Completing a Work Order

This Help File Page was last Modified on 11/27/2022

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Completing a Work Order

This Help File Page was last Modified on 11/27/2022

Completing a Work Order - Once the Technician has completed a Work Order, enter the Labor, and any Inventory, Materials, and/or Miscellaneous charges for this Work Order, as appropriate.

There are a few ways Work Orders may be completed within the Service Tracking System:

1.Technicians may complete their own Work Orders.

a.Within MKMS, or

b.Using the Web Tech Service browser based application.

2.Technicians may complete their Work Orders at a later time (or day), as time, need, and access allows.

3.The Service Manager or other designated assistant may complete any Technicians' Work Orders.

4.The Work Order Invoicing/Review Form may also be used (by any Authorized Person) to Complete and Invoice any Technicians' Work Orders.

 

Note: Any Employee (e.g., Technician, designated assistant, Accounting person, Service Manager) who will be completing Work Orders must have a Check in their Manage Time Sheets? box in the Time Sheet Options area on the Employee Form's Security tab if they will be completing Work Orders associated with Time Sheet entries.

 

Review the chapter explaining the Ribbon Menu Icons on the Work Order Requests Tab at the top of the Work Order Form - along with the purpose for those Icons.

 

HelpFilesWorkOrderRequestTabRibbonMenu    

Service Request Form - Navigation Icons & Work Order Options

 

A little more review - Creating the Work Order is a multiple steps process:

A.The request for service may be entered in several ways:

1.Using the standard (long format) Work Order Form  

2.Created as part of a Job Task

3.Entered using the Quick Work Order Form

4.Generated automatically when the Recurring Services Work Orders are created.

 

B.If appropriate (and using the standard long format Work Order Form), the Technician Skills that are required should be identified on the Required Skills tab.

 

C.A Lead Technician is then assigned to perform the requested service work.

 

D.The Work Order is Scheduled.

 

E.Later, additional information may be added as needed (e.g., Labor Hours, Inventory and Materials usage, Miscellaneous charges).

 

F.The Work Order is Completed and if necessary, Invoiced.

 

HelpFilesWorkOrderFormReadyToComplete

Work Order Form that is ready for Completion & Invoicing

 

The basic procedure for Processing a Work Order is as follows:

a.Enter the initial request for service using the standard Work Order Form, creating a Work Order for a Job Task, or by using the Quick Work Order Form.

b.Identify any specific Technician Skills that will be required

c.Assign this Work Order to a Technician.

d.Schedule the Work Order  

i.Click the Schedule Icon on the Work Order Form to Schedule the Work Order, and/or

ii.Use the Pending Work Orders List to Schedule an Appointment in the Technician Scheduling Form  

e.Track the Technician Activity (make those changes using the Technician's Status Form).

f.Record the Labor used to complete the Work Order (see the Labor Drop-Down Info Box below).

g.Record the Inventory & Materials used to complete the Work Order (see Inventory\Materials Drop-Down Info Box below, and the Inventory\Materials Drop-Down Info Box chapter for detailed information).

h.Complete and Invoice the Work Order (see the "Finalizing the Work Order" discussion below).

 

This Completing a Work Order chapter explains how to accomplish the final three (3) steps (listed as f., g. & h. above) required to Complete a Work Order.

1.Record the Labor used to complete the Work Order (see the "Labor Drop-Down Info Box" discussion immediately below).

2.Record the Inventory & Materials, used to complete the Work Order (see the "Inventory & Materials Drop-Down Info Box" discussion below).

3.Finalize and Invoice the Work Order (see the "Finalizing the Work Order" discussion below).

 

Labor Drop-Down Info Box - Click the Labor Drop-Down Info Box on the Work Order Form and record the time and charges for this Work Order.

When the Technician(s) have completed the repair, installation, or inspection specified on the Work Order, identify who did it, and how many Labor Hours were actually required to accomplish this work.

 

HelpFilesWorkOrderLaborDropDownInfoBox

Work Order Form - Completion section - Labor field - Drop-Down Info Box

 

The Hours worked that were/are recorded in the Labor Drop-Down Info Box are added to the Time Sheet Form for that Technician.

 

HelpFilesTimeSheet-LaborFromWorkOrder

Time Sheet Form - Work Order Labor records

 

Note: Once this Work Order is Invoiced (see the "Using the Complete and Invoice buttons" discussion below), the Work Order can no longer be modified.

 

Inventory & Materials Drop-Down Info Box - Record the various expenses incurred while servicing this Work Order.

When the Technician(s) complete the repair, installation, or inspection required on the Work Order, record the Inventory Items and Material costs that were required to accomplish this work.

a)Identify those Inventory Items in the Inventory & Materials Drop-Down Info Box; or  

b)Click the Use Inventory option on the Pats List tab of the Work Order to insert all of the Inventory Items defined in the Parts List into the Inventory\Material Drop-Down Info Box; or  

c)If this Work Order was created through the Job Task tab on a Job Costing Form,

1)The Inventory Items used for this Work Order must have been defined in the Item List of the Inventory tab for that Job Costing record, and

2) Reserved in advance

 

HelpFilesWorkOrderInventoryMaterialsDropDownInfoBox

Inventory\Materials Labor Drop-Down Info Box on the Work Order Form

 

HelpFilesPackagesIcon Using the Packages Icon:

If this Work Order required the installation of a Proposal Package, Click the Packages Icon on the Inventory/Materials Drop-Down Info Box to Open the Search Proposal Packages dialog and Select the appropriate Proposal Package from the list presented.

 

HelpFilesSearchProposalPackageDialog

Search Proposal Package dialog

 

The line item details of the selected Proposal Package will be inserted into the Inventory\Materials Drop-Down Info Box.

HelpFilesNavigatorMenu-AdvancedItemSearchWhile identifying an individual Item in the Inventory/Materials Drop-Down Info Box:

If the list of Sale-Purchase Items is too long to easily locate the required Item,

Click the Advanced Item Search Icon to display the Advanced Sale Item Look-up dialog.

 

Note: Once this Work Order is Invoiced (see "Using the Complete, Invoice and Show Total buttons" section below), you can no longer modify these entries.

 

Finalizing the Work Order

How to fill in the Completion area on the Work Order Form:

This information will be included on the Invoice generated using the Invoice button (explained below).

You are also creating the permanent record for what was done to finish this Work Order.

 

HelpFilesWorkOrderCompletionArea

Work Order Form - Completion area

 

Completed On - When you are ready to Complete the selected Work Order, use the Drop-Down Calendar/Date Entry field to enter the date on which all of the required service(s) were completed and fully documented.

When Inventory and or Materials are used (and recorded in the Inventory\Material Drop-Down Info Box), the Completed On Date entered here cannot be within a Closed Month

Serviced On - Use the Drop-Down Calendar/Date Entry field to enter the actual date when the service was provided.

Resolution - Use the Drop-Down Selection List provided to Choose the appropriate Work Order Resolution description.

Hours - System maintained Value based on the Labor Hours entered below.

Labor - Use the Labor Drop-Down Info Box to record the time and charges for this Work Order (see the Labor Drop-Down Info Box chapter for more information).

Mat.\Inv. - Use the Mat.\Inv. Drop-Down Info Box to record the Materials costs, and the specific Inventory Items that were used (see the Inventory\Materials Drop-Down Info Box chapter for more information).

Misc Charges - Enter a dollar amount for any other miscellaneous costs (e.g., Trip Charge, standard Miscellaneous Materials charge) which are to be charged to this Work Order.

Price Total - System maintained Value of the Sum of the Billable Charges (Labor + Mat.\Inv. + Misc.).

Total Cost - System maintained Value of the Sum of the actual Costs of the Materials, and the specific Inventory Items that were used, including (if entered) the Job Cost Categories defined Labor Cost.

Services Performed - Enter a detailed description (up to 500 characters) of the work that was performed.  

This is the only field which can be updated/modified once a Work Order is Completed and Invoiced because additional information may become available later.

 

Special Check boxes that will affect Invoicing:

Exclude Invoice Labor? - Check this box to exclude the Labor charge associated with any Sale-Purchase Item entered in the Mat.\Inv. Drop-Down Info Box field if their was also a Labor Installation entry in the Job Cost Categories section of the Inventory Item (see ØNote below and the Inventory\Material Drop-Down Info Box chapter for more information).

Non Billable? - Check this box when any costs associated with this Work Order should not be billed to the Subscriber.  By doing so:

The Invoice button will be disabled (see ØNote below about the DefaultWarrantyWOSettings option).

This Work Order will not appear in the Work Orders Not Invoiced report.

The internal costs for this repair (Inventory Used and/or Labor Hours) will still be recorded.

 

HelpFilesWorkOrderCompletionArea-Non-Billable

 

Note: Setting the DefaultWarrantyWOSettings option to True ("T") in the Company Settings Form will set the Non Billable and Exclude Invoice Labor Check boxes on a new Work Order Form to match the settings in the Service Contract record associated with (i.e., assigned to) the current Subscriber - only if that Subscriber is still under Warranty (i.e., Warranty Ends Date > Today as identified in the Service Info section).

oTherefore, it is important to reset the Warranty Ends Date in the Service Info section whenever the Subscriber purchases, or extends the Term (length of coverage time) of an Extended Service Agreement (see Service Contracts chapter for more information) so these Billable and Exclude Invoice Labor Check boxes are properly set on a Work Order.

Save - HelpFilesNavigatorMenu-StandardSaveClick the Save Icon to record this Work Order's Completion information.

 

Using the Complete, Invoice and Show Total buttons:

 

HelpFilesComplete&InvoiceButtons

Work Order Form's

Complete and Invoice buttons

 

HelpFilesServiceRequestSpecialIcons-ShowTotalIcon

Work Order Form's Show Total Icon

 

Show Total button - To see an estimate of what would be Invoiced to the Subscriber for this Completed Work Order, Click the Show Total Icon at the top of the Work Order Form to display the Estimated Invoice Total dialog which includes the Labor + Mat.\Inv. + Misc. charges plus any applicable Sales Tax.

This assumes that no additional Labor + Mat.\Inv. + Misc. costs will be added prior to Clicking the Invoice button (see below).

 

HelpFilesShowTotalInformation

 

Complete button - Click the Complete button to indicate that all requirements for this Work Order have been finished.

If any critical data is missing (i.e., Completed On Date, Prices, Service Type), a generic reminder message is displayed.

All of the listed fields must have an entry.

 

HelpFilesWorkOrderComplete-UnfinishedEntriesMessage

 

Note:  If you do not intend to Invoice this Work Order at this time, you may manually Check the Completed? box.

If the Non Billable? field was Checked, use only the Complete button to identify this Work Order as Completed!

 

You may be asked to delete the existing Appointment that was made for this Work Order.  Answer as appropriate.

 

HelpFilesServiceRequestCompleteDeleteAppointmentMessage

 

If you have not yet Invoiced this Work Order, and you did NOT Check the Non Billable? field, you will be asked if you want to do so.  Answer as appropriate.

 

HelpFilesCreateInvoiceForThisWorkOrder

 

If you answer Yes, the Invoice for this Work Order will be created automatically (see the "Automatic Invoice Generation" discussion immediately below).

 

To Skip the Invoicing step if you made this selection in error, or if more work and/or additional entries will be required later to actually complete this Work Order:

Answer No to the " Create Invoice For This Work Order?" question.

HelpFilesNavigatorMenu-StandardSaveClick the Save Icon and exit the Form.

Answering No will require that you will have to return later to create an Invoice, if this Work Order will ever need to be billed.

 

Using the Complete button when the the Non Billable? field was Checked:

When one or more Inventory Items were Used, the Installed Equipment dialog will be displayed.

Install - Check all of the items that where installed from Inventory and should be added to the Installed Equipment table for this Subscriber).

 

HelpFilesCompletingAWorkOrder-InstalledEquipmentDialog

Installed Equipment dialog - Install field's Check box

HelpFilesNavigatorMenu-StandardSaveClick the Save Icon

 

Install Equipment - Click on the Install Equipment option at the top of the Form to post the selected items to the Installed Equipment table for this Subscriber.

 

HelpFilesCompletingAWorkOrder-InstalledEquipmentDialog-InstallEquipmentButton

Installed Equipment dialog - Install Equipment option

 

If the selected item(s) are already recorded in the Subscriber's Installed Equipment Form, a Confirmation message will be displayed.

 

HelpFilesSelectedItemsAlreadyExist-AddAgain

If selected items exist in Installed Equipment, add the item again?

 

Answer accordingly.

 

Using the Invoice button to create an Invoice based on these Work Order entries.

The Itemized Invoicing dialog instructions below may be used for any of these four cases:

1)You Clicked the Complete Button and answered Yes to create an Invoice for the Work Order.

2)You Checked the Completed? box manually, but now want to use the Invoice Button to create an Invoice for the Work Order

3)You did not create an Invoice when you Clicked the Complete button (see Complete above), but now want to use the Invoice Button to create an Invoice for the Work Order

4)You have returned after making additional entries and want to now use the Invoice Button to bill the Subscriber for the Work Order.

 

Itemized Invoicing dialog - Automatic Invoice Generation

Follow the instructions below to automatically create an Invoice for the Work Order using the Invoice button.

Click the Invoice Button.

 

HelpFilesCreateInvoiceForThisWorkOrder

 

Answer Yes for the Create Invoice For This Work Order? question only if the required entries for this Work Order are Completed and you want to create an Invoice at this time.

 

Invoicing for Inventory & Material entries - Using the Itemized Invoicing dialog:  

 

HelpFilesServiceRequestItemizedWOInvoicing

Itemized WO Invoicing dialog - Inventory\Material items to be Itemized on the Invoice

 

Invoicing the Inventory and/or Material items that were entered on the Inventory/Materials tab

Invoice? - By default the Green Box in the Invoice? Header will be Checked. so all items will be Invoiced when the Generate Invoice button is selected.

oYou may remove this Check in the Green Box in the Invoice? Header (which will remove all Checks in the Invoice? column).

oThen, individually Check those items that are to be Invoiced when the Generate Invoice button is selected.

 

Invoice $0.00? - Check this box Only if this line item should be Invoiced at a $0.00 Amount (the internal costs are still accounted for).

oIf all line items are to Invoiced at a $0.00 Amount then Check the Green Box in the Invoice $0.00? Header (see the hand pointer in the illustration above) box.

 

Install - Check all of the items that where installed from Inventory (and therefore should be added to the Installed Equipment table for this Subscriber).

oIf all line items should be added to the Installed Equipment table for this Subscriber then Check the Green Box in the Install Header (see the hand pointer in the illustration above) box.

 

How Many? - By default, the Quantity in this field will match the number in the Quantity field in the Itemized Invoicing Form, but this Quantity may be modified (reduced but not increased), as may be appropriate.

oWhen this How Many? Quantity is greater than One ("1") - based on the Insert_Multiple_Equipment_Items option's True/False entry in Company Settings - there are two possibilities:

1.False - One Installed Equipment entry will be created with the Itemized Invoicing Form's How Many? Quantity inserted into the Quantity field on that Subscriber's Installed Equipment record.

2.True - Multiple Installed Equipment entries will be created in the Installed Equipment Form , based on the How Many? Quantity with each Installed Equipment record's Quantity entry set to "1".

 

Installed - By default, this will be the Date Used entered in the Inventory/Material Drop-Down Info Box, but may be changed as needed.

 

Expires - By default, the Warranty on any newly installed Inventory Items is one year and the Installed and Expires dates reflect that time period.  

oThese dates may be modified using the Drop-Down Date/Calendar Box available, when appropriate.

 

Click the Post Icon.

 

Appointment Deletion - If there are Appointments associated with the Work Order, and they should be deleted, answer accordingly.

 

HelpFilesServiceRequestCompleteDeleteAppointmentMessage

 

Generate Invoice - Once all of the items to be Invoiced have been Posted, Click the Generate Invoice Icon on the Itemized Invoicing dialog.

oConfirm that you do want to Generate the Invoice.

 

HelpFilesConfirmGenerateInvoice

 

An Invoice will be created automatically (see example below).  

oLabor charges entered in the Labor tab and any Miscellaneous charges will be included on the Invoice.

oIf selected, the Inventory\Material items will be itemized as indicated above.

 

If there are Inventory Items that already exist in the Installed Equipment table for this Subscriber, you will be asked of these are to be added as additional items in that table.

oYes - Adds the Inventory Items to the Invoice and Creates additional Installed Equipment record(s) for these Items, as needed.

oNo - Adds the Inventory Items to the Invoice but not the Installed Equipment table.

 

HelpFilesServiceRequestInvoiceGenerateInvoicingAddEquipment

 

Comments - Services Performed notes will be included in the Invoice's Comments section.

Note: You may add to, or modify the resulting Invoice as needed (see the Sales chapter for more detailed information).

 

If the Contract Tracking System has been activated (the AssignInvoiceToContract option is set to True ("T") in the Company Settings Form):

When Generating an Invoice for a Service Request (Work Order), the Assign Contract Form will be displayed and should be completed as appropriate.

 

HelpFilesAssignContracts

Assign Contract Form

 

The Invoice will then be displayed.

This Invoice may be accepted as is, modified, added to, or deleted - and then created manually - based on the Users need(s).

Print - You may print this Invoice when you are finished.

 

HelpFilesInvoiceCreatedFromWorkOrder

Automatically generated Invoice for a Work Order

 

When an Invoice is created from within the Work Order, you cannot modify the Quantity, or change the Sale Category's Item ID of any Inventory Item recorded on that Invoice.

This is because, the Work Order has been Completed with those Inventory Usage Quantities and Charges permanently recorded.

If an error was made in the Invoicing of that Inventory:

a)The Invoice must be Deleted

b)The Check mark must be removed from the Completed box on the Work Order Form

c)Then, the corrected Inventory Usage must recorded and Invoiced.

 

Here are a few special considerations you may also want to address:

Department - If a Department has been assigned when the Work Order was created, it will become the default Department.

oThat Department will automatically be inserted whenever an Inventory/Materials expense record is added.

oTherefore,when a Work Order is Invoiced, the Department assigned on the Work Order will be Department assigned to each Detail Line Item on that Invoice.

 

Note - The Note field allows you to open a Rich Text Editor (just Click [Note]) to enter a more detailed description of exactly what this charge was for, and/or what was performed.

 

Sales Tax: Based on the rules and requirements of your Sales Tax Authorities, established for this Subscriber, the charge for Sales Tax will be added to the Invoice.  Therefore:

oThe original billing Amount you entered for this Work Order should not include the Sales Tax Amount as part of what you enter for the Costs or Labor Rates.

oVerify that any item that should not be taxed, has not been taxed, and visa versa.  

oSales Tax related corrections may be made as follows:

i.Click that Drop-Down Selection List in the (Sale Tax) Code field.

ii.Choose the % (Tax Rate Code) for that item (Y/N/1/2/3), as appropriate.

iii.Repeat this process, as required, for each item that Sales Tax was incorrectly assessed.

HelpFilesNavigatorMenu-StandardSaveClick the Save Icon to record any updates that were required.

Then, Click the Close HelpFilesCloseBox box to Close the Invoice Form when you are finished.

This will return you to the originating Work Order Form.

 

The Completed? box at the bottom of Work Order Form will be Checked automatically (Press the Refresh button to confirm this, if desired).

The Complete and Invoice buttons will now be deactivated (Grayed out) and the corresponding Check Boxes will be Checked.

The Invoice # will be inserted.

 

Work Order Form's Completion area Check Boxes:

 

HelpFilesServiceRequestCheckBoxes

 

Understanding the use and purpose of the Reset Service Start dialog and the Recurring Svc Inspection? Check box:

a)When the services performed would also qualify as the completion of a full annual Inspection procedure (based on the Work Order Type specified), Check the Recurring Svc Inspection? box.

b)Then, if this Subscriber has Recurring Service Requirement(s) defined in their Auto Service Form, you will be asked if you want to reset the Recurring Service Requirement(s) starting months.

c)So, if the work performed, as a part of the overall services that were completed, has included what would be considered their normal inspection or service procedure:

Select the appropriate Recurring Service record

Click the Reset Service Month button.

Click Close to exit this form.

 

HelpFilesServiceRequestResetServiceStart

Reset Service Start

Used when an out-of-cycle inspection is performed

 

By resetting the cycle, the system will skip their next normal recurring service requirement (as the Automatic Generation of Recurring Services processes is executed), and re-set the cycle that would coincide with the Serviced On Date of this just completed Work Order.

 

Completed? - This box will be Checked automatically when the Complete button is pressed.

If you do not intend to actually create an Invoice for this Work Order, manually Check Completed? (perhaps because it was a Warranty or Courtesy call).

 

HelpFilesServiceRequestCompletionInformation

Work Order Form - Completion information

 

Exclude Invoice Labor? - Check this box to exclude the Labor charge associated with any Sale-Purchase Item entered in the Mat.\Inv. Drop-Down Info Box field if their was also a Labor Installation entry in the Job Cost Categories section of the Inventory Item (see ØNote below and the Inventory\Material Drop-Down Info Box chapter for more information).

 

Non Billable? - Check this box when any costs associated with this Work Order should not be billed to the Subscriber.  By doing so:

The Invoice button will be disabled see the ØNote below about the DefaultWarrantyWOSettings option).

This Work Order will not appear in the Work Orders Not Invoiced report.

 

Note: Setting the DefaultWarrantyWOSettings option to True ("T") in the Company Settings Form will set the Non Billable and Exclude Invoice Labor Check boxes on a new Work Order Form to match the settings in the Service Contract record associated with (i.e., assigned to) the current Subscriber - only if that Subscriber is still under Warranty (i.e., Warranty Ends Date > Today as identified in the Service Info section).

Therefore, it is important to reset the Warranty Ends Date in the Service Info section whenever the Subscriber purchases, or extends the Term (length of coverage time) of an Extended Service Agreement (see Service Contracts chapter for more information) so these Billable and Exclude Invoice Labor Check boxes are properly set on a Work Order.

 

Invoiced? - If this completed Work Order has been Invoiced, this box will be Checked by the system.

Invoice # - If Invoiced, the Invoice Number will be inserted here by the system.

 

Printed? - If this Work Order has been printed, this box will be Checked by the system.