Makes and Models

Two linked lists that hold the valid Make and Model values for your fleet. You maintain each Make on its own, then add the Models that belong to it, so Rental Items and Rental Item Types are always tagged with consistent manufacturer and model identifiers.

How it fits in

Makes and Models are kept as two separate lists. The Makes list holds one row per manufacturer, with just the Make code and its description. The Models list holds the models, and every model belongs to a Make. A Make is no longer repeated once per Model: you set up CAT once, then add the models that sit under CAT.

You reach the Models for a Make from the Models action on the Makes list. That opens the Models list filtered to the Make you were on, and any row you add there is created against that Make automatically, so you only type the Model code and description.

On a Rental Item or Rental Item Type you pick a Make first, then pick a Model from the list filtered to that Make. Both fields are lookup only: you choose from the lists rather than free-typing, so a value that isn't set up will be rejected. If you change the Make and the model you already had doesn't belong to the new Make, the Model is cleared so the pair stays valid. A Model cannot be set without a Make.

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Maintain these lists early in your onboarding and grow them as new equipment is acquired. A consistent Make and Model list is what makes manufacturer-level reporting (utilisation by Make, age-of-fleet by Model, and so on) possible. If you upgrade from an earlier version, your existing makes are seeded into the Makes list automatically, so nothing is lost.

Visible columns

The Makes list shows:

Makes
Makerequired
A short identifier for the manufacturer, for example JCB, CAT, or MERLO. Up to 20 characters. This is the key of the Make, so each one is unique.
Description
The full name of the Make, for example "Caterpillar". Used where the short code on its own isn't clear enough.
Illustration. The real screen can differ in detail. The Makes list, one row for each manufacturer. Select a make and choose Models to open its models.

Open the Models action on a Make to see the Models list for it. The list is always opened filtered to one Make, so the Make and Make Description columns are hidden (they would repeat the same value on every row) and you see:

Models
Modelrequired
A short identifier for the specific model within the Make, for example 3CX, 320D, or P40.17. Up to 20 characters. The Make plus the Model together identify the row.
Model Description
The full description of the Model, for example "3CX Backhoe Loader". Useful for printed reports and customer-facing documents.
Illustration. The real screen can differ in detail. The Models list as it opens from the make JCB. It shows that make's models only, and there is no Make column.

When you add a row to the Models list while it is filtered to a Make, that Make is filled in for you. Deleting a Make also deletes the Models that belong to it.

Where Makes and Models appear

Makes and Models are referenced from two places in master data:

Rental Item Types: Make and Model on the Technical Attributes FastTab. Pick the Make first, then a Model from the list filtered to that Make. Setting these on the Type populates the same fields by default on Rental Items belonging to it.

Rental Items: Make and Model on the Technical Attributes FastTab. Inherited from the Item Type but overrideable per individual item if a particular asset differs from the Type's standard. The same pick-the-Make-then-the-Model order applies, and changing the Make clears a Model that no longer fits.

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