Service Manager Setups

Overview

The Service Manager is customised using the functions available from the Menu button on the Default List View (list of service tickets).

• Service Manager: Create classes, tags, statuses, responses, categories, project resources and project templates.

• Edit Reference lookup: Create lookup lists for the reference field of service tickets.

• Edit Lead Source lookup: Create lookup lists for lead sources for sales-related service tickets.

• Edit Reminder Colours: Customise the colours used for reminders.

Navigation: ... Service Manager > Menu (button) > Default > Menu (button) > Service Manager

Table of Contents

Buttons Explained (Top Row)

• Edit: Allows the content to be edited. Applies to all the tabs.

• Save: Saves any changes. Applies to all the tabs.

• Menu: Layout & Grids.

Classes (tab)

ℹ️ Classes are used to classify service tickets and enable certain features. Users select a category that is linked to a class when they create a new ticket.

• Field Chooser (*): Allows users to add or remove columns.

• ID: The system-generated number for the entry.

• Description: The name of the class.

• Project: A checkbox. If checked projects are used. If unchecked, only the Detail page is available. 

• Components: A checkbox. If checked components are used. Components are typically used with projects and assist in calculating the amounts that are used in progress billing.

• Contacts: A dropdown list for users to select which contact the ticket is using. The options are:

  • Internal: The ticket is for an internal process.

  • Customer: The ticket involves a customer.

  • Supplier: The ticket involves a supplier.

• Type: A dropdown list of supported types. The options are: 

  • Default: Creates a generic ticket.

  • Accounts: Creates a ticket to resolve an account query.

  • Sales: Creates a sales-related ticket and incorporates additional fields such as potential income and referrals.

• Asset Category: 

  • • The Item Categories that apply to this class. 

    • The categories can be selected by right-clicking the entry and selecting View/Edit Asset Categories from the context menu. 

    • Categories are added by moving them from the Available to the Selected section. 

    • Categories are removed by moving them from the Selected to the Available section. 

    • The numbers (IDs) of the selected categories are displayed.

• Transactions: 

  • • The Transaction Types that apply to this class. 

    • The transaction types can be selected by right-clicking the entry and selecting View/Edit Transactions from the context menu. 

    • Transaction types are added by moving them from the Available to the Selected section.

    • Transaction types are removed by moving them from the Selected to the Available section. 

    • The numbers (IDs) of the selected transaction types are displayed.

• Messages: 

  • • The pre-created messages that apply to this class. 

    • Messages can be selected by right-clicking the entry and selecting View/Edit Messages from the context menu.

    •  Messages are added by moving them from the Available to the Selected section. 

    • Messages are removed by moving them from the Selected to the Available section. 

    • The numbers (IDs) of the selected messages are displayed.

    • Messages are email templates that can be created from the email interface (e.g. Main Menu > Office > Email). It allows users to prefill the subject and message.

• SP for Detail:  The Stored Procedure for the detail section. The name of the Firebird Stored Procedure that generates the information viewed in the Detail panel (e.g. account status, order status, or contact information).

• Menu (...): A submenu with the following options:

  • View/Edit Asset Categories

  • View/Edit Transactions

  • View/Edit Messages

  • Copy

  • Delete

Tags (tab)

ℹ️ Tags are used to sort and classify tasks. Tags are mostly used with projects to classify and sort the various tasks.

• Field Chooser (*): Allows users to add or remove columns.

• ID: The system-generated number for the entry.

• Description: The name of the tag.

• Code: The brief description or abbreviation for the tag.

• Menu (...): Allows users to delete the tag by clicking the X.

Statuses (tab)

ℹ️ Statuses on this tab are created for each class. 

Projects have an additional set of statuses that is created for the template.

Buttons and Filters

• Class (filter):  A dropdown list of classes to select the class for which the statuses are being created. Statuses are created for each class separately. 

• Add Default Statuses (button): If statuses have not yet been created, the default statuses can be added using this button and freely edited afterwards.

Fields

• Field Chooser (*): Allows users to add or remove columns.

• Order ID: The system-generated number for the order of the entry.

• ID: The system-generated number for the entry.

• Description: The description of the status.

• Class: The class of the status as selected on the dropdown list.

• Group: The applicable fixed status group (Pending, Active, Complete, or Cancelled).

• Colour: The colour for the status. Click the arrow next to the colour to select a different colour.

• Notification: An option to send an email notification when the status becomes active. The people receiving the notifications are added as subscribers to the ticket. The options are:

  • None: Nobody is notified.

  • All: Both internal (staff) and external (customers or suppliers) are emailed.

  • Internal: Only internal (staff) contacts are emailed.

• Menu (...): A submenu with the following options:

  • Move Up Ctrl+U: Moves the status one line higher. Statuses should be arranged in the order that they are used.

  • Move Down Ctrl+D: Moves the status one line lower.

  • Delete Ctrl+Del: Deletes the status.

Responses (tab)

ℹ️ Allows users to create responses or actions that can be taken when service tickets are dealt with.

Buttons and Filters

• Class (filter):  A dropdown list of classes to select the class for which responses are being created. Responses are created for each class separately. 

• Add Default Responses (button): If responses have not yet been created, the default responses can be added using this button and freely edited afterwards.

Fields 

• Field Chooser (*): Allows users to add or remove columns.

• ID: The system-generated number for the entry.

• Caption: The name of the response.

• Class: The class of the response as selected on the dropdown list.

• Set Status: An option to change the status of the service ticket when the response is added. The options are to leave the status Unchanged or to select one of the custom statuses created for the class.

• Date Type: If data types were created, they can be selected else only Standard can be selected.

• Assign to: An option to assign a specific response to a specific user as selected from the dropdown list.

• Transaction: Adds a Response when the Transaction Status is updated to the Status selected in the Trans Status column.

• Trans Status: Adds a Response when the Transaction Status is updated to the Status selected in this column.

• Menu (...): A submenu with the following options:

  • View/Edit Note: Allows a note to be viewed, edited, or created.

  • View/Edit User-defined fields: Allows users to create an input form that must be completed, instead of creating an empty note field.

  • Delete: Deletes the response.

Categories (tab)

ℹ️ Categories allow service tickets to be grouped, and for severity levels to be automatically set. When users create a ticket they select a category, which also selects the class that the category is in.

Filter

• Class (filter):  A dropdown list of classes to select the class for which the categories are being created. Categories are created for each class separately. 

Fields

• Field Chooser (*): Allows users to add or remove columns.

• ID: The system-generated number for the entry.

• Description: The category's description.

• Class: The class of the category as selected on the dropdown list.

• Default Response: The response that should be added when the ticket is created.

• Severity: A dropdown list to select the default severity level of low, medium, or high.

• SLA Hr/s: The default service-level hours it should take to resolve the ticket.

• Colour: The colour for the category. This colour is displayed on the list of service tickets over the name of the category. It should be light enough that black text is readable when the colour is applied.

• Menu (...): Allows users to delete the tag by clicking the X.

Project Resources (tab)

ℹ️ Creates the resources to which tasks or service tickets can be assigned.

Buttons Explained

• Add Staff: Allows staff to be selected and added.

• Add Cost Centres: Allows cost centres to be selected and added.

• Add Departments: Allows departments to be selected and added.

• Update: Works in conjunction with the Hourly Rate. Updates the rate for all the selected records to the rate typed in the adjacent block.

Fields Explained

• Field Chooser (*): Allows users to add or remove columns.

• Description: A description of the resource (e.g. name of the staff member).

• Code: A brief description of the resource or abbreviation.

• Department: The number of the department added as a resource. Departments are added by clicking Add Department (button). The number is the Department's ID and is automatically filled in when a department is selected.

• Cost Centre: The number of the cost centre added as a resource. Cost Centres are added by clicking Add Cost Centres (button). The number is the Cost Centre's ID and is automatically filled in when a cost centre is selected.

• Staff: The number of the staff member added as a resource. Staff are added by clicking Add Staff (button). The number is the Staff Member's ID and is automatically filled in when a staff member is selected.

• Hourly Rate: The hourly rate at which the resource is billed (i.e. if an invoice is created, the amount that the customer is charged for the time taken).

• Active: A checkbox. If checked the resource is active.

• Menu (...): A submenu allowing the entry to be deleted.

Project Templates (tab)

ℹ️ Project templates allow a pre-defined set of tasks to be added to a project. Project steps are created on the Items tab and are divided into Milestones, Task Groups, and Tasks. 

- A template can consist of multiple milestones (e.g. if building a house, each room can be a milestone, or each major category e.g. painting, electricity, plumbing, flooring). 

- When a template is added to a Project, the Items (tasks) and Status list is copied to the ticket. If the template is changed, the project is not updated.

List View: Buttons and Filters Explained

• Class (filter): A dropdown list of classes. Project templates are created for specific classes.

• New Template (button): Opens a form for a new template.

List View: Fields Explained

• Field Chooser (*): Allows users to add or remove columns.

• ID: The system-generated number for the entry.

• Status: The status of the template. Statuses can be Draft, Review, or Ready. Only templates with the Ready status can be added to projects.

• Description: The template's description.

• Class: The class for the template as selected on the dropdown list.

• Components: Whether the template uses Groups, Milestones, or no components.

• Est Hrs: The estimated number of hours that the project will take.

• Menu (...): A submenu with the following options:

  • • Edit

    • Copy

    • Delete

Edit View: Buttons

• Arrows: Scrolls through the templates.

• New Template: Creates a new template.

• Delete: Deletes the template.

• Copy: Copies the template to create a new template.

Edit View: Status Bar 

• • Status: A dropdown list from which a status can be selected.

  • Name: A field to type the Name of the template.

  • Class: The Class for which the template is created (as selected from the dropdown list on the top row).

  • Component: The Components field is used to enable a Component Placeholder and set the Level at which components are merged. Only one Component Placeholder is allowed in a template. The options are:

• Don't Use: The template will not be merged with Components.

• Milestone: The Component will replace the Milestone. 

• Task Groups: The Component will replace the Task Groups item. 

• • Hrs: The estimated number of hours the project will take which is calculated by adding all the Est Hrs from tasks.

Edit View: Items (tab)

Buttons

• Add Item: Adds milestones to the project. Additional entries are added by right-clicking an entry and selecting Add Sub-item from the context menu.

• Update: Works with the adjacent dropdown list. Changes all the selected entries. The update options are:

  • Tags

  • Resource

  • Days

  • Est Hrs

  • Billing

• + - : Collapses or expands the tree view.

•  Actions: Applies the action to all the selected entries. The options are:

  • Add Predecessors: Adds the task directly above the entry as its predecessor (the task that must be completed first). 

  • Remove Predecessors: Removes all the predecessors.

  • Delete: Deletes the entry.

Fields

• Field Chooser (*): Allows users to add or remove columns.

• ID: The system-generated numbers for the entries divided by level.

• Parent ID: The system-generated number for the entry's parent.

• Order ID: The system-generated number that indicates the order of the entry in its level.

• Level: A number indicating the level of the entry (1,2, or 3).

• Description: The description of the entry and or tasks.

• Tags: Any tags to identify the task or group.

• Resource: A dropdown list with all the resources on the Project Resources tab from which a resource can be selected.

• Predecessor: A dropdown list of all the tasks that are below the current task. A predecessor is a task that must first be completed before the current task can be completed.

• Billing: The billing option for the task. The options are: None, Fixed, Variable, Out of Scope.

• Work Process (Lookup): A dropdown list to select a Work Process. Work Processes is a fixed module that can be added to any Menu (e.g. Main Menu > Office > Processes).

• Work Process:  Description and hyperlink to the Work Process Documentation as filled in on the Work Process.

• Qualified: A dropdown list of all the users who are qualified to execute the work process.

• Days: The number of days that the task is expected to take.

• Est Hrs: The number of hours that the task is expected to take.

• Menu (...):  A submenu that changes depending on the hierarchy of the entry. The options will consist of some or all of these:

  • Insert Item Above (Ctrl+Up)

  • Insert Item Below (Ctrl+Down)

  • Duplicate (Shift+Alt+Down)

  • Add Sub-item (Ctrl+Enter)

  • Move Up (Alt+Up)

  • Move Down (Alt+Down)

  • Add/Remove Tags

  • View/Edit Note

  • Delete

Status (tab)

ℹ️ Allows users to customise the statuses for the project tasks. Default statuses are created but can be edited.

• Field Chooser (*): Allows users to add or remove columns.

• ID: The system-generated numbers for the entries divided by level.

• Order ID: The system-generated number that indicates the order of the entry in its level.

• Colour: The colour for the status.

• Description: The description of the status.

• Group: A dropdown list of status groups for users to select one.

• Default: Whether the status is a default for:

  • Fix Dates: The scheduled dates will no longer be changed by automatic scheduling options. They can still be manually changed.

  • On Assign Task: The task is assigned to a specific user.

• Menu (...): A submenu with the following options:

  • Move Up

  • Move Down

  • Delete

Related Topics

• Reference: Service Manager (settings and information)

• Reference: SM List Views

• Reference: SM Edit Views

• Reference: SM Assets

• Reference: SM Classes

• Reference: SM Notifications

• Reference: SM Projects

• Reference: SM Reports

• Reference: SM Timekeeping