Rental Setup

The single page where every system-wide configuration choice for Essential Rental lives. Set once when you onboard the company, revisit when behaviour needs adjusting.

How it fits in

Rental Setup is a single-record card that holds every default and switch that controls how the rest of Essential Rental behaves. In Business Central the page is called Essential Rental Setup. There's only one record per company; you don't create new ones, you adjust the one that's there.

A handful of fields here change how documents in the Document Flow behave (default Price Term, default Billing Cycle, Pricing Priority, Billing Period Includes scope); others wire Essential Rental into the surrounding Business Central setup (Number Series for each rental document type, Fixed Asset Journal templates, Dimension defaults). The page is divided into FastTabs by topic.

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Most setup choices are "set and forget". The fields most likely to be revisited are in the General FastTab: defaults that change as your operation evolves (e.g. flipping Pricing Priority, adjusting Default Billing Cycle, turning on Auto Reservation).

First-time setup with the Setup Wizard

For a brand-new company, start with the Set up Essential Rental wizard. It creates the number series, price terms and billing cycles, journals, dimensions and report selections a rental company needs, and lets you set how you hire and how equipment is looked after, so you don't have to fill in every field on this page by hand.

There are two ways in:

Assisted Setup: search for Assisted Setup. Essential Rental's setups have a heading of their own, Essential Rental, with Set up Essential Rental, Connect a Global Equipment environment and Set up the Customer Portal under it. Once you have finished the wizard, it shows as completed there.

Essential Rental Setup: choose the Setup Wizard action.

Essential Rental's wizards have a banner of their own at the top in place of the standard assisted setup picture: a progress bar that grows as you move on, a gear that turns a notch with each step, and the step number (for example Step 2 of 5) at the end.

1
Welcome to Essential Rental

Says what the wizard does. Every value is a starting point that you can change later on Essential Rental Setup, and running the wizard again never replaces anything you already have. Select Next.

2
What to create

Each choice is ticked for you when that part is not set up yet, and is only created where it is missing:

Number Series: the series for rental items, item groups, item types and kits; quotes, orders, shipments, returns and invoices with their posted versions; rental price lists, fixed assets, maintenance orders, posted maintenance orders, certificates, location transfers, scrap requests and posted scraps, and the Global Equipment transfer series. A series is only assigned where Essential Rental Setup has none.

Price Terms and Billing Cycles: the price terms DAYS, WEEKS, MONTHS, QUARTERS, HALFYEARS and YEARS, and the billing cycles MTH-ARR, MTH-ADV, QTR-ARR, QTR-ADV, YR-ARR, YR-ADV, LDOM-ARR and LDOM-ADV (monthly, quarterly, yearly and last day of the month, each in arrears and in advance). The in advance cycles get a Days in Advance of 7. These are created as soon as you select Next, so the next step can offer them as defaults, and they stay even if you close the wizard before Finish.

Stock to Fleet Journals: the journals Stock-to-Fleet and lost equipment use: the ASSETS FA G/L journal and the ASSETS FA journal, each with DEFAULT and LOST ASSET batches, and the ITEM journal with DEFAULT and LOST ITEM batches.

Rental Dimensions: the RENTAL ITEM GROUP, RENTAL ITEM TYPE and RENTAL ITEM dimensions, used as the rental dimensions.

Report Selections: the Essential Rental reports for rental quotes, orders, shipments, invoices and pro forma invoices. A document type that already has a report keeps it.

3
How you hire

Default Price Term Code, Default Billing Cycle, Quote Expiry Formula, Rental End Date Mandatory, Same Day Equals One Day and Auto Reservation. Each shows what you already have, or the wizard's suggestion where nothing is set yet: DAYS, MTH-ARR and 1M, with the three tick boxes ticked on a first run.

4
Equipment and maintenance

Default Inbound Handling Time and Default Outbound Handling Time (suggested 1D each), Certificate Expiry Notice (Days) and Maintenance Due Notice (Days) (suggested 30 each), and Pre-Flight Task Creation (Automatic for a new company).

5
Ready to finish

To Create lists what Finish will create. Select Back to change it, or Finish to create it and save the settings to Essential Rental Setup. The step also says what to do next: set up rental item groups, then types and units, then try a rental quote.

Illustration. The real screen can differ in detail. Step 2 on a new company, where nothing is set up yet, so every choice is ticked. In a company that already has some of these, only the missing ones are ticked. The banner's gear is left out.
Illustration. The real screen can differ in detail. Step 3 on a first run, showing the wizard's suggestions. Default Billing Cycle looks up the Billing Cycles list. The banner's gear is left out.
Illustration. The real screen can differ in detail. The last step. Price terms and billing cycles are not in the list because they were created when you left step 2. With nothing chosen, To Create reads Nothing. Only the settings are saved. The rest of the What to do next text, which points to the Customer Portal and Global Equipment setups, and the banner's gear are left out.

Running it again. A setting that is already filled in is shown as it is and kept, number series and journals are only assigned where Essential Rental Setup has none, and a document type that already has a report keeps it. Tick boxes and option settings (such as Rental End Date Mandatory or Auto Reservation) are only suggested until the wizard has been finished once; after that the wizard shows what you chose. Pricing Priority, Reservation Handling, Default Document Line Type and Maintenance Standard Day (Hours) are not on the wizard's steps, but a first run fills them in the same way (Rental Line, Block, Rental Item Type and 7 hours), and you can change them here.

After the wizard, return to the Rental Setup card and review the FastTabs below for any defaults that need adjusting to your operation (Pricing Priority, Default Billing Cycle, Lost Lines configuration, Fixed Asset journals, etc.).

General FastTab

The General FastTab is the busiest part of Setup. It groups defaults and behaviour switches by topic.

Quote behaviour

Quote behaviour
Quote Expiry Formula
A date formula (e.g. 30D, 1M) that's added to a new Quote's date to populate its Quote Valid-to Date. Sets the default expiry window for new Quotes.
Archive Quotes
Whether to archive Quotes when they're deleted or converted to Orders. Always (the default) snapshots automatically; Question asks each time; Never skips archiving.

Pricing and billing defaults

Pricing and billing
Default Price Term Code
The Price Term used as the default for new Rental Item Groups, with downstream Item Types and Items inheriting it. Can be overridden at any level.
Default Billing Cycle
The Billing Cycle used as the default on new Customers and the rental documents created against them. Each customer can override; each line on a document can override.
Pricing Priority
Controls which side wins when the rental price list and a rental line carry different prices for the same line. Price List: the price list overwrites the line's price if a matching price-list entry exists. Rental Line (the default): the line's price is respected even when a different price-list entry exists.
Billing Period Includes
Controls which line types contribute to the Total Expected Billing Period Amount and to the base that invoice discounts are calculated against. Recurring Only (the default) excludes one-time lines such as delivery or mobilisation charges; All Lines includes every billable line.
Invoice Discount Method
Controls how invoice discounts are applied. The choice affects both the rental Sales Invoice path and the Job Planning Lines path.
Rental Discount G/L Account
The G/L Account used when a rental discount line is appended to a generated rental invoice or to Job Planning Lines. Required when Invoice Discount Method is set to Line, and always required when invoicing a rental order whose lines are on a project (planning lines always emit a discount line). Set the account's VAT Posting Group to match the prevailing VAT posting of rental lines.
Default Tier Calculation Method
The tier calculation method new price-list lines start with for tiered pricing. Progressive bills each period at the rate of the tier its elapsed duration falls in. Each price-list line can override it.
Minimum Period Billing
When a minimum billing period is charged. On Early Close (the default) tops up the final invoice only when an item is returned before the minimum elapses; Up Front bills the whole minimum on the first invoice.

Kit and component defaults

Kits and components
Default Kit Explosion Method
The Explosion Method a new Rental Kit starts with: Fanned or Pooled. A kit created while this is Pooled also starts with Price Method Components and Invoice Method Components (Summarised). Each kit can be changed on its own card, and changing the default does not alter kits you already have.
Default Component Explosion Method
The Explosion Method a new Rental Item Type starts with, for Types that carry their own components.
Default Pooled Invoice Method
The Pooled Invoice Method a new Rental Item Type starts with. Summarised puts units that share the same dates and price on one invoice line. Line per Unit gives every unit a line of its own. Each Type can override it on its card, and changing it here does not alter the Types you already have. See Rental Item Types.

Rental period defaults

Rental period
Rental End Date Mandatory
When ticked, a Rental Order can't be processed unless Rental End Date is filled in. Untick if you want to allow open-ended rentals (where the end date is set when the equipment is due back).
Re-Open Closed Rental Orders
Controls whether closed Rental Orders can be reopened (and to what extent). Tightens or loosens the lock on completed rentals.
Same Day Equals One Day
When ticked, a return processed on the same day as a shipment counts as one chargeable day. When unticked, same-day returns produce a zero-day rental period.

Shipment and return defaults

Shipment and return
Default Qty. to Ship
What Quantity to Ship defaults to when a new Shipment Order line is created. Remainder (the default) defaults to whatever's left to ship; Blank requires the user to enter a quantity each time.
Default Quantity to Return
As above, for Quantity to Return on Return Order lines. Same options.
Shipment Today, Return Today
When ticked, new Shipment / Return Orders default the Posting Date to today rather than the work date.
Auto Reservation
When ticked, the system attempts to reserve stock automatically when lines are added to a Rental Order. When unticked, reservation is a manual line-level action. Setting Reservation Handling to Off disables auto-reservation and greys this field out.
Reservation Handling
How the system treats a unit that is already committed elsewhere when you put it on a quote or another order. Warn lets the line through but shows a non-blocking notification naming the clashing order. Block stops a date change that would overlap another order's hold with an error. Off turns the clash checks off altogether (and disables Auto Reservation): no conflict notifications, and the legacy "already reserved" popup does not appear.
Copy Comments to Invoices
When ticked, comment lines on the Rental Order are carried through onto generated invoices.
Default G/L Account Quantity
When ticked, a G/L Account line added to a rental document starts at quantity 1 instead of blank. A G/L Account line that is a component of a kit or a rental item type keeps its own quantity and is not overridden.

Lost Lines

Configures what happens when a Return line is posted with the Lost flag ticked. See Lost Items for the end-to-end workflow.

Lost Lines
Lost Lines Generate Sales Lines
When ticked, a posted Return line marked as Lost generates a corresponding Sales Line (effectively charging the customer for the lost equipment) instead of just closing the rental obligation.
Lost Sales G/L Account
The G/L Account that the generated Sales Line for lost equipment posts to.
Lost Item Journal Batch
The item journal batch that lost stock is queued into, ready for someone to review and post. Keep it separate from the Stock-to-Fleet batch. The Setup Wizard creates a LOST ITEM batch for it.

Fixed Asset Integration FastTab

Wires Essential Rental into Business Central's Fixed Assets module so that rental items can be tracked as Fixed Assets (depreciation, acquisition cost, disposal). These settings are used by the Stock-to-Fleet wizard, and by the disposals of lost and scrapped units.

There are two kinds of fixed asset journal, and Business Central only posts an entry from the one that matches the depreciation book. When the book has G/L Integration - Acq. Cost (or, for a disposal, G/L Integration - Disposal) switched on, the entry goes on the FA G/L journal; when it is off, it goes on the FA journal. Essential Rental reads the depreciation book of the rental item type and uses the matching template and batch below, so fill in both sets if your books differ.

Fixed Asset Integration
Post Stock to Fleet Straight Away
When ticked, Finish on the Stock-to-Fleet wizard posts everything: the units leaving stock and each fixed asset's cost, as well as the rental items, with no journal involved. When unticked (the default), the stock leaving and the fixed assets' cost are put on the journals below for you to check and post.
Default FA G/L Journal Template
The FA G/L journal template (a general journal template of type Assets) that holds the two FA G/L batches below.
Acquisitions FA G/L Journal Batch
The FA G/L journal batch Stock-to-Fleet uses for acquisitions when the depreciation book posts acquisition cost to the general ledger.
Disposals FA G/L Journal Batch
The FA G/L journal batch the disposal of a lost or scrapped unit's fixed asset goes on when the depreciation book posts disposals to the general ledger.
Default FA Journal Template
The FA journal template that holds the two FA batches below, used when the depreciation book does not post to the general ledger.
Acquisitions FA Journal Batch
The FA journal batch Stock-to-Fleet uses for acquisitions when the depreciation book does not post acquisition cost to the general ledger.
Disposals FA Journal Batch
The FA journal batch the disposal of a lost or scrapped unit's fixed asset goes on when the depreciation book does not post disposals to the general ledger.
Default Item Journal Template
The item journal template used for Stock-to-Fleet.
Default Item Journal Batch
The item journal batch where Stock-to-Fleet puts the negative adjustment that takes the units out of stock.
Depreciation Start Date Method
A choice of Acquisition Date (the default), Start of Acquisition Month or End of Acquisition Month. In this version Stock-to-Fleet does not read it.

The Setup Wizard's Stock to Fleet Journals choice creates the ASSETS FA G/L and FA journal templates with DEFAULT and LOST ASSET batches, and the ITEM journal with DEFAULT and LOST ITEM batches, and fills in any of these fields that are blank.

Maintenance FastTab

Settings for equipment maintenance: how returned units are maintained, certificate gating, number series, and the rate and handling-time defaults used when scheduling and posting maintenance.

Maintenance
Auto Maint. on Return
When ticked, a Rental Item is automatically flagged as undergoing maintenance once a Return that includes it is posted.
Block Shipment on Expired Certificate
When ticked, a unit with a lapsed gating certificate cannot be shipped. When off, an expired certificate only raises a notification.
Maint. Orders
No. Series used to assign numbers to open maintenance orders.
Posted Maint. Orders
No. Series used to assign numbers to posted maintenance orders.
Certificates
No. Series used to assign numbers to new certificates.
Certificate Expiry Notice (Days)
How many days ahead of expiry a certificate raises a renewal notification.
Maintenance Due Notice (Days)
How many days ahead of a calendar maintenance due date a rule is flagged as due soon on the maintenance due register and cue.
Maintenance Standard Day (Hours)
The standard number of working hours in a maintenance day, used to lay a task's estimated hours across working days when scheduling.
Default Outbound Handling Time
The default outbound preparation lead time before a hire starts, as a date formula such as 1D or 1W (not a number of hours). Used when a unit, type or group has none of its own; blank counts as zero.
Default Inbound Handling Time
The default inbound turnaround after a hire returns before a unit is available again, as a date formula such as 1D or 1W (not a number of hours). Used when a unit, type or group has none of its own; blank counts as zero.

Dimensions FastTab

Configures automatic dimension assignment so rental transactions carry analysis dimensions (for reporting, profitability by group / type / item) without users having to set them per line.

Dimensions
Enable Rental Dimensions
Master switch. When ticked, the dimension defaults below are applied to rental transactions.
Item Group Dimension
The dimension whose values track Rental Item Group. Each Rental Item Group is mapped to a value in this dimension; transactions inherit the value automatically.
Item Type Dimension
As above, for Rental Item Type.
Item Dimension
As above, for individual Rental Items.

Number Series FastTab

Each rental document type and master record needs its own Business Central Number Series. This FastTab wires up the series for every rental object: Quotes, Orders, Shipments and posted Shipments, Returns and posted Returns, Invoices and posted Invoices, Items, Item Types, Item Groups, Kits, Price Lists, Fixed Assets, Location Transfers, and scrap requests and posted scraps. The maintenance order and certificate series are on the Maintenance FastTab.

If a series isn't set, the system can't auto-assign numbers when you create new records, and you'll need to enter them manually. The Setup Wizard's Number Series choice creates and assigns any that are blank; otherwise set them once during onboarding from BC's standard No. Series page.

Number Series
Rental Quotes
No. Series for new Rental Quotes.
Rental Orders
No. Series for new Rental Orders.
Shipment Orders, Posted Shipment Orders
Two separate series: one for working (open) Shipment Orders, one for the posted record. Keeping them separate lets posted documents have their own numbering scheme distinct from drafts.
Return Orders, Posted Return Orders
As above, for Returns.
Rental Invoices, Posted Rental Invoices
Two separate series for the working invoice document and the posted Sales Invoice produced by rental invoicing.
Item Groups, Item Types, Rental Items, Rental Kits
Series for new rental item groups, rental item types, rental items and rental kits.
Rental Price Lists
Series for new Rental Price List headers.
Fixed Assets No. Series
Series used for the fixed asset of each rental item the Stock-to-Fleet wizard creates.
Location Transfer Nos.
Series for new Location Transfer documents.
Scrap Request Nos.
Series for new scrap requests. See Scrap Rental Items.
Posted Scrap Nos.
Series for processed scrap requests. The posted scrap number is the document number on each unit's scrap entry in the rental ledger.
Default In-Transit Code
The in-transit location filled in on new Location Transfer documents. It must be a location marked Use As In-Transit.

FactBoxes (right-side panel)

Two FactBoxes appear beside Essential Rental Setup. Support usually asks for what they show.

About Essential Rental: the installed Version at the top, then a line on what Essential Rental covers (fleet and serial tracking, kits, maintenance and certificates, Global Equipment and the Customer Portal). Under Resources: User guides opens these guides and videos, Release notes opens what is new in each version, and Support shows the support address, [email protected], which you can select to write an email.

Subscription (called Product Activation before 28.4.12): under Environment, the Type (Sandbox or Production), the Company and the Company ID. Under Modules, the status of Essential Rental, Maintenance, Global Equipment and Customer Portal: Registered, Active, Inactive, or Not registered when there is no subscription at all.

What the colours mean
Green
The module can be used in this environment. In a sandbox that is anything but Inactive, so a registered sandbox is green. In production it is Active only.
Yellow
Registered in a production environment. The subscription still needs to be activated before it can be used there.
Red
Not registered, or Essential Rental itself is Inactive.
Plain text
An add-on module (Maintenance, Global Equipment, Customer Portal) that is Inactive. Not every business takes every module, so this is not shown as a warning.
Illustration. The real screen can differ in detail. The two FactBoxes in a sandbox. Registered is green because a sandbox needs only a registration; in production the same status would be yellow until the subscription is active. The two inactive add-on modules are in plain text. The version shown is an example, and most of the General FastTab is left out.

Actions

Setup Wizard: opens the Set up Essential Rental wizard described above. Recommended for the first install in a new company.

Report Selection Rental: opens the Report Selection Rental page where you assign which Reports run for which rental document type (Quote / Order / Invoice / Shipment). See Reports.

Global Equipment Setup and Customer Portal Setup: open the setup pages for those modules. See Global Equipment and Customer Portal: Installation and Setup.

Register Product: opens the registration / activation flow to register your Essential Rental licence against the company in this environment. Registration is per-company, so each company that uses Essential Rental needs its own registration even if they share an environment. A registration from a sandbox is free; one from production also needs activating.

Synchronise: refreshes the Subscription FactBox by re-checking subscription status with the licence server.

Delete Synch: clears the cached subscription record. Used during licence transfer or when troubleshooting activation issues.

Related pages