STARK Version 5.1.35.84XX Service Tracking New Features

Chapter Links

Description of the Enhancement

Reports Module

Sometimes your Company may need a special report that is not available in MKMS.

▪To accommodate this need, a Reports Icon on the Shortcuts tab provides access to the Reports Module where Custom Reports may be created, Updated, Deleted, Tested, etc.

❖Important Notice - A working knowledge of SQL is required to be able to properly use this Reports Module.

Work Order Ribbon Menu

WO Detail

WO Detail - The new WO Detail choice on the Print options selection on the Work Order Ribbon Menu opens the Work Order Detail dialog where a User may customize the results of this request

Work Order

A printed Work Order now includes the Name of the User who created that Work Order

Service Options

Sale-Purchase Item

If a Sale-Purchase Item has been designated the Default Sales Code on the Service Options tab of the User Options Form, it can no longer be designated as Inactive.

Parts List

Work Order

There is a new Order Inventory dialog accessible from the Parts List tab of a Work Order Form

▪See the "Understanding the Order Inventory option on the Work Order's Parts tab" discussion in the Parts List tab chapter for more information

Converting a Proposal to an Invoice

Installed Equipment

The Proposal Conversion Information dialog has been updated to include a new Installed Equipment dialog which will only be displayed if the Add Inventory To Installed Equipment? box has been Checked when Converting a Proposal to an Invoice

▪In this new Installed Equipment dialog the User can identify which Proposal Items will be added to the Subscriber's Installed Equipment table using the Qty and optional the How Many? column fields.

a.Qty - By default, this Qty (Quantity) represents what was entered on the Proposal, but may be changed if needed.

b.How Many? - This column will only be displayed when the Insert_Multiple_Equipment_Items option in Company Settings is set to ("T") True

i.Therefore, when the Qty (Quantity) value is greater than One ("1"), Multiple Installed Equipment entries will be created in the Subscriber's Installed Equipment table - based on the How Many? Quantity entered - with each of those Subscriber's Installed Equipment table Quantity entries set to "1".

ii.However, when the Insert_Multiple_Equipment_Items option in Company Settings is set to set to ("F") False, this How Many? field is not displayed and only one Installed Equipment entry will be created with the Installed Equipment dialog's Qty (Quantity) inserted into the Quantity field on that one Subscriber's Installed Equipment record.

Company Setting

There is a new Insert Multiple Equipment Items option in Company Setting

Depending on the Insert_Multiple_Equipment_Items option's True/False entry, 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".

Service Options

Default Sales Code - The Drop-Down Selection List on the Service Options tab on the User Options Form which is used to Choose the default Sales Category Code for the invoicing of a Service Request will no longer include Inactive Sales Category Codes, any Sales Category Code beginning with "R-",  and Sales Category Codes identified as Inventory Items.

Completing a Work Order

The process of using the Complete button when the Non Billable? field was Checked on a Work Order has changed.  Now, if one or more Inventory Items were identified as being Used, and the Non Billable? field was Checked, the Installed Equipment dialog will now 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), then Save the entries.

Installed Equipment

There is a new Quantity field on the Subscriber's Installed Equipment Form

▪During the update to MKMS Version 5.1.8235, this field will be set to one ("1") but may be modified as needed.

Installed Equipment

A Subscriber's Installed Equipment Form's List may now be Grouped by a User selected column name to be able to easily see how many of a particular type of Equipment has been installed at this premises.

Technician Schedule

The load time for the Technician Schedule Form is now substantially faster.

Quick Work Order

An E-Payment option has been added to the Quick Work Order Form which may be used to "collect" the balance for a Past Due Work Order (or Invoice) prior to accepting a new service request.

Completing a Work Order

Work Order Invoicing/Review

A.While Completing a Work Order, and using the Generate Invoice option in the Itemized Invoice Form (see the Automatic Invoice Generation discussion in the Completing a Work Order chapter), when selecting the Inventory Items which are to be added to the Subscriber's Installed Equipment table (the Install box was Checked), the How Many? field must be filled in:

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

1.False - One Installed Equipment entry will be created with the Itemized Invoicing dialog'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 Subscriber's Installed Equipment table - based on the How Many? Quantity entered - with each of those Quantity entries set to "1".

B.When using the Work Order Invoicing/Review Form, while Recording Work Order Charges, the Installed Equipment (Shift+F9) tab's How Many? Quantity should be filled in.

▪How Many? - By default, the Quantity in this Installed Equipment (Shift+F9) tab will match the number in the Quantity field in the Inventoryt/Materials tab, 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 new 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 Installed Equipment (Shift+F9) tab's How Many? Quantity inserted into the Quantity field on that new Subscriber's Installed Equipment record.

2.True - Multiple Installed Equipment entries will be created in the Subscriber's Installed Equipment Form - based on the Installed Equipment (Shift+F9) tab's How Many? Quantity - with each of those Quantity entries set to "1".

Millennium Series User Interface

A special MKGM.dup file is included in this upgrade to enable the use of Google Maps® without incurring the map views limitation. Google Map® may now initially display either in the "roadmap" (default) view, or in the "satellite" view, as your Company's Central Station and/or Operations Manager prefers.

▪For those who want to use this feature, this feature requires the installation of a new Company Setting which may be accomplished by using the dbisql utility to run this script:

INSERT INTO "DBA"."CompanySettings"("Section","SettingName","SettingValue") 

VALUES('Feature','DefaultMapType','roadmap')

▪To change the default map display to "satellite":

update dba.companysettings set settingvalue = 'satellite' 

where settingname = 'DefaultMapType'

Various as Listed

The keyboard's Insert (to start a new entry), Delete (to remove an existing entry), and the Left-Right-Up-Down-Arrow Keys for Navigating within the Grid or Form; plus the Ctrl+S combination (for Save) are implemented on these Forms:

▪On the Job Costing Form's

i.Labor tab

ii.Sub-Contract tab

iii.Materials tab

iv.Expenses tab

v.Commissions tab

vi.Job Tasks tab

vii.Inventory tab's Item List sub-tab

▪Work Order Invoicing/Review dialog

Themes

A new Themes capability has been added which allows the User to set their preferred coloration, screen accents (and special occasions) Theme in MKMS and MKMSCS.

Technician Performance (New Grid)

An Email (the data in the Grid) capability has been added to the Technician Performance (New Grid).  This option will appear on the Ribbon Menu at the top of that Report Form as an Icon.

Company Settings

Work Order

Suppress WO Warnings - A new SuppressWOWarning option in Company Settings has been created to allow your Company to suppress the Work Order Warning dialog:

▪By default, the SuppressWOWarnings option is set to False ("F").

▪Setting this SuppressWOWarnings option to True ("T") will suppress the Pop-Up Warning Dialog which displays a Warning Message when the Subscriber has a pending Work Order, a Balance that is Past Due, and/or is out of Warranty (or has a Service Contract which has expired) when a new Work Order is started.

Company Options

Default Warranty Terms - By default, the Value of the new DefaultWarrantyTerms option in Company Settings will be set to 12.

▪This Value represents the number of Months after the Sale Date entered in the Service Info section of the Edit View of the Subscribers Form when the installation's Warranty Ends.

▪The Value entered here will automatically populate that Warranty Ends field (i.e., Sales Date + Value in months = Warranty Date).

▪This Value may be changed, based on your individual Company's Warranty Policy.

Default Warranty WO Settings - By default, the new DefaultWarrantyWOSettings option in Company Settings is set to False ("F") .

▪Setting the DefaultWarrantyWOSettings option to True ("T") 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 (assigned to) the current Subscriber - if that Subscriber is still under Warranty (i.e., Warranty Ends Date > Today).

Check Date Requested After Sub Sale Date - By default, the CheckDateRequestedAfterSubSaleDate option is set to True ("T")

▪When set to True ("T"), the program will confirm that the Requested On Date entered on a Work Order is on or after the Sale Date entered in the Service section of the Subscriber Edit View.

▪When set to False ("F"), the program will not make that comparison.

Service Contracts

The revised Service Contracts Form now has two additonal fields:

1.Exclude Invoice Labor - Check the box when Work Order Labor Charges should not be billed to a Subscriber with this type of Service Contract.

2.Non Billable - Check the box when Work Order Charges should never be billed to a Subscriber with this type of Service Contract.

▪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 - if that Subscriber is still under Warranty (i.e., Warranty Ends Date is greater than Today).

Work Orders

Inventory/Materials

Completing a Work Order

The Work Orders Form has been substantially changed and new features have been added.

▪When a new Work Order is created, the "Non Billable" and "Exclude Invoice Labor" fields will be set based on the Service Contract assigned to that Subscriber only if the DefaultWarrantyWOSettings option is set to True ("T") in the Company Settings Form and Subscriber is still under warranty (i.e., Warranty End Date >= Today).

▪Department - Use the new Drop-Down Selection List provided to Choose the Department that should be charged for the Inventory/Materials expenses used to complete this Work Order.

oUse the Drop-Down Selection List provided to Choose the Department that should be charged for the Inventory/Materials expenses used to complete this Work Order.

oIf a Department has been assigned when the Work Order was created, it will become the default Department, and will be inserted automatically when the Inventory/Materials expense record is added.

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

▪The User may Select which Columns of data will be included in the List (Grid) by Clicking the Asterisk (*) at the top left of the List's Header to display a list of all available Columns (Header Names).  The User may Check the desired Header (column) Names (all will be Checked initially), or hide columns by removing the Check.

▪Parts List tab: When the Use Inventory option is selected:

a)The User may now identify How Many items are to be (were) used (when first opened, to this the How Many field will equal the Quantity field).

b)When the Use function is executed, the Quantity in the new record created in the Inventory/Materials tab will equal the How Many Amount entered in the Parts List tab.

c)If the Quantity of any item in the Parts List tab becomes less than or equal to zero, the item will be deleted from the Parts List.

▪The Ribbon Menu of the Inventory\Materials sub-tab's

Drop-Down Info Box now allows the User to Click the Advanced Item Search Icon to display the Advanced Sale Item Look-up dialog. to locate the required Sale-Purchase Item.

▪When Completing a Work Order, a new Completed On field has been added, and the Labor and Inventory/Materials entry method has been enhanced.

▪The new Itemized WO Invoicing dialog (see Automatic Invoice Generation in the Completing a Work Order chapter) allows the User to choose which (or all) items will be Invoiced, whether any items will be billed at a $0.00 value, and allows the User to choose which (or all) items are to be added to the Installed Equipment table for the Subscriber.

Pending Work Orders List

Technician Scheduling

The Day View tab on the Technician Scheduling Form now uses a Circle of Options Choices (presented in a Radial design instead of a Right-Click Menu).  

▪When the mouse pointer is within a Scheduled Appointment entry and the User performs a Right-Click  the Edit, Email, Delete, Set Status, Show on Google Maps, Go To Work Order, and Go To Subscriber options are presented in a Circle of Options Radial design.

The Pending Work Orders List on the Technician Scheduling Form has been substantially revised, and so will now function as a true Grid.

▪The new Identifier column in the Pending Work Orders List (Grid) identifies each Work Order record as being either for a Subscriber or a Prospect

▪Therefore, Grouping the Pending Work Orders List by Identifier enables the User to quickly identify which Work Orders are for a Subscriber versus a Prospect.

See the Pending Work Orders List chapter and the "Grouping the Grid Data" discussion in the Grids & Lists chapter for more information about this Grouping capability.

The Pending Work Orders list also has a new Use Tool Tips? option which turns on/off the Work Order Detail pop-up.

a)When a Check is in the Use Tool Tips? field, the Work Order Detail pop-up displays key information about the Work Order which is currently Selected in the Pending Work Orders Listing.  

b)When that pop-up feature is not wanted, removing the Check from the Use Tool Tips? option disables this feature.

▪The Filters option on the Pending Work Orders listing within the Technician Scheduling Form is now fully functional.

▪The Print Pending Work Orders option on the Actions Menu in the Pending Work Orders section of the Scheduling Form is now working properly.

Pending Work Orders List

▪A Department (Dept) column has been added to the Pending Work Orders List

▪The new Print Pending Work Orders option on the Actions Menu on the Pending Work Orders List will display a Print Preview of the Pending Work Order List as currently filtered and displayed in the Pending Work Orders Grid.

Work Order Profit Report

A new Work Order Profit dialog (which is actually presented as a fully functional data grid) may be populated based on a user selected Date Type (i.e., Completed Date, Requested Date, Date of Service, Date Created, Last Modified Date, or Schedule Date) of the Work Orders and filtered based on a specified Date Range

▪Each selected Work Order is listed with:

a)The (Retail) Charges and (Wholesale) Costs that were recorded

b)The Totals for those Charges and Costs, and

c)The calculated Profit (or Loss) resulting from them.

▪There are new Invoice Profit and Invoice Net columns available, and the Profit column has been renamed to Proposed Profit.

▪Grand Totals for those Charges and Costs are also provided.

▪The resulting data may be formatted, custom filtered, sorted and then Printed and/or Exported, as needed.

Technician Performance Grid

The new Technician Performance Grid provides a list of Work Orders within a specified Date Range (based on a User designated Type of Date field) and includes:

▪The Labor Hours, the Labor Cost, and related explanatory information (e.g., Subscriber, Technician, Service Type, Services Performed, Resolution description) for each Work Order.

▪Totals number of the Work Orders that are listed, the total Labor Hours and the Total Labor (retail) Charges.

▪This fully functional data grid also provides Print and Export options.

Installed Equipment

The Serial # field on the Installed Equipment Form has been increased in length from 15 to 70 characters.

Installed Equipment Grid

There is a new Installed Equipment Grid dialog which is a fully functioning Grid dialog that provides a list of the Equipment previously identified as Installed Equipment for each Subscriber which may then be viewed by a specific Date Range based on the 1) Installation Date, 2) Warranty Expiration Date, or 3) Last Record Update, and then sorted, filtered, reconfigured, printed, emailed, and/or exported.

Work Orders

Added the ability to Email the contents of the Parts List tab on the Work Orders Form.

Technician Scheduling

Added a "Show On Google Map" option when the User has selected an Appointment record within the Day View tab of the Technician Scheding Form.and Right Clicked their Mouse.  Also, Reorganized the Right Click Menu to be more intuitive.

Service Tickets Widget

The new Service Tickets Widget provides a summary list in the form of a Grid with the status of various classification of Work Orders (e.g., Open, Scheduled by Type [i.e., today's Orders and Installs], recently Completed, and recently Billed).

Work Order Profit

The Work Order Profit report (Grid) has been enhanced with the addition of :

a)A Date Sold, Invoice #, and Balance Due field in its Grid.

b)An Invoice Date Sold option has been added to the Select Date field.

c)A Go To Radial Right-Click Menu which includes these option:  

i.Work Order  

ii.Subscriber  

iii.Invoice  

Converting Proposal to an Installation Order

1)When Converting Proposal to an Installation Order, the order of the Proposal Items on that Proposal is now duplicated in the Installation Order's Parts List tab.

Service Info Section in Edit View

If a duplicate Service ID is entered for a Subscriber in the Service Info Section in Edit View, a much more informative error message is now presented.

Using the Scheduling Button

Appointment Editor

Work Order

When Using the Scheduling Button on the Work Order Form's Ribbon Menu to set an Appointment, as part of that entry the User is able to enter Scheduling Instructions

This information is entered in an Appointment Form on the Technicians Scheduling Form.  

Once entered, this information may be viewed in the Scheduling Drop-Down Info Box on that Work Order Form and printed on a Work Order.

▪The Scheduling Instructions may be longer than what will display in this box

▪A a vertical scroll bar is now available so the User may easy access and view all of those Instructions.

▪However, those Scheduling Instructions should be no longer than 200 characters or they will not be fully shown on the Technician's printed copy of that Work Order.

Appointment Editor

Because the Appointment Description field on the Appointment Editor Form may have several more lines of data than what is displayed in that field (the contents of this field may be pre-formatted using the Appointment Description option on the Service Options tab of the Users Option Form), this Appointment Description field may now be scrolled using the Up/Down Arrows on your keyboard, and the scroll wheel on your mouse (if enabled).

Technician Performance (New Grid)

The Technician Performance (New Grid) has been updated to remove the PriceTotal, TotalCost, TotalLaborCost, LaborPriceIn, TotalMaterialCost, MaterialPriceIn, and MiscCost fields that were no longer pulled in this report's query.  However, those fields were still available for customization and so could give improper results if used.

Technician Scheduling

Using the Pending Work Orders Grid

The Pending Work Orders Grid now offers a Dept (Name of the Department to which the Work Order is assigned) as an available column option.

Completing a Work Order

Services Performed - This field on the Work Order Form is used to enter a detailed description (up to 500 characters) of the work that was performed.  

▪This field may new be updated even after a Work Order is Completed and Invoiced because additional information may - and frequently does - become available later.

Recurring Service (Grid)

This is the new Recurring Service (Grid) dialog - based on the previously entered Recurring Service records - that allows you to View and/or Print a full function Grid containing a list of the Recurring Service Work Orders that will be generated for a User specified Month and Year - which may also be limited to those Subscribers who have been assigned to a specific Technician Group - when the Auto Service (Automatically Generate Service Requests) function is executed.

Converting a Proposal to a Job

Job Costing

Work Orders for Job Tasks

Item List sub-tab

Parts List tab

Material\Inventory

1)When Converting a Proposal to a Job, the order of the Proposal Items on that Proposal is now duplicated in the Item List sub-tab of the Inventory tab on the Job Costing Form.

2)When creating a Work Order for a Job Task, that Work Order's Parts List tab may be populated using the Pick From Job option which now imports those parts from the Item List sub-tab of the Inventory tab on the Job Costing Form in the same order as originally entered in that Item List.

3)When parts from that Parts List tab are Used, they are now inserted into the Mat.\Inv. (Material\Inventory) Drop-Down Info Box in the same order as those parts were listed in the Parts List tab.

Work Order

Inventory/Materials Drop-Down Info Box

The initial focus on the Inventory/Materials Drop-Down Info Box on a Work Order Form has been set to the Item field to speed data entry.

The Date Used field will default to Today and the User will not be allowed to re-set it to an invalid date (e.g., future, closed month, date prior to the Request Date).

Company Settings

Display Warranty Info - By default, the new DisplayWarrantyInfo option is set to False ("F") which means when a Subscriber record is displayed, their Warranty Status is not included on the Information Bar on that Subscriber Form.

▪When the ShowWarrantyInfo option is set to True ["T"] the Subscriber's Warranty Status is displayed in the Information Bar on that Subscriber Form.

Work Order Invoicing/Review

Recording Work Order Charges

The revised Work Order Invoicing/Review Form with its new user interface now Excludes Work Orders which have been marked as Non Billable and are Completed and now has 2 filters plus the user interface has been substantially improved:

1.Using the new Date Options Drop-Down Selection List with six Date Range filtering options [i.e., Date Requested, Date, Date Serviced, Date Completed, Date Created, Last Date Modified, Schedule Date],

2.The Work Order Type Drop-Down Selection List with six filtering options [i.e., All, Standard Work Order, Fire Alarm Test, Fire Extinguisher Inspection, Installation Order, Jobs].

▪The old Completion Box has been eliminated: Editing is now done:

a)within the Work Order Listing's data grid, and/or

b)by using one or more of the 6 tabs at the bottom of the Work Order Invoicing / Review Form (see below), or

c)by using the Go To Work Order function to open the actual Work Order and complete that Work Orders within the actual Work Order Form.

▪There are now 6 tabs (each tab has a new Keyboard option shown) at the bottom of the Work Order Invoicing/Review Form: Labor, Inventory/Materials (where a Department may now be assigned to each Inventory entry), Installed Equipment, Technician Activity, Appointments, and Parts List which are explained in the Recording Work Order Charges chapter.

▪Installed Equipment tab has a new Install box in the Install column's Header:

oCheck the box to Choose All listed Installed Equipment items (you may Check the box again to remove the Check from all of the Installed Equipment items.

oOtherwise, you may Check the individual Install Check box of each Inventory Item that is to be added to this Subscriber's Installed Equipment Form.

Work Order Invoicing/Review

Recording Work Order Charges

Any Work Orders identified as Nob-Billable (i.e., any costs associated with this Work Order should not be billed to the Subscriber) and are finished, will also be listed - as long as they were not marked as Completed within the Work Order Form.  

a)The User will then have the ability to add (or confirm) the Inventory/Material (Shift+F9) items that were used.  

b)Once that has been done, those Inventory items will appear in the Installed Equipment (Shift+F10) tab

c)Checking the corresponding Install box in the Installed Equipment (Shift+F10) will notify the system that those should be inserted into the associated Subscriber's Installed Equipment Form.

d)Complete the Work Order as normal, and once any of the other Work Orders have been billed, this Work Order will be removed form this list and the Inventory item will be added to the Subscriber's Installed Form automatically.

▪The keyboard's Insert (to start a new entry), Delete (to remove an existing entry), and the Left-Right-Up-Down-Arrow Keys for Navigating within the Grid or Form; plus the Ctrl+S combination (for Save) are implemented on the Work Order Invoicing/Review Form and its six (6) sub-tabs for Inventory/Materials, Installed Equipment, Technician Activity, Appointments, and Parts List tabs (see the Recording Work Order Charges chapter for more information).

Service Info Section

Account Approval

The  "Service ID" is no longer a required (Mandatory) field!

▪Affected Forms

1)Account Approval - Don't require populated Service ID on conversion to Work Order, Convert To Job)

2)Service Info Section (Remove Red outlines, don't force values for Service ID, Sale Date,  and Warranty Ends)

3)Subscriber Options (Recurring Service, Installed Equipment)

4)Converting a Proposal (Convert To Installation Order, Convert To Job)

Work Order

Inventory/Materials Info Box

Deleting a Work Order with Inventory and Non-Inventory items from the Inventory/Materials Info Box is now much easier:

1)When there are Inventory Items entered in the Inventory/Materials Info Box of a Work Order, if the User attempts to delete that Work Order, the  program would present this error:

"Error -99999: RAISERROR executed: Inventory must be cleared before deleting this work order."

2)When there are Non-Inventory Expense Items entered in the Inventory/Materials Info Box of a Work Order, if the User attempts to delete that Work Order, the  program would present this error:

"Error -198: Primary key for row in table 'WorkOrder' is referenced by foreign key 'WorkOrder' in table 'WorkOrderMaterialDetail'"

▪In either case, the User had to manually delete all of those Inventory and Non-Inventory items before the Work Order could be deleted.

Now, the program will display a Query asking the User if all Items in the Inventory/Materials Info Box should be deleted.

▪If User answers "Yes", the program now deletes all of those Inventory/Materials Info Box items immediately.

Work Order

Parts List tab

Warehouse

The revised Parts List tab on the Work Order Form has some new features and internal validations to ensure the proper tracking of Inventory Items:

1.A Warehouse column (populated with the name of the default Warehouse that previously identified in the Inventory Tracking section of the Inventory Options tab in the User Options Form)

2.A Transfer option - Because the system's default Warehouse (see #1 above) may not be the location from which a Part is to be withdrawn, you may use the new Transfer option to identify and Transfer a Part to the Warehouse from where it is to be withdrawn.

a)Once the Transfer is executed, when that Part is Used, it will appear on the Inventory Materials Drop-Down Info Box with that corrected (transferred) Warehouse name.  

b)However, if the User forgot to use the Transfer option, that Warehouse assignment may still be changed to the correct one from within the Inventory Materials Drop-Down Info Box by using the Warehouse column's Drop-Down Selection List.

Work Orders

Parts List tab

Job Costing

Job Task

On the Parts List tab of the Work Orders Form there are new data entry conditions established to accommodate the features outlined above:

1.Add new Part - You cannot use the Add Icon to populate the Parts List tab when the Work Order was created for a Job Task in the Job Costing record.

▪If you attempt to do so, a "This WO is coming from a job, you must enter the item in "Job Costing \ Inventory \ Item List" and reserve it and then use "Pick from Job" button on this screen." reminder message will be displayed

2.Pick From Job - When the Work Order was created from a Job, and as part of that Job Costing information, an Item List was created, this Pick From Job option becomes active.  

▪However, prior to using the Pick From Job option, the Warehouse from which the Inventory is to be taken must have already been identified in the Inventory Reserved sub-tab of the Inventory tab on that Job Costing Form  

3.The Transfer option is only available when Inventory Items have already been added to the Parts List tab.

4.Transfer a Part - You cannot use the "Transfer" option when the Work Order was created for a Job Task in the Job Costing record.

▪This must be done using the Reassign/Transfer option on the Inventory Reserved sub-tab of the Inventory tab on the Job Costing Form

▪If you attempt to do so, a "This WO is coming from a job, you must use "Reassign/Transfer Inventory" button in "Job Costing \ Inventory \ Inventory Reserved" reminder message will be displayed.

Job Costing

Inventory tab

Item List sub-tab

Material/Inventory

1.You are now able to insert Negative Quantities for Inventory and/or Non-Inventory items in Job Costing on the Item List sub-tab within the Inventory tab  (You will not need to Reserve these Negative Inventory and/or Non-Inventory item entries).

a.The purpose of a Negative Inventory item entry in the Item List is to be able to use that Negative Quantity on a Work Order to signify "returning" equipment to "Stock".

b.Inserting a Negative Inventory line item in the Material/Inventory Drop-Down Info Box on a Work Order does not affect Committed On Hand Quantity on the associated Sale-Purchase Item Form .  

c.Instead, it will increase Available On Hand and decrease WIP on that associated Sale-Purchase Item Form

d.When you complete the Work Order, the WIP Quantity will go back up.

2.Also, Negative Quantities for Inventory and/or Non-Inventory items may be inserted directly into a Job Costing record using the Item List sub-tab within the Inventory tab.  

3.The purpose of a Negative Non-Inventory item in the Item List is to be able to use that Negative Non-Inventory Quantity to signify a discount on the billable cost of the Work Order.

a.In this case, when you create an Invoice for the Work Order, it would match the Proposal (Discount).

4.When a Negative Quantity is used, that Negative Quantity on a Work Order to signify "returning" equipment to "Stock".

a.Therefore, the Inventory Item is recorded in the Default Warehouse.

b.The Negative Quantity (in the Material/Inventory Drop-Down Info Box on a Work Order) may not be changed to a Positive Quantity (an error will be presented if this is attempted).

c.If the Negative Quantity was entered in error in the Material/Inventory Drop-Down Info Box on a Work Order , that record must be deleted; and then if appropriate, a Positive Quantity enter may be made.

Divisions

Warehouse

Each Subscriber and/or Vendor may be assigned to a Division.

The Divisions Form now allow a Company to identify a Default Warehouse for a Division

▪Thereafter, when Invoices and/or Work Order documents are created for a Subscriber; or Purchase Orders and/or Bills for a Vendor who is assigned to a Division (a Division assignment to a Subscriber or Vendor is optional), any Inventory related Transaction posted to one of those documents will automatically be assigned to that (Subscriber's or Vendor's) default Warehouse but the Warehouse may be changed, when appropriate.

Proposal

Work Order

Job Task

There is a new Include Proposal Comment field in each Detail Line Item on the Proposal Form

▪When the existing Create Work Order? box is Checked on the Detail Line Item, and this new Include Proposal Comment box is also Checked, then:

▪Should this Proposal be Converted to a Job Costing entry, the Work Order created for the Job Task will have this Proposal Form's Comments entry inserted into that Work Order's Comment field.

Service Info Section

Account Approval

Transfer Service History

Subscriber Options:

(Recurring Service Setup,

Installed Equipment)

Quick Work Order

Converting a Proposal:

(Convert To Installation Order,

Convert To Job)

Work Order for a Job Task

The  "Service ID" is no longer a required (Mandatory) field in the Service Info Section!

▪Forms that are Affected by this change:

1)Service Info Section - The  "Service ID" is no longer a required (Remove Red outlines, don't force values for Service ID, Sale Date,  and/or Warranty Ends).

2)Account Approval - No longer requires the Subscriber to have a Service ID defined in the Service Info Section

3)Transfer Service History - No longer requires the Subscriber to whom this Transfer History is to be Transferred to have a Service ID defined in the Service Info Section

4)Subscriber Options (Recurring Service Setup, Installed Equipment) no longer requires the Subscriber to have a Service ID defined in the Service Info Section

5)Quick Work Order - Allow the entry of a Service Request for a Subscriber with no Service ID defined in the Service Info Section.

6)Converting a Proposal (Convert To Installation Order, Convert To Job) no longer requires the Subscriber to have a Service ID defined in the Service Info Section

7)When creating a Work Order for a Job Task, the system no longer requires the Subscriber to have a Service ID defined in the Service Info Section

Technician Scheduling

Pending Work Orders

There are two new fields and a new Icon located below the Ribbon Menu at the top of the Pending Work Orders section of the Technician Scheduling Form:

▪Start Date - Used to enter the first Date Requested Date to identify the Date Range for the Work Orders that should be included in the Pending Work Orders Grid.

▪End Date - Used to enter the last Date Requested Date to identify the Date Range for the Work Orders that should be included in the Pending Work Orders Grid.

▪Retrieve WOs - Click this Icon to retrieve the appropriate Work Orders.

User Options

Company

Company Settings

❖The following Company Settings options and features have been added:

Search By - A new Search By field has been added whereby a search may be performed on any selected Column (i.e., ID, Section, or Setting Name) to locate a specific Company Settings.

Use Division Address - By default, the UseDivisionAddress option is set to False ("F").

▪When the UseDivisionAddress option is set to True ("T"), if a Subscriber has been assigned to a Division, except on an Installation Order, that Division's Address will be printed as the Company Address on a printed Service Request Form.

Include Auto Service WO - By default, the IncludeAutoServiceWO option is set to False ("F").

▪When opening a Service Request Form, Warning Messages are displayed based on certain circumstances (e.g., Outstanding Balance Due, open (unfinished) Service Requests exist, their Service Contract has Expired) - except if the only open (unfinished) Service Requests were created automatically using the Auto Service feature.

oThis functionality may now be kept by setting the new Company Settings option "IncludeAutoServiceWO" to False ("F") to eliminate those Warning Messages when the only open (unfinished) Service Requests were those that were created automatically using the Auto Service feature.

oSetting this "IncludeAutoServiceWO" option to True ("T") will turn on Warning Messages (if appropriate) regardless of the origin or type of any existing Service Requests.

Service Requests

Completing a Service Request

▪The Comment field on the Service Request Form may now accept an entry of up to 500 characters.

▪Salesman - A Salesperson may now be identified on a Service Request.  

oWhen assigning a Salesperson to a Service Request, only those Employees whose Employee Type is identified as either Sales or All will be available (in the Drop-Down Selection List list) for populating the Salesman field.

▪A new Show Total Button is now available when Completing a Service Request.

oClick this Show Total button to display the Estimated Invoice Total dialog which includes the Labor + Mat.\Inv. + Misc. Service Request charges, plus any applicable Sales Tax.

▪Invoice\Materials entries may be pre-approved in the Generate Invoices dialog, then that created Invoice will be itemized accordingly.

▪If a modification of a Service Request which has been Invoiced and/or marked as Completed is necessary an Authorize Transaction dialog may be displayed in which case the User must Specify the reason for the Modification. Work Order has been Completed or Invoiced! - The User must then Confirm that these changes are required by Clicking the Yes button and a record of these changes will be posted to the Changes History for this Work Order

▪A new View History Icon on the Work Order Options bar provides access to the Changes History for the Work Order.

Service Request

Installation List tab

Job Costing

Inventory List

When the Service Request was created from a Job, and as part of that Job Costing information an Inventory List was created, the new Pick From Job option becomes active.

▪The Pick From Job option will import that Inventory List into the Installation List tab of the Service Request Form.

Service Types

The revised and enhanced Service Types Form now provides these additional features and functions:

▪Sub-categories of the Service Type (any number of which may be defined for each Service Type) called Service Categories.

▪Identification of the Technician Skills that would normally be required to successfully complete any Service Request (Work Order) which has been assigned this Service Type.

▪When a Service Request is assigned a Service Type having one or more required Technician Skills identified, those Technician Skills are automatically inserted in the Required Technician Skills tab of the Service Request Form.

▪When a Service Type is assigned to a Work Order, the preset Priority Level of that Service Type is inserted into the Priority field of that Service Request Form.

Technician Scheduling

▪The Technician Scheduling Form has been substantially enhanced with new Actions, Filters and Columns options on the Pending Work Orders Listing, and greatly improved Filtering Capabilities for quickly selecting the Technicians to be displayed within the Technician Schedules (Day View) section.

▪The Action Search function now has the Subscriber ID and Work Order Condition as searchable options.

Normal operation provides that only thoseTechnicians with the selected Skills chosen using the Tech Skills Icon on the Technician Scheduling Form will be included in the Technician Schedules section - whether or not they have existing Appointments entered for the selected Schedule Date.

▪Now, to revert the listed Technician Schedules section to those Technicians previously selected from the Visible Schedules dialog, simply Un-Check all of the selected Technician Skill(s) chosen in the Tech Skills list.

Work Order Invoicing/Review

Work Order tab

A new Installed Equipment button has been added to the Work Order tab on the Work Order Invoicing/Review Form.

▪Any Inventory Items identified within the Inventory\Materials tab on the the Work Order Invoicing/Review Form may be recorded in the Installed Equipment Form for the Subscriber whose Work Order is being reviewed by using the Add Installed Equipment dialog which is displayed by Clicking the new Install Equipment button located at the bottom of the Work Order tab.