While setting up Rentman, one of the most common questions that pops up is: "How can I classify and combine my equipment?"
The answer depends on what is important for you, and which tradeoffs you're willing to accept. This article will help you identify what those are by going in-depth into the pros and cons of various equipment combinations in Rentman
.
Definitions
The following elements in Rentman have been designed to cover the most common combinations we have seen in the industry. More elements may soon follow, to cover in-between situations.
Item
Individual equipment item
Kit
Flexible combination of equipment items. This is a conceptual combination that does not physically exist in real life (as opposed to a case).
Case
A fixed combination of equipment items that is fixed and physically exists in real life.
Accessories
A way to plan individual items together (quickly) in a project. The connection between these items disappears directly after adding the items to the project.
Planning equipment
Kit |
A kit can be changed once planned on a project. When planned, the default content is automatically added, but both price and content can be modified as required. |
Case |
Only the case itself is listed when planned on a project (content can be viewed in the "Details" sidebar). The content items are always the same and cannot be changed on project basis. |
Accessories |
Accessories can be configured to be added automatically or manually when planning the item they are an accessory of. This can help you remember to plan certain elements. |
Volume / Weight calculations
Kit |
Because of the virtual nature of kits, no weight or volume is calculated for the kit itself. The weight/volume of the content will be used in volume / weight calculations for the project. |
Case |
The weight and volume of the case itself will be used in calculations. The weight can automatically be calculated based on the contents of the case. The volume can be automatically calculated based on the dimensions of the case |
Accessories |
Accessories are treated as separate items so volume / weight are calculated individually for each accessory. |
Price calculations
Kit |
The price of the kit is used in calculations, so the price of the content is ignored. A kit has a default price, but can be adjusted when planned on a project. The price can also be recalculated based on the actual contents. Example: A kit can be $100, while the content can be $10+$20+$80. |
Case |
A case has a fixed price regardless of the contents. The price can be changed per project, like any other item. |
Accessories |
Accessories can be set up to be free or added with their original price. |
Stock calculations
Kit |
The stock level of a kit is equal to the amount of complete kits that can be made based on the available amount of contents. Example: Contents of kit X |
Case |
The stock amount of a case has like a normal item a manually entered stock value (or calculated based on serial numbers). The available stock levels of the content will be lowered by the amount assigned as content to the cases. Example: Case X has a current quantity of 5. Contents of Case X: |
Accessories |
Accessories are treated as separate items, so stock calculations are made individually. |
Availability calculations
Kit |
The availability of a kit is based on the availability of its (rental) contents. The maximum amount of kits that can be made with the available (unreserved) amounts of the contents. Keep in mind that sales items within the kit are excluded from availability calculations for the kit itself. However, in the availability timeline, you can see the individual calculation of the sales item. Example: Contents of kit X |
Case |
The availability of a case behaves exactly like a normal item. The contents are not considered in the availability calculation because they are already assigned to the case. Beware! Assigning more items to a case than are in your inventory can result in permanent shortages. Example: Case X has a current quantity of 5. Contents of Case X: Item A, stock is lowered by 5 → -2 (shortage) |
Accessories |
Accessories are treated as separate items when planned, where equipment availability is calculated per accessory. |
Rental vs. Sales
Kit |
A kit can be a rental or a sales item. Both rental and sales kits can contain both rentals and sales items. The main difference between a rental kit or a sales kit is in price calculation. In availability calculations, stock calculations, and serial numbers there is no difference between rental and sales kit. |
Case |
A case can only be a rental item, not a sales item. A case can only contain rental items. |
Accessories |
Accessories can either a rental item or a sales items. |
Serial numbers
Kit |
Because of the flexible nature of kits, serial numbers cannot be assigned. The contents only can have serial numbers assigned from within the project or warehouse module (via scanning) Because kits can always be changed, there is no history or memory of serial numbers inside a kit. |
Case |
A case can be serialized (just like an item). Once the case itself is serialized, you can also assign serial numbers to the content of each serialized case. Once a serialized item/case is assigned to one serialized case, it cannot be assigned to another serialized case. Example: Case X has 2 serial numbers:
|
Accessories |
Serial numbers can only be assigned (either in the project or warehouse via scanning) to accessories once planned on a project. |
Warehouse
Kit |
Because of the flexible nature of kits, they cannot be individually booked inside the warehouse: the status in the warehouse depends on the content. There is a button to book all the contents in one go. Kits also cannot be added in the warehouse as additional equipment because they do not have a single physical form. |
Case |
Cases have their own warehouse status. Since the content is fixed, case contents are neither individually shown nor booked in the warehouse. The content is linked to the status of the case. If the case content has serial numbers assigned, these are not verified in the warehouse, since the case itself is being scanned. |
Accessories |
Accessories work like any other item, there is no relationship between items anymore. |
Documents
Kit |
Kits can be shown on documents with or without showing nested content individually. Prices (and other properties) of content will be hidden. |
Case |
Cases can be shown on documents with or without showing nested content individually. Prices (and other properties) of content item will be hidden. For content, you can choose to show the total amount of content (amount of items/cases in case * amount of cases), or choose to show the amount of content inside of a single case. |
Accessories |
No influence; accessories are shown as normal items on documents |
Subrentals
Kit |
When solving shortages via a subrental, the entire kit is not automatically added, only content with a shortage. If desired, entire kits can manually be added to a subrental. Kits are supported when sending subrent requests to other Rentman users. |
Case |
A case can be subrented like any normal item. It is assumed the delivered case has the same contents as the case in your inventory. Cases are supported when sending subrent request to another Rentman users. |
Accessories |
No influence |
Statistics
Kit |
Because of the flexible nature of both the content and price of kits, reliable statistics cannot be calculated for kits. |
Case |
Cases (along with items) are counted in statistics. |
Accessories |
Accessories are counted in statistics as regular items |