Samples Manager now lets you filter your inventory by real-time availability status and date window — so you can instantly see which samples are free, on loan, or reserved for any given period. On top of that, you can now create a Request directly from any sample in Samples Manager, without leaving the page. These two additions significantly reduce the back-and-forth when preparing a send out or a press loan.
🔍 Availability Status Filter
The Availability Status filter replaces the previous "Marked On Loan / Not Marked On Loan" toggle. It is a single-select filter with four options that map precisely to the sample's current tracking state.
| Options | Definition |
| Available | The sample is not on an active loan, not reserved, and not on a pending delivery. |
| Reserved or Pending | The sample is booked on a reservation or is part of a delivery that has not yet shipped. |
| On Loan | The sample is currently out on an open delivery and has not been returned. This also includes samples tied to unpaid invoices (i.e. the loan has been invoiced but payment is still outstanding). |
| On Loan & Reserved or Pending | The sample is currently on a loan, reservation or a pending delivery. |
📅 Availability Date Range Filter
Once you select an Availability Status, an Availability Date Range filter becomes active. This lets you refine results to a specific time window — for example, finding all samples that are available between April 15 and April 20.
Step 1: Select an Availability Status
The date range filter is disabled by default and will only activate after you pick at least one value in Availability Status. Clearing the Availability Status will disable the date range again.
Step 2: Set your start and end date
Enter the start and end dates for the window you want to check. A few rules:
- The start date cannot be in the past — the earliest you can select is today.
- The end date is required. If you clear it, it will automatically reset to the same day as the start date.
Step 3: Choose your availability logic (Flexible checkbox)
Below the date range, you'll find a "Flexible availability" checkbox. This controls how strictly the system interprets "available" within your date window.
| Checkbox state | Logic | Practical example |
| Unchecked (default) | The sample must be continuously available for the entire selected date range — no bookings at all during that window. | You need a coat from Apr 15–20. Unchecked: only coats with zero bookings between Apr 15 and Apr 20 are shown. A coat returned on Apr 17 and re-loaned on Apr 19 would not appear. |
| Checked | The sample just needs to have any availability that overlaps with your selected range — even partially. | Same coat scenario. Checked: the coat returned on Apr 17 and re-loaned on Apr 19 would appear because it has a window of availability (Apr 17–19) that falls within your range. Use this when you're flexible on exact dates and want to see everything that could work. |
📌 Outstanding samples (on loan past their expected return date with no return recorded) are treated as still out on loan for any future dates. They will not appear in "Available" results, even if the original due date has passed.
🏷️ Availability Flags
When you filter by Available status with a date range and the Flexible availability checkbox checked, samples that have mixed availability within your window will show an availability flag next to them in the list. These flags help you understand exactly when a sample is free within your requested period.
- Hover over the flag to see the availability segments — the specific date ranges when the sample is free during your window.
- Flags are only visible to users with Full Access or Limited Visibility (Availability and Out To).
- Requesting from another department is coming soon! Stay put!
- A sample with no bookings at all is fully available and will not show a flag — no segments needed.
- The flag only shows reservations and bookings that fall within your selected date range. Past or future bookings outside your window are not displayed.
📋 Creating a Request Directly from Samples Manager
You can now launch a new Request from any sample in Samples Manager — without navigating to the Request module first. The Request form opens pre-populated with the samples you selected, saving significant time when preparing loans or send outs.
Option A: Create a Request from the Queue
📌 Same-department rule: "Request Samples" only works when all queued samples belong to the same department and you have full inventory rights for that department. If your queue contains samples from multiple departments, you'll see an error: Cannot create a request with samples from different departments.
What happens to your queue depending on the action taken:
- Cancel (Step 1 or Step 2) → Queue is kept, page not refreshed.
- Close & Finish Later → Queue is cleared, page not refreshed.
- Create / Convert → Queue is cleared, Samples Manager refreshes.
Option B: Create a Request from a Single Sample
📌 The "Request Sample" option is only visible if you have full inventory rights for that sample's department.
