(WIP) Machine schedule, for short term hire and replacement

Overview

Readysell’s machine scheduling feature allows you to hire out machines to casual users and to replace existing machines with temporary replacements. Replacement machines can have meter charges processed like any other machine. For the term of a replacement, contracts, preordered products, service orders and all other activities apply to the replacement machine exactly as if they were for the machine being replaced.

The machine schedule shows you a list of all past, present and future hires and replacements for all machines. On each machine you can view the machine hire and replacement history of the machine and drill into associated activities.

Long term hire is handled seperately. To setup a long term hire, add a hire meter to a machine and set the machine up for the customer. Long term hires are covered elsewhere in the user guide.

The machine hire pool

You have to setup a pool of hire machines before you can use machine hire or replacement. Each machine should have a customer being your own business and a machine status of hire. You can add any required meters to those machines, just like any other machine

Viewing the whole machine schedule or the schedule for one machine

At any time you can select the machine schedule from the navigation menu to see all past, present and future machine schedules

From any machine that has been replaced or any machine that has been uses as a replacement or hire. You can click on a button to see the machine schedule past, present and future for that machine

Starting the replacement

To schedule a replacement machine:

• click on the new button then select 'Machine Schedule' or
• click on "Machine Schedule" from the navigation menu then click on new or
• highlight the machine to be replaced. Then click on the "Machine Schedule" tab on a machine and click the new button above the list

Set the machine schedule type to "Replacement"

If you have highlighted a machine, the "Replace Machine" field will be filled in

If the "Replace Machine" field is not filled in, for example if you created the replacement with the new button without specifying a machine, then enter the machine to be replaced

Enter a start date and end date. If the machine has a hire or replacement in the date range specified, an error message will be displayed telling you that you can't double book a replacement machine and specifying which existing machine schedule is causing the issue

Once you are happy with the machine schedule, either:

• leave the schedule entry as open. In which case it will do nothing until you click the start button at a later time or
• click on the 'Start' button to active the machine schedule entry

Working on the replacement machine

All service work, meter counts and other activities can be performed on the replacement machine during the replacement period. Just like it was the machine being replaced.

Finishing the replacement

At the end of the replacement period, collect the machine from the customer site. You may with to schedule a service order to collect the machine

When collecting the machine or after it has returned to your workshop:

• Check the meters on the machine. Make sure you have a meter to add any fixed charges or meter counts required for the machine.
• Click on the 'Finish' button on the replacement machine. The system will prompt you to enter a count on the required meters on the machine. Then click on the ok button to create a invoice for the meter usage, minimum charges, replacement and other charges
• The status of the machine schedule will change to posted

Scheduling a casual short term hire

In addition to being used for replacements, the machine schedule can be used for short term casual hire of machines

To schedule a hire, follow the same procedure as for the replacement machine above, but don't fill in the "Replace machine" field on the machine schedule

• (WIP) Long term hire of machines