Basic Service Management Configuration: General Information

This topic provides a general overview of the configuration steps that you have to perform before you can start using the service management functionality in MYOB Acumatica. You perform this minimum configuration of service management if the company is going to create service orders, schedule appointments, manage staff members that attend appointments, and sell services (and possibly stock items).

Learning Objectives

In this chapter, you will learn how to perform the initial configuration of the basic service management functionality. In particular, you will do the following:

  • Learn about the settings that have to be specified
  • Enable the needed system features
  • Review the minimum required settings for the service management functionality

Applicable Scenarios

You configure the service management functionality in the following cases:

  • You have initially implemented MYOB Acumatica, and the Service Management feature is included in your license.
  • You need to configure service management in a previously configured, fully functioning environment.
  • Optionally, you want to include sales of inventory items in the provision of field services.

Prerequisites

To prepare the system for the implementation of service management, you perform the following general steps:

  1. You prepare an instance of MYOB Acumatica for further implementation by enabling the default set of features, activating the product license, and configuring system-wide security policies. For details, see Preparing an Instance for Implementation.
    Tip: Make sure that the license for MYOB Acumatica includes the Service Management feature.
  2. You complete the initial system configuration and implement the minimum general ledger functionality. The service management functionality can be tightly integrated with other MYOB Acumatica functional areas, including general ledger, accounts payable, and organization structure. These areas do not require any change in their configuration when service management is implemented. For details about performing the initial system configuration, see Company Without Branches, Company with Branches that Do Not Require Balancing: General Information, or Company with Branches that Require Balancing (depending on your company's structure).

Workflow of the Implementation of Service Management

To prepare the system for service management functionality, you first perform the following general steps, which are described in this lesson:

  1. On the Enable/Disable Features (CS100000) form, you enable the Service Management feature.
  2. On the Work Calendar (CS209000) form, you define the work calendar. The work calendar reflects the work days, the work times for each day, and the unpaid break time of staff members (that is, employees that are involved in field service processes).
  3. On the Numbering Sequences (CS201010) form, you create the numbering sequence for billing batches, the numbering sequences to be used to number documents generated by service management, and the numbering sequence to be used to assign identifiers to the staff schedule rules.

    We recommend that you use naming conventions for numbering sequences to differentiate service management documents from other documents generated in the system. For details about numbering sequences, see Use of Numbering Sequences.

  4. On the Service Management Preferences (FS100100) form, you specify the numbering sequences and the work calendar to be used for service management.

Other lessons of this part of the guide describe the additional steps you perform to configure service management functionality, which include the following steps:

  1. On the Branch Locations (FS202500) form, you create at least one branch location that represents the company office of the field service personnel. For details, see Branch Locations: General Information.
  2. On the Service Order Types (FS202300) form, you create the service order types that suit the company's processes. These types will be used to define the general settings for service orders and appointments of the particular type. For details, see Service Order Types for Inventory Sales.
  3. You create the needed billing cycles, which define the way billing documents are generated for the services and inventory items provided to customers, on the Billing Cycles (FS206000) form. Then on the Customers (AR303000) form, you add the customers that are expected to request the company's services (if they are not already defined in the system), and you assign the necessary billing cycles to these customers. For details, see Billing Cycles: General Information.
  4. On the Service Classes (FS400900) form, you create at least one item class to be used for creating the services provided by your company. For details, see Service Classes: General Information
  5. On the Services (FS400800) form, you create the service-related items that your company is going to provide and assign a service-specific item class to each service. For details, see Services: General Information
  6. On the Employees (EP203000) form, you define the employees to be involved in field service processes and define them as service management staff members. For details, see Staff Members: General Information.