🤝 Borrowers & Loans Management

Borrowers & Loans Management is a module that allows you to track who took which item, when and how much – and when it was returned. It is suitable both for internal loans (business employees taking equipment) and for customers (e.g. equipment rental for events). Note: The module is operationally connected to the counting process – loan/return actions are performed from within the count screen (in dedicated mode), while the current page serves for managing the borrowers list and historical control.

🏁 How to Access

• On phone: Menu ☰ at the top right → Borrowers.
• On computer: Hover over the menu on the left → Borrowers.

🔐 Permissions: The page is displayed only when OpticCount support activates the capability for you. In addition, only users with appropriate permissions can see and edit the content.

🎛️ Top Area – Main Actions

• ➕ Add Borrower (green): Create a new borrower (name, phone, note). A borrower can be an employee or a customer – the choice is yours; the difference is for management purposes only.
• 🔎 Search by Item (dark blue): Search loans/returns by a specific item. You can type an item code/barcode or scan, and you'll get a snapshot:
  • How much of the item is currently with borrowers (net).
  • How much is in each store (current inventory).
  • Detail of who holds what and how much.

💡 Tip: If you have an "item missing from the shelf", start with Search by Item; you might discover it's actually on loan.

🗂️ The Table – Borrowers List

For each borrower, abbreviated data is shown (name, phone, note, and more). From each row you can:

• 🔴 Start Loan – immediately opens the count screen in borrower-pinned loan session mode. Quantities entered will be recorded as a loan (items leaving the store).
• 🟢 Start Return – immediately opens the count screen in borrower-pinned return session mode. Quantities entered will be recorded as a return (items going back into the store).
• Edit – update borrower details.
• Loan Details – open a detailed control dialog.

💡 If the user has access to more than one branch, a quick branch-selection dialog opens before the session begins – the same flow used for "Start Count".

🧾 "Loan Details – [Name]" Dialog

• Status cards at the top:
  • Total items loaned to date.
  • Items currently with them (net).
• Detail table by items:
  • Item Code / Description / Barcode
  • Total Loans (quantity taken)
  • Total Returns
  • Remaining with them (= loans − returns)

Double-click/column selection allows quick sorting to find anomalies (e.g. "what hasn't been returned yet").

🔁 Where Do You Actually Perform Loans/Returns?

The Loan and Return actions are performed from within the inventory count screen, in a dedicated borrower-pinned session mode. Unlike a regular count where the borrower is selected for each item, in this mode the borrower and action direction (loan or return) are fixed from the moment you enter the screen – which prevents mistakes and keeps the workflow focused.

How to Start a Loan or Return

1. Go to the Borrowers Management page.
2. Find the relevant borrower in the table.
3. Click Start Loan (red) or Start Return (green) on their row.
4. If you have more than one branch – select the branch in which the action is taking place. If you have just one branch – the dialog is skipped and you go straight to the count screen.
5. The count screen opens in dedicated mode:
   • Page header clearly displays "Loan to: [borrower name]" or "Return from: [borrower name]", with an End button to exit the session.
   • Item Identifier field – scan or type the barcode / item code.
   • Quantities entered are automatically recorded as negative for loan (item leaving the store) or positive for return (item returning to the store).
6. To switch from loan to return for the same borrower – click End, return to the borrowers page, and click the appropriate button. This intentional separation prevents accidental mixing within the same session.

💡 The session mode replaces the previous "Loan/Return Mode" setting toggle. The flow is now lighter, clearer, and safer.

📐 How Is It Counted? (Operational Logic)

• A loan increases "with borrowers" and decreases the store inventory (temporary departure).
• A return does the reverse: reduces "with borrowers" and returns to store inventory.
• The balance with each borrower is calculated net: loans − returns.
• You can perform a return even if the original loan action wasn't found (e.g. corrected retroactively) – the report will show a correct net. It's still recommended to maintain consistency in borrower selection.

🧭 Scenarios and Examples

• Internal employee equipment Add warehouse workers/technicians as borrowers. Every time a device goes out – select the employee as borrower, "Loan", and scan. For return, perform "Return" with the same employee. "Loan Details" report shows who holds what.

• Event rental company Each customer is defined as a borrower. Before an event, perform "Loan" on the relevant items; after the event – "Return". Searching by item shows where equipment is "stuck".

• Finding missing items during counting Found a shortage? Search by item. If it's with a borrower – you'll immediately see who and how much.

✅ When to Use / When Not to

Recommended when:

• There are temporary equipment movements (out/in) that need named tracking.
• You want summary files and inventory metrics to automatically deduct/add based on loans/returns.

Less suitable if:

• You have no loans at all – don't enable the system mode; keep counting simple.
• You need rental contracts/invoices – this is beyond the current module scope (data can be exported to relevant ERP/CRM).

🧩 Permissions & Access

• The module is enabled upon your request by OpticCount support.
• Only users with management permissions can see the page and create/edit borrowers.
• Those performing actions in the field must be assigned to the store where the loan/return is being performed (same as with regular counting).

⚠️ Mistakes to Avoid

• Confusing Loan with Return – will create an incorrect net. If you made a mistake, perform the opposite action on the same item/borrower for a quick correction.
• Inconsistent borrower names ("Dan", "Daniel") – define an organized list in advance and avoid duplicate borrowers.

💡 Tips

• Before a large event/project – review the "Loan Details" dialog for anyone who has equipment and verify returns.
• Combining employee/customer barcode card? Great – you can scan it into the "Borrower" field (if configured at the organization level).

Summary

The Borrowers & Loans Management module gives you true control over equipment moving between people: who took what, how much and when – and what hasn't been returned yet. It connects to your count screen, so the work stays flowing, and reports are always up to date. Set up borrowers, enable loan/return mode, and scan – the rest happens automatically.