Booking Admin
Found in: Planning > Booking AdminIn SynControl, every inspection or audit generally starts with a booking. A booking is essentially a request to carry out an inspection on a defined day, for specific product(s), and at a designated supplier or factory location.
Create a booking to ensure that inspections are well-organized, transparent, and traceable. Each booking centralizes all relevant details, such as service type, product information, supplier data, samples, technicians (i.e., inspectors or auditors), so that everyone involved is aligned and the inspection can be executed smoothly.
Why Bookings Are Important
| Factor | How Bookings Add Value |
|---|---|
| Planning and Coordination | Keep inspection teams and suppliers aligned on when and where inspections will happen. This prevents confusion. |
| Traceability | Every booking is stored with product details, supplier information, inspection type, and attachments. |
| Quality Control Consistency | By defining structured data (e.g., checkpoints, potential defects, golden samples…), bookings help ensure inspections are done right. |
The Main Agenda of Bookings
Organize inspection activities in a single, centralized platform.
Communicate with suppliers and inspectors.
Standardize the inspection process to minimize errors.
Document inspection results for accountability and future reference.
Streamline repeat bookings for recurring products or suppliers.
Steps to Create a New Booking
Log in to your SynControl account at your organization’s URL (e.g., acme.syncontrol.com).
Go to Planning > Booking List > New Booking
After clicking the “New Booking” option, a booking window will open where you need to enter all the required details to create a new booking. The form is divided into sections, with each section focusing on specific information. Let’s go through these sections one by one to understand what details you need to provide.
1. Client Information
In the Client Information section, provide the details of the client. The fields are described in the table below:
| Field | What You Need to Do |
|---|---|
| Customer Name* | Select the client from the dropdown list. Note that, if this is irrelevant, there is probably just 1 option that is selected by default. (This is required to proceed.) |
| General Dispositions | Any general guidelines/instructions will appear here. |
| Booking Manager / Merchandiser | You may pick an office user who will be the main person who manages this booking. |
| CC Messages | Enter email addresses of people who should receive booking updates. |
| CC Reports | Enter email addresses of people who should receive the inspection report. |
There might be other fields at the top of the page, depending on the ‘booking properties’ that have been configured in your account.
2. Service Type and Date section
In the Service Type and Date section, provide the details for the Service type. The fields are described in the table below:
| Field | What You Need to Do |
|---|---|
| Service Type | Select the type of inspection you want to book. The options are based on the configuration for your account. |
| Proportion to be finished upon the inspector’s arrival | Enter the expected % of production to be completed when the inspector arrives. |
| Proportion to be fully packed upon the inspector’s arrival | Enter the expected % of goods to be packed when the inspector arrives. |
| Keep as Default Values for the Future | Option to save your current input as default values for future bookings, for this ‘client’. |
| Desired Start Date | Enter the preferred starting date for the inspection. |
| Desired End Date | Enter the preferred ending date for the inspection. |
| Originally-planned Start Date | Shows the originally scheduled start date (if different from the current one). |
| Planned Shipment Date | Enter the date when the goods are planned to be shipped. (This is optional.) |
| Latest Allowed Service Date | Enter the latest acceptable date for the inspection to take place. (This is optional.) |
| Man Days | Specify the number of man-days required for the inspection (default is 1). |
| Notes about the Schedule | Add any additional notes or comments regarding scheduling. |
2D - Planning Preparation section
This section is used to manage and track the confirmation of inspection dates with the supplier and other parties. It helps you log the current status of planning and send updates through automated emails.
If that’s helpful in your workflow, you may select the radio button and tick the checkbox for the values described in the table below:
Radio Buttons (D Status):
Not Started Yet: Select this if the date confirmation process with the supplier has not begun.
Pending: Select this if the date confirmation process is ongoing but not finalized yet.
Confirmed: Select this once the inspection date is confirmed with the supplier.
The status you choose here will impact what color (red, orange, green) shows in the booking list page.
3. Product Information
This section is where you define the product(s) involved in the inspection.
Products
Add New Product: Use this option to create a new product entry with full details (e.g., product name, category, specs).
Select a Product Already in our Database: If the product has already been entered before, you can simply select it from the existing database to save time.
Sampling Lots
Sampling lots define how many units will be checked, under what inspection level, and according to which AQL (Acceptable Quality Limit) criteria.
You may decide to use the following:
Actions: Options to edit the lot.
Add Lot for Sampling: Add a new sampling lot with defined criteria.
Keep as default values for the future: Save your current AQL and sampling settings to reuse in future bookings for this ‘client’.
4. Samples Information$
This section is used to record and manage product samples related to the booking. Samples are essential for inspectors to compare production output against client-approved references and to verify quality standards.
Add Perfect Sample(s): Use this option to register “golden samples” or approved reference samples, which will serve as benchmarks for inspectors during the inspection.
Add Sample(s) to Pick up: Use this option if samples need to be collected by the inspection team and kept/sent somewhere.
5. Supplier & Factory Information
This section is used to identify the supplier and the factory involved in the booking. Accurate supplier and factory details are essential for inspection scheduling, coordination, and reporting.
Supplier Information
Select a Supplier: Choose the supplier from the existing database.
Create a New Supplier: If the supplier is not listed, you can create a new record by adding their details (e.g., name, contact info, address).
This ensures the booking is tied to the correct supplier for communication and traceability.
Factory Information
I only know the country where the factory is located: Select this option if you do not know the factory’s exact address but can at least confirm the country.
I know where the factory is located: Select this if you can provide the factory’s full details (address/location).
This information helps inspectors and coordinators plan logistics and ensures the inspection is scheduled at the right location.
6. Technician
This section manages the allocation of technicians assigned to a booking.
Current Technicians
Displays a list of technicians currently assigned to the booking.
Actions available:
+ Add a Technician: Add new technician(s) to the booking.
Remove Technician(s): Remove selected technician(s).
See full-time technicians: View the pool of available technicians.
Send email to assigned Technician(s): Notify assigned technicians with booking details.
7. Files
This allows you to upload and store all documents (images, specifications, packing manuals…) that are relevant to the inspection.
8. Booking Fees
This allows you to define and manage all costs associated with the inspection booking. These fees help provide transparency for billing and ensure that all expenses are recorded for the client and internal tracking.
+ Add Fee: Add new fee items such as Create a fee from templates, Fee Amount, Fee description, and more.
9. Other information
This provides a free-text space where you may write additional instructions, special requests, or important notes that may not fit into other predefined fields of the booking form.
After entering all the required booking details, click “Save & Close this Booking” to submit your booking.
If you’d like to review the booking with the information you provided, click “Save & View this Booking.”
