BookitLab is upgraded on 12 Nov 2023 with many changes in navigation etc. This particularly applies to project/core admin users. For more info, see this file. Guidelines must be updated continuously.
Go to "Instrument Settings" of an instrument
To add or edit settings of an instrument, you need to go to "Instrument Settings" page of the instrument that you would like to configure its settings. There you can find several tabs.
Where is "Instrument Settings" page?
There are several ways to reach "Instrument Settings" page. Below is one of them.
Click the followings:
- "ADMIN PANEL", found at the bottom of the navigation menu on the left-hand side.
- "INSTRUMENTS" on the navigation menu.
- "Instruments List" right under "INSTRUMENTS".
- The instrument's name that you would like to add/edit settings. If you cannot find the instrument immediately, try using filtering function or the search field at the bottom of the page.
On "Working Hours" tab
The instrument can be booked only on the time range that are set as working hours. In other words, it is not possible to book instruments on time ranges that are not set as working hours in the table here.
Special case 1: Use of "RESTRICT RESERVATION TO TIME SLOTS"
Activating "RESTRICT RESERVATION TO TIME SLOTS" makes each reservation use the whole "time slot".
This setting could be useful, for example;
- when a fixed price should be applied for bookings during "Off peak time slot type"
- Make a time slot, for example 18:00-8:00, with "Off Peak" at "TIME SLOT TYPE".
- Use "Reservation (fixed)" on the "FEE TYPE" field on "Price Sheet" and set the fixed price at "RATE".
- Alternatively "Reservation (h)" can be used by setting (the fixed price) / hours (in this case, it is 14) at "RATE". Booking during "Off peak" is made anyways for the 14 hours, so the price is to be the same.
- when the instrument's booking window needs to follow fixed time schedule during "Peak"-time, such as always starting at "x:00" and ending at "x+1:00".
- Make 1-hour time slots with "Peak" at "TIME SLOT TYPE" column so many as they are needed. For example, if from 8:00 to 17:00 is peak time, then you would need 9 time slots per week day (8:00-9:00, 9:00-10:00, etc.).
- Use "Reservation (h)" on the "FEE TYPE" field on "Price Sheet" and set the price per hour at "RATE".
- Please note that then booking can be made only at the defined time slots. For example, if time slots are set like 9:00-10:00, 10:00-11:00, etc., the instrument can be only booked with start and end time at x:00, and not like from 9:30 to 10:30.
Special case 2: Blocking time
If an instrument should have a blocking time where any bookings should not be made, this can be done by NOT making working hour time slot on that time interval.
- Time intervals where time slots are not set are shown in gray in its calendar and not selectable for making a reservation.
- It is not possible to book the instrument for a time interval that includes the blocking time (i.e. where it is not set as working hour).
On "Restrictions" tab
Restrictions that are applied for all users
Restrictions applicable for all users can be set at "Reservation Restrictions" section. Such restrictions can be:
- Length of a booking (minimum and maximum).
- Time-gap between bookings.
- Deadline for booking (e.g. by x hours before start time of booking, or by what time a reservation needs to be made if it is on the same day.)
Restrictions and permission for users or user groups
By deactivating "ALLOW UNLIMITED RESERVATION FOR ALL USERS" toggle under "Reservation Quotas" section, you can configure settings that apply either individual user or user groups to whom you would like to allow bookings.
There are three levels for booking rules. From the highest priority level, they are;
- For selected users (highest priority),
- For a specific instrument, and
- For the core.
Define a "Permission Level"
Booking rules for users can be defined as "Permission Level". It is called "permission", because by deactivating "ALLOW UNLIMITED RESERVATION FOR ALL USERS" toggle, the default is that none is allowed to make any bookings without meeting criteria for a set permission. Therefore, a "permission" is given to users you allow bookings with specific conditions.
"Permission Level" needs to be defined before it is set at the instruments setting.
- (If you are not yet there) Go to "ADMIN PANEL" from the navigation menu on the left-hand side.
- Click "Permission Level" menu under "INSTRUMENTS" on the navigation menu.
- Click "+" icon to make a new "Permission Level".
- There you can choose from the two permission types:
- Reservation Period Limitations: Total hours per day / week / month and total open bookings.
- Booking Window Limitations: Start / end of booking window and deadline for booking (i.e., by when booking needs to be made).
Add "Permission Levels" for users
- Go back to "Restrictions" tab on the instrument's "INSTRUMENT SETTINGS" page.
- (If not done yet) Deactivate "ALLOW UNLIMITED RESERVATION FOR ALL USERS" toggle under "Reservation Quotas"
- Click "+" icon at "User Permission" section. If you cannot find the section, scroll down the page.
- There you can choose a "Permission Level" and on which "Time Slot Type" and to whom (different level of user groups or individuals) this should apply.
Here you can also set "Training Level" if it is relevant.
On "Cancellation" tab
Cancellation policy and rules can be defined here.
"Cancellation Policy"
To prevent cancelling on the same day, the deadline can be set as time.
Other rules
Other rules can be defined by filling in the following fields on "Add New Record" row and click "Insert" button.
- HOURS BEFORE START: Total hours before the start time of the booking where this cancellation rule would apply the cancellation.
- % OF RESERVATION COST: How much it would cost upon cancellation provided by percentage of the reservation cost.
- ALLOW USERS TO: Choose from the following rules or conditions;
- "No changes allowed".
- "Allow to modify": changes are allowed but not cancellation.
- "Allow to cancel":
On "Training Sessions" tab
When an instrument is used as a part of training session, new training sessions using the instrument can be set up here as well as rules around sign-ups.
Set up a new training session
- Click "View/Add Trainings sessions". Then you will be moved to the instrument's "Instrument Specifications" page.
- Scroll down to "Trainings Sessions" section and click "+" icon.
- Fill in necessary information about the training session and press "Submit".
- The training session is now visible in the instrument's calendar.
Users can book (sign up to) the training session by themselves. It is also possible for core admins to add the users to the session.
Rules that can be set for trainings sessions of the instrument
- If you want to set that training sign-ups requires approval by core admins, this can be set by selecting "PENDING" at "CREATE TRAINING SIGN UP AS" field.
- If training sessions should be cancelled when a session does not have a minimum number of sign-ups, you could set up a deadline by when sign-ups needs to reach the minimum number. This deadline can be set as the number of hours at "DEADLINE FOR REACHING MINIMUM ATTENDANCE (H)" field. For example, if you would like to set the deadline as 2 days before the session, then set 48. The minimum number can be set for each training session.
On "Assistance" tab
If the instrument must or can be booked with assistance by a lab staff, relevant settings can be done at this tab.
If you want to make booking of the instrument requires core-admin's approval, either only for the first time or all the time, this can be set here by turning on "TRAINING/APPROVAL POSSIBLE" toggle.
Select if the assistance is optional or obligatory
- If it is optional, turn on only "TRAINING/APPROVAL POSSIBLE" toggle (then request for assistance needs to be approved).
- If it is obligatory, turn on both "TRAINING/APPROVAL POSSIBLE" and "REQUIRE APPROVALS" toggles.
- Assistance is obligatory for the first reservation.
- "Core admin" can choose if assistance is obligatory only at the first reservation or all the future reservations.
- Whenever a user requests for assistance (i.e. including when only the first time is obligatory to have assistance but optional from the second time), it needs to get approved.
- If the assistance is available only for scheduled time (to be shown in the calendar), turn on "TRAINING/APPROVAL POSSIBLE", "REQUIRE APPROVALS", and "ASSISTED RESERVATIONS ARE ALLOWED ONLY DURING ASSISTED HOURS".
- Set schedule for available assistance in training session page.
- Schedule can be set as either weekly repetition or for each and every session.
Upon approval of a sign-up to a training session or booking with assistance
When "core admin" approves the sign-up to a training session or booking with assistance, the "core admin" can choose either:
- The approval is valid only on the booking and not future bookings.
- Future bookings also get approved. In other words, this user's second and later bookings on the instrument will be automatically approved when a booking is made. In this case, a "User Training" of this user for this instrument is automatically created.
- You will create a new "User Training" and edit information manually there. In this case, the user is not approved for future reservations automatically. "Core admin" can for example edit the validity of approval so that it applies future reservations after the training is completed.
Note: If a user is approved for future bookings of an instrument once but this needs to be withdrawn for some reason, turn off "Active" toggle of the relevant "User Training".
"User Training" can be found under "TRAINING"on the navigation menu on the left-hand side.
Other settings
On "Prerequisite trainings" tab
When the whole core or instruments requires that users have taken a training of another instrument or another training program beforehand, such settings can be made here. For example;
- Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) training as a prerequisite to use anything in the lab.
- A training on an instrument as a prerequisite to use other instruments of the same type (e.g., microscopes of the same model)
Within BookitLab, an "instrument" is anything that can be booked. A training program without any physical object can be also created as one instrument. To register a training program in BookitLab, select "Training programs" at "AVAILABILITY" field on "Resource" tab.
On "Notification" tab
Here diverse email notifications settings can be made. For example, sending notification to a specific user (like "core admin") when a booking that requires an approval is made.
Please note that by default no email notification is sent to "core admin" although the instrument's setting is made to require approval of bookings. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to configure email notification settings so that the newly made bookings can be assessed for approval as soon as possible.
On "Access Control" tab
At the moment, this tab is not very relevant at UiO.
"Not Loanable" means that the instrument cannot be taken away from the place where the instrument is located.
On "Accompanied" tab
In case the instrument needs to be booked together with an "Accompanied Service", alternatives of "Accompanied Services" could be set here. "Accompanied Service" itself needs to be created beforehand from "Accompanied Services" menu under "INSTRUMENTS" on the navigation menu on "ADMIN PANEL".
IMPORTANT! Please note the following:
- The price set for "accompanied service" selected upon booking overwrites the price set for the instrument itself.
- When several "accompanied services" have been selected upon booking, the sum of the prices for the selected "accompanied services" is to be charged.
- As long as one or more "accompanied services" have been defined and are active in an instrument, then at least one "accompanied service" MUST be selected when booking.
- If ONLY the "core admin" should be able to choose which "accompanied service(s)" should be used for a booking, the following must be done:
- Create several "accompanied services", including one that is set as "Default Accompanied service",
- Check the "Staff Only" checkbox on the created "accompanied services" EXCEPT FOR the default one, and
- Set an "accompanied service" on the "Default Accompanied service" field.
It is strongly recommended to test how the "accompanied service" works and the price is calculated for various scenarios on the stage environment before setting it up in the production environment. If you have any questions, contact bookitlab-hjelp@usit.uio.no