Patent Application
20050187833
The present invention relates generally to an automated equipment management and reservation system and, more particularly to an automated system to manage reservations, inventory rental equipment, track the movement and status of the rental equipment, and confirm the availability of equipment for every reservation.
The equipment rental business, particularly rental of moving equipment, is a dynamic business wherein hundreds of reservations are made in a day and the inventory is constantly moving from one location to another. To facilitate the management of the rental equipment business, the rental locations are organized by marketing companies. A marketing company, as used herein, refers to a cluster of equipment rental locations that are geographically within the same region of the country. The marketing company keeps track of the inventory of each location, the reservations for each location, and confirmation that there is sufficient equipment to fulfill the reservations for each particular location.
A customer's first contact with the rental equipment company is generally a telephone call to a customer service representative to inquire about the type of equipment available and the rental price. Upon receiving the reservation, the reservation location must ensure that the reservation is covered. “Covered” is used herein to refer to the process of confirming that the pick-up location has the equipment that is needed to fulfill the reservation. To cover the reservation, one must have knowledge of the inventory of the pick-up location. If the pick-up location does not have the equipment, then it is necessary to look to nearby locations for the particular equipment. Accordingly, one must have knowledge of the inventory of the nearby locations, as well. It is difficult to accurately keep track of the inventory at each location because equipment is constantly rented and moved from one location to another.
In known inventory tracking systems, the marketing company tracks the inventory of equipment at each location and the movement of equipment from one location to another. The marketing company's known tracking system includes a white board that is updated with each reservation. This system has numerous disadvantages. First, the known tracking system is not accessible to all locations. Only employees in the marketing company are able to view the information on the white board. Second, the known tracking system does not update automatically; someone has to make every entry on the white board and verify that the information has been accurately recorded. Accordingly, to facilitate the processing of covering the rented equipment, there is a need for a system that provides updated information to all locations within a marketing company and updates regularly and automatically.
When assisting a customer with a reservation, it is not unusual for a customer to have a specific request or a special requirement that needs to be communicated to the pick-up location. Accordingly, there is a need for a system that provides a convenient tool for recording a customer's special request that can be viewed by the reservation location and the pick-up location. Additionally, during the course of a transaction, the customer may call back several times to make changes to a reservation. To avoid explaining the history of a transaction to a customer service representative that is not familiar with the reservation, the customer must be able to contact the same representative that took the original reservation. If the original representative is not available, the customer must repeat the history of the transaction. For a more efficient and satisfactory system, there is a need to provide a convenient tool for recording the history of a reservation so that all customer service representative know the history of a transaction.
To ensure that all reservations are covered, it is desirable to print out various reports pertaining to the reservations, the equipment, or both. If a specific pick-up location is contemplated, it desirable to be able to generate a report pertaining specifically to the contemplated location. Similarly, if a particular equipment is of interest, it is desirable to be able to generate a report pertaining to the particular equipment. In the white board system, customized reports cannot be generated automatically. Obtaining customized information takes a substantial investment of time to look through various charts on the white boards. Accordingly, there is a need for an automated equipment management and reservation system that generates customized report to assist the user in covering equipment.
The present invention provides an automated equipment management and reservation system that overcomes the problems and disadvantages of the prior art. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the equipment management system includes a reservation summary that displays the number of reservations that have been made for a specified date and the type of equipment to which each reservation pertains. The scope of the reservation summary can be altered in accordance with the interests of the user. Preferably, the system includes a site scope, a reservation scope and a selection scope. The site scope allows the user to view the reservation summary with respect to the entire marketing company or narrow the scope to a particular route, city, center or dealer. The reservation scope enables the user to view the reservation summary with respect to the status of reservations. For example, the user will be able to view the confirmed reservation, the tentative reservations or the canceled reservations. The confirmed and tentative reservation information will be useful to the user to determine the number of equipment that will be needed to fulfill each reservation. The canceled reservation information will be useful in spotting customer service problems. The route selection scope enables the user to view the equipment that is being rented for in-town use or one-way use.
Upon selection of the scope, the reservation summary displays the number of reservations that have been made for each specific date for each specific type of equipment, within the purview of the selected scope. For ease of reading, the reservation summary information is preferably provided in a chart format wherein the a list of equipment comprises one axis on the chart and a list of dates comprises the second axis on the chart. The reservation summary is updated regularly using a batch program that obtains information from the marketing company server. If the system is not receiving regular updates from the marketing company server, an update indicator flashes red to alert the user of a problem with the system. Early indication of a possible problem minimizes the risk of losing information in the equipment management system.
In addition to the broad overview presented in the summary reservation, the system preferably includes a detailed reservation screen that provides a list of equipment that has been reserved for a specific date. The detailed reservation screen preferably includes more specific information regarding each reservation such as the post date, the route, the dealer name, the reservation number, the origin of the reservation, the destination of the equipment, the type of equipment reserved, the coverage status, and the customer's identification information. To post a reservation, a post activation key is selected which enables the user to input the reservation information.
Upon posting a reservation, the equipment will need to be covered and scheduled. The detailed reservation screen preferably includes a notes window, for the entering and viewing of any notes pertaining to the scheduling of the equipment that would be useful to the dealers. The detailed reservation screen is preferably color-coded to show reservations that have been covered in white, reservations that have been partially covered in yellow, and reservations that have not been covered in red. The detailed reservation screen preferably includes a print function that enables the user to obtain a printed copy of the information in the detailed reservation screen.
Another feature of the automated equipment management and reservation system is the “equipment at site” feature. Wherein the detailed reservation screen provides the user with information pertaining to reservations made on a particular date, the equipment at site feature provides the user with information pertaining to the equipment available at a particular site. The equipment at site feature preferably includes information regarding the location, type of equipment available at the site, the number of equipment available at the site, and whether the equipment is designated for in-town or one-way use.
The equipment at site feature preferably includes search capability that allows the user to search other locations for equipment availability. If a particular location does not have sufficient equipment to cover the reservations, the search feature can be used to find other nearby locations having the equipment. Upon finding the equipment at a different location, the equipment is dispatched to the pick-up location. The system tracks the dispatch from one location and the receipt by the pick-up location and updates the inventory of both locations to reflect the shift in equipment.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the system updates automatically and regularly. The equipment at site feature preferably includes an update indicator that informs the user of the date and time on which the system was last updated. If there is a system failure, and the information is not updated regularly, the update indicator flashes to warn the user of an update problem.
The equipment management system preferably includes a detailed equipment inventory screen that provides a report of the inventory of a particular type of equipment at a given location. In the detailed equipment inventory field, the system lists all of the equipment of the type specified and the system lists the reservation status for each piece of equipment. Accordingly, the user will be able to view the status of each piece of equipment of a specified category at a particular location and determine whether any of the equipment is available for rental.
The automated equipment management and reservation system preferably enables the user to input specific information pertaining to a reservation, such as, the customer's identification information, equipment information, payment information, and any notes pertaining to the transaction. This information is accessible to all users of the equipment management system and facilitates the presentation of exceptional service to the customers.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. It is to be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the present invention, are given by way of illustration and not limitation. Many changes and modifications within the scope of the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications.
The invention may be more readily understood by referring to the accompanying drawings in which
Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
The present invention provides an automated equipment management and reservation system that includes access to tools, information, and aids for managing an equipment rental business. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the system provides the user with reservation information in several different formats. The user is able to view reservations for an entire marketing company for a specific date, or with respect to a specific type of equipment. Additionally, the scope of the reservation information can be changed to display reservations for a particular location, or for specific equipment at that location.
In addition to displaying reservation information, the system tracks the equipment inventory at each location and automatically updates the inventory when equipment is dispatched to another location or received from another location. To facilitate communication between rental locations, the system provides a means for transmitting messages pertaining to specific reservations or specific equipment.
The automated equipment management and reservation system of the present invention is preferably available to users on a network. The network has at least one computer-server for communicating with users. Communication with the users is preferably carried out using a browser program on a computer-terminal at a location remote from the computer-server.
The site scope 14 allows the user to view the reservation summary 12 with respect to a particular location. For example, in one embodiment of the invention, the options provided for the site scope 14 could be the entire marketing company, or a specific route, city, center or dealer. Marketing company is used herein to refer the supervising entity of a cluster of dealerships or centers. If the user chooses to view the reservation summary 12 with respect to the broadest possible scope, the user can choose the marketing company, preferably from a drop down menu provided by the site scope 14.
Upon selecting the marketing company as the site scope, the reservation summary 12 will provide information for all centers or dealers within the purview of the marketing company. For a narrower scope, the user can choose to view the reservation summary 12 with respect to a specific route, city or dealer. If a route is selected for the site scope 14, the site selection 16 will provide the user, preferably by way of a drop down menu, with the routes that are available for selection. The user can then select an available route. Upon selecting a route, the reservation summary 12 will provide information regarding reservations pertaining to the specified route.
Similarly, the user can choose to view the reservation summary 12 with respect to a particular city. If a city is selected for the site scope 14, the site selection 16 will provide the user, preferably by way of a drop down menu, with the cities that are available for selection. The user can then select an available city. Upon selecting a particular city, the reservation summary 12 will provide information regarding reservations pertaining to the specified city.
Likewise, the user can choose to view the reservation summary 12 with respect to a particular dealer or reservation center. If the dealer is selected for the site scope 14, the site selection 16 will provide the user, preferably by way of a drop down menu, with the dealers that are available for selection. The user can then select an available dealer. Upon selecting a particular dealer, the reservation summary 12 will provide information regarding reservations pertaining to the specified dealer.
The reservation scope 18 of the equipment management system 10 allows the user to view the reservation summary 12 with respect to the status of reservations. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the reservation scope 18 allows the user to view reservations pertaining to confirmed, tentative or canceled reservation. A confirmed reservation refers to a booking wherein the customer has indicated, with certainty, that he or she will need the equipment that is being reserved. In one embodiment of the invention, confirmed reservations refer to bookings for which the customer has paid a deposit. A tentative reservation refers to a booking wherein the customer has expressed an interest in renting the equipment but has not yet made a final decision as to the rental. By providing confirmed and tentative reservation information, the equipment management system 10 provides the user with the information that is needed to determine the number of equipment that will be needed to fulfill each reservation.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the system 10 also provides the user with information regarding canceled reservations. Canceled reservations are especially useful in investigating customer service issues. If desired, the user can follow-up with the customers who have canceled their reservations to determine if there were any problems with the customer service that they received that caused them to change their minds with respect to renting equipment.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the reservation scope also allows the user to view reservations for which the pick up date has passed. This information can be useful for a variety of reasons, including, evaluating customer service issues or keeping track of the location of the equipment.
The selection scope 20 allows the user to view equipment that is being rented for in-town use, one-way use or all equipment. In-town use, as used herein, refers to equipment that is rented from one rental location, used within the general geographical area of the rental location, and returned to the same rental location. One-way use refers to equipment that is rented from one rental location, moved to another geographical area and returned to a rental location different than the pick-up rental location.
Upon selection of the scope of the information to be viewed, the automated equipment management and reservation system 10 preferably displays the number of reservations that have been made for each specific date for each specific type of equipment. In particular, the equipment management system 10 preferably includes an equipment bar 22. The embodiment shown in
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the reservation summary 12 is presented in a chart format wherein the equipment bar 22 comprises one axis on the chart and the date bar 24 comprises the second axis on the chart. The date bar 24 preferably lists upcoming dates in chronological order, for a specified duration of time. In one embodiment of the invention, the reservation summary 12 is provided for a 90 day period. The reservation summary preferably includes a quantity bar 26 that provides the total number of equipment that has been reserved for a particular day. Accordingly, by viewing the chart format of the reservation summary 12, as shown in
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the reservation summary 12 includes an update indicator 28 that depicts the date and time for which the reservation summary 12 was last updated. The automated equipment management and reservation system 10 is preferably designed to automatically update the information regularly using a batch program that obtains information from the marketing company server. If the system 10 is not receiving regular updates from the marketing company server, the update indicator 28 provides an alarm. The alarm preferably includes a visual indication, such as a red font color, that the system 10 is not updating regularly. Early indication of a possible problem minimizes the risk of losing reservations in the equipment management system.
As shown in
The detailed reservation screen 30 includes a post activation key 50 that enables the user to post a new reservation. Reservations are preferably posted at least two days in advance of the date that the equipment is needed. To post a reservation, the post activation key 50 is selected and the information regarding the reservation is inputted. Reservation entry 52a provides an example of the type of information that could be inputted during the posting of a reservation. Reservation entry 52a indicates that the route 34 for the equipment is “1,” the dealer's name 36 is “GATES AUTO,” the reservation number 38 is “111674,” the origin of the reservation 40 is “52394” (which is the identification number of a particular dealer or reservation center), the destination of the equipment 42 is “WASHINGTON, DC,” the type of equipment 44 is “AV” (which refers to a particular size trailer), the “covered” status 46 is “NO” and the customer identification information is “STANLEY BLACK.”
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, when a reservation entry is highlighted, some of the reservation information is also provided on another portion of the detailed reservation screen 30. For example, in the embodiment shown in
Once the reservation is posted, the equipment will need to be covered and scheduled. That is, the user must determine whether there is sufficient equipment at the selected dealer to fulfill the reservations for that dealer. In entry 52a, the coverage status 46 indicates that the reservation has not yet been covered. The scheduling and coverage process is discussed in detail below. If there are any special scheduling notes pertaining to the scheduling of the equipment that would be useful to the dealers, the notes can be entered and will appear in a scheduling notes window 64 of the detailed reservation screen 30. Upon completion of the covering and scheduling of equipment, the coverage status 46 can be changed to “YES” by activating the “Covered and Scheduled” key 66 in the detailed reservation screen 30. In one embodiment of the invention, the detailed reservation screen 30 is color coded such that, for example, reservations that are covered are shown in white, reservations that are partially covered are shown in yellow and reservations that are not covered are shown in red. The detailed reservation screen 30 preferably includes a print function 68 that enables the user to obtain a printed copy of the information on the detailed reservation screen 30.
As shown in
The equipment at site feature 70 preferably includes information regarding the location 72 for which the information is provided, the types of equipment available 74, the number of equipment that is designated for one-way use 76, the number of equipment that is designated for rotational (or in-town) use 78, and the total equipment available at the site 80. Furthermore, the equipment at site feature 70 preferably includes the number of reservations 82 that have been made for each type of equipment for each specified date. For example, in the embodiment of the invention shown in
If GATES AUTO did have the desired equipment available, the coverage process could be completed. However, as indicated in
The user can limit the search to view only the locations that have the “AV” trailer available. The search can be limited by entering model “AV” in the model selection window 88. Once a particular model has been entered, the drop down menu excludes all locations that do not have the model available. Accordingly, the user is provided with all of the locations that have the “AV” trailer available.
The search feature 84 preferably allows the user to exclude equipment out on “in-town” rental by providing an exclusion checkbox 90. If the exclusion checkbox 90 is selected by the user, the system 10 will not include equipment that is out on “in-town” rentals in its search results. Furthermore, the search feature 84 preferably allows the user to include rotation equipment by providing an inclusion checkbox 92. If the inclusion checkbox 92 is selected by the user, the system 10 will include all rotation equipment in its search results.
For the user's convenience, the equipment at site feature 70 includes a reservation reminder 94 that provides the user with basic reservation information, preferably including, the type of equipment 96 that has been reserved, the pick-up location 98, and the pick-up date 100. In the embodiment shown in
The equipment at site feature 70 preferably includes an update indicator 102 that informs the user of the date and time on which the system 10 was last updated. This feature ensures that the user is receiving current, updated information. If there is a system failure, and the information is not updated regularly, the update indicator 102 preferably informs the user by changing color. The equipment at site feature 70 also preferably includes a set-up transfer key 370 that enables the user to initiate the transfer of equipment or check the status of an existing transfer, as explained in more detail below.
As shown in
The field identifier 112 preferably identifies the specific model, location, and date that correspond to the reservation 82 (shown in
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, as shown in
The status of each piece of equipment is specified as confirmed, tentative, or canceled. To facilitate the indication of the status of each equipment, confirmed key 168, tentative key 170 and canceled key 172 are provided on the equipment information 134. To indicate that the reservation with respect to a particular piece of equipment has been confirmed, at the time of entering the information regarding the equipment, the confirmed key 168 is activated. Similarly, the user can indicate that the reservation is tentative or canceled by activating the tentative key 170 and the canceled key 172, respectively. All additions, corrections and deletions can be saved by activating the save key 176.
This feature is useful for sharing information with all users of the automated equipment management and reservation system, including users at the reservation center, pick-up location, dispatch location or any other location that uses the automated equipment management and reservation system. Some examples of the type of information that could be transmitted are changes in the pick-up date or time, changes in the equipment requested by the customer, change in the pick-up location of the equipment, or any special request or specific concern on behalf of the customer. All such information is maintained in the notes 138 and is available to for viewing by all users.
In reference to
The automated equipment management and reservation system 10 is configured to allow a user to indicate receipt of the dispatched equipment. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, as shown in
If the equipment is to be returned to the original dispatch location, the automated equipment management and reservation system 10 provides a reverse key 202, as shown in
As shown in
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, if the selection criteria 212 is pick-up location 224 or reservation location 226, the selection data 214 provides a supplemental window 234 that allows the user to add a date to the selection criteria. For example, if a user selects reservation location 226, the user will be prompted to enter the particular location in the selection data window 232 and a date in the supplemental window 234. Upon activating the search key 216, the system 10 will return a list of reservations for the specified reservation location for the specified date. In a more preferred embodiment of the invention, the system 10 returns all reservations within three days prior and three days after the dated entered in the supplemental window 234. This feature assists the user who cannot remember the exact date of the reservation for which he is searching. In the event that it is desired to cancel the find feature, the system 10 preferably includes a cancel key 236 that, upon activation, will cause the system 10 to exit the find function 210.
The find function of the automated equipment management and reservation system 10 is a useful feature of the invention in that it enables a user to find a reservation speedily and conveniently. This is especially useful for users who are assisting customers and need to retrieve existing reservation information immediately. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, to further facilitate the search for information, a find key 204 is provided on the reservation summary 12, as shown in
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, to enable the user to review the status of reservations or equipment, the automated equipment management and reservation system 10 generates a number of reports. In one embodiment of the invention, the system 10 generates a reservations report. In a preferred embodiment, as shown in
The posted/not posted report generated will preferably include the reservations for a specified number of days. In a more preferred embodiment of the invention, the range of days is preselected in the automated equipment management and reservation system such that the report will always list the reservations for the following two days, for example. The number of days for which the reservations are listed is preferably three days if the report is printed on a Friday. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a user will be able to access the posted/not posted report 240 by activating the reservation report key 206 on the reservation summary 12, as shown in
Another report that is preferably available to the user is the reserved equipment report 250, shown in
To further limit the scope of the reserved equipment report, the reserved equipment report 250 includes a “not covered and not scheduled” option 258, a “covered and scheduled” option 260, an all option 262, and a cancel option 264. If the not covered and not scheduled option 258 is selected, the report will include a list of reservations and equipment numbers that are not covered and not scheduled. If the covered and scheduled option 260 is selected, the report will include a list of reservations and equipment numbers that are both covered and scheduled for the dates selected. To generate a report that lists all reservations and equipment numbers that are within the date range selected, the user can select the all option 262. The cancel option 264 will cancel and exit the reserved equipment report 250. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a user will be able to access the reserved equipment report 250 by activating the reserved equipment report key 208 on the reservation summary 12, as shown in
To ensure that the user is provided with the most updated information, the reservation summary 12 preferably includes a refresh key 270, as shown in
The automated equipment management and reservation system 10 preferably enables the user to view the location and the reservation status of all equipment. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, as shown in
Upon selection of a scope 306, the equipment information field 304 displays information pertaining to the equipment within the specified scope. For example, in the embodiment shown in
The equipment at site feature 300 preferably displays the reservation for each model by date 322. In the embodiment shown in
The type of equipment that is listed in the equipment information field 304 can be tailored using the equipment type selector 332. For example, in the embodiment shown in
As shown in
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the detailed equipment information screen 350 includes a set-up transfer key 370 that enables the user to initiate the transfer of equipment or check the status of an existing transfer. By highlighting an equipment entry 372 and activating the set-up transfer key 370, the system will provide the user with transfer information pertaining to the highlighted entry 372. The detailed equipment information screen 350 preferably includes a pending transfers section 355 that provides information pertaining to pending transfers, such as the model type 357 of the equipment being transferred, the equipment origin 359, the equipment pick-up date 361, the setup date 363, the equipment destination 365, and any notes 367 pertaining to the transfer.
In a preferred embodiment, upon activation of the set-up transfer key 370, a transfer function 380 is displayed, as shown in
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, as shown in
As shown in
With reference to
As shown in
The hookup information feature 400 can also determine the safety status of a hookup combination when the towing vehicle is a rental truck and the towed vehicle is the customer's vehicle. The hookup information feature 400 is preferably linked to the reservation summary 12 (
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as shown in
To view the receives and dispatches for a particular manual dealer, the dealer's location can be entered into the location area 446. To view the receives and dispatches for a particular type of equipment, a selection is made in the equipment type 448. If the user is interested in viewing the history of a particular equipment, the user can enter the equipment number in the equipment number window 450. The automated equipment management and reservation system 10 will preferably match up the equipment model numbers that have been received and dispatched, and list them next to each other in the receiving area 442 and the dispatching area 444, respectively. Dispatched equipment records are preferably deleted after a specified period of time, and more preferably, after 31 days. The route book 440 is preferably linked to the reservation summary 12 (
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the automated equipment management and reservation system, provides information relating to the rental equipment business. For example, the system preferably includes a rate chart that provides the user with the rental rate for a particular piece of equipment based on the origin and destination locations. Other features that may be included are telephone numbers and addresses for rental locations and personnel; route assignment information and address information for entities within a marketing company; and, a list of rotation trucks available within the marketing company.
As shown in
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the automated equipment management and reservation system 10 is configured to incorporate the details of the reservation into the script. For example, in the embodiment shown in
The embodiments described above are exemplary embodiments of an automated equipment management and reservation system of the present invention. Those skilled in the art may now make numerous uses of, and departures from, the above-described embodiments without departing from the inventive concepts disclosed herein. For example, such departures could include alterations of the visual presentation of the graphical interfaces, the scope and extent of the information provided in each field, and the organization of the functional features of the invention to provide accessibility to the features from various fields of the invention. Accordingly, the present invention is to be defined solely by the scope of the following claims.
