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Recording Field Service Activities

The following procedures suggest a typical workflow for a field service engineer who is working from a set of activities.

To log expenses for an activity

1. Navigate to the Activities screen > Activity List view.
2. Select an activity and drill down on the Type field.
3. Click the Expense Tracker view tab.
4. Create a new record and complete the fields as appropriate.

To log hours spent on an activity

1. Navigate to the Activities screen > Activity List view.
2. Select an activity and drill down on the Type field.
3. Click the Time Tracker view tab. To create a time tracker record, click Start.

   The Start field is automatically filled in with the time you create the record.

4. To record the end time for an activity, click Stop.

NOTE:  Instead of logging hours at the start and stop times of an activity, you can log hours anytime after the activity is completed. To do so, click the New button instead of the Start button, and then complete the necessary fields. If an entitlement is associated with the activity, enter only one record for all hours, even if they are a combination of regular, overtime, and extended overtime hours. Because there is an entitlement with metrics and a schedule, the Auto Charge feature will automatically determine regular, overtime, and extended overtime charges. However, if there is not an entitlement with metrics and a schedule, create separate records for each time period—regular, overtime, and extended overtime—spent on the activity. For more information, see Process of Setting Up Entitlements.

To verify the availability and order status of materials for an activity

1. Navigate to the Activities screen > Activity List view.
2. Select an activity and click the Items view tab.

   The associated parts and tools appear in the Items list. The Order #, Order Type, and Line Status fields show the status for receiving an ordered part.

NOTE:  A field service engineer can create an order from the Items list by clicking the menu button and selecting the type of order needed (Service or Sales). To verify the order or to view order details, save the record and click the hyperlink in the Order field.

To order materials for a field service activity

1. Navigate to the Activities screen > Activity List view.
2. Select an activity and click the Items view tab.
3. Select a record. Then from the menu drop-down list, choose Service Order.
4. To order all items that have not yet been ordered, choose Service Order All.

   A new, unique order number appears in the Order # field as a hyperlink and the Order Type field shows Service Order. The order also appears in the Service Order screen.

To verify on-hand inventory using the Part Browser

1. Navigate to the Part Browser screen.
2. Select a part, then do the following:
   1. Check the Inventory Level subview for the part's availability, status, and quantity at that inventory location.
   2. Check the Substitutes subview to see if there are any alternatives for a part.

To verify on-hand inventory using Check Trunk

1. Navigate to the Activities screen > Activity List view.
2. Select an activity record and drill down on the Type field.
3. Click the Items view tab.
4. Select the activity item and then click Check Trunk.

   The Available Qty field is updated according to the current user's trunk inventory.

To record the movement of service parts in the field

1. Navigate to the Activities screen > Activity List view.
2. Select an activity and click the Part Tracker view tab.
3. Add a part movement record and complete the fields as appropriate. If the part movement is an asset swap, see To record the swapping of one asset for another.

   This creates an inventory transaction, an asset transaction, or both (depending on the source or destination) in the Field Service server.

NOTE:  Part movements recorded in the field appear here only after the field service engineer has synchronized the mobile computer. If the engineer described the part with an add-in serial number, the part transfer appears here only after processing by an administrator.

To record the swapping of one asset for another

1. Navigate to the Activities screen > Activity List view.
2. Select an activity and click the Part Tracker view tab.
3. Create a new record for the uninstalled asset and complete the fields as appropriate.

   Do not enter anything in the Swap Part Mvmt # field.

4. Add another record for the installed asset and complete the fields as appropriate. Select the uninstalled asset in the Swap Part Mvmt # field.

   For more information on asset swapping, see Asset Swaps.

To generate an invoice automatically for a field service activity

1. Navigate to the Activities screen > Activity List view.
2. Drill down on a selected activity and click the Invoices view tab.
3. Click Auto Invoice. The activity must be billable in order to generate an invoice.

To enter a new activity for a service request

1. Navigate to the Service screen > Service Requests List view.
2. Select a service request and drill down on the SR # field.
3. Click the Activities view tab.
4. Create a new record and complete the fields as appropriate.

To record additional recommended steps for a service request

1. Navigate to the Activities screen > Activity List view.
2. Select an activity and drill down on the Type field.
3. Click the Steps view tab.
4. Create a new record and complete the fields as appropriate.

To record additional skills required to complete a service request

1. Navigate to the Activities screen > Activity List view.
2. Select an activity and drill down on the Type field.
3. Click the Assignment Skills view tab.
4. Create a new record and complete the fields as appropriate.
5. Select the newly created record.
6. In the Service Activity Skill Item subview, create a new record and complete the fields as appropriate.

To record additional instructions for a service request

1. Navigate to the Activities screen > Activity List view.
2. Select an activity and drill down on the Type field.
3. Click the Instructions view tab.
4. Create a new record and complete the fields as appropriate.