DYNAMIC3i Repair and Service – Getting Started

The Repair and Service module within DYNAMIC3i is  a self contained repository for entry and tracking of work orders and all of the recourses that are utilized within a particular work order or job.  These resources include inventory assigned and used as well as labour time, each of which is tracked against an upfront requirement of the individual  job.  This allows for the Repair and Service module to tack required vs. actual costs and to compare and analyze work order quotations. 

The Repair and Service module includes the complete set-up of the employee (internal labour rates and schedule) as well as billing rates in order to accommodate customer billing of the work order when complete.

With complex Work Orders collaboration between not only the customer but perhaps other workers may also be required.  DYNAMIC3i Repair and Service allows for comments to be entered and tracked against a work order.  These comments can also automatically update the status of the work order to flow accordingly to a pre-set series of work order status from entry to completion as well as flow to your specifically designed sequence of work order steps.  All comments against a work order can be sent automatically by email to the employees or customer where required.

Also it is important to note that the Repair and Service module links and works with other DYNAMIC3i modules: Time and Attendance (TA), Inventories (IN), Fixed Assets (FA), Sales and Marketing (SM), Order Distribution (OE) and Preventive Maintenance (PM).

Lets look at some of the required set-up prior to the processing of a work Order:

Comment Type Maintenance PM2400

The Comment Type codes are used to control the life cycle of a work order and its status.   This is integrated in two modules in DYNAMIC3i, the Preventive Maintenance and the Repair and Service.

A comment type code could have an associated job status attached to it.  A comment type code with an associated job status will cause a job to switch to the corresponding job status upon entry of the respective comment type code in the Work Order Comments Entry (PM2600).

A list of mail recipients can also be defined, so as to automatically email the job, it’s comments entered and status based upon the comment type code when used in Work Order Comments Entry (PM2600).

Note.  Comment type codes must exist, in order for the Preventive Maintenance module to function correctly.

User Comment Type Maintenance PM2500

The User Comment Type Maintenance program is used to maintain by user the valid comment types (PM2400, above) that may be used on the Work Order Comments Entry.  This comment type in conjunction with an optional status change (by definition of the type in PM2400) allows you to create and tailor custom workflows/approvals for your specific needs.  This is done based on who has access to use each comment type.  

For example:

User SDC is set-up to Assign work orders, enter General Comments, Approve and Close work orders.  User ‘TIM’ is set-up to enter only General Comments and complete (set to ‘Done’) work orders.

For each type code that is valid for a user a record must exist for them.  Note, also that It is required that employees be set-up and assigned to an actual DYNAMIC3i User account (discussed later in this document) in order to maintain these user comment types.

Job Type Maintenance TA3800

This program is used to enter / maintain the job types.  Job type are used internally within DYNAMIC3i under the Repair and Service, Time and Attendance, and Preventive Maintenance modules.  Primarily they are used to discern the source of the work as it is entered into DYNAMIC3i.

Note. DYNAMIC3i uses specific job types in its application flow.   The following job types must be defined for proper usage and functionality within the Time and Attendance (TA), Preventive Maintenance (PM) and Repair and Service (RS) modules.

‘m’ – Miscellaneous

‘p’ – Preventive Maintenance

‘q’ – Quote

‘r’ – Repair & Service

‘s’ – Systems/Hardware

Repair Billing Rate Maintenance RS0090

For the Repair and Service module the Billing Rate is what will be charged to the customer for labour performed against the work order.  Internal labour rates defined on the employee set-up (discussed below) are used to track actual costs when an employee logs time against a particular work order.

This maintenance has the provisions to modify and delete the Billing Rate per Hour for Active (not Terminated) Employees.

Other DYNAMIC3i maintenance entries required:

Being that DYNAMIC3i is a highly integrated, modular and adaptive ERP application the following must also be set-up in order that the Repair and Service module functions properly:

Employees must be defined to DYNAMIC3i.  For Repair and Service it is the employee who will log time against the Work Order the Employee Master Maintenance (GB0090) defines all information about an employee.  It is here that the actual labour rate of the individual employee is defined so as to track actual labour costs against the Work Order.  The employees can also have a calendar created for them so as to enable a job schedule.  This is handled in the Employee Calendar Maintenance (PY8800).  This application create by date and availability of the individual Employee defined.

In order to use DYNAMIC3i Users must be defined.  Users are set-up in the User Master Maintenance (GB4200).  Within the actual User set-up an Employee must be assigned to the actual DYNAMIC3i User definition.  The Repair and Service being integrated with the Time and Attendance utilizes this assignment so that when a user logs into a job the assigned employee is automatically recognized for labour tracking purposes as well as the use of the job comment entry flow available through the life cycle of a work order.

As Repair and Service is service sector oriented, customers  must be defined to DYNAMIC3i using the standard Customer Master Maintenance (GB0900).  Also since Repair and Service is used to provide a service or repair to an item the item must be set-up in the inventories of DYNAMIC3i.  Inventory can be required or issued to a work order.  All such items must be set-up in DYNAMIC3i using Product Master Maintenance (IN0100) and Stock Master Maintenance (IN0200).

With All of maintenances complete the Actual Repair and Service Work flow is as follows:

Repair Work Order Entry (RS0300) is the central repository used to create and process a work order.  The complete cycle of a work order can be accomplish by application links which depending upon the status of the work will be directly available on the Work Order Entry (RS0300).  All steps are also on the Processing Menu under the Repair and Service Module.

The work order progresses thru different statuses by entering a comment (Add Comments – Job Comment Entry (RS2600) that changes the status of the work order and/or processing the work order by running thru the work order processing cycle.

The Repair and Service module is also linked to the Customer Sales forecasting.  Specific jobs can be linked as an opportunity based upon this forecast entered in Customer Sales Forecast Entry (SM0700).  This opportunity is for information only and defaults the customer information upon entry if it was originally set-up as a forecast.

Note. DYNAMIC3i Repair and Service also provides for Retention Bill processing.  By assigning the Work Order a Retention Code (optional) Repair Billing will process based upon this retention code.  Specific General ledger Posting are done with the retained amount be billed at a later date (OE9020).  Retention processing is explained in the Retention Code Maintenance (RS0200) under the Repair and Service Maintenances.
The following is a typical work order process:  Note:  This is just an example as different companies could have different requirements and the system is flexible enough to allow more steps or less steps to process/complete a work order.