Real world proof software
Real world proof software. AKA software you don't want to shoot.One of the things we're most proud of is that BRM / RSM handles what we call 'rental realities'. All the little scenarios that actually happen on a daily basis in this business.
A lot of this comes under the general heading of 'shit happens - deal with it'.
In many ways this is completely counter-intuitive. You want to be able to fill up your rental schedule without fear of double-bookings. Your system brings and order and control to the chaos.
But then big fat old reality comes along and messes it all up. But you can't argue with reality so you need to just get on and do it, without the system getting in the way! It needs to exert just enough control, rules and order, not too much.
Here are just some examples of the system being clever enough to 'get out of the way' whilst not allowing a free-for all.
Reservation comes back early
When an item comes back early you want to be able to immediately use those items in new reservations.
The items need to be available from that minute.
You don't want to have to adjust rental dates and times - simply checking in should make the bike available.
Likewise you want to be able to swap in these bikes into existing reservations. (see below)
BRM does handle this automatically (and has done for years in BRM)
Individual bike check-in
One (or item) comes back early. You need to be able to independently check in that item without changing a bunch of stuff.
Checked in bikes need to be available from that moment, without affecting the rest of the reservation.
January 2017
Retrospective overlaps
(are you sitting comfortably? - this takes a while to explain!)
you want to swap in bike 110ALLEZ52.
it was booked out until 5pm on the 11/25
it came back early 2:51pm on the 11/25
BUT the reservation you need it for didn't start until 9am on the 11/24
So strictly speaking that would be an overlap and hence it shouldn't fit.
HOWEVER.
in real life, stuff like this happens.
So the system lets you do this, as long as the overlap occurred in the past.
Conclusion
All of the above *just works* on BRM. It doesn't work by accident. It has take years of real-world experience to get it to work, so you can get on with the business of dealing with the chaos, not managing your software.