Navigation: Service Tracking System > Service Tab on the MKMS Desktop > Technician Scheduling: Using the Pending Work Orders List to Schedule an Appointment This Help File Page was last Modified on 05/22/2021

❑Understanding the features in the Pending Work Orders List on the Technician Scheduling Form:

•The Pending Work Orders Grid will be displayed in ascending (oldest to newest) Work Order Number order with the associated data for the Column Names listed below.

✓Some of the most popular Available Column Names:

▪Service Color - Color of the Service Type assigned to this Work Order.

▪WO # = Work Order Number

▪Service = Service Type assigned to this Work Order.

▪Dept = The Name of the Department assigned to this Work Order

▪Subscriber = Account Name for this Subscriber

▪CSID = Subscriber Panel CSID of the system to be serviced.

▪Zip = Zip Code of the Subscriber's Premises

▪MapLoc = Map Location of the Subscriber's Premises

▪Priority = Priority Level assigned to this Work Order.

▪Date Scheduled - as name indicates.

▪Date Requested - as name indicates.

▪Identifier - Identifies whether this Work Order is for a Subscriber or a Prospect.

▪Others (see the "Columns - Select which Pending Work Order columns of data are to be displayed" discussion immediately below)

 

•The Pending Work Orders Grid options and features include:

✓Date Range & Retrieve WOs options allows the User to choose a Start and End Date of the Work Orders that are to be listed based on the Date they were originally Requested.

 

Pending Work Orders

Technician Scheduling Form - Pending Work Orders List - Date Range & Retrieve WOs options

 

▪Start Date - Enter the first Date Requested Date for Work Orders that should be included in the Pending Work Orders Grid.

▪End Date - Enter the last Date Requested Date for Work Orders that should be included in the Pending Work Orders Grid.

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

 

✓Use Tool Tips? - To display the Work Order's Description pop-up when a specific Work Order is selected (see the Mouse Pointer at the top of the illustration below), Check the Use Tool Tips? box.

 

✓Description - If the Use Tool Tips? box has been Checked, Clicking on a specific detail line item in the Pending Work Orders Grid will display a pop-up Description (Work Order Detail information) of that Work Order (see Hand Pointer on the right in the illustration below).

 

Technician Scheduling Form - Pending Work Orders List

 

✓Vertical Dotted Bar - The width (and viewable columns) of the Pending Work Orders Listing may be expanded by Dragging the Dotted Bar to the left, and contracted by Dragging the Dotted Bar to the right (see Mouse Pointer on the left in the illustration above).

 

✓Based on the desired method to be used to Locate a Work Order, this list of Pending Work Orders may be sorted by any one of these Column Names, or any of the other Column Names as listed below.

 

Pending Work Orders - Column Setting Order of data being displayed

 

✓To reset the sorted order of the Pending Work Orders List, Click the Column Field Name in the Header that represents the desired order.

▪This same action will display the list in a reverse order by Clicking that Field Name in the Header again.

 

•Columns - Select which Pending Work Orders Grid columns of data are to be displayed:

 

Technician Scheduling Form - Pending Work Orders List - Select the Columns to be displayed

 

✓Click the asterisk (¬) at the left of the data grid's Header row (see the Mouse pointer in the illustration above) to display a list of all of the column names - and associated data - which may be displayed.

▪By default, all Column Names will be Checked.

▪Remove the Check mark (i.e., Click on the Check mark to remove it) to hide that column of data from the data grid.

 

✓The Identifier column in the Pending Work Orders List (which is a data grid) identifies each Work Order record as being for either a Subscriber or a Prospect

 

 

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

▪See the "Grouping the Grid Data" discussion in the Grids & Lists chapter for more information about this Grouping capability.

 

•Selecting a Work Order to set an Appointment.

✓To Select a Work Order (make it the active Work Order record), Click that Work Order Number in the WO# Column.

 

Pending Work Orders List

 

✓You may Click and hold the Side (or Bottom) Slide Bar's Up or Down (List or Right) arrows to move through the list of Work Order Numbers.

✓As noted above, the order of the listed data may be changed in two ways:

1.Click any Column Name and all of the list of Work Orders will be sorted by the data in that Column - from lowest to highest - numerically or alphabetically based on the data type.

2.Click that same Column Name again and all of the list of Work Orders will be sorted in reverse order - from highest to lowest - numerically or alphabetically based on the data type.

▪This is a very useful feature particularly when you need to view the list of Work Orders in Priority Order or by Zip Code.

 

✓To locate a specific Work Order Number, use the Action Drop-Down Menu's Search option at the top of the Pending Work Orders List (see the "Using the Pending Work Orders Menu Icons - Actions" section below)

 

✓A sampling of the Pending Work Orders Column Names:

▪Service Color - Color of the Service Type assigned to this Work Order.

▪WO # = Work Order Number

▪Service = Service Type assigned to this Work Order.

▪Dept = The Name of the Department assigned to this Work Order

▪Subscriber = Account Name of this Subscriber

▪CSID = Subscriber Panel CSID of the system to be serviced.

▪Zip = Zip Code of the Subscriber's Premises

▪MapLoc = Map Location of the Subscriber's Premises

▪Priority = Priority Level assigned to this Work Order.

▪Date Requested - As the name describes.

▪Date Scheduled - As the name describes.

▪Others (see the "Columns - Select which Pending Work Order columns of data are to be displayed" discussion above)

 

➢Important Note: The sorting order of these Pending Work Orders Columns may be changed, relocated using the standard Windows® Drag & Drop process, and once Columns are re-sorted and/or re-located, the new positions and order will become the default sorting order and column positions for that User.

 

•Work Order Detail - As previously described above, if a Check is in the Use Tool Tips? field, this Work Order Detail pop-up displays key information about the Work Order which is currently Selected in the Pending Work Orders Listing (see the "Selecting a Work Order to set an Appointment" discussion immediately above).

 

 

✓Service Color - Color of the Service Type assigned to this Work Order.

✓WO# - The assigned Work Order Number.

✓Dept - Name of the Department to which this Work Order was assigned.

✓CSID - The CSID for the Subscriber which was assigned to the Work Order.

✓Subscriber - The Account Name of the Subscriber or Prospect

✓Address - The Address, City, State, and Zip Code (compressed) from the Subscribers  or Prospect Form.

✓Phone - The primary Telephone number at the Premises

✓Requested On - The Date the Service was actually Requested.

✓Requested By - The Person who requested the Service.

✓Service - The Service Type code assigned to this Work Order.

✓Conditions - Brief description of the reason the Service was Requested.

 

❑Using the Pending Work Orders Menu options - There are two Menu options at the top of the Pending Work Orders List - with each having its own Drop-Down Selection List of options:

 

 Pending Work Orders List - Menu options

 

•Actions - Click the Down Arrow € on the right of the Actions button to display the available Action options:

 

Pending Work Orders List - Action button Options

 

✓Search - Choose the Search option to locate a specific Work Order.

 

Technician Scheduling Form - Pending Work Orders List - Action Icon - Search option - Find Work Orders dialog

 

▪This will display the Find Work Order dialog.

▪Choose the Search By field using the Drop-Down Selections Box provided.

 

Search By field names

 

▪Enter the appropriate Search Value.

 

Find Work Orders dialog - Search By Work Order Number - Result

 

▪As the Search Value is entered, an incremental Search will occur.

▪The desired Work Order is ultimately located.

▪Click the OK button at the bottom of the Find Work Order dialog to Choose the desired Work Order.

 

Pending Work Order List - Work Order number selected

 

▪The record pointer4within the Pending Work Orders List will identify the selected Work Order.

 

✓Go to Subscriber/Prospect - Click this option to open the associated Subscriber or Prospect Form of the currently selected Work Order Number.

✓Go to Work Order - Click this option to open the associated Service Request Form for the currently selected Work Order Number.

✓Display on Google Map - Opens a Google Maps® graphic in a new Form showing the location of the currently Selected Work Order.  

 

 

▪Unscheduled Work Orders will be identified with a Teal Flag (as shown above) but the Scheduled Work Orders will be identified with a Red Flag.

 

✓Filter schedule based on this work order - If a Work Order is Selected from the Pending Work Orders List - and that Work Order has specific Required Skill(s) identified, and/or the Subscriber for whom that Work Order was entered is assigned to a specific Technician Group - and then this Filter schedule based on this work order option is Chosen, the Technician Schedules Grid will be adjusted to only display those Appointments which match that Selected Work Order's required Skill(s) and/or Technician Group.

 

✓Print Pending Work Orders - This Actions option will display a Print Preview of the Pending Work Order List as currently filtered and displayed in the Pending Work Orders (see the Grids and Lists-Print Preview chapter for more information about this Print Preview function) .

 

Pending Work Order List - Print Preview

 

•Filters - Click the Down Arrow € on the right of the Filters Icon to display the available options:

✓Open Work Orders - Check this option to include any Work Orders which has not been Completed - either Scheduled or Unscheduled - in the Pending Work Orders List .

✓Unscheduled Work Orders - Check this option to include any Work Orders in the Pending Work Orders List which has not yet been Scheduled (thereby excluding those Work Orders which have been Scheduled but have not yet been Completed).

 

Pending Work Orders Listing- Filter Menu Options

 

✓Setting an additional Filter:

▪By default, none of the Filters (except for the Open Work Orders and Unscheduled Work Orders options described above) are active.

▪The Filters described below may be activated individually, or together is a User defined Filters set.

 

✓Tech Groups - Select this option to include only those Work Orders in the Pending Work Orders List whose associated Subscribers are a Member of the Checked Technician Group(s).

▪Multiple Technician Groups may be Checked.

▪If no Technician Groups are Checked, All Work Orders - regardless of the associated Subscribers Membership in any Technician Group, will be listed.

 

✓Tech Skills - Select this option so the Work Orders to be scheduled may be limited to a specific Technician Skill.

▪Multiple Technician Skills may be Checked.

▪If no Technician Skills are Checked, All Work Orders - regardless of the required Technician Skills, will be listed.

 

✓Priority - Choose this option to include only those Work Orders in the Pending Work Orders List with a Priority Level matching  the one(s) Checked.

▪Multiple Priority Levels may be Checked.

▪If no Priority Levels are Checked, All Work Orders - regardless of their Priority Level, will be listed.

 

✓Service Types - Select this option to limit the Pending Work Orders Listing to those Work Orders with the Checked Service Type(s).

▪Multiple Service Types may be Checked.

▪If no Service Type is Checked, All Work Orders - regardless of their Service Type, will be listed.

 

✓Work Order Type - Select this option to limit the Pending Work Orders List to those Work Orders assigned the Checked Work Order Format Type.

 

Filters - Work Order Types

 

▪By default, All Work Orders - regardless of their Work Order Format Type, will be listed.

 

✓Location - Select this option to limit the Pending Work Orders List to those Work Orders whose associated Subscribers are located within the designated Zip Code(s), City, or State.

 

 Filters - Location options

 

▪Zip Code - Choose this option and enter the desired Zip Code(s).

 

Filter by Zip Code

 

oEnter the appropriate Zip Code.

oMultiple Zip Codes may be entered, separated by a comma and with no spaces in between.

> Click the OK button when finished entering the desired Zip Code(s).

oTo remove this Zip Code Filter, Choose the Zip Code option and delete the Zip Code(s) previously entered.

> Click the OK button and the Zip Code Filter will be canceled.

 

▪City - Choose this option and enter the desired City Name(s).

 

Filter by City

 

oEnter the appropriate City.

oMultiple Cities may be entered, separated by a comma and with no spaces in between.

> Click the OK button when finished entering the desired City(s).

oTo remove this City Filter, Choose the City option and delete the City Name(s) previously entered.

> Click the OK button and the City Filter will be canceled.

 

▪State - Choose this option and enter the desired State(s).

 

Filter State

 

oEnter the appropriate State.

oMultiple States may be entered, separated by a comma and with no spaces in between.

> Click the OK button when finished entering the desired State(s).

oTo remove this State Filter, Choose the State option and delete the State(s) previously entered.

> Click the OK button and the State Filter will be canceled.

 

❑Inserting (Scheduling) an Appointment for a Work Order into the Technician Schedules Grid on the Technician Scheduling Form:

•Click + Drag & Drop:

a)Click on a Work Order Number to Choose a Work Order from the Pending Work Orders List of the Technicians Scheduling Form.

b)Drag & Drop that selected Work Order Number onto an open Time Slot within the desired Technician's Column in the Technician Schedules Grid's ("Schedule Grid") Day View tab.

 

 

✓To Confirm that this Work Order is to be scheduled as an Appointment: Answer Yes .

✓The Appointment will be inserted into the Schedule Grid in the time-slot to which it was placed.

✓Double-Click that Appointment on the Schedule Grid to open the Appointment Editor Form where that New Appointment will now be displayed.

 

Appointment Editor

 

✓See the Appointment Editor chapter for complete information about using this Appointment Editor dialog.

 

•Moving a Scheduled Appointment within the same day (or days - depending on how many days are simultaneously being displayed on the Schedule Grid's Day View tab is easy.

✓Once an Appointment has been set it is displayed in the Schedule Grid, it may then be quickly and easily moved (re-scheduled) within the Day View tab of the Schedule Grid:

▪On the Day View tab, Click on the Appointment that is to be moved to another Time Slot.

▪On the Day View tab, Expand the Appointment's Time Range by Dragging the top or bottom part of the square surrounding the Appointment up or down, respectively.

 

 

▪Using your up and down #$ arrow keys, move that Appointment to a different open Time Slot, as needed.

▪Using your left and right ! " arrow keys, move the Appointment to a different Technician's open Time Slot, if needed.

▪The standard Windows® Drag & Drop method may also be used to move an Appointment.

▪Regardless of the method used, these moves will instantly be updated with the appropriate information within the Appointment Editor.

 

➢Note: If the Time Line is displayed Horizontally rather than Vertically (as they are shown in the Technician Scheduling screen illustrations at the beginning of that chapter), these directions are reversed.

 

❑Special Features menu: Once the Appointments are set, use these Special Features to help manage the Technicians.

•Radial Right-Click Menu - Right-Click a selected Appointment displayed on the Day View tab to display the Radial Right-Click Menu dialog.

 

Day View tab - Right-Click an Appointment to open the radial Circle of Options dialog

 

•Radial Right-Click Menu Choices:

✓Delete - Deletes the Selected Appointment following a Confirmation message.

 

Delete Selected Appointment?

 

✓Edit - Opens the Appointment Editor and displays the currently selected Appointment record.

 

Appointment Editor Form

 

✓Set Status - See "Updating a Work Order's Appointment Status" below.

✓Go to work order - Opens the Service Request Form for the currently selected Work Order.

✓Go to subscriber/prospect - Opens the Subscriber or Prospect Form for the currently selected Work Order.

✓Email Options - Allows the currently selected Appointment to be Emailed to the Technician (see "Emailing a specific Appointment" below).

a.Outlook® must be installed on the workstation because the Email will be created automatically within Outlook.

b.The Employee, to whom this Appointment is to be Emailed, must have an Email address entered on the Personal tab of their Employee record.

➢Note: If there is a local conflict with your Email application, an error message will be displayed.

Click OK then Close that Email application and try again.

 

 

oIf an Email Address has been identified (in the Personal tab of the Employee Form) for the Technician assigned to this Work Order, that Email Address will be inserted automatically

oOtherwise, the User must manually enter the appropriate Email Address..

 

▪Right-Click on any Appointment in the Technician Schedules Grid to display the Radial Right-Click Menu dialog.

 

 

▪By default, if you Click the Email option (but not the arrow), an Email with an attached PDF of the printed Work Order will be created.

▪However, you may Click the Email option Arrow (as shown above) to select whether to just send an Email, or to send an Email with an attached PDF of the printed Work Order.

 

 

oChoose whether to send just an Email to the Technician, or Choose Email (with Attachment) to send the Technician an Email with an attached PDF file containing the actual Service Request.

 

Sample Email for a Technician's Appointment

 

oA PDF file containing the actual Work Order in its normal printed format may be attached to the Email.

 

Email Service Request Attachment for a Technician's Appointment

 

▪Once the system creates the Email with the Service Appointment information, you may modify it, as needed.

▪Click the Send button to complete the process.

▪If requested, the Work Order will attached to the Email as a PDF file.

 

•Updating a Work Order's Appointment Status:

✓Click on an Appointment for a Work Order on the Day View of the Technicians Scheduling Form.

✓Right-Click a selected Appointment displayed on the Day View tab to display the Radial Right-Click Menu dialog.

✓Select the Status option (see the Appointment Status chapter for an explanation of those options).

 

 

✓Click the Arrow at the top of the Status then Choose the appropriate Appointment Status.

 

Appointment Status Choices

 

▪If there are more Status options than will fit in the Radial Right-Click Menu dialog, Click the Left Arrow to see those additional Appointment Status options, otherwise Clicking this Left Arrow will return you to the original Radial Right-Click Menu dialog.

 

✓The selected Appointment on the Technicians Scheduling Form will then be displayed in the Color of the selected Appointment Status  (which was initially defined using the Appointment Status button on the Service Options tab of the User Options Form).

 

Color Coded Appointments showing each Work Order's Status