Overbookings

Learn how to manage overbooked rental items from the Item Availability screen to ensure smooth operations and accurate inventory management.

Topics Included in This Article

• Check Overbooked Items

• Review Overbooked Contracts

• Resolve Overbookings Using Orders or Subrentals

• Manage Overbooking in Multi-Store Systems

• Use the Critical Overbooking Report

• Understand Book To and Item Search Security

• Contract Overbooking Behavior

• More Information / FAQ

Check Overbooked Items

1. From the Item Availability screen, open the Inventory drop-down menu.
2. Select Check All Overbooks.
   The Overbooked Items list displays.
    
3. The system displays overbooked items dynamically as they are found. Press Esc anytime to stop the search if you want to change the store or date range.
4. By default, the search date is set to Sunday of the current week. Adjust the date to view a weekend or expand to a 28-day month view.
5. If your organization uses multiple stores, choose whether to view an individual store, all stores, or a store group.

Tip: Left-click an item to select it. Right-click an item to open the Item Contract Detail screen directly (skips calendar view).

Review Overbooked Contracts

1. Click a date that shows an overbook (red negative number) to open the Contract Detail List.
    
2. Right-click a contract to: Inquire, Modify, Cancel, Print, Send Out, or Request Subrental.
3. Resolve the overbooking by reducing quantity or substituting a different item (with customer approval).
4. Select OK to return to Item Availability.

Resolve Overbookings Using Orders or Subrentals

From the Inventory menu, choose one of the following:

Create a Purchase Order

• Select Order Item to create a pending Purchase Order (requires the Purchase Order Module).
• Enter the Quantity, select the Vendor, and (if applicable) choose which existing pending PO to add to.

Create a Subrental

• Select Create Subrental to start a new subrental contract.
• Select the Subrent Vendor, dates, and items.

Note: Availability increases only for the subrental contract dates.

Transfer Between Stores (Multi-Store)

• Select Store Transfers to transfer an item now or schedule a future transfer.

As overbooked items are resolved, they are automatically removed from the Overbooked Items list.

Manage Overbooking in Multi-Store Systems

1. Address company-level overbooks first.
2. If resolved with a Purchase Order or Subrental, related store-level overbooks are handled automatically.
3. If an overbook remains at a store, process a Store Transfer to meet demand.

Use the Critical Overbooking Report

1. Go to Program Menu → Reservation Reports → Critical Overbooking Report.
2. Run the report (typically on Monday) to review the coming weekend.
3. Review items scheduled to go out that are below their critical threshold.

Critical Level Settings

• Defined per item in the Critical Level field.
• Enter a number (e.g., 20 warns when available is between 0–20) or a percentage (e.g., .20 warns between 0%–20%).

When availability drops below zero, the item becomes overbooked by default.

Understand Book To and Item Search Security

Launchpad Settings

• Item Search – View controls visibility of inventory at the store, district, region, or company level. A user may have visibility that their Book To security does not permit them to book.

Transactions

• Book To Security controls a user’s ability to book other locations’ inventory at the store, district, region, or company level. Assign at the employee, group, or company level.

Contract Overbooking Behavior

The overbook screen presents the same information whether a contract is written in Launchpad or in Core (visuals differ, data is equivalent).

• Max Safe Quantity shows what’s available in your store.
• If permissions allow (e.g., booking to your district), you can book more than the Max Safe Quantity and click Done to proceed.
• If you lack permissions, the button shows Override. A user with higher security can approve, or you must reenter a permitted quantity.

More Information / FAQ

Q1. What’s the best way to manage overbooking daily?

Use the Item Availability screen’s Check All Overbooks option for real-time management. The Overbooking Report is best for longer-range purchasing analysis.

Q2. How can I stop a running overbook search?

Press Esc to cancel mid-search. Adjust the store or date range as needed and run again.

Q3. Why do overbooked items sometimes remain on the list?

Items remain until the related contract, subrental, or PO fully resolves the shortage.

Q4. Can I prevent overbooking at other stores?

Yes. Configure