Dates & Time Periods

Time periods define the structure and schedule of your project. They control when equipment is needed, how rental durations are calculated, and which phases of the event — from planning through teardown — are billable. Understanding how to configure time periods correctly ensures accurate availability calculations and precise pricing on quotes and invoices.

Core project dates

Every project has a set of date fields that define its overall timeline:

• Start date (required) — The date the project officially begins
• End date (required) — The date the project officially concludes
• Load-out date (optional) — The date equipment leaves the warehouse for delivery to the project site. Drives warehouse pick-and-pack scheduling.
• Load-in date (optional) — The date equipment is expected back at the warehouse after the event. Triggers return processing workflows.

In addition, two duration fields provide finer control:

• Setup time — The estimated time in minutes required for equipment setup on site
• Teardown time — The estimated time in minutes required for equipment de-rig and packing

The load-out and load-in dates drive warehouse operations and transport scheduling, while the start and end dates frame the overall project duration for reporting, calendar views, and availability calculations.

Time periods

Time periods subdivide the project into distinct phases. Each period captures a name, start and end date/time, a type, and configuration options that affect pricing and availability.

Hierarchical parent/child structure

Time periods support a parent/child hierarchy via the parent_period_id field. A parent period acts as a container that groups related child periods together. For example, a parent period called "Event Weekend" might contain child periods for Build, Rehearsal, Show, and Teardown. Child periods should fall within the date range of their parent. You can nest periods to any depth, though one level of nesting is the most common pattern.

Period types

The type field is a custom string, giving you flexibility to define any phase label you need. However, NexusRMS recognises several common types that are used throughout the system:

1. parent — A container period that groups child periods together. Parent periods do not directly affect pricing; they exist for organisational purposes.
2. usage — The default period type. Represents a general-purpose time block where equipment is actively in use.
3. planning — Pre-event planning time. Typically non-billable, used for internal scheduling and preparation.
4. build — The setup phase when equipment is being installed, rigged, or assembled on site.
5. rehearsal — A rehearsal or sound-check phase where equipment is in use but the event has not yet begun.
6. show — The live event period when equipment is actively in use for the performance or production.
7. teardown — The breakdown phase when equipment is being de-rigged, packed, and prepared for return.
8. custom — Any user-defined period type for phases that do not fit the standard categories. You provide the label.

Because the type field accepts any string, you are not restricted to these values. However, using the recognised types ensures consistent behaviour across reporting, crew scheduling, and pricing calculations.

Time period fields

Each time period record includes the following fields:

• Name — A descriptive label for the period (e.g., "Day 1 Build", "Saturday Show")
• Type — The period type as described above
• Description — Optional free-text notes about the period
• Start datetime — When the period begins (date and time)
• End datetime — When the period ends (date and time)
• Duration hours — Automatically calculated from the start and end datetime. You do not set this manually.
• Sort order — Controls the display position of the period in the list. Drag-and-drop reordering updates this field automatically.
• Status — Tracks the current state of the period (e.g., draft, confirmed, in progress, completed, cancelled)
• Metadata — A JSON field for storing custom data specific to your workflow

Billable settings

Each time period has an is_billable toggle. Billable periods contribute to the rental duration used in pricing calculations. Non-billable periods (such as planning or certain build days) are tracked for scheduling purposes but do not add to the invoiced rental duration. This gives you precise control over what the client is charged for.

Financial integration

Time periods integrate directly with the project's financial calculations through several fields:

• Factor group — The factor_group_id field links the period to a factor group, which defines how multi-day pricing multipliers are applied to equipment rental rates during this period
• Rental multiplier — A decimal multiplier that adjusts equipment pricing for this specific period. For example, a build period with a multiplier of 0.5 charges equipment at half the standard rate, a show period with 1.0 charges the full rate, and a teardown period with 0 makes that phase free of charge.
• Estimated cost — An initial budget figure set during the quoting or planning stage
• Planned cost — A refined cost figure based on confirmed crew, equipment, and transport assignments
• Actual cost — The real cost recorded after the period has been completed

Comparing estimated, planned, and actual costs across periods helps you identify where projects go over or under budget.

How time periods affect the wider system

Correctly configured time periods have a ripple effect across several areas of NexusRMS:

• Equipment availability — Confirmed, billable time periods determine when equipment is reserved. The system uses these date ranges to prevent double-booking and calculate available stock.
• Crew scheduling — Time periods feed into the Crew Scheduling tab, where crew members are assigned to specific periods. Build, show, and teardown periods translate directly into crew call times and shift durations.
• Pricing calculations — The rental multiplier and factor group on each billable period determine how much the client is charged for equipment during that phase. Non-billable periods with a zero multiplier ensure setup and teardown do not inflate the invoice.
• Warehouse planning — Load-out and load-in dates, combined with build and teardown periods, drive the warehouse packing schedule. Warehouse staff can see exactly when equipment needs to leave and when it is expected back.

Reordering periods

Periods can be reordered using drag-and-drop on the time periods list. Dragging a period above or below others changes its sort_order value. Dragging a period onto a parent period nests it as a child. The order of periods determines how they appear on documents such as crew call sheets and delivery notes.

Tips

• Use the billable toggle to control pricing accurately — Mark build and teardown as non-billable (or use a reduced rental multiplier) if your pricing model does not charge full rate during setup.
• Track all three cost levels — Recording estimated, planned, and actual costs for each period gives you a clear audit trail of how the budget evolved from quote to completion.
• Use parent periods to group complex schedules — For multi-day events, create a parent period for each day and nest build, show, and teardown as children. This keeps the time period list organised and easy to navigate.
• Set load-out and load-in dates even when optional — These dates drive warehouse and transport scheduling. Leaving them blank means warehouse staff must infer timings from the project start and end dates, which can lead to miscommunication.

Next steps

Continue to the next article to learn about sub-projects, where you will organise multi-stage events with independent equipment, crew, and transport while keeping finances consolidated under a single parent project.