Set up resource requirements for an item

Additional information is available to FareHarbor employees.

Resource requirements determine when resources are assigned to bookings, which resources are used, and how long they are reserved.

Resource requirements include:

• Resource requirement groups: Organize related requirements and can be assigned to availabilities.
• Requirements: Define whether resources are assigned for the whole booking, per customer, or based on a custom field.
• Attached resources: Define which resources are assigned, how many uses are required, and the reservation period.

When a booking meets these requirements, FareHarbor automatically creates resource uses based on the rules you've configured.

Step 1: Create resource requirements

A resource requirement group contains all of the resource assignment rules that will later be assigned to your availabilities.  Create an item-level group for one activity, or a company-level group to share requirements across activities.

Company-level resource requirement groups are available only when the feature is enabled for your account.

To create an item-level resource requirement group:

1. Navigate to Items, and select the activity you want to configure.
2. Open Options & Prices.
3. Select the Resource Requirements tab.
4. Select + Add resource requirements group.
5. Enter a name for the group.
6. Select Create.
   

To create a company-level resource requirement group:

1. Navigate to Settings > Resource Requirement Groups.
2. Select the + New resource requirements button.
3. Enter a name for the group.
4. Select Create.
   

Step 2: Add a requirement

Requirements determine when resources should be assigned.

A resource requirement group can contain multiple requirements. For example: A whale watch could use one requirement to assign a life jacket to each customer and another to assign one captain to the whole booking.

To add a requirement:

1. Open the resource requirement group.
2. Select + Add resource requirement.
3. Choose one of the following requirement types:
   • Require for whole booking: Assigns the resource once for the booking. Use this for shared resources, such as a guide or vehicle.
   • Require per customer: Assigns the resource to each qualifying customer. Use this for resources such as kayaks or helmets.
   • Require per custom field: Assigns the resource based on a selected custom field. Use this for optional or conditional equipment.

4. Configure the options for the selected requirement type:
   • For Require per customer, select the customer types that require resources.
   • For Require per custom field, select one or more eligible custom fields.
5. If applicable, enable Allow split parties when a requirement has multiple resource options and customers on the same booking can be assigned different options. For example, use this when customers can be split across multiple vehicles or guides.
6. Select the Add button.

The new requirement is added to the resource requirement group. You can then attach one or more resources to it.

Step 3: Attach a resource to a requirement

After creating a requirement, attach the resource that should be assigned when the requirement is met.

You can attach multiple resources to the same requirement when they are interchangeable options for the same need. For example: You could attach two boats when either boat can fulfill the requirement.

To attach a resource:

1. Select Attach resource.
2. Configure the Use Setup tab. Explore the Configure the Use Setup tab section for more details.
3. If assigned seating is enabled and the selected resource uses a seat map, configure the Seating tab. See Configure the Seating tab for details.
4. Configure the Advanced tab, if needed. Explore the Configure the Advanced tab section for more detail
5. Select Attach. Repeat these steps to attach additional resource options as needed.

Configure the Use Setup tab

• Use count: Enter the number of this resource to assign when the requirement applies. For example: Enter 1 to require one kayak per customer, or 2 to require two oxygen tanks per diver.
• Resource: Select the resource to assign.
• From: Set when the reservation begins relative to the availability.
• To: Set when the reservation ends relative to the availability.

The From and To settings determine how long the resource is reserved.

Configure the Seating tab

If assigned seating is enabled and the selected resource uses a seat map, use the Seating tab to control which parts of the seat map the requirement can use.

Under Zones, select:

• All zones: Allows the requirement to use every zone available for the resource.
• Individual zones: Limits the requirement to the selected zones.

Under Other options, configure any additional seating behavior that applies:

• Don't allow split parties across seat groups: Keeps customers in the same seat group when possible during automatic seat assignment.
• Make seat groups exclusive: Once seats in a group are filled, makes the remaining seats in that group unavailable.
• Fill all seats once booked: Once the resource is booked, makes all other seats on the map unavailable.

These settings apply only to this resource requirement. They don't change the resource's seat map configuration.

Configure the Advanced tab

Use the Advanced tab to override the resource’s defaults for this requirement:

• Custom use creation setting: Override whether FareHarbor creates resource uses and checks for overuse for this requirement.
• Custom restriction setting: Override how the resource can be shared by selecting None, Same item, Same availability, or Same booking.

These overrides apply only to this requirement.

The Advanced tab is not available for Require per custom field requirements.

Next steps

After you've finished configuring your resource requirement group, assign it to your availabilities so FareHarbor can begin creating resource uses for new bookings.

See Assign resource requirements to availabilities for the next step in the setup process.

FAQs & common issues

When should I use "Require per customer" instead of "Require for whole booking"?

Use Require per customer when each qualifying customer needs their own resource, such as a kayak or bicycle. Use Require for whole booking when a single resource is shared across the entire booking, such as a shuttle vehicle or guide.

Why can't I attach a seat-map resource to every requirement type?

Resources that use seat maps can only be attached to Require per customer requirements. Booking-level and custom-field requirements don't support seat-map resources.

Can I edit resource assignments that come from custom field requirements?

Yes, but custom field-managed resource assignments are controlled through the associated custom field values rather than directly from the booking's resource list. Updating a qualifying count custom field updates the associated resource assignment.