Overview


Work orders can be used to track items brought in for routine service, repair or modification. It can also be used to track purchased items that need assembly. 


  • Note: You cannot take payments directly in the Work Order module. Any time you need to take a deposit or collect a payment use the Collect Payment button in Work Orders from the Front Register. That will bring you to the Front Register and an item will be already added to the receipt to collect the payment against the work order. 

  • Work Order deposits and payments are not sales until the Work Order is Complete. Until it is the funds you collect will show up in your register balance and Z reports as customer deposits. 

  • There are two ways access Work Order one in the Front Register and one in Store Operations under the Sales menu. They are almost the same - however you cannot collect payments from Store Operations that can only be done from the Front Register.

Work Order Steps


  • Select Work Order from the Front Register menu.

  • Enter the work order details a description and a few notes about what needs to be done.

  • (required) Add customer. (you can use the default walk in customer for a work order).

  • (optional) Check in customer item that is being repaired.

  • (optional) Enter schedule and due date.

  • (optional) Assign the tech that will be working on the work order.

  • Click to the Work Detail tab.The work details tab is where you can enter parts and labor for the work orders.

  • Add Items - scan, enter item id of any sort or use the quick pick panel to add items to your transaction. Promotional pricing is applied automatically if an item qualifies.

  • Click save or collect payment.

Taking Payments


After there are parts and labor added to the work order then you will have to option to collect payments.


  • Select collect payment after you have parts and/or labor added to the work order.

  • Select deposit if you want to take an initial deposit on the work order.

  • Select pay in full to pay the full amount.

When you take a deposit or pay in full, it will take you to the front register screen to take the payment.The Work description and any balance due remaining while show on receipt. 

 



Work Order Status

  • New Work Orders have a status of 'estimate' this is equivalent to 'draft' document.

  • Use Estimate if you are generating a quote or bid.

  • You can't change the status until you save the work order.

  • New means the work order is active (not a draft or estimate). If you have minimum deposit rules set you will not be able to change the status to new until you collect the minimum deposit. (Rules in Admin Settings). Once you change the status to new and save there are other status options you can use,

  • In Progress, Scheduled,Waiting Parts, Waiting Customer are all statuses that have no functional implications - they are the same as New but they can be used to mark what's going on with a given work order.

  • Use the status Canceled - on a new or estimate work order that the customer decided not to proceed with. If a deposit is already taken changing the status to cancel will bring up the refund deposit dialogue. You can choose to refund the entire deposit,partially refund the deposit or even charge the customer an additional amount. The full deposit is refunded (for accounting reasons) and any amount you wish to not refund is added to the receipt as a cancellation fee.
     



  • Complete will prompt for a final payment if there is a balance due. It will also convert the Work Order to a sale and inventory will be reduced and revenue reported in sales reports.

Inventory  Items on Work Orders


Adding In Stock items to work orders will 'reserve' or block the quantity added to the order by moving it from open stock to committed stock.


Out of Stock Items on Work Orders


You will get a warning when adding out of stock items to work orders. If the item has been received on a supplier shipment or store transfer (or stock adjustment) - you can use the Action Menu >> Parts & Labor >>  Check Stock function. Any items that are now in stock will be updated so you can complete the order.


Printing Work Orders


  • You must save the work order before the Print Work Order button will be visible in the Actions Menu >> Work Order section.

  • There are 3 print options:

    • Regular Print Out

    • As Estimate - just like the regular print out only the Estimate Print Message is included. You can set the estimate text in Store Operations >> System >> Admin Settings >> General Settings >> Work Order. You can include whatever disclaimer like "estimate Only' that you like.

    • As Quote  just like the regular print out only the Quote Print Message is included. You can set the quote text in Store Operations >> System >> Admin Settings >> General Settings >> Work Order. You can include any quote guarantee or verbiage that you like such as "Not to Exceed Quote - Valid for 10 Days Only".

Workflow Options


How you work is up to you. There are several options you can use when handling items for service and repair.


  • It's not necessary to create a work order if your business doesn't need to closely track repair activity. You can sell products, parts and services, labor and all from the front register. 

  • Work Order Check In Customer Item - if your customer is going to drop off personal property to have it serviced or repaired you might want to use the customer item check in function in work orders. You can even print a claim tag, record serial numbers and enter a description and storage location for the repair item.

  • Work Order Sell parts & Services - The work order module does not require you check in a repair item you can sell parts, services and inventory items to customers, take deposits and schedule and assign the work to technicians. Technicians can back order parts, and keep notes on their reports. Customers can be emailed when the repair is complete. There are deposit rules and anything from no depoist to paid in full can be set as a rule for taking items for service.


Settings That Affect Work Orders


  • System >> Admin Settings >> General Settings >> Work Orders:

    • Max Allowable Discount - limits the amount items can be discounted on a Work Order.

    • Minimum Deposit Collection (%) - minimum deposit that has to be collected before a Work Order can be set to Status 'new'

    • Estimate Print Message - what you want as extra text on a printed estimate.

    • Quote Print Message - what you want as extra text on a printed quote.


  • System >> Admin Settings >> Default Settings >> Work Orders:

    • Default Discount Reason - reason assigned to discounts by default (e.g. Warranty Repair).