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Rental management#

Fully integrated into the service and fixed asset areas of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central1, the Rental Management functionality provides you with the tools you need to rent out equipment, including a visual representation of rental schedules, lists of accessories and surcharges (such as for insurance), and new pricing options.

Note

You need a separate license before you can use this functionality.

Setup and base data#

Role center#

In trade365, equipment rentals are managed on a separate Role Center page. You can also run the graphical planner from there.

  1. On the ribbon, choose the Settings icon, and then choose My Settings.
  2. In the Role field, choose Rental Manager.

If you can’t find the role, you might need to add it first. For more information, see Manage User Profiles.

Setup#

To configure the functionality:

  1. Choose the Search icon, enter Rental Setup, and then choose the related link. Alternatively, open the Rental Manager role center, and then choose Setup > Rental Setup on the ribbon.
  2. Fill in the fields as described in the following table.

General#

Feld Beschreibung
Base Calendar Code (Rentals) Select a calendar besides the base calendar if you want to rent (and invoice) equipment at times that differ from your regular schedule, for example, on Saturdays.
Date Filter (Upcoming) Enter a formula to specify how you want dates filtered when you click a tile such as Upcoming Pickups or Overdue Rental Orders on the role center.

For more information on how to set up a formula, see Work with Calendar Dates and Times.

Tip
Click a tile to see if the specified formula meets the needs of your business. You can then extend or shorten the period for which dates are shown, if necessary.
Insurance % Specify a percentage for insurance. The value entered in this field will apply when you want insurance fees calculated but have not assigned any to the rental item or the category that it belongs to.

For more information on how to set up fees, see Additional Rental Lines Setup, Item Categories, and Resources.
Unit of Measure (Hour) Specify the unit that will be used to rent out equipment per hour.
Unit of Measure (Day) Specify the unit that will be used to rent out equipment per day.
Use Rental Item Dimensions Turn on this toggle if you want resource or item dimensions copied to rental documents.
Check Inspection Lists on Post Turn on this toggle to ensure that the system checks during posting whether the relevant inspection checklists are filled in.
Customer Location Code Specify where customers get their rental equipment from.

Rental Planner#

On this FastTab, you can specify the colors that you want rental items and documents to be shown in when you work with the visual planner. You can choose any RGB color you like.

Item categories#

Item categories can be used to group and classify rental equipment and to prepare rental quotes. The pricing function also uses these categories.

  1. Choose the Search icon, enter Item Categories, and then choose the related link.
  2. Select a category, and then fill in the fields described in the following table.
Field Description
Rental Resource No. Select the resource that rental income based on this category should be posted to. You can use different resources to post income to a variety of accounts.
Use for Rentals Select this field to specify that the category is used for rental management (including for the visual planner).
Rental Inspection Code Select the checklist that will be used for equipment handovers and returns, as well as maintenance.
Rental Insurance % Fill in this field if you want to specify a different insurance rate for this category than the rate entered in setup.

Set up additional rental lines#

Additional rental lines can help you with filling in a rental document. You enter on them items and resources that should be added automatically to any rental quote or order that you create.

The lines ensure that documents include, for example, an insurance policy, the sales items needed for machine rentals, and the names of service technicians.

Additional lines are created based on the category that a rental item belongs to. You can specify standard items, G/L accounts, or resources here. Unlike a rental component, an additional rental line is entered in the form of a new line on a document, typically together with a calculation value.

Tipp

We recommend that you use components assigned to a rental item when you need to rent (and record) additional parts that, for example, must be delivered during handover. This way, they are shown on documents but are not entered on separate lines (and can then be used on instruction sheets or for tool setup).

Pricing#

To set prices for renting equipment, open the Rental Prices page by using the Tell Me function, or choose Actions > Rental Prices on the role center.

Rental fees are created based on item categories and rental price groups. A group contains, for example, corporate prices only. Like in sales, this feature can be used to:

  • assign block prices and minimum quantities to item categories.
  • show amounts with or without VAT.
  • assign a sales type to a customer price group, a campaign, or a single customer.
  • specify price validity via starting and ending dates.
  • view historical price data.

Resources#

Billing#

You must create at least one resource for settling rental invoices.

  1. Open the relevant resource card.
  2. On the General FastTab, turn on the Billing Resource toggle.
  3. Select Hours in the Base Unit of Measure field.
  4. Add another measure for days so that the system can convert between units of time.

You can create more than one billing resource if you need to post an item category to different accounts depending on the situation.

Note

No prices are directly stored with a resource.

What resource is used to bill what type of item can be specified on the Item Categories page. To link a G/L account to rental equipment:

  1. Open the Item Categories page.
  2. Fill in the Rental Resource No. field.

Insurance#

To calculate added insurance costs (for example, to cover downtime or theft of machinery), you also need an insurance resource.

  1. Open the relevant resource card.
  2. On the General FastTab, turn on the Rental Insurance Resource toggle.

If insurance fees are billed as a lump sum, set the Base Unit of Measure field to Piece. If they’re calculated based on the number of days that the item is to be insured, fill in the field with the unit set up for billing by day.

Rental items#

To create a rental item:

  1. Choose the Search icon, enter Rental Items, and then choose the related link.
  2. On the ribbon, choose New.
  3. Fill in the fields as described in the following.

Note

You must choose New; the other, similar-sounding action on the ribbon—New Item—is run to create standard, not rental items.

General#

Because rental equipment and machinery must always be bought upfront, the relevant item is often already available in the system so that it can be used as a template for the rental item. The rental item then inherits the categories, the description, and the search terms from the standard item.

Note

Rental items originate from standard service items. This means that they’re listed on the Service Items page as well. Like in the standard app, you also cannot delete them after they’ve been posted.

Field Description
Rental Item Selected automatically to specify the item as a rental item.
Responsibility Center Select a location to specify who has access to the rental item. The location must be set up and the relevant users must already be assigned to it.
Rental Calendar Code Specify a calendar for the rental item. This calendar might be different from the base calendar, for example, because you want to rent and bill equipment also on weekends.

You only need to fill in this field if the period for which the item is rented out differs from your usual schedule. As an example, a construction dehumidifier might need to run 7 days a week, whereas other machinery is used only during work hours.
Capitalized
Fixed Asset No.		 These fields are selected automatically when the item is capitalized. For more information, see Fixed Asset Capitalization.
Rental Insurance Cost Amt. Turn on this toggle if item insurance costs a certain amount per day covered and isn’t based on a percentage of the total.
Rental Insurance Cost Amt. (per Day) If necessary, specify an amount that will be used to calculate item insurance per day.

Example
Although the item has been rented out from this Monday to Tuesday next week, the days it will need insurance on might be fewer (9 calendar days in total, of which the machine will be in operation on 7, that is, excluding weekends).

Your rental calendar determines how many days coverage will apply. The system copies this number to rental orders automatically.

Customer#

On this FastTab, you can see the customer for whom service orders, or follow-up services, might be created when a rental item is returned.

Vendor#

Here you can add information about the vendor.

Details#

On this FastTab, you can add fields for informational purposes.

Ribbon functions#

The functions on the ribbon can provide you with more detailed information about the rental item, such as what standard items it is related to, which checklists have been set up for it, when it is available, and what it looks like.

Show operating hours#

Shows the current number of hours an item has been in operation. The value is updated when you post a return to a rental order. Additionally, you can see here whether hour-counting has been reset.

Rental item bom#

Shows where you can enter components for this item.

Note

In contrast to additional rental lines, components specify parts that will be supplied with the rental item in any case. Examples are safety vests and similar gear.

Rental item capacity#

Like resources, rental items require capacity for planning purposes. Capacity must be set up for each item individually.

Capacity settings also have an impact on general item availability. When you start up new equipment, you can, for example, fill in the Starting Date field to specify that the machine should already be listed as available for rent. In the same way, you can use the Ending Date to specify when certain items will no longer be in use.

Set capacity

  1. On the role center, click Plan > Item Rental Capacity, or open the page by using the Tell Me function.
  2. On the Matrix Options FastTab, in the View By field, specify the period for which rental items should be shown.
  3. Select the rental item that you want to set capacity for, and then choose Create Capacity on the ribbon.
  4. Specify a starting date and an ending date. If you’ve set up work-hour templates, you can select one here.
  5. Specify for each weekday how long the item should be available.
  6. Choose Set Capacity to fill in the Item Rental Capacity matrix.

By clicking the Avail. Rental Items tile on your role center, you can then see if a certain item can be rented out.

Handover reports and checklists#

In trade365, you can create reports to document the handover and return of rental items. See also Rental Orders. To set up the feature:

  1. On the role center, choose Setup > Rental Checklists.
  2. On the ribbon, choose New.
  3. Specify a code and a description for the report, and then choose Report Q&A on the ribbon.
  4. In the Type field, select Question, and then enter the checklist question.
  5. On the next line, select Answer, and then fill in the Description field.

More than one line following a question can be set up as an answer line, and you can specify on each if multiple answers are allowed.

Example
You create one line of the Question type where you enter Tank Capacity in the Description field. You then create three lines of type Answer, with descriptions ranging from Full to Half-Full to Empty. You then specify that only one answer is allowed for the question.

Follow-Up Service#

This function can help with scheduling item availability and ensuring that your rental equipment stays in perfect condition.

You can also decide here whether to include fees for fuel service or damage repair on final invoices. Additionally, you can use the feature to allocate time for cleaning and maintenance, for example.

A service order is then created automatically after equipment is returned to you.

Note

You can also open Follow-Up Service Setup by choosing Setup > Rental Follow-Up on the role center.

Workflow#

Rental quotes#

Rental quotes can only be created for actual customers; writing a quote for a contact isn’t possible. Quotes are typically created at item category level, that is, assigning a quote to a certain device isn’t necessary at this point.

However, you must select a specific rental item if a quote should be included in capacity planning. Extended texts and alternative addresses are entered in the sales area.

Note

You need to ensure that the Long-Term Rental toggle is turned off on the document, as the toggle only applies to orders. You can use the Personalize function to hide it.

Create a quote

  1. Choose the Search icon, enter Rental Quotes, and then choose the related link.
  2. On the ribbon, choose New.
  3. On the General FastTab, specify a customer, and then fill in the other fields as necessary. If you’re using price groups for rental management, you need to select a group here.
  4. On the Lines FastTab, select the category of items you’re writing a quote for. The billing resource assigned to the category is then copied to the line automatically.
  5. Specify a rental period by filling in the Rental Starting and Ending Date fields. When you bill by day, the start and end times are set to 00:00 and 23:59, respectively. However, you can change them, if necessary.
  6. A page with rental lines opens if you’ve created any for the item category. Select Apply on the lines that you want to retrieve and exit the page by choosing OK.
  7. You can then add more rental item, sales item, or resource lines, if necessary. When you’ve entered them all, you can release the quote and print or send it like any other document in the system.

Tipp

Use the Personalize function to sort the columns on rental quotes so that the date and time fields are shown to the right of the item category.

Note

This help section is still being expanded. More content will follow soon.

Rental order#

Create a rental order#

You can create a rental order in multiple ways:

  • Open an existing rental quote, and then choose Make Order on the ribbon to create a rental order from the information entered on the quote. You can then change or enter new content on the order.
  • On the home page, choose Rental Orders, and then choose New to create a blank rental agreement.
  • Open the Rental Orders page by using the Tell Me function, and then choose New on the ribbon.

Most sales order fields and functions can also be found on rental orders, with a few exceptions.

For example, to rent a specific item, you need to fill in the Rental Item No. field on a line. If you use a lookup on the field, you’ll see the items with the required availability and capacity for rental during the period specified on the order.

After you’ve entered all items, you can release the order.

Long-term rentals#

With the long-term rental feature, you can invoice rental orders periodically based on a certain date or a billing interval. To set up a long-term contract:

  1. Open a rental order.
  2. On the General FastTab, turn on the Long-Term Rental toggle.
  3. You can now edit the relevant fields on the header to specify a formula or fixed starting and ending dates.

Post a rental shipment#

When an item is handed over to a customer, you must post a rental shipment.

  1. Open a rental order.
  2. Select the relevant item line.
  3. On the ribbon, choose Rental > Post Rental Shpt.
  4. If components are assigned to the rental item, you can now document any damage, as well as the handover process.
  5. Under Comments, you can enter remarks or, if necessary, describe the condition that the rental item is in, as a basis for comparison when the item is returned.
  6. After handover, the Rental Shpt. Posted field is selected automatically on the line.

The checklists accessible from the Rental Order page are used as a receipt for the customer when rented equipment is handed out or returned. To print them, choose Actions > Print on the ribbon.

The other items you hand over to the customer with a rental order are supplied with the help of warehouse shipments or picks.

The traffic light system on rental orders, on the other hand, only relates to item purchases created from the order.

Rental interruptions#

Rental interruptions make it impossible to use rented equipment, for example, because extraordinary circumstances disallowed its use, or because the item became defective during the rental period and had to be repaired on site.

To be able to document these situations on an order and therefore on the final invoice, trade365 provides you with the rental interruption feature.

With this feature, you can set the criteria that must be met for an interruption period to be free of charge to the customer. The feature only applies to rental fees, not insurance costs.

The interruption also doesn’t change the overall rental period. This means the ending date specified on the order remains. For example, a customer rents an excavator from March to November, but winter strikes again in April.

Workflow

  1. Open a rental order.
  2. On the Lines FastTab, on the ribbon, choose Rental > Interruption.
  3. Specify the period in which the rental item cannot be used (enter the exact times, if possible).
  4. Specify the interruption quantity.
  5. In the Comment field, include the reason for the interruption.
  6. Choose OK.
  7. You’re asked if the rental lines should be adjusted. Choose Yes to reduce the quantity on the lines by the Interruption Qty.

Extend or cut short a rental#

For extending or cutting short a rental period, change the ending date on a rental order, and then confirm the rental lines to adjust the insurance cover.

Capitalize assets#

Capitalization is used to depreciate an asset over its useful life. In trade365, assets can include rental items, for which equipment must first be bought in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central1.

If it hasn’t been, you need to set up and capitalize the equipment in the fixed asset area before assigning it to a rental item.

Note

Consult with your financial department before making any changes to this area.

Setup for automatic capitalization#

  1. Choose the Search icon, enter Fixed Asset Setup, and then choose the related link.
  2. On the KUMAVISION trade365 FastTab, fill in the fields in the Rental Item Capitalization section as described in the following table.
Field Description
Item Journal Template Specify the journal template that will be used to remove the item from current assets.

We recommend that you create a separate template for this purpose. Only templates of the Item type can be used.
Item Journal Batch Select the journal name from the template that you selected in the previous field.

We recommend that you create a separate journal for capitalizing rental assets.

Note
The journal must be set up in the system. As an alternative, you can create a new journal here by choosing New on the ribbon.
Capitalization Nos. Specify a number series that will be used for item removal.
FA Journal Nos. Specify a number series that will be used to post rental assets through a fixed asset journal.
FA General Journal Nos. Specify a number series that will be used to post rental assets through a general fixed asset journal.

Fixed asset posting groups#

Additionally, specify an offset account for rental item acquisitions on the FA Posting Groups page.

The account is required if you use a G/L-integrated depreciation book to post, filling in a general fixed asset journal.

Item categories#

You need to use the following category fields for a rental item to create a fixed asset and depreciation books:

  • Depreciation Book Code
  • FA Posting Group
  • No. of Depreciation Years
  • FA Class Code
  • FA Subclass Code
  • Depreciation Method
  • 2nd Depr. Book (if you use two; otherwise, leave the field blank).

Source Code Setup#

  1. Choose the Search icon, enter Source Code Setup, and then choose the related link.
  2. On the KUMAVISION trade365 FastTab, fill in the Rental Item Capitalization field.

Workflow#

To capitalize rental equipment, you must run the Capitalize Rental Item action from the relevant rental item card.

Remove item from current assets#

As a first step, the system checks if the item is part of current assets.

  1. For this purpose, it searches for Purchase-type item entries that relate to the entered serial number.
  2. If no corresponding entries are found, the process is cancelled.
  3. If an entry exists, the item journal that you set up is filled in and the item is removed from the current journal.

Create and post an asset#

After the item has been removed, the system creates a fixed asset card and the relevant depreciation books. Depending on how they’ve been set up, one of the following journals is then filled in and posted to:

  • With G/L integration: Fixed Assets Journal.
  • Without G/L integration: Assets Journal

If you’ve set up two books, only the standard book is used automatically. For additional depreciation books, the system will create a (general) fixed asset journal line, and you’ll be notified of this so that you can post the line (in the standard app, the journal is filled in, but nothing is posted directly either).

Copy data to an item card#

Following successful capitalization, fixed asset information is copied to the rental item card. The Capitalized field is then selected on the card while the Fixed Asset No. field is filled in as well.

You can see the number of the asset and its current book value in the Service Item FactBox to the right.

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