Matching each service to the resources it needs, such as locations, equipment and vehicles, keeps scheduling efficient and prevents double booking. It also makes sure there is enough space and the right equipment for each booking, and gets more use out of each resource, with less idle time and more revenue per resource.
Choose the services that use a resource
Use this when you add a resource, or when a service should start or stop using it.
Open Resources and select Manage on the resource.
Choose Services.
Select Manage. With nothing assigned yet, the button reads Assign Services.
In Manage Service Assignments, add the services that can use this resource in the picker, and remove the ones that cannot.
Select Save Changes.
The change saves straight away, without Publish Changes. Service Assignments then lists the services by category.
Before you remove a service, check the resource's Appointments section for bookings that already use it. Removing the assignment does not move those bookings.
A session with its own list under Services in this session only takes the services on that list. When the resource has sessions like that, Manage Service Assignments says how many. If you link a service that none of the resource's sessions take, a ticked box under the list offers to add it to the resource's sessions too. Leave it ticked and Save Changes adds the service to every session that has its own list, including special date periods. Untick it and the service is linked but cannot be booked on this resource until you add it to a session.
Only a service that requires a resource and no team member is booked against the resource's own sessions, so the box shows for those services only.
Set how a service uses resources
A service's Team & Resources tab decides whether a booking of it needs a resource at all, which is what makes a resource's capacity count.
Open Services, then Manage on the service and Manage Service.
Choose Team & Resources.
Under How should resources work for this service?, choose Required, Optional or Not used.
For Required or Optional, select the resources the service can use.
Select Publish Changes, tick the box in Before You Publish, then select Publish Changes.
Setting | What the product says |
Required | A resource (room, equipment, area) must be assigned to every booking |
Optional | A regular appointment does not ask for a resource |
Not used | This service doesn't need a resource |
With Required, Petboost will not offer a time when no resource on the list is free. With Not used, the resource never enters the calculation, however its sessions are set up. A Required service that lists no resource can use any of them. The service's own tab will not save Required with no resource, but removing the service from its last resource on the resource's Services section leaves it that way. Under Advanced options, Spots used sets how many places each booking of the service takes.
Match services to resources
Start with the obvious pairs: grooming services with grooming stations, boarding with kennels, transport with vehicles, and training with training rooms. Only assign services that match what the resource can do.
Resource | Services it usually suits |
Kennels and boarding rooms | Boarding (overnight stays and extended care), daycare (daytime care and supervision), quarantine (isolation and medical care) |
Grooming stations | Grooming (full grooming and styling), bathing (basic bathing and drying), nail trimming |
Play areas | Exercise (activity and play), socialisation (group interaction and training), behavioural training and classes |
Training rooms | Private training, group classes with several pets and owners, behavioural consultations |
Transport vehicles | Pet pick-up and delivery, mobile services delivered on site, urgent care transport |
Mobile units | Mobile grooming in the vehicle, mobile training on site, mobile veterinary services |
Equipment | Portable crates for temporary containment, exercise equipment, behavioural training tools |
Then check each service's needs:
Space: large dogs need larger spaces, group services need enough capacity, and private services need privacy
Equipment: specialised services need specific equipment, so check what is available, its condition, and plan for maintenance and replacement
Safety: make sure there is enough supervision, consider each pet's temperament and compatibility, and plan for emergencies
Common assignment scenarios
Scenario | Example | What it gives you | What to watch |
One service, one resource | A mobile grooming service uses the mobile grooming van | Simple to manage, with clear ownership | The resource's availability and maintenance |
One service, several resources | A grooming service can use any grooming station | Flexible scheduling and better use of each station | That the resources are compatible and quality is consistent |
Several services, one resource | A training room for private training and group classes | The most use of the resource, at low cost | That the services are compatible and scheduled well |
Several services, several resources | A boarding service uses different kennels by pet size | Delivery and capacity that fit each pet | The extra management and coordination |
Set which resource fills first
When a booking does not name a resource, Petboost fills your resources in their fill order. The same order applies to online bookings, Simulate and staff bookings left on Magic Match. A household booked together still shares a resource when one has room, even if it sits lower in the order.
Go to Resources.
Open the settings menu and select Fill order.
Drag each resource into the order you want it filled. Each resource type has its own list.
Changes save as soon as you drop a resource.
Keep a resource for overflow
Drag a resource below the Overflow, staff only line to keep it for staff. Online bookings treat it as full, so a night shows as full once every resource above the line is full. Staff can still book into it, and Magic Match fills it last.
For example, a boarding business with an 8-dog main kennel and a 4-dog spare kennel puts the spare kennel below the line. Customers can book 8 dogs a night online, and staff open the spare kennel when they choose to.
Keep assignments up to date
Review assignments monthly: check each service still suits its resources, find resources that are under-used, remove assignments that no longer fit, and add new services. Each quarter, plan for new services and resources, capacity changes and seasonal variation. Watch how much each resource is used, which resources are often overbooked, the revenue per resource, and customer satisfaction and quality for each service and resource. Write down why services are assigned the way they are, and train staff on it.
Common problems and fixes:
Several services clash over one resource: review the assignments, make the rules clear, set the resource's capacity to what it can take, and consider sharing
A resource is under-used: match more services to it, repurpose it, or adjust its capacity
Quality suffers from a mismatch: check the service suits the resource, that its capacity is enough, and whether it needs an upgrade
Services are booked on the wrong resource: set clear assignment rules, keep Magic Availability Check on so the booking form checks for conflicts, and train staff on the rules
Services exceed a resource's capacity: set a realistic capacity, plan increases, or offer another resource
Related articles
Getting Started with Resources: basic resource setup and configuration
Resource Capacity Management: resource capacity and utilisation
Working Hours & Blocked Times: managing resource availability
Resource FAQ: common service-resource assignment questions
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