Space Booking Conflict Checking

You can set up the software to prevent you from booking spaces:

  • On the same day at the same time or
  • Beyond the total bookable area of the space

The process to check if you can book spaces based on date/time or area is called Conflict Checking. You must set up the system to use conflict checking and also configure the space to check for conflicts.

Conflict checking happens when you are booking the space(s) for an event. When saving a booking, Enterprise checks if the space is already booked on another event. If the space is already booked and it is at the same date/time or beyond the total bookable area for the space, a conflict is found and you are either unable to book the space or receives a warning depending on what type of security is set up.

To configure Enterprise use conflict checking:

  1. Click the Booking Configuration link from the Main Menu. The Booking Configuration screen opens.
  2. Select the General tab.
  3. Expand the Booking Conflicts section.
  4. Uncheck the Disable Conflict Checking on Bookings check box.
  5. Click OK.

To configure a space for conflict checking: 

  1. Click the Spaces link from the Main Menu. The Spaces screen opens.
  2. Select the space for the conflict check.
  3. Right-click and select Edit. The Edit Space screen opens.
  4. Select the conflict checking from the Check Conflicts By drop-down: 
    • By Date/Time - If selected, you receive a conflict warning if the space is at the minimum conflict status set in system parameter BK 002.

      Example:  You have a meeting room that accommodates only one event at a time.

      Example of Booking:
      Group 1 books the space from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM.
      Group 2 books the space from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM.

      This booking creates a conflict since the two bookings overlap between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM.

    • By Area - If selected, you receive a conflict warning if the total number of booked units across all bookings for the space, date, and time exceeds the value entered into the Net Area field for the space. 

      Example: There is a large exhibit hall with a net area of 100,000 square meters. The net area for the space is set to 100,000.

      Example of Booking:
      Exhibitor 1 books the space from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM and requests 50,000 square meters (50,000 is entered into the Units field for the booking).
      Exhibitor 2 books the space from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM and requests 70,000 square meters (70,000 is entered into the Units field for the booking).

      This booking creates a conflict since the two bookings overlap between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM and the total booking units (50,000 + 70,000 = 120,000) exceeds the space net area of 100,000.

    • Do Not Check - If selected, you receive no conflict warnings for the space.
  5. Enter the net area for the space into the Net Area field if you selected By Area in the Check Conflicts By drop-down. You may need to add this field to your screen layout. Note that you cannot save a value in the Units field for a booking that exceeds the value entered into this field. For example, if you enter 100,000, you cannot enter 120,000 into the Units field for a booking for this space.
  6. Click OK.

Limit Who Can Book Spaces in Conflict

You can control who can book spaces in conflict using the Allow Conflict Booking by Booking Status Limit access privilege. This is controlled by assigning roles and/or users to the privilege and assigning the status the roles and/or users have access to book. The access privilege does not control the adding of bookings in general. This only controls bookings that are in conflict with each other using the highest booking status for comparison. For example, a role with a security value of 40 can add booking conflicts as long as the new booking has a status of 40 or lower. Set the booking status to the maximum allowed booking conflict status the role and/or user may add. 

If a role and/or user is not assigned to the privilege, then the role and/or user cannot add any booking conflicts regardless of the booking status. If no roles and/or users are assigned to the privilege, it is considered inactive and all role and users can add bookings in conflict.

To limit who can book spaces with conflicts:

  1. Click the Access Privileges link from the Main Menu. The Access Privileges screen opens.
  2. Select the Allow Conflict Booking By Booking Status Limit privilege.
  3. Right-click and select Edit. The Edit Access Privilege screen opens.
  4. Select the Access Privileges Details tab.
  5. Click the Manage button. The Assign Access Privileges screen opens.
  6. Select the roles and/or users for the privilege from the Available section of the screen. Use Ctrl+Click or Shift+Click to select multiple roles/users.
  7. Click the single right arrow button to move the selected role(s) and/or user(s) to the Selected section of the screen.
  8. Click Save. You return to the Edit Access Privilege screen.
  9. Enter the maximum status value allowed for the booking conflict status the role/user may add into the Value field for the role/user. A blank value is considered the same as a role/user not assigned to the privilege. To allow a role/user access to all booking statuses, enter 99. If the value is less than 10, proceed it with a 0. 
  10. Repeat step 9 for all roles/users who need a maximum status value defined.
  11. Click OK.

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Comments

8 comments

Date Votes
  • Jeff Donaldson-Forbes

    Where is "the Spaces link" from the Main Menu? Don't see one anywhere.

    0 upvotes

  • Maggie U.

    Hi Jeff,

    On the v20.8 Main Menu, if you click on the Administration button on the left side of the screen and select System Administration, you can find it in alphabetical order under the Administration section.

    If you are using an earlier version of v20, then you may have to use the Space Master (v19) link as it may not be available in that version.

    If you are using v19, the menu option is also called Space Master.

    Thanks,
    Maggie

    0 upvotes

  • Kris Corrigan

    Hi

    Can we add anymore conflict checks?

    Possibly based on a new feature.

    Thanks

    Kris

    0 upvotes

  • Americas Ungerboeck Consulting

    Kris - do you have a more specific example or business case you are looking to handle? Thanks.

    Mark F

    0 upvotes

  • Kris Corrigan

    Hi Mark

    On a space for the 'check conflicts by' can we add to this dropdown list?

    Currently the options in the list seem to be based around the features, 'by Area', 'date/time' and a 'do not check' option.

    Thanks

    Kris

     

    0 upvotes

  • Americas Ungerboeck Consulting

    Kris - this is not something that is configurable today. We'd be interested in hearing more about other business cases you had in mind when in comes to conflict checking and other ways to detect a conflict. Thanks.

    Mark F

    0 upvotes

  • Sean Tame

    Hi Kris,

    On what other basis are you looking to check conflicts?

    0 upvotes

  • Eddie McCarron - Royal Dublin Society - Ireland

    Is there a way that we can set up the system such that users will not be able to have two bookings with a status that is in the Firm Status band for a Hall/Room on the same date & time?

    Please note that we do want to retain the ability to stack events on a confirmed booking in case it cancels.

    We are using the “Allow Conflict Booking By Booking Status Limit” Access Privilege as a workaround but it is not ideal as we have to clear conflicts by cancelling the stacked booking before we change the status of the confirmed event to firm and then reinstate the provisional booking.

    0 upvotes

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