Work Order Vehicle

Creating invoices for work on vehicles starts here. We define "Work Orders" as invoices we are currently writing but have not yet finished. A work order can be as simple as a one line parts entry eg. a rego inspection or span many pages of part entries and text for a full vehicle restoration. A work order can be saved and opened again for additions any number of times. A work order becomes an Invoice only when it is "finalised". Finalising a work order causes several actions;

The work order is renamed to "Invoice". The "Job #" field in the work order header is renamed "Invoice" and the next invoice number is allocated. The client's account is updated as required. Once the work order screen is closed after finalising, it becomes locked in a non-editable format and when viewed from any function throughout G-E, is shown without editing controls. (See Editing a Finalised Invoice).

On exiting a finalised work order (invoice), G-E offers the options to take payment on the spot and set future service reminders for the vehicle. This is presented in the following dialogue.

Each time a work order is closed, the Parts Inventory is updated if changes have been made to the work order parts listing. If any stocked parts listed in the Parts Inventory fall to their minimum levels as a result of adding them to the work order, G-E displays a list of those parts. Those parts are then automatically added to the "Restocking List".

To create a work order for a vehicle, select Invoice from the Main Menu. From the drop down menu, select New Work Order/Vehicle. Alternatively, from the Main Menu, press the Ctrl+O key combination. The Vehicle Search list is displayed.
Using any of the search methods, locate and select the vehicle for which this work order is to be written. When the vehicle is selected, the Work Order Header dialogue is displayed.

Work Order Header Fields Explained

Date (d/m/y)	Holds the current date. Select and change the date if needed.
Description	Enter a small description of the job involved for this work order. (This description is shown in various places throughout the program to assist in identifying this invoice). If the job involves a vehicle service, ensure the word "service" is entered here.
Order #	Enter a client's order number or reference if supplied.
Odometer	Enter the vehicle odometer reading.
Discount %	Enter the discount percentage if this client receives a discount.
Discount $	Enter a discount dollar value to discount the invoice by a certain amount. Discounts in Detail If discounts are applied, the work order Total Line keeps you informed.

Click Ok or press Enter on the Work Order Header to proceed to the Work Order screen. The screen's header details are filled with information obtained from the vehicle file and the header dialogue filled above. The top half of the screen is the Parts section. The lower half is the Text section. The work order opens with the parts section active. Pressing the Tab key moves the cursor to the text section. Shift+Tab moves the cursor in the reverse direction. Alternatively, pressing the Alt+hotkey (underlined character) activates the appropriate controls or simply clicking controls or the parts or text screen sections with the mouse activates the selection. Some controls are not always available (greyed out). These controls become active as their criteria are met. eg. The Edit Current Part, Edit Library Part and Delete Part controls are not active unless a part in the work order is highlighted. Some text controls are not always available unless the text screen is active and text is present on the screen.

Before working with the work order Parts controls, please read Parts System Overview to gain an understanding of how G-E works with it's multiple part libraries.

Adding Parts from the Global Library:
To add a part from the global library, click the Insert Global Part control or use the keyboard hotkeys, Alt+G combination. The global parts library listing is displayed. Enter the search code for the part you wish to place in the work order. (A quick reminder here that "Labour", "Other Revenue" and "Sublet Work" are all treated as global parts). If the part is not in the system, select New Part from the list window and add the part to the system. (See New Part under the manual's Parts option for details).

Note:
As the search was conducted in the global library, adding a part here will add to the global library. (View the discussion on parts system structure).

When the part is shown in the listing, either highlight the selection and click Ok or double click the entry. Alternatively, press Enter. The "Quantity" edit dialogue is displayed. The quantity is defaulted to "1". Enter the quantity as required and click Ok or press Enter to place the part into the work order. The part is added to the work order, the GST running total is calculated and the work order running total is calculated and shown.

Adding Parts from the Model Specific Library: ( Not available for Work Order / Client)
To add a model specific part to the work order, click or select the Insert Specific Part control. The Specific Parts Library is presented. This control provides immediate access to the model library specific to the vehicle for which this work order is being written. (See the Model field in the work order header). Enter the search code for the part you wish to select. If the part is not in the library, select New Part from the list window and add the part to the system. (If there are no parts in the specific library, the New Part dialogue will be presented). The Model field of the New Part dialogue will contain the model of the vehicle for which the work order is being written. If you delete the name from the model field, the part will be added to the Global Library. Enter the quantity as above and click Ok or press Enter to add the selection to the work order.

Adding Parts from Other Model Libraries:
To add a part specific to a different vehicle model e.g. to access the Apollo library from a work order being drawn for a Camry, click or select the Insert Part / Model control. The specific library listing for all models on file is displayed. Type the model name for the library you need to access and scroll the list to the part you wish to select. Enter the part into the work order as above. A part can be added to the system from the models list by selecting New Part on the listing window. Entering any model name in the New Part dialogue Model field here will add the part to that library. Leaving the Model field blank will add the part to the global library.

Editing a Part Entry in the Work Order:
To edit a part entry in the work order, highlight the part by clicking on the entry. Click or select Edit Current Part. Alternatively, double click the entry. The Edit Part in Invoice dialogue is displayed. Any field in this edit dialogue may be changed. Any changes you make here will only effect this work order entry. No changes are saved in the part library.

Editing a Part Library Entry in the Work Order:
To edit the library entry for a part in a work order, highlight the entry you wish to update. Click or select Edit Library Part. The Edit Part dialogue is displayed for the part. Click or select Edit on the Edit Part window. Alternatively, press the Spacebar to reveal the hidden fields. Make any changes to the library entry you wish and click Ok or press Enter. G-E will confirm the update to the library entry. Any changes you make here will be saved to the part library. Part History for the highlighted entry is available from the Edit Library Part dialogue. If the part code is changed, G-E offers the option to delete the original part. If you select Yes, G-E will remove the original part from the library and save the edited part with the new code. If you select No, G-E will add the part with the new code to the library.

Deleting a Part Entry from the Work Order:
Highlight the part entry you wish to delete and click or select Delete Part. This action removes the entry from the work order only and has no effect on the part library.

Brief Revision:
The Insert Specific Part control provides immediate access to the model library for which the work order is being written. E.g. If the work order is being written for a Camry, this control provides access to the "Camry" part library. The Insert Global Part control accesses the global parts library. The Insert Part / Model control lists all model part libraries and the parts contained therein. The Edit Current Part control allows changes to the highlighted part in this work order only. The changes are not held in the part library. The Edit Library Part control allows changes to the part library entry. Changes here overwrite the part file with the new information. The Delete Part control removes the work order entry only. The part file is not deleted from the library.

Note:
If the client who owns the vehicle has the "Cost Parts" check box checked in their file, the words "Cost Parts" flash on the parts total line. G-E uses the price in the Cost Price field of the part file when the part is entered into the work order. If no price is entered in the "Cost Price" field of the part library entry, no price will be entered into a work order.
If a discount percentage or discount $ is entered in the work order header details, the percentage and or discount $ value entered is shown on the total line.

Adding Text to a Work Order:
To add text to the work order, activate the lower Comments (Text) section of the work order screen. This can be done by clicking anywhere on the text section with the mouse or using the Alt+N hotkey combination. Start typing the job text as you like. When typing to the end of the line, G-E will wrap words automatically to the next line. If you find it easier, type all the text in upper or lower case then use the Toggle control to correctly change the case. "Pre-typed text" may be imported into the work order from the global and specific text libraries. Text that has been entered into the work order can be saved to the global or specific text libraries for future use. G-E has a "FastText" function which works with all text editors throughout the program.

Inserting Text from the Global Text Library:
To insert text from the global text library, click or select the Global Text control. The Select Text Entry list is displayed. Enter the search code and select the text entry you wish to import. If no text entries are yet present in the library, a "No Text Entries Found" message is presented.

Inserting Text from the Model Specific Library:
To insert text from the model specific text library, click or select the Specific Text control. (Not available for New Work Order / Client). The Select Text Entry (model) list is displayed. Enter the search code for the text entry you wish to import. Highlight the text entry and click Ok to import the text. Alternatively double click the entry or press the Enter key to import the text.

Using FastText:
FastText is used to quickly insert text which you use frequently. Eg., you may find yourself frequently typing: "Service vehicle to manufacturer's handbook requirements". This line of text could be saved to a text library, but you would have to call the library and select the text to insert it in the work order. The Text Libraries are far better suited to larger text blocks. "FastText", however, deals with this type of small repetitive text block very efficiently.
To use the FastText function, type the job text into the work order Comments editor. When you type a block of text which you frequently use, highlight the frequently used text with the mouse. (Hold the left mouse button down and drag the cursor back over the text).

When you have highlighted the text you require, click the right mouse button. A context menu appears. From the context menu, select FastText Save. The FastText Save dialogue appears. (Alternatively, press the F1 key to present the FastText Save dialogue). The dialogue contains the highlighted text from the work order. If no text was highlighted in the editor, the FastText Save control is unavailable. Enter a very brief code in the Code field of the dialogue. This is the code which will call this FastText into the work order. Click Ok on the dialogue to save the FastText. Click Cancel on the dialogue to abort.

Now the text has been saved as a FastText, it can be used in any of G-E's text editors.
Using the saved FastText is very simple. As you type the job notes into the work order Notes field, simply press the " + " key, followed by the FastText code to insert the required FastText. When you press the Spacebar to move to the next word, the FastText is automatically inserted in the line.

If you can't remember a FastText code, click the right mouse button and select the FastText you require from the list of saved texts. Alternatively, press the F2 key to present the FastText list.

Highlight any text entry in the FastText list and select Delete to remove the entry.
See how FastText works.

Using Kits:
Kits are complete work orders saved to the global or model specific kit libraries. A kit is a complete copy of any work order you create by any of the above means. They are ideal for invoices which are essentially the same each time you perform the job. Kits are fast and easy to use and can save an enormous amount of time and effort. When a kit is imported into a work order, it can be edited with any work order controls.

Quite simply, when you have completed the work order, select the Make Kit control. The Edit Kit dialogue is presented containing the work order components.

The Model field contains the vehicle model for which this kit was created. This is the name of the model library in which the kit will be saved. Delete the model name from this field to save the kit in the global library. Enter a different model name if required to save the kit in another model specific library.

Enter a code into the Code field by which this kit will be called in the future. Enter a description of the kit in the Description field. Click the Save control to save the kit to the library. The kit will now be available to instantly create an invoice for the same job in the future.

To insert a kit into a work order, select the Insert Kit/Code or Insert Kit/Model control. The difference between the two methods is the way the kit selection is sorted in the Select Kit dialogue which is presented. From the presented kit listing, select the kit you require and click Ok to insert the kit into the work order. Alternatively, double click the entry in the Select Kit listing. (See Utilities > Kit for more information on kits).

Note:
Kits store only the work order text, part codes and quantities. When a kit is imported into a work order or quote, G-E collects the relevant prices and descriptions from the part files at the time the kit is imported. This ensures the latest part prices and descriptions are used. If a part has been deleted from the parts system or the code has been changed for a part used in the kit since the kit was created, G-E will no longer be able to find the relevant information relating to the code stored with the kit. If this occurs, G-E will report the codes listed in the kit for which the file or files can no longer be found in a warning dialogue. The parts list can be edited in the work order using the new codes (if the codes have been changed), deleting parts now obsolete in the kit or adding the parts to the parts system. Use the Make Kit control to save the amended work order as a kit. If you save the kit under the original kit code, the original kit will be overwritten with the amended information. If you save the kit with a new code, the kit will be added to the library and the original kit will remain in the system. Use the Utilities > Kit function for further editing of a kit or deleting a kit from the system.

Notes:
The Notes control presents Notes text editor where comments of further work the vehicle requires can be entered. For example; You may have just completed a 90,000klm service on a vehicle and are writing the work order for the job. The timing belt is due for replacement at the next service. Select the Notes control and type: "Timing belt due at next service" into the editor. Click Ok to save the notes. G-E asks if you wish the notes to be added to the work order. This is a good idea because the client is also informed of the upcoming timing belt change. If you select Yes, to add the notes, G-E inserts a blank line after the last line of text in the comments field then the word "Notes:" G-E then lists the notes you have entered in the Notes editor.

G-E then stores the notes with the vehicle file the work order is being written for. The notes can be viewed or edited from the "Load Vehicle" dialogue in the Vehicle menu. When this vehicle is booked for work some time later, G-E checks the vehicle file for any service notes. If there are service notes present, G-E automatically inserts them in the Bookings dialogue at the time of the booking. You are then made aware of the work required at the time of the booking and you can discuss the work with your client at that time.

If you choose not to add the notes to the work order, G-E skips that step and stores the notes with the vehicle file and acts on them as above.

Other Work Order Controls:
The bottom row of buttons on the work order screen consist of:

Print
Prints the work order in the current state. No invoice number is allocated to the work order and the words "This is not an Invoice" is printed on the work order. Selecting Print after finalising the work order will print the invoice. When printing a work order or invoice, G-E presents the print options dialogue.

Save
Saves the work order in the current state without closing the window. Use this control often if you are writing a large work order. This control can save plenty of work should you suffer a power cut or similar. I know, I've been there!

Finalise
When the work order is complete clicking Finalise transforms the work order into an invoice. The next invoice number is allocated and the client's account is updated with the information.
When exiting the invoice screen, G-E offers the options to take payment on the spot and set service reminders for the vehicle.

Orders
The Orders control cause G-E to check if any Purchase Orders assigned to the work order have unreceipted items. If such Purchase Orders exist, G-E presents them in a list. Selecting the Purchase Order in the list gives you direct access to the Orders function so the items can be receipted.

History
Accesses the vehicle history for the vehicle the work order is being written for. Any previous invoice to the vehicle can be recalled without exiting the New Work Order function. This function is extremely useful for checking parts prices sold to the client on previous invoices. Text from previous invoices can be highlighted, copied (Ctrl+C) and pasted (Ctrl+V) into the current work order.

Quit
Selecting Quit or pressing Esc exits the work order. If the work order contains any unsaved information, you are prompted to save or discard the changes. The parts inventory is updated at this stage. If any parts stock listing in the inventory has reached the set minimum, a list of those parts is presented. Those parts are also automatically added to the Restocking list.

Delete Work Order
Selecting the Delete Work Order control removes the current work order from the system. You are required to confirm the deletion. A deleted work order can not be recovered.