When selling to an existing customer, we can access the customer search facility by clicking on the Ellipse [...] button. From there a window is presented which allows us to input any text to help find the customer details and whatever text is entered will be used to sequentially search the Company, Target and then Accounts file for a match. Where more than one record is found to match the input, than a window of possible choices will be offered. If no match is found in any of the files searched, then a chime will normally sound and the cursor will remain in the input box for a further attempt with a different text input.
If the text is matched against a record found in the company file, then this record will be shown in a search results window that will be headed Companies. It is possible for a number of matches to be made, for example if a town or city name is used for the search then many matches would be made for that input, and if the specific customer record is not found in this window, the search can be resumed by pressing the <Escape> key. The next search match may be in the Target file and again matching records will be displayed and the display window will be headed Targets.
If the required record does still not appear, then <Escape> can be pressed once more and the search will be resumed in the Accounts file. Any of the above steps may be skipped by the system if there are no matching records in any of the files. Therefore, where a record does not exist in either the Marketing company or target files, the search would jump straight to the Accounts search results window - bypassing the other two files.
At any point during the search, it is possible to select an entry in the search results window by double clicking the entry. Depending on where this happens, the system will offer a number of prompts designed to guide you through the selection of the correct account information.
If a record is chosen from the company search results window the operator will then be offered a list of all the targets linked to that company and may select the correct entry. If a target is selected, you will then be offered a list of vehicles that are attached to the selected individual. After the vehicle is selected, you will be prompted for the address to be used - either the address from the company file or the address from the target file and then lastly which of a selection of telephone numbers should be entered onto the WIP screen.
There may be a selection of valid account numbers found for the customer concerned and if so, the possible choices will be offered for the operator to make the correct selection.
The search and selection routine can be interrupted at any point during the process by taking the cancel option from any of the search results windows and only the information chosen up to that point will be loaded into the WIP.
After this last selection, the Casefile for the selections made will normally be offered to the operator for review.
The Casefile contains information which the operator may need to be aware of and may show information regarding low credit facilities, notes on any of the marketing records attached to the current WIP, information about key vehicle dates - last or next service for example or warranty expiry -, outstanding parts backorders and certain marketing contact information. The Casefile is interactive, so that any item in the list can be selected and additional information retrieved about that topic.
Whilst this may appear to be a lengthy process, this ensures that the correct information is entered onto the WIP. It also saves the operator a significant amount of time by not requiring any typed input to be made.
If the search does not result in any match, then the operator has an option to create a permanent Marketing record for the customer. When the text search does not find any match, it will be seen that the button marked Create - which was previously greyed out - is now available. Selecting this button will invoke a second window that will allow the input of basic name, address and telephone information. Clicking OK will create the record within the Marketing target file and also copy the data into the customer fields in the WIP screen.
If the creation of a permanent customer record is not required, then it is possible to exit the search process by pressing Cancel or the <Escape> key and type information directly into the customer fields on the WIP screen. However, it should be remembered that this information will be stored only in the WIP files and will not be available in the future. Should the vehicle come into the workshop a second time, we would need to recapture the same information again.
Once the customer and account information is correctly loaded, it is possible to input the customer order number if required, by clicking onto the Order tab on the WIP screen and entering the relevant information in the fields provided.
Similarly, the physical location of the vehicle can be changed by accessing the Codes tab and changing the default data within the field as required.
If necessary, up to four lines of text can be added to the WIP by selecting the Notes tab and entering the information that the operator needs to record.
Additional information about the vehicle can be entered into the final tab, Vehicle, which is only available to service WIPs and contains the registration number of the vehicle, the service code for the work to be carried out under this WIP and the vehicles mileage (odometer reading) on reception of the vehicle (in) and also upon completion of the job(out).
By clicking the More button marked in this window, additional vehicle details can be added to the WIP header if required. The fields are as follow:
Service text allows the default text from the service code file to be overwritten if required, the vehicle franchise code, the make and model of the vehicle, the registration number of the vehicle, the vehicle mileage, the chassis number and finally the engine number.
Most of these fields would normally be pre-filled from the Marketing vehicle record attached to the WIP, but for vehicles that do not exist within the Marketing system, the ability exists to enter the data manually.
New vehicle: If the vehicle does not yet exist within the Marketing system, as details are entered into these fields, it is possible to create a new vehicle record within the Marketing system simply by clicking the New vehicle button.
Update: If additional or amended data is entered into these fields, (perhaps supplementary to the information already loaded from the Marketing vehicle record), it is possible to update the Marketing record by clicking the Update button.
When the operator is returned to the WIP screen, it may be noticed that some of the previously greyed out buttons are now available, and further information is accessible when these buttons are selected.
