How to Assign Templates and Make Inspections Mandatory?
You have built your inspection checklists — now you want the right one to appear automatically every time a camera, generator, or scaffold tower goes out or comes back. Category Mapping connects an inspection template to an asset category so Rentablez picks the correct checklist for you, and lets you make that inspection required before gear can be dispatched or returned.
Why Map Templates to Categories?
Without a mapping, staff have to remember which checklist to use for which item — and inspections stay optional. Mapping fixes both:
- Auto-selection — when someone starts an inspection for an asset in that category, its default template is chosen for them.
- Consistency — every “Power Equipment” item gets inspected with the same checklist, no matter who runs it.
- Enforcement — mark a category’s inspection as mandatory and Rentablez can block dispatch or return until the inspection is done.
You need at least one inspection template and one asset category before you can create a mapping. If either is missing, the page shows a short checklist telling you what to set up first. See How to Create Inspection Templates?.
Where to Find Category Mapping
Category Mapping lives alongside your templates in Settings.
Step 1: Open the page
- Go to Settings.
- Open Inspection Templates.
- Switch to the Category Mapping tab.
You will see a table of every template-to-category link you have created, or an empty state if you have none yet.
Creating, editing, or removing mappings requires the Settings (write) permission. Without it, the action buttons appear disabled and you can still view existing mappings.
Assign a Template to a Category
Step 2: Open the Assign dialog
Click Assign Template (top right), or Assign First Template if this is your first mapping. The Assign Template to Category dialog opens.
Step 3: Pick the template and category
- Inspection Template — choose the checklist to use.
- Asset Category — choose the category of assets it applies to.
Step 4: Set the options
Below the two dropdowns, tick any of the following:
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Set as default template | Auto-selected when creating an inspection for assets in this category. |
| Mandatory on dispatch | Requires the inspection before assets in this category can be dispatched. |
| Mandatory on return | Requires the inspection when those assets are returned. |
Click Assign to save. The new mapping appears in the table.
The Default flag only controls which checklist is pre-picked — it does not force an inspection on its own. To make an inspection required, use the Mandatory on dispatch or Mandatory on return options.
Read the Mappings Table
Each row summarizes one link at a glance:
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Asset Category | The category this mapping applies to. |
| Inspection Template | The checklist that will be used. |
| Default | Shows a Default tag when this template auto-selects for the category. |
| On Dispatch | Required if the inspection must be done before dispatch, otherwise Optional. |
| On Return | Required if the inspection must be done on return, otherwise Optional. |
Use the Search mappings box to filter by category or template name.
Edit or Remove a Mapping
- Edit (pencil icon) — reopens the dialog so you can change the Default, On Dispatch, and On Return flags. The template and category themselves are locked once assigned; to point a category at a different template, remove the mapping and create a new one.
- Remove (trash icon) — deletes the link after a confirmation prompt. The template and category are untouched; only the connection between them is removed.
Turn On Enforcement (the Master Switch)
Marking a category as mandatory only takes effect when enforcement is switched on for your organization. This is a single toggle that governs all your mandatory mappings.
Step 5: Flip the org-wide switch
- Go back to the Templates tab under Settings > Inspection Templates.
- Turn on Enforce mandatory inspections.
Once enabled, whenever staff try to dispatch or return an asset whose category is marked mandatory, Rentablez blocks the action until the required inspection is complete.
Two things must be true to block a workflow: the category mapping is marked Mandatory on dispatch (or on return), and Enforce mandatory inspections is switched on. With the master switch off, mandatory mappings are treated as reminders, not hard stops.
A Simple Rollout
To get automatic, enforced inspections working end to end:
- Create the checklist you need — see How to Create Inspection Templates?.
- Map it to the right asset category here, and set it as default.
- Tick Mandatory on dispatch and/or Mandatory on return for the categories you want to police.
- Turn on Enforce mandatory inspections on the Templates tab.
- From then on, dispatch and return automatically prompt for — and require — the correct inspection.