This is a toggle menu option. If the agreement status is currently set to Booking then the menu option (and icon) Allocate Vehicle/Supplier is available and enabled because this is the next logical process to be carried out in the agreement. If selected, the Allocate Vehicle/Supplier form is displayed; this enables a specific vehicle registration (or supplier in the case of a brokered agreement) to be allocated to the booking/agreement. Up until now the booking has simply been for a particular customer between given dates for a particular group of vehicle but within the allocation process things start to become more specific. This process may be carried out immediately following the booking or may be left until a time nearer to when the agreement is to start. This is ultimately an operational decision and may vary dependent upon particular hire circumstances.
To allocate a vehicle/supplier:
From the Master Menu, select the Vehicle rentals option and Company required.
The VEHICLE RENTALS Menu is displayed.
Select the Reservations option.
The Reservations and Availability form is displayed.
Select the 
icon
or, alternatively, the Allocate Vehicle/Supplier option from the
Agreement menu.
The Allocate Vehicle/Supplier form is displayed;
This form is divided into three parts that are as follows:
In addition to displaying the form name the Title Bar provides a number of other useful identification criteria and buttons.
The Allocate Vehicle/Supplier dialogue box contains the following fields:
Vehicle group: If the search for a vehicle within the correct group is unsuccessful then it is possible to elect to upgrade the customer to a vehicle in another group.
While in the allocation routine it may be determined that a vehicle from the required group cannot be located or selected. If this situation arises then the Cancel command button should be selected and an alternative hire group selected by either keying the hire group code directly within this field or using the
search function to locate an alternative existing Hire group. The vehicle selection routine described below should now be repeated and an alternative vehicle selected. Immediately following selection of the OK command button to complete the alternative vehicle selection the system identifies that the vehicle selected is from a group other than the one selected for the initial booking. A Vehicle Upgrade form is displayed prompting Do you wish to update prices?. One of the following alternative command buttons should be selected:
Yes: Upgrades the agreement to the new hire group/tariff combination and uses the new tariff rates associated with this combination.
No: Upgrades the agreement to the new hire group/tariff combination and uses the tariff rates associated with the original hire group/tariff combination.
Cancel: Returns to the Allocate Vehicle/Supplier form so that an alternative selection may be made.
If the tariff type code applicable to the original group is also available for the newly selected group then it is automatically applied to the new group. However, if the tariff type code is not present against the newly selected group then the contents of the tariff type field is removed and an alternative tariff code needs to be selected. The
Tariff type: Primarily utilised to assist in the Vehicle Upgrade process described above. However, may also be used at the allocation stage simply to change the tariff type on the agreement.
Registration: If known, the registration number of the vehicle may be keyed directly into the field, the OK command button button selected and the agreement saved. A vehicle has now been allocated to the agreement and the agreement now has a status of Allocated. Alternatively, if the registration number is not known, selection of the
A double-left-click of the vehicle required within the Allocation Summary form returns the registration number to the Allocate Vehicle/Supplier form with the registration number of the selected vehicle showing in the appropriate field.
If the selected vehicle is already booked for the period in question, then an an option pop-up form is displayed with the following two options available:
Dbl book: Sometimes, when a vehicle is selected for a hire it may prove unsuitable because of previously arranged bookings or services. If the hire lasts for some time it may clash with vehicle service or inspection dates for example. If this occurs then the system prompts that this hire clashes with another and may enable a double-booking. Provided the user has a high enough priority then the vehicle can be double booked. The priority level for double-bookings is set against the Double book a vehicle field held within the Priorities Tab within System Parameters. There is also a checkbox immediately next to this field which enables the user (provided they have the previous priority level) to override bookings for services and MOTs.
Re-enter: Returns to the Allocate Vehicle/Supplier form so that an alternative registration number may be selected.
Once the vehicle is allocated to the agreement, the next stage of the booking/agreement may be addressed, namely Start Rental.
Supplier: If the External Vehicle Brokerage system is being utilised by the rental company (determined by the Extenal hire used checkbox within the Supplier/Misc Tab within System Parameters) then this field enables the allocation of a third party vehicle supplier (with its associated supplier rates/charges) to be allocated against the agreement rather than a vehicle Registration. Selection of the
COMMAND BUTTONS:
OK: Confirms the vehicle registration (or supplier) that is entered and returns the new or edited data to the Vehicle Tab (or External Vehicle Tab) accordingly.
Cancel: Returns to the Agreement form without allocating a vehicle or supplier to the agreement.
Help:Displays online context-sensitive help using the default browser.
