Service Accent User Guide 2014 Legal Information All rights reserved. No part of this document shall be reproduced or transmitted by any means or otherwise, without written permission from Vantage Computing Limited. This document is provided “as is” and all expressed or implied conditions, representations, and warranties, including any implied warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non- infringement, are disclaimed, except to the extent that such disclaimers are held to be legally invalid. Trademarks Service Accent is a trademark of Vantage Computing Ltd. All product names mentioned in this documentation are the trademarks of their respective owners. This document also includes the trademarks, trade names, and service marks of companies other than Vantage Computing Limited. The product described in this document is distributed under license, restricting its use, copying, distribution, and decompilation. No part of the product or this documentation may be reproduced in any form by any means without prior written authorisation of Vantage Computing Limited. contents 1 Introduction About Service Accent .......................................................2 The Service Accent Document Set ...................................3 About this Guide ..............................................................4 Documentation Conventions ............................................5 contents Contacting Your Support Provider ...................................5 2 Getting Started Logging On to Service Accent .........................................8 Common Buttons ..............................................................9 The Button Bar .................................................................9 Navigating ......................................................................11 The Right-Click Menu ...................................................11 Menu Panels ...................................................................12 The Window button ........................................................13 Dashboards .....................................................................13 Help ................................................................................22 Service Accent Setup .....................................................23 Service Accent User Guide ............................................26 Search the online knowledge base .................................29 Check for updates ...........................................................32 Update history .................................................................34 Release notes ...................................................................35 Remote assistance ..........................................................36 Explore your database ....................................................37 About Service Accent ....................................................38 Neons ..............................................................................43 Moving Among Tabs .....................................................43 Using Data Dialogues .....................................................44 Utility Buttons .................................................................44 Letters/Documents .........................................................45 Price Book .......................................................................49 Using Views ...................................................................52 Utility Buttons ..........................................................54 The Explorer ...................................................................55 Printing Records .............................................................56 Drill-Down Buttons ........................................................56 Using the Finder .............................................................57 The Customers Tab ..................................................59 The Products and Parts Tab .....................................62 The Jobs Tab ............................................................64 The Invoices Tab ......................................................65 The Suppliers Tab ....................................................66 Note Permissions ......................................................67 To-do’s .....................................................................68 3 Creating Information Overview ........................................................................77 Creating Suppliers ..........................................................78 Adding Supplier Details .................................................80 Adding Supplier Contacts ..............................................81 Adding Notes to Supplier Records .................................83 Creating a Part Stock Record .........................................85 Adding Part Pricing Details .....................................89 Adding Part Kit Details ............................................92 Displaying Part Usage Details .................................93 Adding Part - Holdings ............................................95 Copyright © Vantage Computing Ltd 2014. All rights reserved Service Accent User Guide 1 contents Adding Part - More Details ............................................95 More Tab - Properties Sub Tab ......................................96 More Tab - Analysis Sub Tab ........................................97 More Tab - User Sub Tab ..............................................98 contents More Tab - Metrics Sub Tab ........................................101 Adding Part Alternatives ..............................................103 Adding Compatibility ..................................................104 Adding Notes to Stock Records ...................................105 Creating a Product Stock Record .................................108 Adding Product Pricing Details .............................112 Adding Product Kit Details ....................................115 Adding Product - Meter Details .............................116 .......................................................................................119 Displaying Product Usage Details ...............................120 Displaying Holdings Details ........................................121 Adding Product - More Details ....................................121 More Tab - Properties Sub Tab ....................................122 More Tab - Analysis Sub Tab ......................................123 More Tab - User Sub Tab ............................................123 More Tab - Metrics Sub Tab ........................................127 Adding Product Alternatives ........................................128 Adding Compatibility ..................................................129 Adding Notes to the Stock Record ...............................131 Creating Customers ......................................................133 Entering Basic Customer Data .....................................133 Adding Invoicing Details .............................................136 Adding Contacts ...........................................................138 Adding Contracts .........................................................141 Adding Inventory .........................................................142 Viewing Holdings ........................................................142 Using the Other Tab .....................................................143 Adding Notes ................................................................159 Creating Contracts ........................................................161 Creating a Contract ......................................................161 Adding Contract Specifications ...................................163 Adding Billing Information .........................................169 Adding Customers to a Contract ..................................170 Using the Other Tab .....................................................171 Adding Price Book Information to a Contract .............174 Adding a Budget ..........................................................176 Adding a Subcontractor ...............................................177 Adding Other Details ...................................................179 Creating Inventory Items ..............................................183 Creating Inventory Via The View Inventory Dialogue 183 Creating Inventory Via The Customer Dialogue .........187 Creating Inventory Via The Contract Dialogue ...........191 Creating Non-Contract Inventory Items .......................194 Creating Inventory Items via Sales Order Processing ..198 Creating Unallocated Inventory Items .........................198 Adding Details To Allocated Inventory Items .............201 Completing The Status Tab ....................................201 Completing The Contract Tab ................................209 Completing The Contract Other Tab .....................212 Completing The Warranty Tab ..............................220 Copyright © Vantage Computing Ltd 2014. All rights reserved Service Accent User Guide 2 contents Completing The Meters Tab ........................................221 Entering Meter Billing Charges ...................................224 Setting Up Simple Usage Billing .................................229 Setting Up Minimum Copies With Excess Billing 240 contents Setting Up Consolidated Billing ..................................253 Setting Up Copy Pack Billing ......................................263 Viewing Reading History .............................................272 Specifying the Planned Maintenance Schedule ...........273 Completing The Lease Tab ..........................................275 Completing The Rental Tab .........................................276 Completing The Parts Tab ...........................................278 Completing The Kit Tab ..............................................278 Completing The Other Tab ..........................................281 Viewing Inventory History ..........................................286 Adding Inventory Notes ...............................................287 Creating Loan Items .....................................................289 Transferring A Loan Item ............................................291 Viewing the Status of a Loan Item ...............................293 Creating Engineers .......................................................294 Completing the More 1 Tab ...................................296 Completing The More 2 Tab ..................................297 Completing The Vehicle Tab .................................298 Completing The Holdings Tab ...............................299 Completing The Remote Tab .................................299 Completing The Training Tab ................................300 Emailing The Engineer ..........................................302 Texting The Engineer .............................................302 4 Work Control Recording a New Job ...................................................304 Choosing the Customer and Inventory Item ..........307 Completing The Details Tab ..................................311 Completing the Fault Profile Details .....................312 Completing the Misc Details ..................................313 Neons on the job dialogue ......................................314 Printing a Jobsheet .................................................314 Saving the Job ........................................................316 Using the Escalations Feature ......................................319 The Select Tab .......................................................325 Using the Visual Scheduler ..........................................331 Job/Event Contents ......................................................334 Viewing the Schedule for a Week or a Month .............334 Moving a Scheduled Job Within the Same Day ....336 Moving a Scheduled Job to a Different Day ................337 De-Allocating a Scheduled Job ....................................337 Further job options .......................................................338 Adding a resource to a job ...........................................339 Removing a resource ....................................................340 Creating an Ad Hoc Event ...........................................340 Removing an Ad Hoc Event ........................................341 Renaming an Ad Hoc Event .........................................341 Recurring Ad Hoc Events ............................................341 Exiting the Scheduler ...................................................341 Issuing a Job Using the Scheduler ................................342 Finding the Job to Issue .........................................342 Copyright © Vantage Computing Ltd 2014. All rights reserved Service Accent User Guide 3 contents Issuing a Job Using the Scheduler ...............................342 Exiting the Visual Scheduler ........................................344 Effect on the Call Escalations Dialog ..........................345 Effect on the Job Dialog ...............................................345 contents Issuing a Job Without Using the Scheduler .................346 Finding the Job to Issue ...............................................346 Issuing a Job Without Using the Scheduler .................346 How the Job Status is Affected ....................................348 Closing a Job ................................................................350 Finding the Job to Close ...............................................350 Completing the Fault Profile ........................................350 Completing the resource profile ...................................352 Completing the task list ................................................353 The Completion Tab ....................................................356 Quick Close ...................................................................360 Adding next job notes ..................................................362 Enter Meter Readings ...................................................363 Specifying Parts Used ..................................................364 Removing a Part Used From the Job ...........................377 Modifying a Usage Record ..........................................379 Dealing With Existing Part Requests ...........................381 Extending a job .............................................................385 Using an Engineer’s Loan Item ....................................388 Requesting a Loan Item ...............................................388 Changing Loan Item Status for a Completed Job ..391 Scheduling Planned Maintenance ................................395 Contract Planned Maintenance ....................................395 Metered Equipment Planned Maintenance ..................398 Batch job logging .........................................................400 Engineer locations ........................................................408 Engineer tracking .........................................................408 5 Sales Order Processing Creating A Quotation ...................................................410 Converting A Quotation To A Sales Order ..................427 Creating A Sales Order Against A Customer ...............431 Creating A Sales Order Against An Inventory Item ....448 Creating A Point Of Sale Order ...................................452 Despatching And Invoicing A POS Order ...................465 Creating A Non-Stock Order ........................................471 Despatching And Invoicing A Non Stock Order .........487 Creating A Credit Note ................................................491 Crediting Or Part Crediting An Invoice .......................506 Crediting or part crediting a contract invoice ..............509 Crediting or part crediting a job invoice ......................519 Crediting or part crediting a meter invoice ..................527 Crediting or part crediting a rental invoice ..................540 Crediting or part crediting an SOP invoice ..................548 Using The Sales Order Manager ..................................554 Outstanding ............................................................557 Order ......................................................................558 Reserve ...................................................................561 Despatch .................................................................565 Ship ........................................................................567 Install ......................................................................571 Copyright © Vantage Computing Ltd 2014. All rights reserved Service Accent User Guide 4 contents Invoice ....................................................................573 Complete ................................................................576 6 Invoicing Running Contract Billing .............................................580 contents Running Meter Billing .................................................585 Running Rental Billing .................................................597 Service Job Billing .......................................................600 Authorising and Printing Invoices ................................602 Authorising Invoices ....................................................602 Printing Authorised Invoices .......................................606 Marking Invoices as Printed ........................................610 Retrieving Invoices ......................................................611 Reprinting an Invoice .............................................615 Crediting an Invoice .....................................................618 Re-billing a Service Job ...............................................621 Re-costing a Service Invoice ........................................625 Invoice dialogue tabs ....................................................629 Exporting Data to an Accounting Application .............633 Exporting Data to the Accounting Application ......633 Exporting Invoices 637 Exporting Accounts 641 Exporting Purchase orders 642 7 Purchase Order Processing Creating A Purchase Order ..........................................646 Authorising A Provisional Order .................................654 Printing A Purchase Order ...........................................658 Consolidating Purchase Orders ....................................661 Receiving Parts/Consumables ......................................665 Receiving Unallocated Products ..................................675 Receiving Serialised Items ...........................................682 Receiving Against A Sales Order .................................695 Purchase Invoices .........................................................703 8 Stock Control Store Maintenance ........................................................710 Transit Manager ...........................................................736 Serial Number Tracking ...............................................739 Stock Holdings Tab ......................................................770 Customer Holdings Tab ...............................................776 Engineer Holdings Tab .................................................778 Stock Holdings .............................................................780 Stock Movement History .............................................783 Stock Transactions .......................................................785 Stock Replenishment ....................................................793 Engineer stock ........................................................794 Engineer stock - Part replenishments .....................794 Faulty returns .........................................................800 Part requests ...........................................................803 Part requests - Estimates ........................................803 Part requests - Requests .........................................807 Loan requests .........................................................819 Loan requests - Requested .....................................820 Returning a loan item .............................................833 Swapping out a loan item .......................................839 Copyright © Vantage Computing Ltd 2014. All rights reserved Service Accent User Guide 5 contents Reordering ..............................................................842 Stock Taking ................................................................844 Stock Housekeeping .....................................................862 Reprinting A Consignment Note ..................................872 contents Stock Audit Reports .....................................................876 9 Keeping Up To Date Transferring Equipment to Different Sites ...................880 Setting an Item as Unallocated ...............................885 Scrapping Inventory Items .....................................886 Renewing a Service Contract .......................................888 Running Contract Housekeeping .................................894 10 History and Reporting Viewing Historical Information ...................................898 Viewing Work History from the Job Dialog ..........898 Viewing Work/Transaction History from Inventory Record ................................................................900 Using Reports ...............................................................902 Changing the Printer ....................................................906 The Print Preview .........................................................907 Exporting the Report ....................................................908 Setting the Default Printer for a Report .......................909 Assign a password to a Report .....................................910 Custom Report Writing ................................................911 11 System Tools Viewing License Details ..............................................914 Using the Recycle Bin ..................................................916 Viewing the Recycle Bin .............................................916 Permanently Deleting Records .....................................917 Restoring Deleted Records ...........................................918 Verifying the Database .................................................920 Viewing Table Data ...............................................920 Verifying the Database ...........................................921 Verifying the Database Aggressively ....................923 Copyright © Vantage Computing Ltd 2014. All rights reserved Service Accent User Guide 6 1 chapter Introduction Welcome to Service Accent (SA). Service Accent is Vantage Computing’s class-leading enterprise Service Management System. This chapter contains the following topics: • About Service Accent • The Service Accent Document Set • About this Guide • Documentation Conventions • Contacting Your Support Provider Copyright © Vantage Computing Ltd 2014. All rights reserved Service Accent User Guide • 1 Introduction About Service Accent You need to operate your service department at peak efficiency, and that means being in control. Service Accent from VCI will help you make your service easier to manage. Here's how: • Service Accent manages and simplifies field service, contract administration, preventative maintenance, billing and order processing. • You can share customers, purchases and invoices with your financial application (Specifications vary depending on your financial package) to give you total financial control. Service Accent is a solution to help you maximise you efficiency and increase your customer satisfaction. Having important customer information at your fingertips can be the difference between a good customer experience and a bad one. When logging and administering service calls using Service Accent you will find all of this information exactly where you want it. Is the customer covered by a service contract? When is their next PM visit due? Is this job chargeable? These are just some of the questions that the Service Accent system already knows the answer to. Producing monthly, quarterly and annual invoices for service and maintenance contracts is not the most exciting activity you have to look forward to this month; but it is one of the most important. Administering contracts is one of the most time-consuming and frustrating parts of running any service-led business. Service Accent enables contract invoicing to be run in minutes rather than hours or even days. It will allow you to manage your contracts more aggressively, producing renewal reminder letters and automatically applying annual price increases for example. Small touches like warnings that a signed contract has not been received back from the client or that their contract has produced a loss over 2 of the last 5 years enable your business to reduce time, save money and increase profitability. It's not sexy but it is vitally important to both you and your clients. It's all well and good entering data into a database, even one as easy to use and intuitive as Service Accent. The real challenge from a management perspective though is can you get meaningful, up-to-date management information from the system that enables you to make accurate, timely decisions about your business. Service Accent comes complete with a suite of over 150 ready made reports that have been devised and honed during 15 years service at hundreds of client sites worldwide. Being able to identify your most and least profitable contracts, even down to the level of an individual item of equipment means that you can make changes confident that they will have a positive impact upon the financial wellbeing of your business. First time fix rates, equipment uptime/downtime and engineer/technician productivity reports are a mere taste of the real-time information that is available with just a few clicks of your mouse. 2 • Service Accent User Guide Copyright © Vantage Computing Ltd 2014. All rights reserved