The Vehicle Rental Brokerage function is undertaken when bookings cannot be satisfied using vehicles within the rental company's own fleet and a third party supplier is required to supply the rental vehicle.
A booking/agreement is generated and instead of allocating a vehicle to the agreement a third party supplier is allocated. The supplier has an associated supplier rates/charges table containing the suppliers tariffs and charges. This enables the hire of the third party vehicle to the customer with the expectation of ultimately receiving a purchase invoice (to be processed via the Vehicle rental brokerage functionality. This functionality is available within the standard Vehicle Rentals module and can be used when the appropriate system parameters have been set.
What do you want to do?
The following step by step process should be followed:
Set-up/Review Brokerage System Parameters
Before the Vehicle Rental Brokerage function can be used a number of System Parameters must be defined. This option is accessed within the System Maintenance Menu. The required parameters are all contained within the Supplier Details group box and the Invoice Variance group box in the Supplier/Misc Tab, namely:
- Cost of Sale NL account
- Cost accrual NL account
- Off Hire Used
- External Hire Used
- Off Hire Brokerages
- Add supplier charge on-fly priority
- Maximum variance %
- Maximum variance value
- Variance NL account
Set-up the Supplier Rates/Charges tables.
Before the Vehicle Rental Brokerage function can be used Supplier Rates/Charges Tables must be defined. This option is accessed within the Miscellaneous Options Menu.
Tip: The tariff rates defined within the Rates Tab and the supplier specific charges are set up within the Charges Tab. Supplier specific charges are added via a user-friendly Charges form.
Once the Supplier Rates/Charges Tables exists this can be allocated to a CRM Company record so that when a brokerage hire agreement is created the Supplier Specific Rates/Charge table set against the particular supplier will be used in relation to the hire group.
Tip: To access the CRM Company Record to enter the Supplier Table details from the Master Menu select CRM/My Desktop. Search for the Supplier Company record and select the Load command button. Select the Edit icon and from the Company Options menu select Rental Company. A CRM Company record can be either a Customer/Supplier or Both. The Supplier Rates/Charges table name must be entered in the Supplier Rates Table field within the General 2 Tab.
Allocate a Supplier to a Booking/Agreement
Create a New Booking/Agreement or Open an Existing Booking/Agreement using the standard functionality.
Select the 
icon (or, alternatively, the Allocate Vehicle/Supplier option from the
Agreement menu). This initiates the allocation process but instead of allocating
a vehicle to the agreement a supplier is allocated within the
Supplier field.
Note:Selection of the
button (and subsequent Supplier command button) displays all valid third party vehicle suppliers (i.e. the Active Supplier checkbox is ticked within the General 2 Tab of the CRM Company Record in the Rental Details form (MK.drcom record).
Once a supplier is selected the associated Supplier Rates/Charges table populates the Supplier Prices Tab within the agreement with the appropriate values for the selected hire period.
Note: Once a supplier is allocated to the agreement, in addition to the Supplier Prices Tab, the agreement also now contains a further two tabs, namely the Supplier Invoice Tab and External Vehicle Tab.
At this stage, a header record is also created within the Vehicle Rental Purchase Ordering facility for the hire of the external vehicle. This may be utilised if required.
When the supplier is allocated the system automatically displays the External Vehicle Details form to allow completion of any external hire vehicle details that are currently known. The entire form may be left blank at this stage if required.
Once the vehicle information (if any) has been entered the Save command button saves the data back to the agreement record. This information is now displayed in the External Vehicle Tab.
The external vehicle details can be added at any time during the agreement (as and when the information becomes available; some information may simply not be available at the allocation of supplier stage) by selecting the External Vehicle option from the Agreement menu within the agreement.
Select the 
icon (or, alternatively, the Start Rental option from the
Agreement menu). The Print Agreement form is
displayed. Select the Print Agreement option followed by the
OK command button. The rental agreement has now been started.
Swap a Broker External Hire Vehicle
During the life of the agreement there may come a time where the vehicle that is on hire needs to be swapped to carry out maintenance repairs, due to an accident, etc. This process via the Swap Vehicle function in the agreement from the Tools Menu or icon.
If a swap has been carried out then selection of the External Vehicle option from the Agreement menu now displays the External Vehicle Selection form (instead of simply the External Vehicle Details form) which displays the On-hire/Off-hire details of all the vehicles that have been used within the agreement. Selection of any vehicle row from within this grid results in the display of the External Vehicle Details form as normal.
Finish a Broker Rental Agreement
When the rental is over and the hirer returns the vehicle the rental can be finished.
This process prompts the user to raise an invoice. Select the
icon on the
toolbar. The External Vehicle Details form is
displayed for the details to be checked or completed.
Once saved, the External Vehicle Return Details form is displayed. A Return Date is required to finish the rental agreement. The system defaults-in today's date but this may be overtyped. The system automatically prompts for the agreement to be invoiced via the standard rental Print Invoice form. The status of the is now Returned.
Tip: If a Vehicle Swap has taken place then the system prompts for selection of the appropriate vehicle that is being returned.
The supplier invoices may typically arrive following the finish of a rental agreement with the customer. Two additional tabs have been made available to process the supplier invoices. The first of these is the Supplier Prices Tab. This displays the supplier specific rates for the selected vehicle hire group and the quantity of days within the current agreement.
The Supplier Prices Tab also enables additional supplier specific charges to be added, edited, deleted, etc.
The primary function in this tab is the Process Invoice command button which enables the Supplier Invoice Details form that allows the supplier invoices to be processed (and, subsequently, posted through to accounts).
Note: If the Link to Invoice reg flag is ticked within the Purch/Misc. Inv. Tab then the Supplier Invoice Details form is presented is a slightly altered way in that the invoice is no longer keyed but the Supplier Invoice will have to be registered in the Purchase Ledger before it is selected from a list within this form; in addition, the VAT analysis grid is no longer displayed as this has been carried out when the invoice is initially registered.
Once the invoice is processed and the OK command button selected the Post Supplier Invoice form is automatically displayed.
Selection of the Post command button posts the supplier invoice to the invoice buffer and subsequently on to the Purchase and Nominal Ledgers. Only if the prices on the processed invoice details match those in the Supplier Prices Tab (for the selected date period) will the post button be enabled.
Tip: These invoices values are now removed from the Supplier Prices Tab and subsequently populate the Supplier Invoice Tab (where they can be viewed by selecting the required invoice from the Supplier Invoice List Box and viewing the Supplier Invoice Details form.
Invoices that have been posted for a supplier may be credited partially or in full; in addition, a miscellaneous credit may also be generated for a supplier. Credits are generated by selecting the Process Credit command button on the Supplier Invoice Tab. This displays the Supplier Credit form from which the appropriate credit type may be selected.
Once the required Full Credit type is selected the Supplier Credit Details form is displayed so that the credit note values may be processed.
Note: If the Link to Invoice reg flag is ticked within the Purch/Misc. Inv. Tab then the Supplier Credit Details form is presented is a slightly altered way in that the credit is no longer keyed but the Supplier Credit will have to be registered in the Purchase Ledger before it is selected from a list within this form; in addition, the VAT analysis grid is no longer displayed as this has been carried out when the credit is initially registered.
Once the supplier credit entries are processed the system displays the Supplier Credit List Box form which enables an existing invoice to be selected for crediting. If the values entered within this form match the values for the selected invoice in the Supplier Credit List Box form then the Credit Supplier Invoice form is displayed and the Post command button is enabled allowing the credit to be processed. Suitable confirmation prompts are displayed.
If the values entered within this form do not match then the Post command button is not enabled thus preventing the credit from being processed.
Post a Partial Supplier Credit
Invoices that have been posted for a supplier may be credited partially or in full; in addition, a miscellaneous credit may also be generated for a supplier. Credits are generated by selecting the Process Credit command button on the Supplier Invoice Tab. This displays the Supplier Credit form from which the appropriate credit type may be selected.
Once the required Partial Credit type is selected the Supplier Credit Details form is displayed so that the credit note values may be processed. A Partial Credit enables charges invoiced against the agreement to be credited.
Note: If the Link to Invoice reg flag is ticked within the Purch/Misc. Inv. Tab then the Supplier Credit Details form is presented is a slightly altered way in that the credit is no longer keyed but the Supplier Credit will have to be registered in the Purchase Ledger before it is selected from a list within this form; in addition, the VAT analysis grid is no longer displayed as this has been carried out when the credit is initially registered.
Once the supplier credit entries are processed the system displays the Supplier Credit List Box form which enables an existing invoice to be selected for crediting. This lists all the supplier invoices that have been processed against the agreement. The required agreement containing the charge to be credited should be selected. The Partial Supplier Credit form is displayed. The required charge(s) to be credited should be selected by clicking with the mouse and placing a tick in the left-hand column. When the values of the charge(s) match that for the processed Supplier Credit Details (or registered Supplier Credit Details) then the Post command button is enabled allowing the credit to be processed. Suitable confirmation prompts are displayed.
If the values entered within this form do not match then the Post command button is not enabled thus preventing the credit from being processed.
Post a Miscellaneous Supplier Credit
Invoices that have been posted for a supplier may be credited partially or in full; in addition, a miscellaneous credit may also be generated for a supplier. Credits are generated by selecting the Process Credit command button on the Supplier Invoice Tab. This displays the Supplier Credit form from which the appropriate credit type may be selected.
Once the required Miscellaneous Credit type is selected the Supplier Credit Details form is displayed so that the credit note values may be processed. A Miscellaneous Credit can be raised against a supplier invoice for any specific amount, for example a rebate.
Note: If the Link to Invoice reg flag is ticked within the Purch/Misc. Inv. Tab then the Supplier Credit Details form is presented is a slightly altered way in that the credit is no longer keyed but the Supplier Credit will have to be registered in the Purchase Ledger before it is selected from a list within this form; in addition, the VAT analysis grid is no longer displayed as this has been carried out when the credit is initially registered.
Note: In the General 2 Tab of System Parameters the Supplier Misc Credit charge code must be populated with the relevant miscellaneous credit charge code to be able to process a Miscellaneous Credit.
Once the Supplier Credit Details are input the Post command button is enabled. When the credit is posted the system adds a line to the Supplier Invoice Tab showing the value of the miscellaneous credit.
Once all the invoices/credits have been processed the Finalise Invoice command button on the Supplier Prices Tab can be used to prevent further supplier documents being processed against the agreement.
This option may only be used when the agreement is at a Returned status.
