Platform Update – March 7 2026 Release

Improvements & Enhancements

Equipment Booking & Loan Management (Major Update)

This release includes a comprehensive set of improvements to Equipment workflows, visibility, and administrative controls.

Booking Experience & User Interface

• Added a confirmation step when removing an item from a loan, reducing accidental deletions.

• Added Close buttons to the View Loan Items and Loan History pages for easier navigation.

• Updated the Edit Loan Items page to display the current loan status, improving clarity during review.

• Reordered action buttons on existing booking pages so they now appear in chronological order.

• Improved navigation from the Create New Loan page, ensuring the Cancel button properly closes the page.

• Resolved an issue where users were unable to leave the New Loan page; the Book Equipment action now opens in a new window to prevent page lock.

• Removed the “Last Modified” field from the Organization Equipment Booking page to simplify the interface.

• Added a direct “Create New Booking” button to the Equipment Bookings page for quicker access.

Smarter Equipment Listings

• Improved equipment display by consolidating identical items into quantity-based listings.
  For example:
  Hockey Skates – Size 5 (10 available)
  instead of repeating the same item multiple times.
  This creates a cleaner, less overwhelming browsing experience.

Loan Status & Submission Workflow

• Introduced a new “Submit Loan Request” component for equipment bookings.

• Loans created in New status must now be formally submitted to move to Requested

• A clear notice explains that unsubmitted loans remain in New status for 24 hours before being removed

• When submitted, an email notification is automatically sent to the Organization’s Equipment Manager (or Primary Contact if none is assigned)
  
  

• Added a Loan Status column to Equipment booking views for improved tracking.

• When a family member cancels a loan, it now remains visible in their list, but the Actions menu is removed.

• Organization Administrators can create loans in the past if needed (e.g., off-book tracking), and now receive a clear warning when loan dates are historical.
  
  

Access & Visibility Improvements

Equipment access points have been standardized across the platform:

• If Equipment is enabled but online booking is not active, users are directed to contact information for the organization.

• If online booking is enabled, all Equipment buttons consistently route to the appropriate booking interface.

• Added a “My Equipment” menu option for users in communities offering equipment services.

• After submitting an online booking request, users are automatically added to the organization’s followers list.
  
  

Equipment Administration Enhancements

• Equipment Types admin page now displays equipment images and has been correctly titled “Equipment Types.”

• Added the ability to suggest paired or related equipment (e.g., skis prompting poles and boots).
  A new Related Equipment field has been added to Equipment setup pages.

• Added additional access points throughout the system to reach Equipment booking pages.
  
  

Stability & Safeguards

• Prevented system crashes when an organization has Equipment enabled but no Equipment Loan Process document uploaded. A placeholder document (“Coming Soon”) created where needed, and administrators notified to update it with accurate details.

Programs & Registration

• Added flexibility to Program Registration Question headings:

• “Advanced Registration Questions” renamed to “Multiple Choice Questions”

• “Registration Questions” renamed to “Written Response Questions”

• Added the option to send a tax statement summarizing all transactions from the previous year.

• Added an optional Final Confirmation step 

• Ensured publication pages default to sorting most recent documents first.

Financial Management

• Added the ability to record transactions between organizations (Org-to-Org memberships). Administrators can now add transactions on the Fee Details page for organizations that are members of another organization—allowing tracking of additional fees and payments beyond standard registration fees.

Team & Officials Management

• Added the ability to export full team schedules to spreadsheet format.

• Performed a significant cleanup and improvement of the Team Budgets section.

• On the Officials availability page, added a clear indicator showing when an official has set their availability.

• Created a dedicated email group for all Organization Administrators within a community.

Destinations

• Added three new Destination types:

• Lookoffs

• Waterfalls

• Historic Sites
  
  

• Introduced the ability to import destination data via Excel to support migration of existing listings (including NS Connect data).

Family Profile

• Resolved an issue where the Date of Birth field did not function properly on Apple devices.

Documents

• Publication pages now default to displaying the most recent documents first.

What’s New & Where to Find Updates

• A scrolling marquee on the website highlights timely updates with a blue, clickable link that scrolls from right to left.

• Release notes (like these) are published weekly and are always available under the “Info” tab on the website.

• Depending on relevance, the marquee may link to community announcements, newsletters, or platform release notes—making important information easy to find.

Why This Matters

This release represents a significant step forward in equipment management, administrative clarity, and workflow consistency across the platform. From cleaner booking interfaces and smarter inventory displays to improved submission processes and financial tracking tools, these updates are designed to reduce confusion, strengthen accountability, and make participation easier for families and organizations alike.

If you have feedback, questions, or ideas for future improvements, we’d love to hear from you at Support@PlayFinder.ca!