Activity Messenger Help Center

Inspect resources and track bookings from an invoice

Use booking tracking to document equipment checkout or return, complete a form, and manage resource availability. The same workflow supports locations and staff: forms and tracking states depend on your configuration.

For example, when a bike is returned, you can find its invoice, complete a checklist in a modal, select a tracking state, add photos, and make the bike unavailable if it needs repairs.

Before you begin

You need access to the relevant invoices, resources, and forms. Some actions may be hidden or refused depending on your permissions. First configure your resources and booking packages.

Three separate records serve different purposes:

Selecting a tracking state such as “Broken” does not automatically make the resource unavailable. Also use Availability when you need to remove it from available resources.

1. Prepare a form for the resource

In a compatible form's editor, add a Resource choice question. This identifies the resource being inspected; it is separate from the question used to book a resource.

1. Set the question label and, if needed, its description and placeholder.
2. Choose which resource types to offer: all types, locations, equipment, or staff.
3. Set the resource selection to all resources, specific resources, or resources selected by tags.
4. For a tag selection, choose the relevant tags. A resource can be offered when it has at least one selected tag and matches the selected type.
5. Configure the other question options, including whether it is required and who can see it.
6. Add your inspection questions and save the form.

A general form or payment form containing a Resource choice question can be offered for a resource included in its selection. An unavailable resource can still be inspected; archived resources are not offered in this choice.

The Fill out a form button appears in tracking when compatible forms are accessible for the resource. You do not need a different form for each invoice.

2. Find the invoice and open tracking

Open the invoice, then open Tracking for the relevant booking. The Booking tracking modal displays the invoice number, resources, and schedule.

If you use a barcode scanner:

1. From the invoice list, open Scan invoices using the barcode icon button.
2. Scan the invoice barcode with a scanner that acts as a keyboard and sends Enter.
3. You can also type the invoice number and press Enter, or choose an invoice in the interface.
4. Open tracking for the appropriate booking on the retrieved invoice.

Scanning retrieves the invoice. It does not automatically record a return or another tracking state.

In the resource and schedule block, click a resource name to open the resource list in another tab with its name prefilled in the search. This link does not directly open the resource editor.

3. Complete the form from the invoice

1. In New tracking entry, find the correct resource.
2. Click Fill out a form.
3. Choose a compatible form.
4. Complete and submit the form in the modal that opens.
5. After submitting, continue with booking tracking.

This workflow passes the resource, booking, and invoice context to the form. The invoice number identifies the associated invoice; it is different from the booking number.

Closing the form modal without submitting does not complete this step. Observations already entered in tracking are retained during the workflow.

Submitting the form and saving tracking create separate records. After submitting the form, choose the tracking state and save tracking to finish your report.

4. Choose the state and record observations

In New tracking entry:

1. Choose a value under Tracking. The current status label reminds you of the saved value.
2. Enter observations about the equipment or resource condition.
3. Add photos if needed: up to five JPEG, PNG, or WebP files of 5 MB each.
4. Click Save.

The entry records the date and author. Observations are internal notes associated with the invoice.

Tracking states are selected manually. Customize the list under Tracking states in the organization settings. A booking package can also define its own list, which replaces the organization's list for its bookings when configured. Colors can be customized.

Labels such as “Out,” “Return,” “Broken,” or “Deposit returned” are configuration examples. Selecting “Deposit returned” does not refund a deposit or perform a financial transaction.

If someone changes tracking while you are entering information and a conflict is reported, reload the data and check the new state before retrying. Tracking on cancelled or archived bookings is read-only.

5. Update availability

The resource block displays Available or Not available. To change it:

1. Click Availability for the resource.
2. Choose the action to make it unavailable or available again.
3. For an unavailability period, enter the requested title, administrative note, and end date and time.
4. Confirm the action in that modal.

The availability badge updates after the action. This change is applied separately from saving tracking: closing or cancelling the tracking modal afterward does not undo an availability change already applied.

Availability and tracking state can therefore differ. Equipment can have a “Return” tracking state while remaining unavailable for maintenance.

6. Review this invoice's history

The History tab combines events associated with booking tracking:

• tracking state changes, observations, and photos;
• forms submitted through this invoice workflow, labelled Form completed, with the form name and a View answers link;
• availability changes made from this context, including the resource, state transition, and recorded details.

Events display their date and associated person. Someone who submitted a form may be identified as a respondent.

This history does not display every completed form for the resource. It includes forms submitted from this invoice for the relevant booking. A form completed elsewhere, or an older answer without identified provenance, is not automatically attached to this invoice.

Availability changes must also have been recorded with this invoice context to appear here. Earlier actions are not reconstructed retroactively.

Use search and pagination to find an entry. Choose 10, 25, 50, or 100 entries per page.

Review forms and the journal from a resource

For a resource-focused view, open the resource from the resource list. The Forms tab appears when compatible forms or existing responses are accessible under your permissions.

From that tab, choose a form and a booking to associate with it. You can also create an administrator booking by specifying its type and period. This resource-based workflow opens the form in another tab; it is separate from the guided invoice workflow.

The resource's form history lets you review answers and choose up to twelve answer columns to display. This view can cover multiple bookings: it is broader than a single invoice's history.

From the resource actions, open its log to review bookings and associated operations. Filter by period, booking type, and active or archived status, then open a booking to review its details. The journal entry shows tracking and, when relevant and permitted, forms linked to that booking and resource.

Common questions

Why can't I see the button to fill out a form? Check your permissions, the form type, and its Resource choice question. The resource must match the configured type, selection, or tags.

Why doesn't the completed form appear on this invoice? Check that it was submitted using this invoice's button and for the correct booking. An answer created from the resource's own page is not automatically added to the invoice history.

Why is a “Broken” resource still available? The tracking label and availability are independent. Use Availability to record its unavailability.

Can I adapt this workflow to something other than a bike return? Yes. Configure the questions, resource selection, and tracking states for your activities. The Form completed label remains general.

For daily scheduling and bookings, see Manage daily bookings and availability.