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Understanding the Work Order Process

You can get to this part of the system by hovering over Modules on the left and clicking Work Orders.

Initial Work Order Setup

We have streamlined Work Orders so you can do everything from a single screen. When creating the Work Order, you are able to provide estimates and print out an initial ticket for the customer, if that is part of your process.

To create a Work Order, either click the +Create New button and then click Work Order, or you can go to Modules > Work Orders and click on +Add New at the top. When you create a new Work Order, you will see a blank version of this:

1) Status - When you first open your newly set up Work Order, the module will show you that it is in a Received status. The Status of the Work Order is how you can visually track where it is in the process. You can find your drop-list of the different statuses at the top of the Work Order. Here are the different statuses you can set in the Status Drop List:

• Received - You have given the customer their Estimate and work order ticket and have officially received the order for work as well as whatever item(s) you might be working on. You have not yet begun any actual work.
• In Process - You have started the work and it is ongoing.
• In Process - Pending Approval - You are working on the order as you can, but you are waiting for approval from the customer on something more that is needed for the work order that will add to its price.
• In Process - Waiting for Parts - You are working on the order as you can, but you are waiting for parts you have ordered to arrive.
• Ready for Pickup - When you set this status, if the Customer info includes an email address and/or a cell phone number, the system will offer to notify the customer that the work order is complete.
  
  
  
  
• Completed - If you have already taken full payment and the customer has picked up the item, setting this status completes the work order and takes it out of the active list of work orders on the main Work Order module page.

2) Dates - Today's date will be automatically displayed in the Received area. Click the date link to open the Date Picker and click on the date you estimate you'll have the service work done for the customer. Click the Apply button once you're done.

3) Bin Location - If you need to track the bin or holding area for the item being worked on you can enter a Bin Location. You can click the Select Bin Location drop-list to choose previously saved work order bin locations (these have nothing to do with the Product Bin Locations, if you use those). You can also click the button next to the drop-list to Manage Bin Locations, which allows you to create new ones and delete and edit existing ones.

4) Sales Representative - If there is a Sales Rep that should be associated with the Work Order, you can search for all Sales Reps saved in the system and select one or more. If there are multiples, you can assign the percentage of commissions each will receive.

5) Customer - You will have to enter the Customer name field in order to save the Work Order, so if you just need to quickly create one you'll flesh out later, just enter the name. You can either search for a customer that's already saved in the system or click the + button to create a new customer. Once the customer name is in place, you can click the Name to view full details including past work orders by that customer.

A Note About Locations: If you have multiple Locations in the system, you will see the one you are signed into in the Store Location area. If the work order will be done at a different location, you can set the Work Order to any of your Locations. Please note that once the work order has been saved, you will no longer be able to edit the location and it will be grayed out, as pictured above.

6) Tax Profile - If you need to change the Tax Profile set for the contract, you can do so here.

7) Declared Value - You can list the value of the item if needed by entering a dollar amount here.

8) Item Attributes - You can enter an item description, if needed, in this area. Whatever you enter here will also print on the Work Order Ticket.

9) Make - You can list the maker of the item here, if you like.

10) Model - If there is a specific model number you would like to list, you can enter it here.

11) Serial Number - If the item has a unique serial number, you can list that here for reference. The system tracks the service history of all serialized items, so we recommend entering it. We have improved the functionality of this areas to make it easier to find items that you've worked on before or that the customer has purchased.

12) Accessories - It is important to log on the initial drop-off the Accessories that were included with the main item by the customer, so there is no question on what they dropped off with you. This information prints out on the Work Order ticket. You can click the Accessories drop-list to view any Accessories you have already entered. Click the button next to the drop-list if you want to Manage Accessories. You are able to create new ones in that window and you can edit or delete existing ones, as needed.

13) Media - You can click the Upload button here to upload a File from your computer or an image directly From Camera into the Work Order, if you have one connected. Files can be images or documents you might need for reference for the Work Order. You will be able to click to view at a larger size any image files uploaded and you can upload as many as you like. If you upload more than five files, you will be able to open a Manage Files window you can use to work with your uploads. Individual files are limited to 100mb each.

14) Job Templates - You can create and manage Job Templates from the main Work Orders list page under Modules, or you can do so from within a Work Order. Job Templates allow you to combine parts and service items for common jobs you do that always incorporate the same items, so you can add them to a Work Order with a simple search and click. Even for items that have special parts that might be different every time, a Template can put in place the basic framework and services to save you time, and then you can add whatever is needed. To use this function, click the +Create New Job link and in the new job frame, click the Templates drop-list to either find an existing template to use or just fill in the blanks and Save New Template. You can click the Delete button to the right of the Templates drop-list to delete the Job from the Work Order. For more information on working with Job Templates, see the section below.

15) Title - Your Job will need a Title and whatever you use will become the default name for the Job if you save it as a Job Template.

16) Summary - The Summary is for you and your team to understand what they need to do for the job. The notes in this area won't print out for the customer anywhere, they're just a reminder for your team to outline what needs to happen with the job. The Summary is optional, the Job Template will save without it.

17) Technician - You can manage your Technicians from the main Work Orders module page, or when you click the + button in the Work Order. You can either click the name of a previously created technician from the Technician drop-list, or you can enter a new one in the Add New Technician field. After you've entered a new name, click Close.

Please Note: From the main screen of Work Orders (Modules > Work Orders) you can click the Manage Technicians button in the upper right and you can add, edit, and delete Tech names as needed. Adding a Technician to a job is optional.

18) Tags - If you use tags you would like to associate with your Job, you can enter them here. You can click the button on the right to add new tags you might need.

19) Job Services and Materials - Use the search field to find services and parts or materials you need for the Job. If you have saved Service IDs for your Services you can search using those as well. As you add Services and Materials, you can add notes specific to each and these notes will print out on the Work Order Ticket. The + button to the right of the item search line will allow you to create new Materials and Services as needed, and in the case of materials, it requires limited information, so the New Product panel will load and save rapidly. The Find Services button will allow you to browse through Groups you have created for your services or look at any services that are Unassigned to Groups to browse for what you need.

20) Line Items - Your Job Line Items will all display the Item name, its Type (Material or Service), the per-item Price, the Quantity, and the Total for the line item. If you click the Ellipsis Button (the three-dot stack) on the right you can Edit or Delete the line item.

21) Miscellaneous Charges - You can use the Other amount field to add a miscellaneous charge to the Job for fees or whatever you need and the amount will be added to the Job Total.

22) Estimates - If one or more of the line items in the Job is an Estimated Price, you can check the box so the entire Job Total is treated as an Estimate.

23) Create New Job - You can add a new Job to the Work Order by clicking the +Create New Job link at the bottom of the job column. There is no limit to how many Jobs you add to a Work Order, but the Work Order is for work you are doing on a single item.

24) Work Order Totals - This area summarized the total across all Jobs in the Work Order, breaking down the Subtotal, Estimated Tax, it shows any Deposits paid, and if you need to collect a Deposit, clicking Pay Deposit will take you into the Register so you can take the payment, and you will then be returned to the Work Order and the updated deposit amount will display in the Deposits area.

25) Internal Comments - Internal Comments are just for your use, the customer will not see them, and they do not print on the ticket or receipt. Even so, it is advised to make sure you always use customer-friendly language in this area, just in case someone peeks at your screen.

26) Receipt Comments - As the name implies, your Receipt Comments area is where you can enter specific notes for the customer about the work order and/or about how to take care of their item, and these notes print out on both the initial work order ticket and on the receipt.

27) Text Contact - We offer the add-on service of text messaging, so if the customer has a cell phone number entered and if we have configured your messaging, the system can send notifications directly to and from the customer's cell phone. You will need to have the customer's Edit Customer panel Settings tab set up so that Send Text Notifications is set to ON for this to work.

Please Note: This is an add-on service to your monthly service package (but is included if you have the Marketing Package), and you can find out more about pricing by contacting us.

28) Save - When you are done entering the initial information, be sure to click the Save button. Please note, after saving, you will have Print options and other options listed below.

29) Save and Create New - If you have another Work Order you need to create, you can click the Save and Create New button and the current Work Order will be saved and a blank new one will open for you.

30) Delete - If you decide to discard your Work Order, you can click the Delete button at any time. Doing so will pop up a confirmation to make sure that you really want to remove it.

If you open a saved Work Order, the buttons at the bottom will look like the image below, and you'll have the following options:

31) Add to Register - When you are ready to take payment on the Work Order, regardless of its Status, you can load whatever is owed into the Register with this button. Please note, if you make any changes in the Work Order, this button changes back to Save until you have saved those changes.

32) Print Options - From a saved Work Order, you can either Email Ticket, Print Thermal Receipt (receipt printer), Print Ticket in full-page format, and you can Print Barcode so you can have a way to track the item and quickly look it up, and will help you to keep from confusing it with similar items.

Working On Your Work Orders

As you progress through your work on the item, any changes you make in the Work Order will change the Add to Register button to a Save button so you can update it with the new information. Please note that if you need to take a Deposit, that needs to be done before you save the Work Order for the first time, as the Deposit field is only open and active while the Work Order is in the New status.

Once the Work Order has been sent to the Register, the customer is automatically loaded and you'll see important details for the order, as pictured below. You can apply discounts and use any payment methods needed in the normal way.

You can click the Work Order Details link to view line items for the Job and their Materials and Services, if needed. Another thing the system will automatically account for is the deposit, which will be removed from the total and will be itemized on the receipt just like the other parts of the work order, as pictured below in the final receipt:

Text Messaging in Work Orders

As mentioned above, you are able to text back and forth with the customer about the work order as needed. That interface displays both sides of the conversation and keeps the history for your review. Text conversations are in the lower left of the Work Order window and appear like this:

When you receive text messages from the customer, the system will display a red number over the Alarm Bell icon in the upper right. Clicking on that will show you Orders that have not yet been reviewed and unread text notifications from Work Orders, like this:

Clicking on the Unread Text Messages notification will take you to your Work Orders list and show you only Work Orders that have unread messages in them. There is also a Text Messages filter that can allow you to view Read & Unread messages (as pictured above) or only Unread Messages. Orders that have unread messages will display a red dot like the one above.

Wait, What About Loaners?

Click here for more information on working with your Loaners: Managing Loaners.

The Main Work Orders List Page

You are able to see all Work Orders that are active for you by going to Modules > Work Orders. Please note, this functionality is available only if you use the Point of Sale system.

You can Search for a specific Work Order, either by its ID, Status, the Customer, or by the title of Item in the Work Order. The Date Range that will initially display will include the last four months, but you can click on the dates to change the time frame. There is also a drop-list to filter by Creation Date (default), Target Date, or Pickup Date, if needed. If you have multiple Locations, you can filter to view a specific one, or All Locations. You can also filter by Status, and by default all statuses except for Completed are selected so you can view items that are still being worked on or have not yet been picked up. If you track Technicians on your Work Orders you can click that filter drop-list to see Work Orders being done by a specific Tech. If you have created Tags in your Work Orders, you can filter by any you have made in the Tags filter drop-list. There is also a filter to view Read & Unread Text Messages, or Unread Only.

You can click on any of the column headers to sort alpha-numerically by that column, clicking again will reverse the sort. You can use the check-boxes on the left to select multiple Work Orders and in the Bulk drop-list you can add all of them to the Register at once, if you need. You can also Export the list to a spreadsheet file.

In the upper right, you can click +Add New to create a new Work Order. The Manage drop-list allows you to work with Job Tags, Job Templates and Technicians. You can Add, Edit, or Delete any Job Templates and/or Job Tags. The Manage Technicians option allows you to Add, Edit, or Delete Technicians, as needed.

Work Orders in the Register

You are able to access any open Work Orders a customer might have from the Register. You are also able to create Work Orders from within the Register and do the initial creation on the same transaction for as many as you need. For both of these functions, you will first need to load the Customer into the Register, then click on any of the Customer Action icons in the upper right and look at the Work Orders section. If the customer has any Work Orders ready for pickup, the Wrench icon will be gold, as pictured below.

You can use the + button next to Work Orders to create new ones, as pictured here:

You will see the Work Order ID number, as well as the Make and Model of the item, if listed. Work Order listings will also display the Status of the Work order. For Work Orders that are Ready for Pickup, you can click on the status and it will load the item into the Register to complete.

Once it is in the Register, it will have very useful functionality for you. You can click on the Work Order number to view the full Work Order panel. You can also click the Work Order Details link to expand and view the line items in the Work Order, as pictured below.

You can add multiple Work Orders to the Register in this way for the customer, if they have more than one they are ready to complete.