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essensys Platform - Dynamic Booking - Configuration - Manage Booking rules
essensys Platform - Dynamic Booking - Configuration - Manage Booking rules

How do I define the constraints for space bookings? | Booking rules | Minimum / Maximum Booking Times | T&Cs | Dynamic Booking module

Stuart avatar
Written by Stuart
Updated over 2 years ago

If you are using the Dynamic Booking module, you can book spaces for yourself and your occupiers subject to constraints associated with booking rules. Booking rules describe the time constraints that apply when booking a space. For example, they may indicate that offices can be booked for a minimum period of 4 hours, and that the start of the booking period must be on the half hour.

The Booking rules also allow operators to include terms and conditions for the booking. The occupier agrees to the terms and conditions (T&Cs) when the booking is made.

Manage Booking rules

The Booking Rules page allows operators to:

  • Manage the default booking rule.
    Note: The default booking rule is used where a booking is made for any space that does not have its own booking rule. It cannot be deleted.

  • Add booking rules for one or more particular space types, including defining the terms and conditions that occupiers agree to when they book spaces.

  • Edit the existing booking rules.

  • Delete the booking rules associated with particular spaces.

Before you begin

To use this functionality, you must be a Dynamic Booking module user.

Accessing the Booking Rule configuration

  1. Select Spaces from the Main Navigation, and then Configuration.

  2. In the main editor, select the Booking rules tab.
    The Booking Rules page opens.

Note: The Default Booking rule cannot be deleted. It defines booking rules that are used where there is no rule for the specific space type.

Note: Booking rules, opening hours, and product pricing all impact the bookings that you can make on behalf of your occupiers.

Add a Booking Rule

From the Booking Rules page:

  1. From the top-right, click Add Booking Rule.
    The Add Booking Rule dialogue box opens.

  2. From the Assign to space type drop-down list, select one or more space types.
    Info: If the space type you want to assign is not offered in the drop-down list, there is already a booking rule for it.

  3. Indicate the time constraints (Start times, Min and Max booking time, and Increments) that should apply when you are making a space booking that is constrained by these rules.
    For example, with the following booking rule selections:

    Selecting an Office space in the Calendar will appear as follows:

    • Because Start times is set to Every hour, you can only select a time that begins on the hour.

    • Because Min booking time is 1 hour, the selection that is made in the calendar when you hover is for a 1 hour booking.

    • When you click this selection to start the process of making a booking, the editable fields that are constrained by the booking rules are Start time and Duration. Both are constrained by the same rules as before, but you can also only increase the booking by Increments of 1 hour, and up to a Max booking time of 8 hours.
      Important: Increasing the length of the booking or its start time is only possible within the opening hours for the space.

  4. Optionally, provide Terms and Conditions for a booking of this type.

  5. Click Save rule.

The rule is saved and will be used the next time a user tries to make a booking for a space of the associated type.


Booking Rules Details

Field

Description

Space Type

The type of space that the booking rules apply to. A booking rule can be associated with more than one space type, but a space type can only be associated with one booking rule.

Note: The default space type defines the booking rules that are used by default; that is, when the space type being booked doesn't have specific booking rules.

Start Times

Valid start times for this type of booking. This can be:

  • Every hour - valid booking start times are on the hour. For example, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, and so on.

  • Every half hour - valid booking start times are on the half hour. For example, 14:00, 14:30, 15:00, 15:30, and so on.

  • Every quarter hour - valid booking start times are on the quarter hour. For example, 14:00, 14:15, 14:30, 14:45, and so on.

Increments

When you make a booking selection, this value is used to define the increments by which the booking slot can be extended.

Minimum Booking Time

The minimum length of time that a space of this type can be booked for.

Maximum Booking Time

The maximum length of time that a space of this type can be booked for.

Terms and Conditions (T&Cs)

A text field for entering the terms and conditions associated with the booking.

The occupier agrees to the terms and conditions when the booking is made.

Edit button

Update an existing booking rule.

Delete button

Delete an existing booking rule.

Note: You cannot delete the default booking rule.


Further information

  • Opening Hours for your Site affect when bookings can be made. You can only book a space during the times the site is open.

  • Products define the prices that may be charged when the space booking is made.

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