This form is displayed when you enter, or search for, an operation via the New product field on the WIP, or when you double-click the Line field of an operation loaded onto the WIP. The form is used to control all operations entered on a WIP. By using various status codes, you can carry out numerous different transactions on any one operation.
Note: Not all the fields in this form may be edited - some are for information only. Any field that is unavailable is unavailable for editing, and any field that is enabled may be changed for the purposes of the current WIP. Changes made within this form generally only influence the current transaction. For example, a change made to the Time allowed here would not be a permanent change within the RTS code file. It affects the current sale only.
What do you want to do?
OK: If you have entered, or searched for, an operation and then click OK, the operation is loaded onto the WIP. If you are displaying labour details, click OK to return to the WIP.
Cancel: Cancels the operation
Help: Displays help on the current program using the default browser
Quickmail: Enables you to format an electronic mail message with details from the WIP pre-entered into the message
Check Box Buttons:
Show on invoice: This check-box is displayed in the bottom left-hand corner of the form. It forces invoice lines that would not normally appear on an invoice to be printed.
The Labour Details form is split into five group-boxes:
RTS code: The Repair-Time Schedule (RTS) code of the operation to be undertaken. This is either the manufacturer's RTS codes, or Standard RTS codes.
Menu code: If your RTS code is part of a menu, it displays the menu code it is associated with.
Time allowed: The time allowed for the operation. The default time allowed is copied from the RTS code file. To establish this time, the system looks at the model group of the vehicle on the WIP and the RTS code. Each RTS code has 135 time slots to which you can allocate a default time. If you have a high enough priority, the time allowed may be amended if required, to suit the specific circumstances of the repair. The priority required to edit the time allowed is specified in the Edit STD and time allowed field on the Labour tab of the Flags-Priorities POS parameters. At this stage, the time allowed is often used as a guide to the technician.
Warning: This value, multiplied by the labour rate value per hour, is the amount that will be invoiceable for this line at the time of invoice.
The allowed time may be altered at the time of booking in the job or at the time of costing the job.
Note: If the Edit STD and allowed time field on the Labour tab of the POS parameters form is selected (ticked), you will be unable to amend the Time allowed value (unless it is zero) after it has been loaded on the WIP. If the time allowed is left at zero, a message warns that the time allowed is zero when the operation is loaded onto the WIP. If you continue, and click Print in the Other documents group-box of the Action form, a further message warns that the WIP is a zero-value document, or, if lines are linked by warranty/payment codes, a message is displayed stating that lines exist with Time allowed set to 0.
Actual time for mechanic (If installed): When a new line is created, the Time allowed is defaulted into the Actual time for mechanic field. At this point both fields are editable to all users.
When the line is saved and then re-entered, the Edit bonus time priority is checked to ensure that the user has the ability to edit the Actual time for the mechanic field. If not, users can still change the allowed time depending on their priority Edit STD and time allowed, but the Actual time for the mechanic field is neither editable nor updated by the allowed time.
If the user has priority to edit the Actual time for the mechanic field, then both fields are editable to the user, but are independent of each other. So if the allowed time is changed the Actual time for the mechanic is not.
Note: The tool tip for the Time allowed field on the Labour details form displays Actual time for customer.
When loading labour line or lines into Workshop loading the Time allowed is the time that is loaded and clocked on too. The Actual time for mechanic is only displayed on the Technician Activity form when clocking on. The Allowed time header will display Bonus and this time is written back to the clock file to report on.
Radio Buttons:
History: Clicking this button displays the history of the WIP. It provides you with a direct search, first down the labour log file, and then down the archive file, for all invoiced transactions for this RTS code to this customer account. If a vehicle is attached to the WIP, the button is enabled and labelled with the registration number, and a match against that vehicle takes precedence over the match against the account. Matches are displayed in a window and, when any entry is selected, the original document can be retrieved from the archive and viewed, printed, or faxed through the normal functionality of the document archive.
Info: If additional text for this RTS code is entered on the Text tab of the Standard RTS codes in Manufacturer systems, and the Highlight text box is ticked on the Parts 1 tab of the Flags-Priorities POS parameters, the sales text is displayed when the RTS code is entered in the New product field of the WIP. To re-display the additional text, click this button. If the company is set up as warehouse in the Depots and Branches file, the internal text is displayed instead. If no text is available, the button is unavailable. For a Point-of-Sale WIP, an Add Sales Text to WIP check-box is displayed. By default, this check box is unticked. If ticked, the Sales text may be edited, and will be added to the WIP as a labour RTS line of NOTES.
Note: This does not permanently amend the Sales text held against the RTS code. It is a one-off change for the current WIP only.
Description: The text description of the operation to be undertaken, entered by default from the RTS code. The text within this group-box may be amended, added to, or completely overwritten if required, in order to record more specific information about the job in hand. The priority required to edit the description is specified in the Edit STD and allowed time field on the Labour tab of the Flags-Priorities POS parameters.
Note: If you have loaded a labour line from the Review Reminder Notices form the Reminder text and the Quoted price will be displayed in the description field.
Warning: Whatever text is entered here is included on both the job card and customer invoice documents, so care should be taken not to include any unsuitable or confidential text or commentary in this box.
This detail updates the service history of the vehicle, and should be as concise as possible. The descriptive detail is normally entered at the time of costing. If several invoices are being raised for work on the vehicle, then, prior to each invoice, it is advisable to change the service code on the Vehicle tab of the WIP and this descriptive text, to reflect the work being invoiced.
Note: If the Standard lab descs field is ticked on the Labour tab of the Flags-Priorities POS parameters, the system splits the RTS code description into three text boxes of two lines each. The first text box contains the Standard description from the RTS code. The second text box is for the Receptionist's comments. The third text box is for the Technician's comments..In this case, a Print check-box is also displayed alongside each of the text boxes. The check-boxes against the second and third boxes are enabled, and can be selected to print the text on invoices.
Check Box Buttons:
Fixed widthSelect this check-box if you want the system to use the default fixed width fount (font) on invoices and job cards. This option also enables you to display how many characters of text will be printed by the standard format stationeries.
Note: The following three fields may only be edited if you have high enough priority. The priority is specified in the Labour price edit field on the Labour tab of the Flags-Priorities POS parameters.
Labour type code: The labour rate/type analysis code for the customer currently attached to the WIP. This code is held either on the Other Details tab of the customer's Sales Ledger account record, or on the Account Defaults tab of the customer details record. The customer details record takes precedence. It determines the labour rate per hour, and how the analysis (of the labour sale and cost values) is recorded in the Nominal Ledger. Different labour rates may be used to enter by default various rates per hour. These different rate codes may be for warranty, internal, or insurance, work. It is also possible to have specific RTS codes that automatically enter the labour type by default. This ensures that certain items of work, such as sublet, sundries, and MOT, are analysed to the Nominal Ledger correctly.
Tip: If a currency code corresponds to any labour rates in the labour rates file and you have a foreign currency account that matches the currency code on the WIP, the labour type code includes the currency code in the drop-down menu corresponding to the rate.
Rate per hour: The labour type code provides the system with the applicable rate per hour for this labour code. This is normally one hour. However, the labour type codes are normally associated with the type of customer on whose behalf the work is being carried out, and therefore enable different hourly rates to be set up for different classes of customer. The system uses the rate per hour divided by the minutes per hour, multiplied by the time allowed to establish the charge to the customer. It is possible to fix the price in an individual WIP line so that the price is not updated if either the account number is changed or the customer's labour rate/discount structure is amended. If the rate per hour is changed, a prompt is displayed with a Fixed rate and Estimate button. This enables you to confirm that price as fixed, or merely a temporary estimate. If you want to ensure that it is not subsequently changed by a re-calculation of prices and discounts, select the Fixed rate option to confirm the selling price as fixed.
Note: If you have a high enough priority, an Hourly rate button is also displayed in this group-box, which enables you input up to three hourly rates. These are used by the system to calculate an average rate for the whole job.
Tip: If you have a foreign currency account on the WIP, the Rate per hour displays the base value and the base currency code of that rate if you place your mouse pointer over the value.
Discount percent: Any discount offered to the customer is displayed here. This discount information, if entered by default by the system, is calculated using the Labour discount code held on the Other Details tab of the customer's Sales Ledger account record, or on the Account defaults tab of the Customer details record. The Customer details record takes precedence.
Net price: The Net value of the labour line.
Tip: If you have a foreign currency account on the WIP, the Net price displays the base value and the base currency code if you place your mouse pointer over the value.
Currency code: Currency code of the foreign currency account on the WIP.
Menu: This field is displayed only when this form relates to a menu code. You can edit this field to change the total price of the menu.
Tip: If you have a foreign currency account on the WIP, the Menu price displays the base value and the base currency code if you place your mouse pointer over the value.
Check Box Buttons:
Fixed: If this check-box is selected, and a time allowed is entered, a Fixed Labour Price form is displayed. Enter the fixed price amount in the Desired price field and click OK. The system re-calculates the discount and net price.
Radio Buttons:
Hourly rate: This button is only displayed if you have a priority equal to, or higher than, the priority specified in the Labour price edit field on the Labour tab of the Flags-Priorities POS parameters. It enables up to three hourly rates to be input, together with the allowed time relevant for each rate, from which the system calculates an average rate for the whole job.
Note: The Hourly rates form displays the currency code in the form header if a foreign currency account exists on the WIP.
This shows the current status of the labour line. The character that can be entered here is validated against a list of the following statuses:
Note: So as to ensure the accuracy of Vehicle Health Check reporting the utilisation of WIP line statuses has been controlled / restricted, enabling the permitted selection of a status or onward processing direction to utilise the Vehicle Health Check Summary function
M: Memo only. No action will be taken on this line until some further status is set. It will be included in Estimate prints for the purpose of producing a customer quotation.
C: Completed work. Used when the labour line is complete and ready to invoice. This status is used only for non-sublet lines where both the Time taken and Mechanic number fields have already been updated.
H: Hold. Under certain WIP retention criteria, WIPs with all labour lines at status M may be deleted (consolidated) from the system after a period of time specified within the system parameters for the Point-of-Sale module. This is a normal part of the system house-keeping measures. Where it is necessary to create a WIP that will not be actioned immediately, and avoid the normal file consolidation process, status code H may be used in place of M. The WIP will then be retained within the live system.
D: Deleted line. This status denotes that this WIP line is not to be actioned further and will be deleted from the WIP when the file is next consolidated. It is not possible to delete a WIP labour line if time has been allocated against it.
1: Lost sale 1. Used to record a lost sale due to non-availability of stock. Use of this status is recorded in the labour log file for reporting purposes.
2: Lost sale 2. Used to record a lost sale due to customer dissatisfaction with the price. Use of this status is recorded in the labour log file for reporting purposes.
N: Reminder notice. This status is used for Reminder notices that have been set up by the user to remind the dealer of the operations that need to be carried out the next time the vehicle is in the workshop. When the customer returns to the dealer and a WIP is created, the reminders will be displayed in the Review Reminder Notices form to be actioned.
R: Received. Use of status R follows on from the use of a sublet purchase order and signifies that the sub-contracted work has been carried out.
S: Sublet. This status is used for converting a labour line to a sublet line
Note: The Sublet status is only displayed on labour lines at Memo status.
E: Extra. This status is used for new (extra) lines when miscellaneous labour lines are converted.
X: Closed. This status, set by the system, denotes that a line is processed (invoiced and posted).
Note: If the Workshop Loading module is in operation, the following labour status codes are also displayed:
- W: Work-in-Progress
- B: Booked
- L: Awaiting labour
- P: Awaiting parts
- A: Awaiting authority
Department code
: Department code from the Codes tab of the WIP. The default department is normally entered by default into the WIP from the terminal details.
Warning: It would not normally require amendment by the Point-of-Sale operator, and doing so may influence certain accounts postings made when this WIP is invoiced.
Load skill
Menu: This is where menu items are linked together. This link is normally loaded when a menu is loaded onto the WIP. Any linked items are itemised within the Full Valuation form and in the Menu column on the WIP.
VAT
Warranty/Payment code
Warranty suffix
Complaint code: The manufacturer-specific complaint code, which may not be in use.
Complaint desc: A description of the manufacturer-specific complaint code, which may not be in use.
Technician number
Sale code: The rate per hour value, loaded from the individual Resource record if Workshop Loading is in use, or from the Labour rate table when Workshop loading is not in use.
The Sale code field can be non editable if the user has a lower priority than the one set by POS parameters - Labour Price edit".
The Sale code field can be hidden on the labour details form if the user has a lower priority than the one set by POS parameters - Cost visibility.
Tip: If you have a foreign currency account on the WIP, the Sale code displays the base value and the base currency code if you place your mouse pointer over the value.
Time taken: This is used to record, in hours, the total actual time taken to complete this particular labour operation. At the stage of creating a new job card, it is not necessary to edit this field.
Note: If the Workshop Loading module is in use, and the time taken is entered for Multiple mechanics, this field displays the cumulative time taken for all mechanics.
Account code: Account code held on the WIP for information only.
Radio Buttons:
Clockings: If Workshop Loading is enabled, clicking the button displays the clock history summary and detail.
Note: Workshop Loading is enabled via the WL allowed field in the terminal details record within SO Miscellaneous Options.
Multi-techs: The Multi-techs button is displayed only if you have Workshop Loading switched off in your terminal details, WL allowed field, which will be blank. If Workshop Loading is unavailable, the button enables you to select up to six mechanics to work on a single job, and enter the time taken against each mechanic. The cumulative time taken for all mechanics is entered by default into the Time taken field.
Note: If Workshop Loading is unavailable but the Workshop Loading Resource records exist, these will be available in the Technician numbers field to use. The cost of sale will still come from the labour line and not the Resource record.
It is also possible to convert labour lines at Memo status to sublet lines by changing the Status of the labour lines to Sublet.
Note: You cannot convert labour lines to sublet lines if they are part of a fixed price menu or lines pushed from Vehicle stock books.
Load a labour line to the WIP at Memo status
Tip: You can also change the status of the labour line on the WIP to Sublet by right clicking under the P column heading on the labour line you are converting.