Facilities shared between companies, with windows and quotas
One auditorium, several Entities. The owner books first, and each other Entity books within its own window and quota. Hours can be kept for one Entity, and others can see only that a time is taken.
PLANSFrom Growth
Why it matters
On a campus or in a group, one hall is often used by a school, a college and a trust. The owner wants first claim, the others want a fair share, and nobody wants to see the others' meetings. Usually this is settled on the phone and in a register, and the loudest Entity wins. In SmartMy Facility the facility itself carries the terms. It sets how far ahead each Entity may book, its hours or bookings a week or month, and hours kept for one Entity. A booking that breaks a term is refused with a plain reason, and other Entities can be shown only "Booked".
The problem it solves
- The school that owns the auditorium finds the college has booked every Saturday for the term.
- One Entity uses the shared hall far more than its share, and nobody can show the numbers.
- The trust's board meeting title is visible to every staff member of every institution on the campus.
- Hours promised to one Entity, such as weekday mornings for the school, are booked by someone else.
How it works
- Open the facility and choose who uses it: This entity, Shared with other entities (and pick them in Shared With), or Common to the site.
- On the facility's Sharing tab, add Terms per Entity: days ahead it may book, and a quota of hours or bookings a week or month.
- Add Reserved Windows: hours kept for one Entity on chosen weekdays, with dates from and to if the arrangement is for a term.
- Untick Details Visible to Other Companies if other Entities should see only that a time is taken.
- People of each Entity book as usual. A booking that is too far ahead for their Entity, over its quota, or inside hours kept for another Entity is refused with the reason.
- With charging, bookings of other Entities can be priced and invoiced to them once a period.
Everything it does
Who can use a facility
- This entity: only the owner Entity (the default)
- Shared with other entities: the owner and the Entities named in Shared With
- Common to the site: every Entity of the site
- A shared facility needs an owner Entity and at least one Entity in Shared With
Terms per Entity
- One line per Entity and facility, on the facility's Sharing tab (shown only for shared or common facilities)
- Book up to (days ahead): replaces the rule set's window for that Entity; 0 keeps the rule set's
- Quota period: Week or Month (Month to start with), counted in the site's time; the week starts on Monday
- Hours per Period and Bookings per Period: 0 means no quota
- The quota counts bookings waiting for approval, confirmed, in use and done; cancelled ones give the time back
Reserved Windows
- Entity, From and To hours, weekdays (Monday to Friday ticked to start with), Valid from and Valid to
- Other Entities cannot book into these hours; the Entity named can
- The refusal names the facility, the Entity and the hours, such as "kept for the school from 08:00 to 14:00"
What other Entities see
- Details Visible to Other Companies: on to start with, on the facility's Booking tab
- Unticked: people of other Entities see a booking as "Booked", without the title, purpose, attendees, guests, booker or reasons
- The booker, the attendees and the facility's managers always see the details
- A private booking shows as "Booked" to everyone else, whatever this setting
Who uses it
Facility manager of the owner EntitySets who uses the facility, the terms per Entity and the reserved windows.
Staff of each EntityBook the shared facility within their Entity's window and quota.
Accounts staffInvoice other Entities for their charged bookings once a period.
Where you use it
- Web: the facility's Who uses it field and Sharing tab; booking from Book a Facility, the calendars and the timeline
- The SmartMy Facility app and the portal: the same terms apply (the app is built and in testing, not in the stores yet)
- Not a report of quota used so far: an Entity sees the limit only when a booking is refused
What you control
Settings
- Who uses it: This entity to start with
- Book up to (days ahead): 0 (the rule set's window)
- Quota period: Month; Hours per Period and Bookings per Period: 0 (no quota)
- Reserved window weekdays: Monday to Friday ticked
- Details Visible to Other Companies: on
Approvals
- Facility booking: a shared facility's bookings go through the same approval chain as any other, when its rule set asks for approval
Notifications
- No message of its own: a refused booking shows the reason on the screen at once
- Facility Booking Confirmed, Cancelled and the others: as for any booking, to the booker, in the app and by email
Questions
Can the owner Entity book further ahead than the others?
Yes. Give the owner a longer Book up to (days ahead) than the others, for example 60 days against 7. Each Entity line replaces the rule set's window for that Entity.How is a quota counted?
Per Entity and facility, by week (from Monday) or by calendar month, in the site's time. Bookings waiting for approval, confirmed, in use or done count. Cancelled bookings do not.Can we keep weekday mornings for the school?
Yes. Add a Reserved Window for the school, 08:00 to 14:00, Monday to Friday, with dates if it is for one term. Other Entities are refused in those hours.Will other institutions see what our meetings are about?
Not on the calendars, timeline or lists if you untick Details Visible to Other Companies: they see "Booked". The change history of a booking is not masked yet, so keep sensitive words out of titles until it is.Is sharing in Starter?
No. Starter has one Entity. Sharing between Entities comes with Growth, together with charges and public hire.Related features
GROUPSSeveral entities in one accountRun the facilities of several institutions, firms or trusts in one SmartMy account. Each Entity has its own facilities, rules, approval chains, charges and message settings. A site can hold several Entities that share a hall on agreed terms.CHARGES AND PAYMENTCharge statements to other companies, and the revenue reportOther Entities on the site get one invoice a period for their charged bookings. The revenue report shows charges, refunds, deposits and damage by facility and month.CHARGES AND PAYMENTFree or paid facilities, rates, peak hours and taxesKeep a facility free, charge everyone, or charge only some bookers: outside hirers, other Entities or your own staff. Rates by the hour, half day, day or booking, with evening and weekend rates, minimum charges and taxes.BOOKING RULESBooking rules: slots, notice, limits and exceptionsA rule set says how a facility may be booked. It sets the slots, the notice, how far ahead, how long, and how many bookings each person may hold. Exceptions change it for an Entity, a group or one person.BOOKINGSAttendees, guests, calendar entries and private bookingsA booking says what it is for, how many come, who attends and which guests come from outside. Attendees get it in their SmartMy calendar, and a private booking shows to others only as Booked.WITH OTHER SMARTMY PRODUCTSRooms for the timetable, exams and meetings with SmartMy CampusWith SmartMy Campus in the same account, classes, exams, parent-teacher meetings, activities and placement rounds reserve their rooms in SmartMy Facility by themselves. Exams and classes move ordinary bookings out and tell the bookers. Students and parents book under rules by class section and hostel, approved by the class teacher, the head of department or the warden.
See it with your own rooms.
Tell us what you run: rooms, halls, courts, desks. We will show you a booking from request to check-out with your rules.