Section 3.5: Equipment & Resource Management

The Resource Management platform (found under Resources in the producer sidebar) is the centralized dashboard for tracking, organizing, and scheduling physical assets. This includes production gear (camera packages, lighting kits), studio spaces, stages, and vehicles.

1. Inventory Management

The Inventory tab is the primary directory of all physical resources owned by your organization.

Adding and Categorizing Assets

To add a new asset:

1. Click the Add Resource button.
2. Provide details:
   • Name: The identifier of the gear (e.g., "Sony FX6 - Body #1").
   • Category: Choose from Camera, Lighting, Audio, Grip, Vehicle, Studio Space, or Custom.
   • Location: Select where the asset is stored (managed under Organization Settings).
   • Day Rate / Hourly Rate: The replacement or internal billing cost, used for project budget estimation.
   • Serial Number & Description: Operational and maintenance details.
   • Quantity: Define the quantity of identical items available.

Folder Organization

To prevent clutter, resources can be nested in folders:

• Creating Folders: Click New Folder, name the folder, and select the category.
• Moving Assets: Use the folder selection menu on any asset card to move it into a specific folder (e.g., nesting "Sony 24-70mm GM Lens" inside a "Lenses" folder).

Bulk Actions

For large studios and rental houses, ABRAM supports bulk operations:

• Bulk Import: Click the Import button. You can upload a CSV/TSV/TXT file or directly paste tab-separated spreadsheet data.

  [!NOTE] The system does not currently offer a downloadable spreadsheet template. Instead, a column formatting helper is displayed in the import window showing the expected headers, which include details such as Name, Type, Quantity, Serial Number, Barcode, Condition, Daily Rate, and Identifier. Only the Name field is required.

• Bulk Edit: Select multiple assets using checkboxes, then click Edit [X]. You can update storage locations, status, rates, or categories in bulk.

2. Kit Building

The Kits tab allows you to bundle related individual resources into predefined creative packages.

Instead of booking twenty separate items for every shoot, you can assemble them once as a Kit and book the entire package with a single click. ABRAM also includes an AI Kit Builder that can automatically suggest package compositions.

Assembling a Kit

1. Navigate to the Kits tab and click Create Kit (or use the AI Kit Builder).
2. Name the kit (e.g., "A-Camera Interview Kit") and add a description.
3. Browse your inventory list and add individual components (e.g., Camera body, Prime lenses, Tripod, Monitor, Batteries).
4. Save the kit. The system calculates a combined package rate, which can be overridden with a custom bundle rate.

Kit Availability Logic

When a Kit is booked, the system automatically creates resource allocations for all constituent individual assets on those dates.

[!NOTE] Planned Feature: Kit completeness tracking is currently in development. At present, if a constituent item is booked elsewhere, overallocation conflicts are highlighted on the individual resource cards and timeline, but the Kit itself will not be flagged as "Incomplete" in the main Kits index. Modifying or deleting a kit allocation in the calendar automatically updates or deletes all sibling items in that kit booking group.

3. Resource Calendar & Bookings

The Calendar tab provides a visual timeline of all asset bookings across your projects.

Scheduling Assets

• Draggable Timeline: Resources are listed down the left side, with dates spanning the top. You can view daily, weekly, or monthly schedules.
• Filter Bar: Filter calendar schedules by Category (e.g., view only Studio Stages), Location (e.g., Gear Locker A), or Folder.
• Creating Bookings: Click and drag across date blocks next to any asset to create a booking hold, which links directly to a Work Order.
• Work Order Details: Click on a calendar block to view the linked Work Order, Project Title, and the Assigned Operator.

Timeline Rescheduling & Location Syncing

• Rescheduling: Dragging a calendar booking block for a resource that is linked to a work order will shift the entire work order date range and open the work order confirmation panel. Dragging standalone allocations will prompt the unified event settings window.
• Address Synchronization: When allocating a resource of type "Location" or "Studio" to a work order, the system automatically synchronizes the resource location address to the Location field on the linked work order.

4. Conflict Detection & Safety Rules

ABRAM implements strict checks to ensure logistics run smoothly:

• Double-Booking Alerts (Hard Constraint): If a manager attempts to reserve or check out an asset that is already allocated on another project exceeding the owned quantity, the system blocks the save operation and throws a friendly alert: Insufficient resource availability for "[Resource Name]" during requested dates.
• Soft Capacity Conflicts: For scheduling flexibility, overallocated resources generate soft capacity conflict records (Resource Overallocated) that appear on the project dashboard and calendar timeline.
• Transit Buffer Days (Planned Feature): The Transit Buffer Days option can be configured in Organization Settings (e.g., 1 buffer day). Active blocking of prep/shipping days in availability checks is in development.
• Needs Repair Lockout (Planned Feature): Damaged or needs maintenance items display their status as Blocked or Maintenance in the dashboard. Direct scheduling lockouts preventing conflicting allocations are in development.