The OPS-COM platform is currently undergoing a strategic transformation to modernize workflows and increase system flexibility. Its primary purpose is to optimize permit and lot management through new hierarchical structures and automation, significantly reducing the administrative effort required to manage complex pricing tiers. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators interested in the upcoming architectural improvements to the system.
## Setup and Configuration As this initiative represents a fundamental architectural shift currently in active development, there are no immediate setup steps required within your live environment. **Admin Side:** Administrators do not need to configure any active settings. However, familiarizing your management team with the upcoming container hierarchies and automated logic will prepare your organization for a smooth operational transition. **User Side:** End-users do not need to perform any setup. They will seamlessly benefit from the enhanced workflows and interfaces as the updates are iteratively deployed to the public portal. ## Understanding the Platform Enhancements The OPS-COM development team has identified three primary areas for platform enhancement to support increasingly complex organizational needs. ### Strategic Improvement Areas - **Dynamic Sales Windows:** Moving beyond the current four-allocation-type limit to confidently support an unlimited number of overlapping and staggered sales windows. - **Unified Lot Management:** Transitioning away from fragmented "Virtual Lots" to a single, intuitive hierarchical view that automatically manages multiple price points and user types. - **Automated Rollovers:** Replacing manual renewal processes with an automated, subscription-style logic to streamline term-to-term permit rollovers. ### Project Eevee The Proof of Concept To ensure the new platform architecture is completely stable, the development team is utilizing the Lockers module as the initial proof-of-concept model, internally known as Project Eevee. Project Eevee introduces a new organizational "Container" hierarchy. This structural change allows administrators to define a price once and have it apply intelligently across the entire inventory based on user type and specific timeframes.**The Container Hierarchy:** The new organizational structure allows inventory to be nested intuitively, flowing from **Region** → **Campus** → **Building** → **Floor** → **Unit**.
### Future Development Project Butterfly Once Project Eevee is fully proven and optimized within the locker environment, the development team will initiate Project Butterfly. This phase represents a total reimagining of the existing parking permitting system, seamlessly integrating the efficiencies, automation, and hierarchical controls developed during the Project Eevee phase into your entire parking inventory. --- ## Best Practices and Considerations - **Engage in active participation:** **Administrators are highly encouraged to share insights and feedback to help shape the final functionality.** As new features like the Grid Editor and the enhanced User Portal are selectively released, your feedback is invaluable to the development cycle. - **Monitor official updates:** **Keep a close watch on the [OPSCOM Community](https://community.ops-com.com/t/the-evolution-of-opscom-introducing-project-eevee-project-butterfly/62) to provide input on proposed changes and accurately track the progress of the transition.** Active community engagement ensures your organization's specific operational needs are considered during development. # Locker SearchThe Locker Search tool allows administrators to find, view, and manage lockers within the system. Its primary purpose is to filter for specific lockers, review renter information, manage public visibility, and access detailed rental histories. This guide is intended for OPS-COM administrators responsible for locker inventory and rentals.
## Setup and Configuration This feature is a standard administrative tool and requires no special system configuration. **Admin Side:** Administrators do not need to configure any overarching settings, as the search tool draws directly from existing locker inventory data. **User Side:** End-users do not have access to this administrative search tool. They can only view and manage their own assigned lockers via the public-facing user portal. ## Using this Feature Administrators can use the following instructions to filter their locker inventory and perform both individual and bulk actions on the results. ### Performing a Locker Search 1. Hover over **Locker Management** and click **Search**. 2. Enter your criteria into one or more fields (e.g., **Locker Area**, **Locker Status**, **Renter Name**, **Locker Number**) on the Locker Search page. 3. Click the **Retrieve** button to run the search. The search results will dynamically appear in a list below the search form. Each row represents a single locker record. ### Available Actions and Buttons The following actions can be performed directly on the search results page. **Page-Level Actions:** These actions apply to the entire list of lockers returned by your search. - **Generate Mailing List:** Click to download an Excel report containing the mailing details for all users currently renting a locker within the search results. - **Mark All Available:** Click to enable the **User Visible** checkbox for all lockers in the current results list, making them available for public rental. - **Mark All Not Available:** Click to disable the **User Visible** checkbox for all lockers in the current results list, hiding them from public view. - **Update Records:** Click to actively save all changes after using the Mark All buttons or manually changing individual **User Visible** checkboxes. **Row-Level Actions:** These actions apply only to a single locker in the list. - **Locker # Link:** Click the number in the **Locker #** column to open the Current Locker Information pop-up. Here you can edit the locker's condition, add internal comments, and view current renter details. Click the **Update** button within the pop-up to save any changes. - **History Icon (H):** Click the gold **H** icon to view a detailed history of the specific locker, including all past renters and associated transactions. - **User Visible:** Enable or disable the **User Visible** checkbox for an individual locker to change its public visibility.Always click the **Update Records** button after making changes to the User Visible column. Whether you use the bulk Mark All buttons or change individual checkboxes, your changes will not be saved to the database until you click the Update Records button.
The Locker History is a valuable audit tool. Use it to resolve disputes about previous rentals or to track the maintenance history of a specific locker over its lifecycle.
--- ## Best Practices and Considerations ### - **Filter results carefully before bulk updating:** **Use the Mark All Available and Mark All Not Available buttons with care.** Because these actions apply to all lockers returned in your current search results, ensure your search criteria are specific enough to avoid accidentally changing the status of unintended lockers. - **Streamline communication:** **Use the Generate Mailing List feature at the end of a rental term.** This allows you to easily export the contact information needed for sending out mass renewal reminders or locker clean-out notices. # Locker SwitchThe Locker Switch tool allows administrators to reassign a user to a different locker or swap locker assignments between two users. Its primary purpose is to provide a clear workflow for managing locker changes due to user requests, maintenance needs, or other administrative requirements. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators responsible for managing locker inventory and assignments.
## Setup and Configuration This tool is a standard feature within the locker management module and does not require any specific configuration to activate. **Admin Side:** The tool strictly relies on existing locker and user rental information already being present in the system. No additional setup or configuration is needed before using the switch tool. **User Side: **End-users do not have access to the locker switch functionality on the public portal. They must request any locker changes or swaps directly through an administrator. ## Using this Feature The Locker Switch tool allows for two distinct actions: moving a single user to a new locker (Switch) or exchanging lockers between two users (Swap). Administrators can perform a switch or swap by following these steps: 1. Hover over **Locker Management** and click **Locker Switch**. 2. Select the **Locker Area** and **Locker Number** for the locker being changed in the **Old Locker** section. 3. Verify that the correct user's name is displayed before proceeding. 4. Select the **Locker Area** and **Locker Number** for the destination locker in the **New Locker** section. 5. Click the **Switch Old to New** button to move the user from the old locker to a new, vacant locker. 6. Click the **Swap Old with New** button instead if you need to exchange locker assignments between the user of the old locker and the user of the new locker. 7. Enter any relevant notes in the **Reason for Action** text box on the **Locker Switch Confirmation** page. 8. Click the **Switch User Lockers** button to finalize the change and view the final **Locker Information Updated** confirmation page.Carefully choose between the Switch and Swap functions based on occupancy. Selecting the **Swap** action when the new locker is vacant may result in a system error. Conversely, selecting the **Switch** action when the new locker is already occupied by another user will completely unassign that original user from their locker.
--- ## Best Practices and Considerations ### - **Always verify the user's name before proceeding:** **Always verify the user's name after selecting the Old Locker Number.** This crucial step ensures you are modifying the correct user's assignment and prevents frustrating administrative errors that are difficult to untangle. - **Add a brief comment for historical tracking:** **Add a brief comment in the Reason for Action box whenever performing a switch or swap.** Consistently using this note feature helps other administrators determine exactly why changes to the locker were made for future reference, dispute resolution, and auditing purposes. # Awaiting Payment (Lockers)The Lockers Awaiting Payment report is an administrative tool used to manage and communicate with users who have pending locker payments. Its primary purpose is to provide administrators with a centralized view of unpaid locker reservations and offer quick actions for sending payment reminders. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators.
## Setup and Configuration This report is a standard feature within the locker management module and does not require any specific configuration. **Admin Side:** Administrators do not need to configure any settings. The report automatically pulls from existing unpaid locker reservation data. **User Side:** End-users do not have access to this administrative report, but they will receive the email notifications dispatched from it to their registered email addresses. ## Using this Feature Administrators can use the following instructions to generate the report, filter results, and communicate with users who have pending payments. ### Generating the Report 1. Hover over **Locker Management** and click **Awaiting Payment**. 2. Use the drop-down menus on the Lockers Awaiting Payment page to filter by **Locker Area** and select a **Sort Type** (e.g., by building area, by user). 3. Click the **Search** button to generate the list. ### Available Actions and Buttons The report provides several actions for managing the listed users and their respective lockers: - **Email Listed Users:** Click this button to send a single, mass email to all users currently displayed in the search results. - **Envelope Icon:** Click the envelope icon located in a user's row to compose and send an email to that individual user only. - **Username:** Click the user's name to navigate directly to their main user profile page. - **Locker Number:** Click the locker number to open a pop-up window displaying the locker's details. From here, you can update fields like **Condition** and add internal **Comments**. Click the **Update Locker** button to save any changes. - **Building Area:** Click the link in the **Building Area** column to view or edit details about that specific location. Click the **Update this Area** button to save any structural changes. --- ## Best Practices and Considerations - **Proactively manage reservations:** **Use the Email Listed Users button to send out periodic payment reminders.** This proactive communication helps significantly reduce the number of abandoned reservations and ensures timely revenue collection.Establish a regular cadence (such as weekly or bi-weekly) for reviewing this report and dispatching reminders. If a user fails to pay after multiple reminders, you can confidently clear their reservation to make the locker available for other users.
# Midnight List - LockersThe Midnight List is a system-generated report displaying lockers with pending transactions that are scheduled to be automatically cleared out of the system at midnight. Its primary purpose is to help administrators review and manage unpaid locker reservations before they expire and the lockers return to the available public inventory. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators responsible for managing locker assignments and billing.
## Setup and Configuration This feature is a standard automated administrative process and does not require any specific manual configuration to activate. **Admin Side:** Administrators do not need to configure any settings for this list to generate. The system automatically populates the list based on unpaid locker reservations that have reached their designated expiration timeframe. **User Side:** End-users do not have access to this administrative list. They will simply see their reservation expire and the locker disappear from their profile if it is cleared. ## Using this Feature Administrators can use this list to review impending locker expirations and take action on unpaid reservations before the automated midnight clearing process occurs. ### Managing the Midnight List Because this list acts as a queue for automated system actions, administrators must proactively manage the items awaiting payment if they wish to prevent a locker from being cleared. 1. Navigate to the **Midnight List** page to review the specific lockers scheduled to be cleared at the end of the day. 2. Review the users and locker numbers on the list to determine if any payments are currently in transit or if deadline extensions are warranted. 3. Follow the detailed step-by-step instructions in the *[Clear Locker Items Awaiting Payment](https://opscom.wiki/books/the-opscom-admin-portal/page/clearing-items-awaiting-payment-midnight-list)* article to process payments, manually clear the items, or manage the pending reservations before the midnight deadline. --- ## Best Practices and Considerations - **Review the list daily:** **Make it a daily administrative habit to review the Midnight List before the close of business.** This proactive check ensures that no legitimate locker reservations are accidentally cleared overnight due to delayed manual payment processing or miscommunication. - **Establish a final notice protocol:** **Develop a standard business rule for users appearing on this list.** For example, utilize the system's email tools to send one final payment reminder to users on the Midnight List, clearly stating that their reservation will be permanently canceled if payment is not resolved by the end of the day. # Non Returning Users ReportThe Non Returning Users Report is an administrative tool designed to identify students who rented lockers in a previous semester but did not secure a rental for the current term. Its primary purpose is to help administrators investigate potential unauthorized locker usage or track student attrition between semesters. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators responsible for locker management and enforcement.
## Setup and Configuration This report is a standard feature within the locker management module and does not require any special configuration to function. **Admin Side:** Administrators do not need to configure any overarching settings. The system automatically pulls data directly from existing locker rental records and established sales windows. ## Using this Feature Administrators can use the following instructions to generate the report and effectively compare past locker rentals against current active terms. ### Generating the Report 1. Hover over **Lockers Management** and click **Non-Returning Users Report**. 2. Click the **Yearly** drop-down menu under the **Old Semesters** section and choose the appropriate **Old Sales Window**. 3. Click the **Yearly** drop-down menu under the **Current Semesters** section and choose the appropriate **Current Sales Window**. 4. Click the **Search** button to generate and view the report. The results will automatically appear in a table. 5. Click the **Export** button to download and save the generated data as a spreadsheet file for external review. --- ## Best Practices and Considerations - **Audit for unauthorized usage:** **Generate this report at the end of a semester to identify potential unauthorized locker usage.** This helps your enforcement team verify that students who have not paid for the current term have actually cleared out their belongings. - **Verify active enrollment:** **Use the exported spreadsheet data to cleanly cross-reference with your institution's active student enrollment records.** This practice quickly helps administrators determine whether non-returning locker renters are still actively attending the school or have officially withdrawn. # Locker Sales WindowsThe Locker Sales Windows tool allows administrators to create and manage the specific timeframes during which users can purchase lockers. Its primary purpose is to control the public availability of locker inventory for distinct rental periods, such as by semester or academic year. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators responsible for managing locker operations.
## Setup and Configuration The core setup for this feature involves creating the primary sales windows that define your rental periods. **Admin Side:** Administrators must build and configure the active sales periods in the backend before any lockers can be sold. 1. Hover over **Locker Management** and click **Sales Window**. 2. Click the **Add Sale Window** button on the **Manage Locker Sales Window** page. 3. Fill in the required information in the pop-up window that appears. 4. Click the **Save Changes** button. The new sales window will be created with an "Inactive" status by default. **User Side:** End-users do not configure sales windows. They simply log in and select from the active windows presented to them during the locker purchasing process on the user portal. ## Using this Feature Once sales windows are successfully created, administrators can manage their visibility and operational status using the provided interface tools. ### Available Actions and Buttons Administrators can perform the following actions to manage their locker sales periods: - **Active:** Click the **Active** button next to a sales window to toggle its status. An active window allows users to purchase associated lockers. You can have up to four active sales windows at one time, strictly limited to one for each category: **Yearly (Y)**, **Monthly (M)**, **Semester (S)**, and **Other (O)**. - **Edit:** Click the **Edit** button to modify the configuration details of an existing sales window. - **Archive:** Click the **Archive** button to move a completed or expired window out of the main view. The window will be moved to the **Past Locker Sales Window** section. - **Restore:** Click the **Restore** button next to an item in the archive section to bring an archived window back to the active list.If the **Edit** button is faded and unavailable, it indicates that the sales window already has active locker sales associated with it and can no longer be modified by an administrator. Please contact OPS-COM Support for assistance in this case.
--- ## Best Practices and Considerations - **Plan your sales windows in advance:** **Plan your sales windows well in advance of each rental period (e.g., before the start of a new semester).** Create the windows ahead of time and leave them inactive; only activate them when you are completely ready for public sales to begin. - **Exercise extreme caution when deactivating:** **Deactivating a sales window that has active locker rentals will immediately cause all users to lose their lockers within that window.** While the lockers can technically be restored by reactivating the window, this action heavily disrupts user data and should be performed with extreme caution.Deactivating a populated sales window instantly removes locker assignments. Always verify the window is completely empty or truly expired before disabling its active status.
# Allocate LockersThe Allocate Lockers tool allows administrators to set up and manage locker inventory by creating a hierarchical structure of buildings and areas. Its primary purpose is to streamline the bulk addition of lockers and efficiently manage their status and public visibility. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators responsible for locker management and facility setup.
## Setup and Configuration Setting up your locker inventory is a hierarchical process that involves creating parent buildings, defining specific areas within those buildings, and finally adding individual lockers to those areas. **Admin Side:** Administrators must completely configure the building and area hierarchy before any locker numbers can be successfully added to the system. **User Side:** End-users do not have access to the locker allocation configuration. They interact only with the published inventory when renting a locker via the public-facing user portal. ## Using this Feature Administrators can use the following instructions to build out their locker hierarchy and populate their inventory. ### Accessing the Locker Allocation Page 1. Hover over **Lockers Management** and click **Allocate**. ### Create a Building 1. Click the **Add Building** button on the **Manage Locker Numbers** page. 2. Enter the building name and location in the **Building Name** and **Location** fields. 3. Click the **Save Changes** button. ### Create a Building Area 1. Click the **Add Area** button within the newly created building's section. 2. Enter the necessary details in the **Area Name** and **Description** fields. 3. Select the appropriate **Locker User Types** that are permitted to rent lockers in this specific area. 4. Choose a **Sales Window** type (such as **Yearly**, **Monthly**, **Semester**, or **Other**) from the options. 5. Click the **Save Changes** button. ### Add Lockers to an Area 1. Click the **+** symbol next to the specific area where you want to add lockers. 2. Enter individual locker numbers, with each number on a new line, in the **Specific Lockers** field, or enter a start and end number for a sequential range in the **Locker Range** fields. You can also apply an optional **Prefix** or **Postfix**. 3. Enable the **Visible** checkbox if you want the lockers to be immediately available for users to see and rent. 4. Click the **Add Lockers** button. ### Managing Existing Lockers Once your locker inventory is created, you can interact with it using the following actions: - **Viewing Lockers:** Click the **Magnifying Glass Icon** next to the area name on the **Manage Locker Numbers** page to view the comprehensive list of all lockers within that specific area. - **Archiving Lockers:** Click the **Trash Bin Icon** next to the relevant area to remove lockers from the active inventory. You will be presented with two options: **Archive All Lockers** (archives every locker in the area) or **Archive Selected Lockers** (allows you to choose specific lockers from a list to archive). - **Restoring Lockers:** Click the **+** symbol for the area, enter the numbers of the specific lockers you wish to restore, select **Restored** from the locker status drop-down menu, and confirm the action to bring them back to your active inventory. --- ## Best Practices and Considerations - **Combine entry methods:** **You can use both the Specific Locker and Locker Range methods simultaneously to add non-sequential and sequential lockers in a single operation.** This is highly efficient for populating complex locker layouts and saves significant administrative time.**Archive with caution:** **Archiving lockers completely removes them from the active inventory.** While they can technically be restored later, this action should be used very carefully. If the lockers have current or past rental history associated with them, archiving them may disrupt your historical reporting and user data.
# Locker TroubleshootingThe Locker Troubleshooting guide outlines a basic test to verify if locker availability is configured correctly when utilizing Locker UserTypes. Its primary purpose is to help administrators quickly identify and resolve configuration issues that prevent specific user groups from viewing or renting lockers. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators responsible for locker management and system configuration.
## Setup and Configuration This troubleshooting process relies on verifying existing system configurations rather than setting up a new feature. **Admin Side:** Administrators must verify that specific Locker UserTypes have been correctly created and assigned to both the user profiles and the designated locker areas. **User Side:** End-users must be assigned the correct Locker UserType by the system or an administrator to successfully view restricted locker inventory on the public portal. ## Using this Feature Administrators can use the following step-by-step basic test to troubleshoot and verify locker availability. ### Performing the Basic Availability Test 1. Hover over **User Management** and click **User Search** to locate a user who is reporting issues, or select a designated internal test account. 2. Verify that the correct Locker UserType is actively assigned to the user's profile settings. 3. Hover over **Lockers Management** and click **Allocate**. 4. Locate the specific building area where the missing lockers reside. 5. Verify that the exact same Locker UserType assigned to the user is actively selected in that area's permission settings. 6. Log into the user portal as the test user to confirm that the lockers in that specific area are now visible and available for rental.If the assigned user types match perfectly but the lockers are still not visible on the user portal, verify that the individual lockers are marked as **Visible** in the allocation inventory and that an active **Sales Window** is currently open for that specific area.
--- ## Best Practices and Considerations - **Test with dedicated accounts:** **Always use a dedicated test account to verify your Locker UserType configurations before opening a new sales window to the public.** Proactive testing prevents a surge of support tickets from users unable to access their expected locker inventory. - **Audit permissions regularly:** **Regularly audit your building areas to ensure that only the intended Locker UserTypes are selected.** Selecting incorrect or overly broad user types can either inadvertently hide lockers from authorized users or mistakenly expose restricted lockers to the general public.