Reservation – Room, Vehicle & Equipment Booking

Overview

The Reservation module is used to book shared company objects – typically meeting rooms, company vehicles, or other equipment – for a specific time slot. An employee selects a free time slot in the calendar or in the list and enters a reservation; the system checks for collisions with other reservations, the capacity of the object, and the allowed hours. The module also supports reservations that repeat regularly on selected days of the week, and can notify the people involved by e-mail.

Key Features of the Reservation Module

• Reserving objects (rooms, vehicles, equipment) directly in the calendar or in the overview list
• Recurring reservations on selected days of the week up to a chosen date
• Collision, object capacity, and allowed-hours checks every time a reservation is saved
• A combined (intersection) calendar that shows reservations from all objects on a single screen
• Automatic e-mail notifications to the watch list when a reservation is created, modified, or deleted
• An automatic e-mail reminder of an upcoming reservation
• Access rights configured separately for each object available for reservation

Reservation States in the Reservation Module

A reservation in the Reservation module has no approval states such as "pending approval" – as soon as a user with the appropriate rights saves it, it is immediately active and appears in both the calendar and the list.

Access and Settings

This section describes how to access the Reservation module, how to configure the individual objects available for reservation (meeting rooms, vehicles, equipment) within the module, and which rights individual users need to view, reserve, or cancel reservations of these objects.

How to Access the Reservation Module

You open the Reservation module from the main menu using the Reservation item. Users who are allowed to manage the module settings also see a Settings link at the top of the main screen. After opening the Reservation module, you first see the selection of the object the reservation should concern, and only after selecting it do you see the calendar or the list of reservations for that object.

Reservation Module Settings

The Reservation module settings are available via the Settings link on the module's main screen; only users with rights to manage the module settings can see it. In the settings, you create and edit objects available for reservation, assign access rights to them, and configure the combined calendar.

• Generate an introductory calendar as an intersection of all calendars (read-only) – turns on a tile with a combined calendar on the Reservation module's main screen, showing reservations from all included objects in a single view. You can also create a new reservation from this combined calendar, provided you have the right to reserve at least one of the included objects. Without this option turned on, the main screen shows only the individual objects separately.
• Introductory calendar name – the text on the combined calendar's tile; this field is shown only when the previous option is turned on. Without a custom text, the tile is named "All".

Managing Objects Available for Reservation in the Reservation Module

In the Reservation module settings, click the Add button to create a new object for reservation (a meeting room, a car, equipment), or click the edit icon next to an existing object. In the "Creating/Editing an Object for Reservation" dialog, fill in the name and the other optional properties. A newly created object automatically receives a color from the company palette unless the administrator chooses a color manually.

Assigning Rights to an Object in the Reservation Module

In the Reservation module settings, click the Select users button next to the chosen object, in the "Can see reservations", "Allowed to reserve", or "Can cancel anyone's reservations" column. In the dialog, check the individual users, or check the "All – Users added in the future as well" option, which also includes users created later. Unchecking the "All" option in the dialog automatically unchecks all individually checked users as well. Users with reservation rights can only be assigned after the object for reservation has been created.

Configuring an Object's E-mail Watch List in the Reservation Module

For the object for reservation, click the Select users button in the "Send information about your reservation by e-mail" column. Check the users who should automatically receive an e-mail when a reservation of this object is created, modified, or deleted. The "Mark all users" and "Uncheck all users" buttons are available for quickly setting the whole list. Save with the Save button.

Rights and Access Permissions in the Reservation Module

In the Reservation module, access rights are configured separately for each object for reservation, not for the whole module at once. Managing the settings of the whole module (creating and deleting objects, their rights, and watch lists) requires a separate right to manage the Reservation module.

Each of the three object rights (viewing, reserving, canceling other users' reservations) can be set either for specific selected users, or for the "All – Users added in the future as well" option, which also includes users created later.

User Interface

This section describes the layout of the Reservation module's main screen, selecting the object for reservation, switching between the calendar and list views, and the available filters for finding specific reservations in the list.

Selecting the Object for Reservation on the Main Screen

On the Reservation module's main screen, you first select the object the reservation should concern. If the company uses groups for objects (a parent title), tiles with the group names are shown first, along with an "Uncategorized" tile for objects without a group. After selecting a group (or immediately, if the company does not use groups), tiles for the individual objects the logged-in user has at least the right to view are shown. If the company has the combined calendar turned on, its tile is added at the beginning as well. If there are more than twelve objects in the current group, the tiles are replaced by a drop-down list with search.

Calendar and List View Switch in the Reservation Module

After selecting an object (or the combined "All" calendar), the Reservation module shows a switch between the Calendar and List views. The calendar is suited for quickly finding free time slots visually and entering them by dragging with the mouse, while the list is suited for filtering and a bulk overview of reservations in a table.

Reservation Calendar in the Reservation Module

The calendar in the Reservation module offers "previous / next / today" controls, the name of the current range, and a Month / Week / Day / List Month view switch. Above the calendar there is a legend with a colored label for each displayed object; for objects with a capacity greater than 1, the label also shows the capacity number in parentheses. The calendar respects the object's allowed hours – outside them, the calendar area is grayed out; for the combined "All" view, the hours are calculated as the widest range across all included objects. In the top right is the Add Reservation button, available only to users allowed to reserve at least one of the displayed objects. Hovering the mouse over an event shows a bubble with the note, the time, the object's name, and the name of the person who created the reservation. Directly on the event there are, depending on rights, an edit icon and a delete icon; for a reservation from a recurring series, an icon for deleting the whole series is also added.

Reservation List and Filtering in the Reservation Module

In the List view of the Reservation module, there is a collapsible Filter panel above the table (the panel's heading is highlighted in red when the filter is active) with the From, To (date), Booked (a selection from the company's users, default "All"), Search (full-text search in the note and the name) fields, and the "My" and "Upcoming only" checkboxes. The checkboxes filter immediately, while the text fields and dates filter only after leaving the field; the Clear Filter button clears all the entries. The table below the filter has the Object, From, To, Duration, Booked, Note, Repeat every (a repeat icon for recurring reservations) columns, and an action column with edit and delete icons according to rights.

Basic Operations

This section describes common workflows in the Reservation module – creating a one-time and a recurring reservation, modifying them, moving or extending them by dragging in the calendar, deleting a single reservation or an entire recurring series, and filtering the reservation list.

Procedure: Creating a One-Time Reservation

In the Reservation module, you create a one-time reservation of an object (a room, a vehicle, equipment) using this procedure:

1. On the main screen, select the object (a tile, or from the drop-down list).
2. In the calendar, click and drag to mark the desired time range, or click the Add Reservation button (it offers the nearest full hour).
3. In the "Create / Edit reservation" dialog, check or fill in the From (date) and to, Time From and to fields (the offered times respect the object's allowed hours), and optionally the Note.
4. With every change of the date or time, the form checks whether the time slot collides with the object's occupancy – a message is shown below the fields, and in case of a conflict, the Save button is disabled.
5. Click Save.

Note: After a successful save, if the object has a watch list configured, an e-mail "New Reservation Created [object name]" is automatically sent to the users on that list.

Procedure: Creating a Recurring Reservation

In the Reservation module, when creating a new reservation you can also choose regular repetition on selected days of the week.

1. Proceed as for a one-time reservation, but for a new reservation the form additionally shows the Repeat every: options with checkboxes for the days of the week, and Repeat until: with a date (these options are not shown when modifying an existing reservation).
2. Check the days on which the reservation should repeat, and fill in the date up to which (inclusive) the repetitions should be created.
3. After saving, the first selected occurrence is created, followed by all further occurrences on the chosen days up to the specified date. An occurrence that collides with another reservation is skipped; after saving, a message is shown with the number of skipped occurrences, while the other occurrences are created normally.

Warning: Repetition in the Reservation module can be set at most several years ahead – a more distant "Repeat until" date is automatically shortened, without any special warning in the dialog.

Procedure: Modifying a Reservation

In the Reservation module, you modify an existing reservation by clicking the event in the calendar, or by clicking the edit icon next to the row in the list.

1. Open the reservation by clicking it in the calendar or via the edit icon in the list.
2. Modify the date, time, or note, and save using the Save button. If you are not allowed to modify the reservation, the dialog opens read-only and the Save button is disabled.

Note: After a successful modification, if the object has a watch list, an e-mail "Reservation Modified [object name]" is sent, and any previously scheduled e-mail reminder is sent again, since it is reset when the time changes.

Moving or Extending a Reservation by Dragging in the Calendar

In the Reservation module, you can move or extend a reservation in the calendar directly with the mouse, without opening a dialog.

1. Drag the event to a different time, or drag its edge to change its length.
2. The change is saved automatically. If the new time slot violates the object's rules (capacity, allowed hours, or the minimum reservation time), a message with the reason is shown, and the event returns to its original place in the calendar.

Procedure: Deleting a Reservation

In the Reservation module, you delete a single reservation by clicking the trash icon next to the event in the calendar, or the delete icon next to the row in the list.

1. Click the delete icon next to the reservation in the calendar or in the list.
2. Confirm the question "Delete? / Do you really want to delete this record?" with the Yes button.
3. The reservation disappears from all views – the calendar, the list, and the combined calendar. If the object has a watch list, an e-mail "Reservation Canceled [object name] – [user name]" is sent.

A reservation may be deleted by its owner, or by a user with the right to cancel other users' reservations of the given object.

Procedure: Deleting an Entire Recurring Series

In the Reservation module, for a reservation that is part of a recurring series, you can delete all the occurrences of the series at once, not just one specific occurrence.

1. For a reservation from a series, click the "Delete series" icon (a circle with a cross) instead of the regular delete icon.
2. After confirmation, all occurrences of the entire series are deleted at once.

Procedure: Filtering the Reservation List

In the List view of the Reservation module, you find specific reservations using the Filter panel.

1. Open the Filter panel with the arrow in the top right corner, if it is collapsed.
2. Fill in the From, To, Booked, or Search fields, or check "My" or "Upcoming only", and click Search.
3. The checkboxes filter immediately, while the text fields and dates filter only after leaving the field. The Clear Filter button clears all the entries.

Advanced Features

This section describes the advanced capabilities of the Reservation module – exporting and printing the reservation list, and automatic e-mail notifications to the watch list, as well as reminders of an upcoming reservation to the person who created it.

Exporting and Printing the Reservation List

In the List view of the Reservation module, you can export the current table of reservations (according to the configured filter) to an Excel file, print it, or choose which columns should be shown in the table. You will find these functions in the controls above the reservation table.

Automatic E-mail Reminders and Notifications in the Reservation Module

The Reservation module automatically checks upcoming reservations approximately every 5 minutes. If the object has the "Remind before start (minutes)" value filled in, an e-mail with an overview of the time slot is sent to the person who created the reservation as soon as the start comes within the configured number of minutes. The reminder is sent only once; with any change to the time slot (moving it, extending it), the sending is canceled and the reminder is sent again according to the new time slot.

Independently of this, if the object has an e-mail watch list configured, an e-mail is automatically sent to all users on that list when any reservation is created, modified, or deleted, with a subject according to the event type and a table with the reservation's details. A newly created object without a manually chosen color also automatically receives a color from the company palette, so that objects are distinguished from one another in the combined calendar.

Integration with Other Modules

This section describes how the Reservation module works together with other modules of the eIntranet application, specifically with the Calendar module, to which changes, moves, and deletions of reservations created in the Reservation module are reflected.

Connection Between the Reservation Module and the Calendar Module

The Reservation module is connected to the Calendar module. If a linked record exists in the calendar for a reservation, moving or extending the reservation by dragging in the Reservation module's calendar is also reflected in this calendar record, including any synchronization to a connected external calendar, if the company uses one. Likewise, deleting a reservation is also reflected in the linked record in the Calendar.

Troubleshooting

This section answers frequent questions about the Reservation module, for example why a reservation cannot be saved, why a moved reservation returned to its original place in the calendar, or who may delete other users' reservations, and offers tips for working efficiently with objects and reservations.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Reservation Module

Question: Why is the Save button disabled in the reservation dialog?

Solution: Before saving, the Reservation module checks whether the entered time slot collides with another reservation, whether it falls within the object's allowed hours, and whether it complies with the minimum reservation length. As long as any of these conditions is violated, a specific message is shown below the fields (e.g. "The reservation is outside the hours during which this object can be reserved." or "The object is already fully booked for the given time slot; the reservation could not be made."), and the Save button remains disabled.

Question: Why did the reservation return to its original place after being dragged in the calendar?

Solution: The new time slot violated one of the object's rules – capacity, allowed hours, or the minimum reservation time. The Reservation module shows a message with the reason and returns the event to the place valid before the move; repeat the move to a different, allowed time slot.

Question: Why are some occurrences missing when creating a recurring reservation?

Solution: Occurrences that collided with another existing reservation are skipped when the series is created. After saving, the Reservation module shows a message with the number of skipped occurrences – the missing occurrences need to be created manually as separate reservations for a free time slot.

Question: Who may delete another user's reservation in the Reservation module?

Solution: Another user's reservation may only be deleted by a user with the "Can cancel anyone's reservations" right on the given object. To modify (move, extend) another user's reservation, they additionally also need the right to reserve.

Tips for Efficient Work in the Reservation Module

• Tip: If the company manages a lot of objects, group them using the "Parent Title" field – the Reservation module's main screen will then offer clear group tiles instead of a long list.
• Tip: Turn on the e-mail watch list for important objects, so that the responsible people are automatically informed about new, modified, and deleted reservations.
• Tip: Set a minimum reservation time for the object if you want to prevent overly short reservations from being created.
• Tip: To delete an entire series of recurring reservations at once, use the "Delete series" icon, not the regular delete icon, which removes only one occurrence.