Simple equipment reservation system with Google Forms

Streamlined gear reservation process

Tired of sending countless emails to request and book equipment? Then you've come to the right place! This blog post will guide you on how to streamline your equipment reservation system using Google Forms.

We'll begin by creating the form, and I'll share the most efficient method to do so. On top of that, I'll show you some additional useful tricks to improve your reservation system.

Do you prefer video over text? We got ya. Check out the video below:

It’s time for an efficient booking process

So, let's say you've got a project coming up, like shooting a video. You, the director, or the producer need to reserve gear for the shoot. Typically, you'd email the gear manager to check the availability of lens kit 1 or camera kit 3 for your chosen dates. Then, you wait...

Meanwhile, the producer is on their 5th cup of coffee, waiting for YOU to check your spreadsheets and respond. Our experience says this whole booking process can last up to 4 hours, 4 HOURS!!! Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Instead, you can create an equipment request form using Google Forms. Open Google Forms and begin a new form. There are certain fields I strongly recommend including, while others depend on your specific workflow requirements.

Equipment field trip

The fields you'll definitely need are the contact details of the person requesting the gear (name, email address, phone number), the type of equipment, and the dates the gear will be used. But there’s a lot more that you can also add, such as the time the gear will be picked up and returned, the name of the project, the client’s/project’s contact person, the producer or project manager, etc.

These are only a few examples, but you can also have, and you should have an equipment list. Here, you have a couple of options:

Multiple items vs. one

If you want to split up the type of equipment by category, you need to create different question boxes for each category. Say, cameras, lenses, drones, etc. Another option is that you add a complete list of all your equipment in a multiple-selection checkbox style. That way, the user can select all the gear they need for their project. If the user can only request one piece of equipment at once, you want to have a dropdown. So it’s up to you.

At the top: dropdown menu. At the bottom: multiple-selection checkbox.

Mandatory vs. optional fields

Make the fields that are crucial to you mandatory. Fields that are ‘nice to have’ but not necessary can be made optional or even removed altogether. Ensure your Google request form is easy to follow.

Comment section

Include an open-field text box for users to leave comments. For example, if a user requests a cable but actually needs 10, they can specify this in the comments.

Share the link with your users

That's it! Once you're done, save and share the link with your directors and producers who need to book equipment. You can also make the link available on your website. How you communicate this to your team is your choice. Now, let's move on to the last hack I want to share with you!

Smarter budget choices with reports

We already know that using Google Forms can streamline your processes by saving you a lot of back-and-forth emailing. But besides that, Google Forms equals reports. So, the more you use it, the more interesting data you’re collecting. ✨ 📈

For instance, you can see which gear was requested the most, which can then help you make better purchasing decisions. You may want to buy more of the popular gear and rent, rather than buy, items that are rarely requested.

Simple 3-step reservation process

While Google Forms may have already reduced your frustration, we can take it a step further. We've developed a clear 3-step reservation process to help you avoid overlapping bookings, ensuring gear reservations without worry. For this, we’re using spreadsheets and your Calendar app to create an equipment reservation system.

Read the blog post here or watch the video:

Or do it the simple, automated way

Want an even easier way to manage your gear? One where there’s no manual work and no room for human errors? Cheqroom is exactly what you need! With Cheqroom, you keep an overview of all your gear at all times. Easily reserve gear, see who used what gear last, know when the gear will be returned, etc.

Try it out for free for 7 days! Start a trial.