Setting Service Parameters

  1. Open the Service Parameters form.
  2. On the Call Center tab, specify this information:
    Incident Prefix
    Specify a default prefix to use for all new incident numbers. The system uses this value, along with the standard expand key logic, to automatically generate the next available incident number.
    Status Code
    Specify the default value to use as the status of any new incident.
    Priority Code
    Specify the default priority code to use for any new incident.
    To Be Scheduled
    Select this check box to indicate that the current incident or SRO is to be included in the scheduling process for partner assignment. If selected, the incident or SRO is displayed on the Schedules form when you do select a task and click All To Be Scheduled. If cleared, the incident or SRO can still be manually scheduled but is not automatically displayed on the Schedules form.
    Add Customer Contacts
    Specify whether customer contacts are created automatically:
    • Always: A contact record is created for each new contact added on the Incidents or Service Orders forms.
    • Prompt: A message asks if a new contact record should be created.
    • Never: Contact records are not created when you save an incident or SRO.
    Update Customer Contacts
    Specify whether customer contacts are updated automatically:
    • Always: The contact record is updated each time contact information is updated on the Incidents or Service Orders forms.
    • Prompt: A message asks if the contact record should be updated.
    • Never: Contact records are not updated when you save an incident or SRO.
    Service on Holidays
    Select this check box to include holidays in the days that are counted in the follow up, due date, and warning values that are associated with the priority code.
    Check for Service Bulletin on Incident Entry
    Select this check box if you want the system to check if a relevant service bulletin exists when an incident is created.
  3. Use the Incident/SRO Sync Settings fields on this tab indicate how fields should be synchronized for SROs and Incidents that are cross-referenced.

    For more information, see Using an Incident to Create a Service Order.

  4. Specify this information for the warranty claims settings:
    Warranty Incident Prefix
    Specify a prefix to use when an incident is created and the Warranty Claims check box is selected.
    Warranty Authorized Status
    Select the working status to use by default when a warranty claim incident is authorized.
    Warranty Rejected Status
    Select the working status to use by default when a warranty claim incident is rejected.
    Warranty Reimbursed Status
    Select the working status to use by default when all expenses have been reimbursed or rejected for a warranty claim incident.
    Default Warranty SRO Template
    Select the SRO template to use by default when a warranty claim incident is authorized and converted to a service order.
  5. On the Service Order (1) tab, specify this information:
    SRO Prefix
    Specify a default prefix to use for all new service order numbers. The system uses this value, along with the standard expand key logic, to automatically generate the next available SRO number.
    SRO Type
    Select the default type to use for new service orders. The types are defined on the Service Order Types form.
    SRO Product Code
    Select the default product code to use for new service orders. The product code encompasses all of the general ledger accounts that are used for posting material, labor, and miscellaneous expenses to a SRO. The product code also includes the accounts that are used by SRO invoicing to post Cost of Goods Sold and revenue amounts. Product codes are defined on the Product Codes form.
    Default Operation Status
    Select whether new operations have a default status of Open, Invoice, or Closed.
    Billing Type
    Select the default value to use for the billing type, which is used to determine the total price for a service request order:
    • Calculated/Time and Material: Price is calculated as the sum of all material, labor, and miscellaneous items issued.
    • Project/Fixed: Price is based on the manually entered fixed amount.
    Billing Code
    Select the default billing code to use on service orders. This code determines the amount to billed for SRO material and labor transactions.
    Note: When integrated to SX.e and the billing code for service orders is set to Recover, instead of the journal cost, the replacement cost from SX.e is used as the price for service order transactions.

    To use this feature, select the Use Replacement Cost For Recover Billing Code option on the SX.e BODs tab on the Integration Parameters form.

    For more information, see Billing Code.

    Warehouse
    Select the default warehouse to use for service orders. Warehouses are set up and maintained through the Warehouses form.
    Default SRO Template
    Select the SRO template to use by default when creating new service request orders.
    Material Transaction Type
    Select a value to use as the default when you add planned or actual material transactions through the Service Order Transactions form.
    Purchasing Misc Code
    Select a value to use as the default miscellaneous code. Miscellaneous codes are unique, alphanumeric codes that represent a type of expense charged to an SRO. Use these codes to ensure that the expenses are charged to the proper general ledger account.
    Purchasing Pay Type
    Select a default payment type to use for service orders. Only payment types that do not reimburse the partner can be assigned. This field is referenced when users create manual checks for service orders on the A/P Check Writer Workbench.
    Demand Consumption Method
    Select a method to use to consume demand:
    • Service Order: Consume demand across the whole SRO based on the item only.
    • Service Order Line: Consume demand across each SRO line based on the item only. Use this option in situations where planning occurs on one operation but materials are issued on another operation.
    • Service Order Operation: Consume demand by matching planned transactions created for an item on a SRO operation, regardless of the planned warehouse. Use this option when you do not know which warehouse or partner will be assigned to the service order.
    • Warehouse: This is the default setting. Consume demand by matching on the SRO, line, operation, item, and warehouse.
    Status Code
    Select the working status code to use by default for service orders.
    Note: The selected code must have the Available For Service Orders check box selected.
    Partial Billing
    Select this check box if you want the SRO Invoice Print/Post program to bill an SRO or SRO transaction with a status of bill hold. If the check box is selected at the header level, the system ignores the entire SRO. If the check box is selected at the transaction level, only the transaction is ignored and all other transactions not on hold are invoiced.

    A default value for new SROs can be set on the Service Order tab of the Service Parameters form.

    Consider Planned for Partial Billing
    Select this check box if you want to prevent service orders from invoicing when unposted planned transactions exist, where the reference type and number are not blank.

    When selected, the system checks if any unposted planned transaction exists that has a linked cross-reference. If such a transaction is found, invoicing is not allowed.

    Use this parameter when you have not enabled Partial Billing.

    Suppress Warranty Claim Invoice Printout
    Select this parameter to stop warranty claim invoices from printing when invoicing is completed.
    Accumulate WIP
    Specify a default value to use for this field on new service orders. If this field is selected, costs issued to the SRO are stored in WIP accounts. Otherwise, costs are posted directly to cost of goods (COGS) accounts.
    Planned Transaction Required
    Specify a default value to use for this field on new service orders. If this field is selected, then a planned transaction must exist before the line or operation can be invoiced.
    Use Planned Pricing
    Specify a default value to use for this field on new service orders. If this field is selected, the SRO uses planned pricing. Otherwise pricing is based on partner, codes, and customer.
    Use End User Types
    Select this check box if you want to use end user types for service orders or sales orders. If selected, a new field is displayed on the Customer tab of the Service Orders form or on the Details tab of the Sales Orders form to hold the end user type. The default value for this field is from the end user type specified on the Codes tab of the Customers form. This value can be changed for each individual service order. As material, labor, and miscellaneous transactions are posted against the service order, the system uses the end user type, if it is not blank, to acquire the sales and cost of goods sold account numbers.

    This option can be defaulted for new service orders on the Service Order tab of the Service Parameters form.

    Work Entry Auto Post Labor
    Select this check box if transactions entered through the SRO Labor Clock Off form are added to the service order as posted actual transactions. Otherwise, they are added as unposted actual transactions.
    Work Entry Auto Post Material
    Select this check box if transactions entered through the SRO Labor Entry form are added to the service order as posted actual transactions. Otherwise, they are added as unposted actual transactions.
    Work Entry Auto Post Miscellaneous
    Select this check box to automatically post a transaction when a miscellaneous transaction is saved on the SRO Miscellaneous Entry form.
    Include SRO Allocations
    Select this check box to include the outstanding demand quantity for service orders in the Alloc Order field of the Item/Warehouse form
    Auto Dispatch SRO on Quick SRO Create
    Use this check box to set the default value for the Auto Dispatch SRO on Copy/Create field on the Service Order Quick Create form. That field determines whether a schedule record is automatically added to a service order created using the SRO Copy/Create Utility, when the SRO Lead Partner is assigned. The dispatch record is displayed in the grid section of the Schedules tab on the Service Orders form when this feature is enabled.
    Allow SPA Pricing
    Select this check box if special pricing agreements (SPAs) should be in effect for service orders.
    Auto Close SRO After Invoicing
    Select this check box to set the SRO status to Closed when invoicing is complete (regardless of the Close Date value). If you do not select this check box, manually populating the Close Date field of the SRO causes it to close after invoicing. The default value of the Service Order field comes from the template if created through the SRO Template, and if not, from the Service Parameters.
    Lock Estimate on Approval
    Use this check box to set the default value for the Estimate Lock field on the Service Orders form. When this field is selected, users cannot change (add/update/delete) Estimate SRO Transactions for the service order.
    Check for Service Bulletin on SRO Line Entry
    Select this check box if you want the system to check if a relevant service bulletin exists when a service order line is created.
    Default Consumed On Planned Transactions
    The field is selected by default. When selected, new planned transactions, by default, are marked as consumed in the Consumed column on the grid section of planned transactions, on the Service Order Transactions form. To mark by default new planned transactions as not consumed, clear the Default Consumed on Planned Transactions check box.

    You can use the Consumed column on the grid section of planned transactions, on the Service Order Transactions form, to manually indicate whether a planned transaction is consumed or not, without drilling into the transaction. This feature is also available in the ISM mobile application.

    Loaner Warehouse and Loaner Location
    Select the default warehouse and location to use for the material and line material transaction types Loaner Shipment and Loaner Return.
    Standard Repair Times
    Use these two fields to specify default synchronization of Repair Time and Hours to Bill, and what happens when the hours to bill are greater then the approved repair time.
    • Default Repair Time: Specify one of these default options:
      • None: Do not default Hours to Bill nor Hours Worked.
      • Hours to Bill: Default Hours to Bill but not Hours Worked.
      • Hours Worked: Default Hours Worked but not Hours to Bill.
      • Both: Default Hours Worked and Hours to Bill.
    • Repair Time Exceeded Action: Specify one of these actions:
      • Warn: Display a message, when the labor transaction is created, that hours to bill are greater than the approved repair time.
      • Ignore: Do nothing – allow the labor transaction to be posted
      • Prevent: Display warning on entry, and then don’t allow the Labor Transaction to be posted without a Reason (suggestion is require a note to be created)
  6. On the Service Order (2) tab, specify this information:
    Invoice Text
    Specify the default text that displays at the bottom of every SRO invoice.
    Account Location information
    In this area, set the default values to use for these fields on new service orders. For each field, specify whether the accounts used are assigned at the operation or transaction level.
    Not To Exceed information
    Use these fields to determine how to handle overages when a Not To Exceed (NTE) amount is exceeded for a service order.  
    • Post Action: Specify the action the system takes when a transaction surpasses the Not To Exceed amount specified on a SRO. Available options are:
      • Allow: Allows posting of the transaction and issues a warning message that the NTE amount has been surpassed.
      • Prevent: Does not allow the user to post the transaction.
      • Assign to Zero: Allows posting of the transaction, but the entered price is overridden and set to zero.
    • Bill Hold Action: Specify the level of billing hold to be assigned by the system if the Not To Exceed amount of an SRO is surpassed. Available options are:
      • Transactions: Places the SRO transaction on billing hold.
      • Operation: Places the SRO operation on billing hold.
      • Both: Places both the SRO operation and transaction on billing hold.
      • None: Nothing is put on billing hold as a result of surpassing the NTE amount.
    • Allow Bill Hold Override: If this field is selected, users can remove the billing hold from transactions or operations that caused an SRO to surpass the Not To Exceed amount.
    Auto Calculate Misc Charges
    This check box determines whether misc charges are auto calculated during order invoicing. This sets the default when creating a new service order or template. When this check box is selected, these fields are enabled: %, Include Material, Include Labor, Include Miscellaneous, Minimum Amount, and Maximum Amount. Add the percentage to use to calculate misc charges, select whether to include material, labor, and/or miscellaneous, and set a minimum and maximum amount.
    Include in NTE Calculation
    Select the charges to include in the calculation that determines whether the Not To Exceed amount has been surpassed for a SRO. Available options are Freight, Misc Charges, Taxes and Discount.
    AIA Tax Code
    Specify the tax code to be used by default on service orders with a Billing Type of AIA.
    Impact Inventory Defaults
    Use the check boxes to specify default impact inventory settings for each transaction type.
  7. On the Parts Fulfillment tab, specify this information:

    The setting of the Mode field determines whether the rest of the fields on this tab are enabled.

    Mode

    This field controls how the Awaiting Parts check box behaves throughout the system.

    These are the valid options:

    • Manual: The Awaiting Parts field on Incident, SRO, SRO Line, and SRO Operation is enabled. This allows the user to select and clear the field at each level to signify the service order is awaiting receipt of parts.
    • Automatic: The Awaiting Parts field on Incident, SRO, SRO Line, and SRO Operation is disabled. The system selects and clears the field based on whether or not there is an associated planned SRO material transaction associated to an outstanding purchase order or not. This option also enables the Awaiting Parts and Parts Received Actions functionality.
    Awaiting Parts Actions
    Parts Received Actions
  8. On the Partner tab, specify this information:
    Partner Prefix
    Specify a default prefix to use for all new partner ID numbers. The system uses this value, along with the standard expand key logic, to automatically generate the next available partner number.
    Auto Approve Non-Warranty Reimbursement
    Select this check box if all reimbursable material, labor, and miscellaneous transactions should created as approved. This lets you skip the Expense Approval form.
    Auto Approve Warranty Reimbursement
    Select this check box to automatically approve expenses logged to a SRO that has a warranty claim SRO type.
    Default Labor Rate and Default Labor Cost
    Specify values that are used to calculate the default rate and cost for an SRO labor transaction. If a rate or cost is not determined from the SRO, customer or partner/work code combination, these fields determine whether the rate and cost are defaulted from the partner or from the work code.
    Partner Reimbursement Accounts
    Specify the Voucher, Credit, and Other accounts where expenses for SRO material, labor and miscellaneous transactions are posted for any transaction that is reimbursed to the partner. The amount is held in these accounts until moved out by reimbursing the partner. The account that is used depends on the method by which the partner is set up to be reimbursed. These accounts are considered control accounts and are locked down accordingly.
    Number of Hours Per Day
    Specify the maximum number of hours per day a partner can be scheduled.
    Schedule Board Read Only
    Select this check box if you want to make the schedule board on the Schedules form read-only.
  9. On the Amortization Control tab, specify this information:
    Total Periods
    Specify the number of periods that the amortization amount is divided between. Each month end date designates the end of a period.
    Journal
    Select the accounting journal to use for the amortization. Journals are defined on the Journals form.
    Select Trans Date From
    Specify whether amortizations occur at the start or the end of the period.
    Amortize Contracts
    Select this field if contracts are included in the amortization process.
    Amortization Accounts
    Select the appropriate accounts to use for prepaid expenses and deferred revenue.
  10. On the Unit tab, specify this information:
    Auto Build Unit Configuration on Shipment
    If you select this field, the complete unit configuration is created as the item is shipped. Both the installation and ship date are set to the date when the shipment occurred. The Auto Build process runs through the default configuration of serial-tracked items to be built. This may add time to the shipping process if the bill of materials is several levels deep.
    Auto Build Unit Configuration on Receipt
    If you select this field, the complete unit configuration is created as the item is received. During the posting of a PO receipt of a serial-tracked item, a new unit is automatically created (inventory status set to "In Inventory") and the purchase order information is associated with the unit. If the Auto Build Configuration on Receipt field is selected, the configuration is created. If a warranty that is based on the Receive Date is associated with the unit or any of its components, the start date of each warranty is set to the day the unit was received. The Auto Build process runs through the default configuration of serial-tracked items to be built. This may add time to the receiving process if the item configuration is several levels deep.
    Set Install Date on Shipment
    If you select this check box, the system sets the Install Date on the unit and its components to the date the unit is shipped. If the unit is shipped and then installed by a field technician at a later time, do not select this check box.
    Initial Configuration Display
    Specify the number of levels the unit configuration expands by default.
    Configuration Update Method
    Specify how the system updates the unit configuration when an SRO Material Transaction is updated:
    • Auto Synch: The system tries to add and remove configuration components without user intervention.
    • Auto Append: The system tracks any additions or removals in a separate branch of the configuration tree.
    • Prompt: Prompt users to determine whether they want to manually adjust the configuration.
    • Never: The unit configuration is not affected by posted material transactions.
    Note:  For more information about this field and the following two fields, see Unit Configuration Automation Control
    .
    Default Configuration Removal Reason
    Specify a default reason that the system uses when a component is removed through the Auto Sync or Auto Append method. This value is also used as the default reason on the Unit Configurations form when the Remove Date is manually specified for a component.
    Configuration Change History Branch
    If your system uses the Auto Append method for unit configuration updates, the value you specify here is used to determine the name of the branch in the configuration that holds components that are added or removed when SRO material transactions are posted. We recommend that you change this value every year, to track components in a separate node each year.
  11. On the Other tab, specify this information:
    Use Separate Consumer
    Select this check box to maintain consumer records in the consumer database instead of the customer database. If you select this check box, incidents will always be billed to customers and you will not have the option to bill an incident to a consumer. This check box is useful if your business is directed at consumers who are not invoiced for parts and services and you would prefer to market to consumers separately from customers.
    Default Customer
    Select the customer number to use by default on the Consumers form each time a new consumer record is created.
    Commission Due on Payment
    Select this check box to require a commission to be due when the invoice is fully paid. Or, when a customer makes a partial payment on the invoice, the a commission due payment is generated and prorated (although the invoice is not paid in full). Clear this check box to require a commission to be due when the order is invoiced.
    Enable Schedule Events
    Select this check box to enable event triggers for appointments, service orders, and service order operations.

    A system administrator determines the actions that are triggered and sets them up on the Event Handlers form.

    See the online help topics about application events and event triggers for more information about how to use event triggers.

    Map Provider
    Select Bing as the map provider.
    Map API Key
    Specify the API key for the map. This is a license key that can be obtained from your Map Provider and permits access to the advanced mapping and route optimization capabilities. If this key is not entered, only turn-by-turn directions are available.
    Map URLs
    If using Bing, the URLs for the map and directions are displayed. If using a different Web browser, specify the URLs to use by default for the map and directions.
    Set to Bing button
    Click this button to set your Web browser to use the predefined links for Bing for the map and directions.
  12. Save the parameters.