module and select 'Stock locations' submodule
2. + Add stock location 
3. Fill in the name + address details of this storage location 
4. For Type choose “warehouse"
5. Active: Yes 

Migrate inventory to stock locations

After stock locations are set up, all quantities and equipment need to be assigned a stock location. There are three ways to assign equipment (in bulk) to the proper stock location.

Move bulk and/or serialized items via update import

To move items via an update import:

1. Export the equipment into an XLSX sheet
2. Edit the sheet so that the equipment numbers are accurate for one stock location
3. Import the XLSX sheet back into Rentman, choosing the appropriate stock location

Move bulk equipment via inventory count

An inventory count can be used to migrate bulk items to various stock locations. This is done by choosing the proper stock location before beginning the inventory count.

Move individual (serialized) physical combinations manually

Individual (serialized) physical combinations can be assigned to stock locations manually as described in Assigning equipment to a stock location.

Note: Serial numbers cannot be moved when the serial number is in repair, lost, or a part of the physical combination. In these situations, the repair must be marked as complete, equipment marked as found, or the stock location of the assigned physical combination needs to change.

Move bulk physical combinations manually

Bulk physical combinations can be assigned to stock locations manually as follows:

1. Select the desired physical combination
2. Go to the Stock tab
3. Click the "Move stock" button
4. Enter the quantity to be moved
5. Select stock locations in the "From" and "To" fields
6. Confirm

Equipment stock level and availability

To view only the equipment present at one stock location in the category Equipment module, select the desired stock location in the upper left corner of the screen.

This provides a list with equipment that has a quantity of greater than zero at that stock location, as well as equipment with a quantity of zero at any stock location.

Quantity columns (e.g. Current quantity, Current quantity excl. physical combinations, Quantity in physical combinations) in the equipment grid refer to the total quantity on all stock locations.

The equipment availability of each stock location can be viewed from the equipment timeline. The equipment timeline shows the total availability. Clicking on the arrow next to the equipment name will expand the stock availability per stock location.

The equipment timeline can be filtered on one location by using the stock location filter located next to the Date selector.

An overview of the stock level of each stock location for a given piece of equipment can be found by double-clicking on the piece of equipment. This can be viewed in the "Stock" section of the Data tab of the equipment.

Planning projects

In the General tab of a (sub)project, there is the field: "Stock location". This allows you to have one project with multiple stock locations by assigning stock locations to different subprojects.

When planning equipment in a project, ALL equipment in ALL locations will show up in the list containing your plannable inventory.

If equipment is planned that is not available in the stock location selected for the project, the equipment will be highlighted in red, indicating a shortage.

In the timeline of the project, you can select whether you would like to see the availability of one stock location or all stock locations. 

Solving shortages

When you have a shortage in a project, the shortage can be solved by subrenting it from a supplier. When using the multiple equipment locations feature, you need to indicate the stock location of the subrental job.

For a project with multiple stock locations (on the subproject level), a subrental must be created for each stock location. If you select equipment that has 2 or more stock locations, you must choose which stock location you want to subrent equipment for. A subrental will then be created for equipment shortages on that stock location.

Solving shortages with an internal subrental

You can add an internal subrent to solve shortages from other equipment locations in your company. You can add an internal subrent just like a regular subrent, but select internal instead of external and decide the from and to locations. A new project will be created in your table_chart Projects module that will allow you to keep track of the internal subrent.

Stock locations in the Warehouse

Stock location filter

(sub)Projects can be filtered in the warehouse by stock location.

This filters (sub)projects only. The scheduled transport and crew shown in the Warehouse module are not filtered by stock location.

Stock location details on (sub)project card

Each card contains the stock location of the (sub)project

Booking individual (serialized) equipment in the warehouse

When scanning individual (serialized) equipment out of or into the warehouse, Rentman checks that the stock location of the equipment being scanned matches with the stock location of the (sub)project. 

Scan return

When using the scan return functionality, the software asks for a stock location to ensure that only equipment from (sub)projects with that stock location can be scanned back.

Maintenance

Repairs, lost equipment, and inventory counts now take stock location into account in order to make correct equipment availability calculations (per stock location).

Repairs

Repairs (bulk) now need to have a stock location assigned. With individual (serialized) equipment, the stock location is automatically taken from the stock location of the serial number. 

Note: The stock location of the repair job and the serial number cannot be edited after the repair job is created. An open repair must be marked as complete to change the stock location of the serial number

Lost equipment

For lost equipment, the stock location of the equipment is automatically taken over from the stock location of the project.

Inventory counting

Rentman will ask you to select a stock location before starting an inventory count.

FAQs

Can I view and export stock levels/quantities of equipment per specific warehouse locations in Rentman?

Yes, you can do that by adding a column to your view in the category Equipment module called "Total stock per stock location." This column sums the quantities of equipment across selected stock locations and can be exported for easier inventory management. However, it cannot be added to document templates.