Equipment Planning (FMS)
The Equipment Planning worksheet provides a centralized view for planning and managing equipment (containers) across multiple freight forwarding documents. Use this worksheet to consolidate equipment details from various shipments, track equipment movements, and optimize equipment allocation based on pickup, loading, and drop-off schedules.
Overview
The Equipment Planning worksheet helps you:
- View all equipment across multiple documents in one place
- Plan equipment movements based on dates and locations
- Track equipment status throughout the shipping process
- Manage complex routes with multiple stops
Only documents and sections that are in a planable status appear in the worksheet. This ensures you work with equipment that is ready for planning activities.
Tip
The worksheet automatically creates lines for each equipment detail found in the selected documents. You can add documents multiple times, and the system prevents duplicate entries.
To open the Equipment Planning worksheet
Choose the 
icon, enter Equipment Planning (Fms), and then choose the related link.
Note
When you first open the worksheet, select a journal template and batch name. The template determines which fields and attributes are available in your worksheet. If you open the worksheet from a batch, the template and batch are automatically selected. You can change the batch name if needed.
Working with the worksheet
Adding documents to the worksheet
To add documents to the worksheet:
- On the Equipment Planning worksheet, choose the Add Documents action.
- Select the documents you want to add based on your filtering criteria.
- The system creates worksheet lines for each equipment detail found in the selected documents.
The worksheet automatically includes equipment details from document sections that have related activity lines. Only documents and sections with a planable status are included.
Filtering by dates
Use date filters to focus on specific time periods for your equipment planning activities.
In the Date Filter Type field, select one of the following:
Option Description (blank) No date filter applied Pickup Filter by pickup dates (Un)Loading Filter by loading or unloading dates Drop-off Filter by drop-off dates Departure Filter by departure dates Arrival Filter by arrival dates In the Period Type field, select the period type: Day, Week, Month, Quarter, or Year.
In the Date Filter field, specify the date range.
Use the Previous Period and Next Period actions to quickly navigate between time periods.
Tip
When you select a period type and date filter, the worksheet automatically filters the displayed lines. You can combine date filters with other filters to narrow down your view even further.
Viewing equipment information
Each line in the worksheet shows comprehensive information about the equipment and its planned movements:
- Document information: Document type, number, customer name, and external document number
- Equipment details: Equipment identification number, equipment type code, vessel number, and voyage number
- Status: Current status code of the equipment detail
- Pickup information: Source location, dates, times, reference, and transport instructions
- (Un)Loading information: Location, dates, times, reference, and transport instructions
- Drop-off information: Destination location, dates, times, reference, and transport instructions
- Additional stops: Up to two additional stops can be configured based on your template setup
- Cargo information: Gross weight and other cargo details
- Route information: Mode of transport, carriage type, and route description
- Attributes: Up to 10 configurable attribute fields (visibility depends on template configuration)
Note
Some fields may be hidden based on your template configuration or user preferences. Use the Show/Hide Times and Show/Hide Source No. actions to customize which fields are visible.
Customizing the view
You can show or hide certain fields to customize your view:
- Choose Show/Hide Times to toggle the display of time fields for pickup, loading, and drop-off activities.
- Choose Show/Hide Source No. to toggle the display of source number fields.
Navigating to source documents
To view the source document for a worksheet line:
- Choose the Show Document action, or
- Choose the Document No. field to drill down to the document card.
Managing equipment status
Change the status of equipment directly from the worksheet:
- Choose Next Status to move to the next status in the workflow (shortcut: Ctrl+F11).
- Choose Previous Status to move to the previous status (shortcut: Shift+Ctrl+F11).
Status changes are automatically synchronized with the equipment detail records in the source documents.
Refreshing attributes
If attribute values need to be recalculated:
- Select the worksheet lines you want to update.
- Choose the Refresh Attributes action.
The system recalculates attribute values based on the current configuration and data.
Understanding statistics
The statistics factbox on the right side of the worksheet provides real-time insights into your equipment planning data. The factbox displays key metrics that help you understand the scope and composition of your equipment planning activities.
The following statistics are available:
| Statistic | Description |
|---|---|
| Total Lines | Number of lines currently displayed |
| Unique Documents | Number of distinct documents included in the worksheet |
| Unique Customers | Number of distinct customers with equipment in the worksheet |
| 20ft Containers | Number of 20-foot containers |
| 40ft Containers | Number of 40-foot containers |
| 45ft Containers | Number of 45-foot containers |
| Total Containers | Total number of unique containers |
| TEU | Twenty-foot Equivalent Units calculation |
| Total Gross Weight | Sum of all gross weights |
Statistics update automatically as you filter or modify the worksheet data. This gives you instant feedback on how your filters affect the data set.
Key features
Multi-stop planning
The worksheet supports complex routes with multiple stops, allowing you to plan equipment movements that involve several locations:
- Pickup: Initial equipment pickup location
- (Un)Loading: Loading or unloading location
- Drop-off: Final drop-off location
- Additional stops: Up to two additional stops can be configured per template
Each stop shows source location, dates, times, references, and transport instructions. This comprehensive view helps you coordinate equipment movements across multiple locations and time periods.
Status tracking
Monitor equipment status across all related documents. Status codes are displayed with visual indicators, and you can change status directly from the worksheet. Status changes are synchronized with the source equipment detail records.
Flexible date filtering
Filter equipment by different date types depending on your planning needs:
- Focus on pickup schedules when planning equipment collection
- Filter by loading dates when coordinating loading activities
- Use drop-off dates for return planning
- Monitor departure and arrival dates for tracking purposes
Best practices
Follow these best practices to get the most out of the Equipment Planning worksheet:
Use filters effectively: Apply date filters to focus on specific planning periods and reduce the amount of data displayed. This improves performance and makes it easier to work with relevant data.
Template configuration: Work with your administrator to configure templates with the appropriate attributes and additional stops for your business needs. Well-configured templates make the worksheet more useful for your specific workflows.
Customize your view: Use the show/hide actions to display only the fields you need. This reduces clutter and helps you focus on the information that matters most for your planning activities.