Setting up Rental Agreements

The foundation for equipment rentals is the rental agreement document. A rental agreement is set up to record all revenue and costs for equipment and other service items relating to rental.

Below is a summary of the steps involved in setting up rental agreements before using the Advanced Rental module.

Setting up Invoice Types

Invoice types allow you to categorize the types of invoices you create. You may want to set up different invoice types for different rental billing durations, for example, monthly, yearly, and so on.

Invoice types are associated with rental agreement types. When you create an agreement type, you can assign an invoice type to automatically fill into an agreement that uses that agreement type.

Select Microsoft Dynamics GP > Tools > Setup > Equipment > Rental > Invoice types.
Complete the following fields.
- Invoice Type ID
  Enter the invoice type ID.
- Description
  Enter a description.
- Rent To Type
  Select whether you want to associate this booking type with a job or with a customer.
- Next Invoice Number
  Enter the next number to use when you create a new invoice for an agreement. Enter up to 15 characters. This value overrides the Next Invoice Number defined on the Rental Setup window.
  
  If you are using grouped invoicing, you must limit the Next Invoice Number to 10 characters due to the grouped invoice number utilizing 5 characters. For example, a grouped invoice number would consist of the first 10 characters that you have determined "1234567890" with the addition of "-XXXXX". The X's represent sub-invoicing numbering.
- SOP Invoice Type ID
  This field does not appear if you marked the Use Receivables Management Posting checkbox on the Rental Setup window.
Select Save.

Defining Units of Measure

You have already set up life units of measure in the Equipment Manager module setup. Here you will set up rental units of measure, which define rental periods and drive the billing of equipment rental arrangements. Units of measure define different pricing structures or different sizes or quantities of a piece of equipment. You can also specify billable days.

Rental units of measure can be tied to price rates. When a Price Rate is selected on a rental agreement, the "rental" unit of measure for that price rate must match the "life" unit of measure for that equipment in the Equipment Manager.

Select Microsoft Dynamics GP > Tools > Setup > Equipment > Rental > Units of Measure.
Complete the following fields.
- Rental U of M
  Enter the rental unit of measure.
  
  Day means a physical day, Week means the number of working days in a week, Month means the number of working days in a month, and Calendar Month means a calendar month.
- Description
  Enter the description.
- Display U of M
  Enter the display U of M to print on invoices.
- Time Frame
  Enter the time frame.
- Qty
  Enter the quantity.
- Hours per Day
  Enter the hours per day, if you chose Day as the rental unit of measure.
- Days per Month
  Enter the days per month, if you chose Month as the rental unit of measure.
- Default Meter Overage Quantity
  Enter a default meter overage quantity to define the point at which any equipment usage under this rental U of M is considered an overage. If you want to be able to define overages per price rate line, leave this field blank.
- U of M
  Enter the unit of measure for the default meter overage quantity. If you want to be able to define overages per price rate line, leave this field blank.
- Billable Days
  Mark the days of the week to be defined as working days.
Select Save.

Setting up Invoicing Frequencies

Invoicing frequencies allow you to define how often you bill customers, for example, weekly or monthly.

Invoicing frequencies are handy if you invoice in batches.

Select Microsoft Dynamics GP > Tools > Setup > Equipment > Rental > Invoicing Frequencies.
Enter an Invoicing Frequency ID and Description.
Enter the number of days and name the Frequency type, for example, Weekly or Weekly in Advance.
If you want the system to invoice in advance of the end of the rental period, mark the Invoice In Advance checkbox.
Select Save.

Setting up Price Templates

Price templates can be used to set up pricing for rentals and provide a way to categorize your pricing. Take a moment to think about how you want to set up your templates. Price templates categorize pricing based on the frequency of rental and the Rental Unit of Measure. They are also tied to Meter Overage Unit of Measure, and can be associated with agreement types.

If you are setting up multiple price rates in a template, you MUST set up your price rate lines in order, starting with the shortest billing period duration (for example, Days) to the longest billing period duration (for example, Months). Price templates, along with price levels in Microsoft Dynamics GP, are used to set up price groups, which contain the actual dollar amounts for a rental rate. If a price rate is set up for a piece of equipment, and that group includes a price template, that price template will fill automatically when entering agreements.

To set up price templates:

Select Microsoft Dynamics GP > Tools > Setup > Equipment > Rental > Price Templates.
Complete the following fields.
- Price Template ID
  Enter a Price Template ID, for example, RENTMONTH for monthly rentals.
- Description
  Enter a description.
- Meter Overage U of M
  The Meter Overage U of M entered here will default as the Overage U of M in each price rate line on this template.
- Rental Unit of Measure
  Enter a Rental Unit of Measure. You will receive an error message if the Default Meter Overage Quantity / U of M associated with this Rental U of M (Rental Unit of Measure Setup window) does not match the Meter Overage U of M you entered for the template. You can either change the Meter Overage U of M here or go back to the Rental Unit of Measure Setup window to change the Default Meter Overage Quantity / U of M.
- Remainder Option
  The remainder option determines which rate line(s) to use to bill the rental. For more information on what each option does, see Remainder options.
- Rolldown Quantity
  This value defines the point at which the billing of a rental rolls down to the next price rate line. If there is only one price rate line on the template, the rolldown quantity is ignored. See Rolldown quantities for more information.
- Overage Quantity
  Enter an Overage Quantity and Overage U of M, as necessary.
- Overage U of M
  Enter an overage unit of measure, as necessary. If you entered a meter overage unit of measure, that overage defaults and cannot be edited.
- Use Lowest Rate
  Mark this checkbox if you want the system to use the lowest rate for a piece of equipment or item, regardless of the rate assigned to the agreement or agreement line.
Select Save.

Setting up Price Groups

Price groups provide you with the ability to assign default rental pricing by linking price templates and price levels to either Equipment or Inventory Items. The price groups can be assigned at the model and/or equipment level. If you use different price rates for different time durations, for example, daily, weekly, and monthly, these can also be created in Price Groups. When you set up a price rate for a piece of equipment, that price rate - along with the associated price template - will automatically fill into an agreement only if the meter overage U of M assigned to the price template matches the life U of M assigned to the equipment. For information on how the system looks for the price level to use, see Determining Price Levels.

Select Microsoft Dynamics GP > Tools > Setup > Equipment > Rental > Price Groups.
Complete the following fields.
- Price Group
  Enter the name of the price group.
- Type
  Select if this is for Inventory or Equipment.
- Description
  Enter a description.
- Potential Amount per Day
  Enter the potential amount per day. This field is only available if Equipment type is selected.
- Price Template ID
  Enter or select the price template ID.
- Price Level
  Enter the price level.
- Item U of M
  Enter the item unit of measure. If you are linking the price rate to an inventory type, the Meter Overage U of M assigned to the price template needs to match the Life U of M assigned to the equipment, or you will receive an error message. This field is only available if Inventory type is selected.
- Meter Overage Rate
  Enter the meter overage rate. This field is only available if Equipment type is selected.
- Insurance Type
  Select the insurance type.
- Insurance / U of M
  Enter the insurance amount or percentage and the unit of measure.
- Rental U of M
  The rental unit of measure fills automatically based on the Price Template ID.
- Rental Rate
  On each price rate line, enter a Rental Rate to charge.
- Remainder Option
  The remainder option fills automatically based on the Price Template ID.
- Rolldown Quantity
  The rolldown quantity fills automatically based on the Price Template ID.
- Overage Quantity
  The overage quantity fills automatically based on the Price Template ID. This field is only available if Equipment type is selected.
- Overage U of M
  Enter the overage unit of measure. This field is only available if Equipment type is selected.
- All
  Select if the rate applies to all quantities. This field is only available if Inventory type is selected.
- Start Quantity
  If you did not mark the All quantity checkbox, enter the starting quantity. This field is only available if Inventory type is selected.
- End Quantity
  If you did not mark the All quantity checkbox, enter the ending quantity. This field is only available if Inventory type is selected.
The tree-view will display the pricing on the left side of the window after you tab off End Quantity.
Select Save to save the price group.

Copying Price Groups

To save time when setting up your price groups, you can copy an existing price group and/or price level to create a new price group, new price level, or copy pricing into an existing price group. Additionally, you can adjust prices for the new records by enter percent change as well as round to the nearest to avoid penny pricing.

To access the Copy Price Groups window:

Select Microsoft Dynamics GP > Tools > Setup > Equipment > Rental > Price Groups.
Select a price group and then select Copy.
In Copy Price Groups, complete the following fields, as appropriate:
- From Price Group
  The field will automatically fill from Price Group Setup however you can edit this field.
- From Price Level
  This field will automatically fill from the Price Group Setup however you can edit this field.
- To Price Group
  Depending upon the outcome you are creating, you can leave this blank, enter a new price group, or select an existing price group.
- To Price Level
  Depending upon the outcome you are creating, you can leave this blank or enter a new price level.
- Percent Change
  Enter a negative or positive adjustment to adjust the pricing for the newly created records.
- Round to Nearest
  Enter an amount to avoid penny pricing that may occur from the percentage change.
Select Copy.

Copy Utility Scenarios

Scenario 1 - Copy all pricing from an existing price group to a new price group.

From Price Group: Existing
From Price Level: Blank
To Price Group: Enter a new name.
To Price Level: Blank

Scenario 2 - Copy all records with the specified price level, creating a new price level with the same records.

From Price Group: Blank
From Price Level: Existing
To Price Group: Blank
To Price Level: New

Scenario 3 - Copy all records with the specified price group and price level, creating a new price level with the same records into an existing price group.

From Price Group: Existing
From Price Level: Existing
To Price Group: Existing
To Price Level: New

Assigning Equipment and Inventory to Price Groups

You can easily assign equipment or inventory items to, or remove from, price groups from Rental Price Group Setup. The Price Group Assignment window displays relevant filters based on either equipment or inventory types. The Price Group that is assigned to the model(s) will automatically be assigned to any new equipment created for that model.

To assign items to a price group:

In the Rental Price Group Setup window, enter or select a price group.
Select Assign.
In the Price Group Assignment window, the Price Group and its Description will automatically fill from Rental Price Group Setup.
For inventory items, enter or select a class ID. OR Complete the following filter fields for equipment items:
- Branch
  Enter or select a branch.
- Model
  Enter or select a model.
- Build Year
  Enter or select a build year.
After entering the appropriate filter information, select Redisplay to update the Available and Assigned columns.
To limit the available items not assigned to any price group, mark the Only Show Unassigned checkbox. Without marking this checkbox, the Available column will display all items not assigned to the current price group, including items that have already been assigned to a different price group.
To assign items to the price group, select one or more items in the Available column, and then select Insert. The item will move to the Assigned column.
To remove items from the Assigned column, select one or more items in the Assigned column, and then select Remove. The item will move back to the Available column.
Select OK to save the price group assignment, close the window, and return to the Rental Price Group Setup window

For information on how the system looks for the price level to use, see Determining Price Levels.

Setting up Agreement Types

Agreement types categorize the types of agreements you work with in your organization. If your organization has several branches and multiple locations, you may decide to set one agreement type per branch. Or, if most of your agreements are monthly, you can set up a monthly agreement type to be used most often, and additional agreement types for weekly and yearly agreements, if necessary. You can assign agreement types to payment terms, job categories, pricing templates, and invoicing frequencies. In addition, you can link an agreement type with a service call type in Service Management.

If you do not want defaults to automatically fill into your agreements, simply leave those fields blank; most of the fields on this window are not required. Corresponding fields also fill into the agreement from the Rental Setup window.

Select Microsoft Dynamics GP > Tools > Setup > Equipment > Rental > Agreement Types.
Complete the following fields.
- Agreement Type ID
  Enter an agreement type ID.
- Description
  Enter a description.
- Next Agreement Number
  Enter the next agreement number for this agreement type.
- Re-Use Agreement Numbers
  Mark this checkbox if you want to reuse unused document numbers.
- Rent To Type
  Select whether you want to associate this agreement type with a job or with a customer.
- Invoice Type ID
  Select the type of invoice this agreement will use.
- On Rental Default Service Call Type
  Select one rental service call type to be associated with the agreement type. Service call types are set up in Service Management.
- On Rental Default Service Division
  Select an on rental service call division to be associated with the agreement type.
- Off Rental Default Service Call Type
  Select an off rental service call type to be associated with the agreement type. Service call types are set up in Service Management.
- Off Rental Default Service Division
  Select an off rental service call division to be associated with the agreement type.
- Branch
  Enter the default branch for this agreement type.
- Default Price Level
  Enter the default price level for this agreement type.
- Default Payment Terms
  Enter a default payment terms category associated with this type of agreement. Payment terms are set up in Microsoft Dynamics GP.
- Default Job Category (transport)
  Enter a default job category for transporting equipment associated with this type of agreement. Job categories are set up on the Transport Job Category Setup window.
- Default Pricing Template
  Enter a price template to default for this agreement type. Price templates are set up on the Rental Price Template Setup window.
- Default Invoicing Frequency
  Enter an invoicing frequency to associate with this agreement type. Invoicing frequencies are set up on the Rental Invoicing Frequency Setup window.
- Originating Site ID
  Enter an originating site for equipment associated with this type of agreement. These sites are set up on the Site Maintenance window and used primarily if you want to track what is in inventory.
- Rental Site ID
  Enter a rental site for equipment associated with this type of agreement. These sites are set up on the Site Maintenance window and used primarily if you want to track what is on rent.
- Allow Roll Forward
  Mark this checkbox to let the system automatically adjust the invoicing frequency if the rental period lasts longer than expected. When you mark this checkbox, additional invoicing frequency fields are enabled, which allow you to view and/or adjust the frequencies. The following checkbox is also enabled:
- Auto Adjust Rates
  Mark this checkbox if you do not want to credit back the customer if the new rate is cheaper than the cost of the rental at the previous rate.
Select Save.

For information on setting up default accounts, see Setting up distribution default groups.

Setting up Global Rental Parameters

Define parameters such as the next agreement, invoice and standdown numbers, default agreement types, invoicing frequencies, and service calls. Take a few minutes to think about what you may want to default on agreements and invoices, and what you may not want.

Select Microsoft Dynamics GP > Tools > Setup > Equipment > Rental > Rental Setup.
Complete the following fields.
- Next Booking Number
  Enter the next booking document number to default on your agreements. Mark the Re-use checkbox to re-use any unused document numbers.
- Next Agreement Number
  Enter the next agreement document number to default on your agreements. Mark the Re-use checkbox to re-use any unused document numbers.
- Next Invoice Number
  Enter the next invoice document number to default on your agreements. Mark the Re-use checkbox to re-use any unused document numbers.
  
  If you are using grouped invoicing, you must limit the Next Invoice Number to 10 characters due to the grouped invoice number utilizing 5 characters. For example, a grouped invoice number would consist of the first 10 characters that you have determined "1234567890" with the addition of "-XXXXX". The X's represent sub-invoicing numbering.
- Next Standdown Number
  Enter the next standdown document number to default on your agreements. Mark the Re-use checkbox to re-use any unused document numbers.
- Next Off Rental Number
  Enter the next off rental document number to default on your agreements. Mark the Re-use checkbox to re-use any unused document numbers.
- Next SOP Batch Number
  Enter the next SOP batch number to default on your agreements. Mark the Re-use checkbox to re-use any unused document numbers.
- Next GL Batch Number
  Enter the next general ledger batch number to default on your agreements. Mark the Re-use checkbox to re-use any unused document numbers.
- Default Booking Type
  Enter the booking type to default into your documents. Leave this blank if you want to enter this manually.
- Default Agreement Type
  Enter the agreement type to default into your documents. Leave this blank if you want to enter this manually.
- Default Invoicing Frequency
  Enter the invoicing frequency to default into your documents. Leave this blank if you want to enter this manually.
- Default Price Level
  Enter the default price level.
- Equipment - Multiple Reservations
  Select whether to allow or not allow a piece of equipment to be on multiple agreements at the same time. You can also select to receive a warning message if the equipment is already booked.
- On Rental Default Service Call Type
  This field applies only to Service Management users.
- On Rental Default Service Division
  This field applies only to Service Management users.
- Off Rental Default Service Call Type
  This field applies only to Service Management users.
- Off Rental Default Service Division
  This field applies only to Service Management users.
- Action Taken Upon Booking Deletion
  Select the action when a booking is deleted.
- Action Taken Upon Agreement Deletion
  Select the action when an agreement is deleted.
- Action Taken Upon Invoice Deletion
  Select the action when an invoice is deleted.
- Tax Source
  Enter the tax source for rental rates, insurance rates, overages, and markdowns. These are used to calculate taxes on agreements.
- Tax Schedule ID
  Enter the tax schedule ID for rental rates, insurance rates, overages, and markdowns. These are used to calculate taxes on agreements.
- Use Receivables Management Posting
  Mark this checkbox to post rental invoices through Receivables Management (RM) instead of Sales Order Processing (SOP). Unchecked, the batch will be in the Rental Invoice Batch Entry.
- Use Time Entry Fields
  Mark this checkbox if you want to be able to enter times in addition to dates on your agreements. Because the smallest rental U of M is a Day, entering times does not affect the rental. This feature is mostly reserved for future use.
- Use Invoicing Date as the Invoice To Date
  Mark this checkbox to use the invoicing date as the next Invoice Date (Rental Invoice Entry window). Leave it blank, and the system will first check to see if the invoicing frequency has been set to invoice in advance; if so, the date will be calculated accordingly; if not, the invoicing date will be used anyway.
- Override Rolldown on Roll Forward
  Mark this checkbox if you want to enable the roll forward feature but not issue credits for past invoices that use the original billing rate.
- Only Invoice Off Rental Agreement Lines
  Mark this checkbox to invoice only agreement lines that are not currently on rent.
- Post Through GL for Rent To Job Invoices
  This checkbox is used only for "rent to job" agreement types. See Renting Equipment to a Job.
- Weekend Days
  Mark the days to be considered weekend days. For information on setting up default accounts, see Setting up global distribution account defaults by branch and/or division.
Select OK.

Defining Standdown Reasons

Standdown reasons define the reasons your equipment may be unavailable for rental, such as a holiday.

When you create rental agreements, you can enter standdown dates and times using these standdown reasons.

Select Microsoft Dynamics GP > Tools > Setup > Equipment > Rental > Stand Down Reasons.
Enter a Standdown Reason ID and Description.
Select OK.

Setting up Reports

Before you can print rental invoices or other reports, you must set up your system to print them. Invoices and reports are printed using SQL Reporting Services (SRS) reports. Set up your system so you can print rental reports, including invoices and agreements.

These pre-defined reports are installed automatically on your system in the following location:

C:\<install folder>Signature\SRS Reports\Equipment Management

To set up invoices and reports, you need to set up three areas:

Report Definitions
Report Groups
Report Buttons

Report Definition Setup

Select Microsoft Dynamics GP > Tools > Setup > Equipment > System > Report Definitions.
Complete the following fields.
- Report Area
  Use the drop-down menu to select a report type.
- Report ID
  The name that appears when you use the Print button to print the report.
- Report Source
  Your choices are Microsoft Dynamics GP or SRS Reports, depending on the type of report. For example, if an SRS report isn't available for that type, it won't appear in the drop-down menu.
- Report Pathname
  Select the folder button to browse to the location of the reports. C:\<install folder>Signature\SRS Reports\Equipment Management
Select Save. Repeat steps for each report type.

Report Group Setup

Select Microsoft Dynamics GP > Tools > Setup > Equipment > System > Report Groups.
In the Report Area field, use the drop-down menu to select a report type, then enter a Report Group name.
In the Available Report IDs column, double-click the Report ID shown.
Select Save. Repeat steps 2 through 4 for each report type.

Report Button Setup

Select Microsoft Dynamics GP > Tools > Setup > Equipment > System > Report Buttons.
Complete the following fields.
- Report Area
  Use the drop-down menu to select a report type.
- Security Type
  Select a security type. Select Global to apply to all users. If you select User Class or User, enter a User Class ID or User ID, respectively.
- Document ID
  Select a document ID with which to associate the Report Button.
- Available Report Group
  The list of available report groups displays in this area. Select the group name to be assigned and then select Add.
- Assigned Report Group
  Displays what report groups have been assigned. You can use the buttons to the right to organize or remove an assigned report group.
Select Save. Repeat the Report Button Setup steps for each report area.