Serialized containers let you link stock levels together. We have two types of container: temporary and permanent.
Temporary and permanent containers differ in three main ways:
the kind of assets that you can add to them
the way they behave when allocated to an opportunity
what happens to them after check-in
Looking to set one up? Head to: Set up temporary or permanent serialized containers
When would you use them?
Temporary containers
Temporary containers are great for items that are temporarily housed together, such as lights or speakers in a flight case.
You generally quote for the items in the container rather than the container itself, e.g. “Martin Mac 250 Entour” rather than “Martin Mac 250 Entour Flight Case”.
When prepping the job, allocate temporary containers to the opportunity and Current will figure out what’s in the container and allocate it to existing lines on the job.
Where lines aren’t found, Current will add components to a special group for spares. The container itself is also added to this group.
Once booked out, the container is emptied. It’s ready to be prepped and packed again in the warehouse on check-in.
When checking-in, items might not have been packed back into the same cases. Each component must be checked-in individually along with the container.
Permanent containers
Permanent serialized containers are generally used for assets that are permanently housed together, such as lamps fixed to a bar or items screwed into racks.
The container will generally be the item that you quote for, e.g. “ETC Source 4 Bar” or “Radio Mic Package (10-way)” and will be shown on your customer-facing documents.
When prepping the job, all of the items are fixed in the container so you scan it out as a unit.
When checking-in, the gear comes back in the same container that it went out in, so you scan it in as a complete unit.
Once finalized, it remains as a complete unit that’s ready to be rented again.
When adding components
Temporary containers
May include bulk, serialized, and non-stock items.
Can't contain Sale stock levels.
Can’t contain other containers.
Permanent containers
May only include serialized stock levels.
Can contain other permanent containers.
Can't contain Sale stock levels.
Container components may be “matched components.”
When allocating assets
Temporary containers
When you allocate a temporary container to an opportunity, components inside the case are automatically allocated to existing lines on the opportunity.
If no existing opportunity items are found, Current creates a new group called “Spares & Containers.”
Permanent containers
When you allocate a permanent container to an opportunity, container components are only allocated to matched component lines.
Where no matched components are found, lines are created on the detail view for the container’s components.
Container components are not included on the order view and do not impact the opportunity charge, weight, or replacement charge totals.
You may swap components if something’s damaged.
When booking out
Temporary containers
The container is emptied and its configuration no longer exists.
Permanent containers
The container remains and its configuration persists.
When checking-in
Temporary containers
When you check-in a temporary container, the container and its components must be checked-in separately.
Permanent containers
When you check-in a permanent container, checking-in the container checks-in its container components.