Support calls enable you to keep track of all calls logged. Service requests manage ad-hoc and scheduled service requests. Both of these items capture who the call was with or who the service request is for, detail on the problem and solution.
You can also relate the call or service request to an asset, inventory item, or CRM product, and the service contract to use. You can schedule support personnel and enter time tab lines from the support call or service request, which links through to Job Cost.
The buttons on this form are:
Search Knowledge Base
Click this button to open the Knowledge Base, where you can search for and retrieve detail on the problem at hand. You can also create a Knowledge Base reference on the Context tab, in which case the product detail on the Search Knowledge Base form is pre-filled. The Knowledge Base fields are only available if the Knowledge Base module is enabled for your company.
Create Service Request
This button is enabled to support calls and clicking it generates a service request to resolve the call. You can convert the call to a new service request, creating two records, or the call can be allowed for service requests, authorising the record to use for both support calls and service requests.
The information on the service request updates as:
Note: If the site does not have access to the field service module, then the Create Service Request button is replaced with the Issue PO button.
Issue PO
This button is enabled to service requests and generates a purchase order for items required during service. A linked record is automatically created for the service request and the generated purchase order.
Assign Job
If the organisation is a Customer, then you can only assign jobs for the customer. If the organisation is not of relationship type Customer, then you can select from any existing job. You can also create a job by clicking this button.
CRM Module Control enables you to specify that a Job should be automatically created for each new call or service request. To use this feature, you must select the Auto create Job from Service Request option on the Service tab of the Customer Relationship Management Module Control form.
Action Plans
Action plans consist of a series of tasks to be performed. Click this button to select a specific action plan template and/or create action steps.
Re-list
Click this button to generate a call or service request using the current record. You can regenerate or split the call or service request.
Regenerate creates a call or service request that follows on the current, whereas Split creates a copy of the original to use as an additional call or service request when there are two issues to resolve.
Only certain fields default to the regenerated call or service request, as the detail rework performed and time lines will differ from the original. However, the new record created when a split is performed, is identical to the original as these two records have the same history up to the time that the split is performed.
The information on the relisted call or service request updates as:
There are also a number of copy options. The default for these copy options are set on the Module Control > Service tab. These options control if these fields are carried across to the regenerated or split record: Job number, Scheduled To person, Contract and Service Level.
The re-listed call/service request can be created with a sequential sub-number to easily identify a split or regenerated record. This option is controlled through Module Control > Service tab > Create relisted S/R with revision number.
Quote/Invoice
The behaviour of this button is set on the CRM Create Quote/Invoice form. You can select these options:
Create Follow-up
Click this button to open the Follow-up Maintenance form with Organisation, Contact, and Reference fields pre-filled. Use this to add a new follow-up from the Support Call/Service Request Maintenance form.
Create Communication
Click this button to open the Communication Maintenance form with Organisation, Contact, and Reference fields pre-filled. You can add a new communication from the Support Call/Service Request Maintenance form.
Create Action
You can capture the detail of any manual action performed on the call or service request.
Find Contract
This button searches on contracts to find all contracts for the asset, location, or organisation selected on the call or service request. You can then select the contract which is linked to the call or service request. This button finds contracts using the settings on the Contracts tab on the Module Control form.
Show Times
Click this button to show the allocated personnel on the date and time. It displays the time at the location if the call/service request was logged, at the location from which the call is accessed, and the time Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
Start/Stop Timer
You can use this button to track time spent on the call or service request. Click this button to start the timer, and click it again to enter the time spent and create a timesheet line for the current user.
Asset Usage
This button is enabled when an asset is linked to the call or service request and the asset is authorised to use usage. Click this button to open the Input Usage form, where you can enter usage for the asset.
Show Field Actuals
Click this button to display the hours spent on the call or service request for travel and work performed, and total cost and chargeable amount as captured with the job. These figures are calculated as:
Show Summary
Click this button to display a summary of the call or service request. The Problem, Solution, and Contact Notes display, followed by the actions, listed based on date and time (earliest to latest). The user and type of action are also listed.
Merge
Click this button to access a feature enabling you to merge calls together.
The call to merge defaults in read-only format to the call selected when the merge runs. Select the status to update the call to following the merge. This is taken from the CRM Module Control form. Select the call to merge into. This cannot be a call that is already closed. Select the option to Open in new screen to open the destination call on form following the merge.
Note: Once a call is merged, it can be Un-merged using the same process, if details entered apply to the separation of calls instead of a merge. Merge history and detail for calls can be viewed using the Comments/Merge tab.
The Notes icon displays on the icon bar if an asset, which has notes entered on the Notes tab on the Asset Management form, is selected on the call or service request. Click the Notes icon to view the asset notes.
Use Hotprint to print the detail of the call or service request using a pre-defined Report Writer Report. The Report Writer report is selected on the Service tab on the Customer Relationship Management Module Control form.
You can also copy a call or service request. The copy of the call or service request contains all the information of the original call or service request, except for the:
Use this copy feature to generate a similar call or service request.