SSABI.COM / AVAILABILITY NETTING

What is availability netting?

Availability netting calculates free rental stock for a date range and warehouse by subtracting overlapping commitments. In Ssabi, accepted and closed quotes consume availability; tentative and sent quotes show demand without reserving stock unless a confirmed hold exists. Check service blocks and the warehouse before promising equipment.

The problem with status flags

Most rental operations track availability with a status per unit: in the yard, on rent, in service. That answers "where is this unit right now?" but not the question a booking actually asks: "can I promise eight of these for the 14th through the 18th?" A unit sitting in the yard today may already be committed to three future jobs. A status flag can't see forward, so people check calendars, ask the yard, and eventually promise gear that was never really free. That's how double bookings happen — not through carelessness, but because the tool answers the wrong question.

How netting works

Ssabi subtracts every consuming hold that overlaps the requested window. This is a conservative window total, not a calculation of peak demand on a single day. Windows that share an endpoint count as overlapping.

STOCK: 10 UNITS ORDER #204 · 4 UNITS HOLD #88 · 3 UNITS REQUESTED RANGE NET FREE IN RANGE: 10 − 4 − 3 = 3 UNITS

Fictional example: Warehouse A has 10 units. An order commits 4 and a confirmed hold commits 3 across the requested dates, leaving 3 available. A request for 5 has a shortage of 2.

Can another warehouse cover the shortage?

Check the source warehouse for the same item and dates, then confirm transport and preparation time before promising a transfer. Stock elsewhere does not automatically mean stock ready at the dispatch location. Compare transfer, subhire, and an approved substitute when a shortage remains.

Which quotes reserve equipment in Ssabi?

Accepted and closed quotes count as commitments. Tentative and sent quotes are soft demand unless a confirmed hold exists. Keep this distinction visible when reviewing competing requests; an availability calculation does not guarantee that every operational conflict is prevented.

Before confirming: check the item, warehouse, dates, service blocks, and confirmed commitments. Recheck when dates or quantities change.

How Ssabi implements it

For a practical walkthrough, choose an item and warehouse, compare tentative demand with a confirmed hold, then change the dates and inspect the resulting shortage.

Read the double-booking checklist

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