HirePOS operates uniquely compared to traditional retail systems, offering a dynamic and adaptable approach to managing hire transactions. In order to effectively track and manage hire periods, HirePOS utilizes specific date fields that play crucial roles in the system's functionality.

When creating a hire transaction in HirePOS, it is essential to understand the distinction between the different date fields:

• Booked From & Booked To: These represent the scheduled or estimated period when the asset is expected to be out on hire.

• Hired From & Hired To: These are the "actual" dates when the asset was physically out on hire.

It is important to note that once the Hired From/To dates are entered, they take precedence over the Booked From/To dates in terms of automatic calculations and availability within the system.

1. Fallback Rule: If an asset does not have an "Hired" date, the relevant "Booked" date will be used instead.

2. Hire Status:

   • If only the Booked From and Booked To dates are present, the asset is just booked.

   • If a Hired From date is entered, but no Hired To date, the asset is currently on hire.

   • Once the Hired To date is entered, the asset has been returned.

The same principles apply at both the overall Invoice level and the individual line item level:

• By default, line item dates are empty and display greyed-out dates, meaning they inherit dates from the overall Invoice level.

• If any dates are entered at the line item level, they override the corresponding dates at the Invoice level.

  • For example, if a line item has a Hired To date, that date will take precedence over the overall Invoice Hired To date.

• This allows for individual line items to have their own separate dates, independent of the main Invoice dates.

These dates control key functionality throughout the app, such as:

• Availability

• Utilisation

• Hire status (on hire vs returned)

• Reporting

This screen simplifies the data entry process by automatically populating line-level dates for you. For each line item, there are two scenarios when returning items:

1. Full Return:

   • The entire line item is returned, and the Hired To date is populated for that line.

2. Partial Return:

   • Applies only to bulk items (not singular). There are two options:

     • Recording a partial return: For example, returning 5 out of 20 items. In this case, no dates are changed, prices are unaffected, and nothing is updated until all items are returned.

     • Re-charge:

       • A "Re-charge" closes off the original line item by populating the Hired To date with the return date.

       • The remaining items still on hire are copied to a new line item, with the Hired From date starting where the partial return left off.

       • Think of it as a mini rollover within the Invoice, at the line item level.

       • To initiate a "Re-charge", check the "Re-charge items not returned" option on the Returns screen.

The Booked From TBA setting signifies that the scheduled start date is not confirmed and is yet to be advised. It serves as a visual indicator without any functional impact within the app.

Booked To TBA indicates a contract without a specified end date. Even when using TBA for dates/times, it is essential to input both Booked From and Booked To dates for autocalculation and pricing purposes.

Setting Booked To TBA will block all Reservations, Bookings, and Invoices until the Hired To date is finalized. This information is reflected in the Availability screen and double-booking checks.

On-Hires Invoices that overdue for return can optionally be excluded from the reminders screen. This is useful where these are likely to be extended as apart of EOM rollover, and you do not need a reminder for them.

Booked To TBA needs to be enabled in order for the EOM roller to extend the Booked To date as part of the bulk end-of-month process.

After each month ends, it is common to extend hires through the EOM Rollover process. This process closes the previous month's Invoice and generates a new On Hire Invoice for the current month.

The EOM Rollover, typically performed after month-end, does not roll over overdue returns. To extend TBA contracts, the estimated return date must be pushed beyond the rollover date.

The EOM Rollover screen offers an "Extend Over TBA's" button to extend all overdue returns marked as TBA. By clicking this button, all On Hire contracts with TBA status will be extended to the end of the following month.

To set Booked To TBA as the default option for new sales records, navigate to Setup > Preferences > Hire & Invoice Date Defaults from the main menu strip.

Check the Default 'Booked To' as TBA checkbox, scroll down, and click Save Changes. This action will ensure that all new sales records default to the Booked To TBA setting.

If you prefer to conceal overdue TBA's from the Reminders List due to open-ended hires, follow these steps:

1. From the Reminders List on the main screen, click the Options tab.

2. Check the Hide Overdue TBA's checkbox. This setting is saved for your user account only.

3. Return to the Reminders tab, and Overdue Returns will be hidden from view.

When the customer provides a specific return date/time, simply populate the Booked To date on the Booking/Invoice. The autocalc feature will then calculate the most suitable quantity/units for the hire period, which can be adjusted if needed. Upon off-hiring or returning the equipment, the autocalc will recalculate based on the Off Hire date or Hired To date.

Note: If uncertain about the estimated return date/time, always populate the Booked To date with the longest hire period to avoid overbooking the equipment with another customer.

In cases where the return date/time is unknown, check the TBA box in the Booking/Invoice screen next to the Booked To field. This action will block out all reservations/bookings/invoices until the Hired To date is finalized, ensuring accurate availability and preventing double-bookings.

You can set the Booked To date to any desired date/time to reflect initial contract pricing. It is recommended to set it around the end of the following month in week blocks, e.g., 4 weeks.

HirePOS includes reminder functionalities to help you stay on top of your hire transactions:

• Overdue Booking Reminder: If the Booked-To date is earlier than the current date and there is no Hired-From date entered, an "Overdue booking" reminder will be displayed on the main screen.

• Overdue Return Reminder: Conversely, if a Hired-From date is present and the Booked-To date has passed, an "Overdue return" reminder will be triggered.

If you notice an invoice appearing in the overdue section of your reminders screen, it is likely due to the Booked-To date being exceeded without any corresponding hire dates entered.