Work Order Center

The Work Order Center is the repository of all work orders in the system regardless of whether they are generated from the PM schedules or approved through the request form. The Work Order Center is accessed by clicking the Work Orders tab or by clicking the Work Order Center link in the Work Center section of the Navigation tab.

Filtering and sorting the work order list

The sort and filter capabilities of the list view allow for quick retrieval of work orders. Each text box under the column header line is used to filter the list for that field.

The list will match the text entered in the text box with the data from each work order record. It is not always necessary to enter entire words to filter the list. For example, entering “J” in the 'Brief Description' column would pull up all work orders with brief descriptions that begin with "J" regardless of any other text after “J”. For any filter to be set, press the red 'Set' link located on the left side of the line. To remove the filters, press the red Clear link. Click 'Set' again to update the list view.

Keeping simple filters in place such as an “O” for the "Work Order Status‟ will always display that group of items when the list view is opened. If no filter is used, the number of work orders displayed per page is controlled by the Form Options link at the bottom of the page. If a filter is active, all work orders that match the criteria will be displayed on the same page regardless of the number of records found.

NOTE: The System Administration course provides information on applying a variety of different types of filters to view the subset of work orders that you are seeking.

Creating Work Orders

There are many methods for creating work orders outside of the PM generation process: the Add a New Record link found in the Work Order List view, the Add link found on the top menu bar of the Work Order Detail view, the Simple Work Order and the Add New Work Order menu options found in the Navigation tab, and the Request form from the My Requests or the Work Requestor screen. The PM process adds even more ways of creating work orders and is discussed in detail in the Work Order Management Level 2 manual.

After the work order information is entered it must be saved. At this time, the work order number is created. The work order can be edited from the work order center by clicking the Edit link on the Detail view or double-clicking the field when “Edit In Place” is turned on.

Assigning Personnel to Work Orders

The 'Assign To' and 'Perform For' fields are linked to the Contacts table. This allows the association of work orders to employees and customers that are maintained in the contacts table. Employee, Contractor, Supplier, and Personnel are typically used for the 'Assign To Type' field. The 'Perform For Type' field is typically the Customer, Location, or Tenant choices.

• In Edit mode, choose the 'Assign To Type' and 'Perform For Type' to filter the contacts on the selection list. Available types are Contractor, Customer, Employee, Location, Personnel, Supplier, Tenant, and Other (unless edited by the Administrator of your system).
• Click the folder lookup for 'Assign To' and 'Perform For' to select a particular contact record from the contact type chosen.

Work Requestor

The Work Request process allows users to enter a request for work. The work request is posted for evaluation by another user before becoming a work order. There are two areas a work request can be entered: the My Request screen and the Request Manager (Request tab).

Work Order Requestor Screen (My Requests)

Any user in your system who is designated as a 'Work Requestor Only' will see the My Request screen after logging in. Regular users can access this in the Navigation tab in the Request Center section.

The screen is divided into three sections: “Open Work Requests”, “Rejected Work Requests”, and “Work Request History”. All requests will be displayed in a list under the “Open Work Requests” section of the screen. The WO Req# link allows the requestor to see their completed request.

If a request is rejected, it will drop into the “Rejected” section. The requestor will be able to see the approval memo which details the reason for the rejection.

If a request is approved (turned into a work order), then it will drop into the “Work Request History” and will display key information about the work order. The date range on the filter will always span the same amount of time. If you log in today and set the range to a month, it will show you the same range from the same date when you log in a week from now.

If you have standard users who are only allowed to enter work requests, grant them access to the My Requests link on their Navigation tab. This link will take them to the work request function described above.

Request Manager

All work requests are stored in the Request Manager. A user who is allowed to make approval decisions must have the permissions to view the Request Manager and access the requests. They will also need the permissions to add and edit work orders and to approve and reject requests.

When a work request drops into the Request Manager, it will appear with a Status of “O”. This is useful for filtering out non-open requests from the list. In order to make an approval decision, you must access the detail of the request record by clicking the magnifying glass or the link provided in the Request# column.

The detail of the Request form will contain the fields which the system administrator has determined are necessary. Most often they will include the Asset ID and description along with the brief and or work descriptions. (System Administration training explains exactly how to choose these fields for the form)

There are two approval options for a request: 'Approve Request' and 'Reject Request'. These links are located in the 'Actions' menu, at the top of the page.

Approving Requests

When you click Approve Request, the system will copy the request form's information and place it into a new work order. The work order will then be opened in Edit mode so you can add, edit or remove any information as necessary.

If you indicated an 'Assign To' or 'Perform For' person before saving the work order, you will see a screen which asks if you would like to email the work order to the involved parties. You will also have the opportunity to type in other email addresses in the “Other” field.

NOTE: The system will automatically check the boxes next to the email addresses which would be notified based on your Work Order Email Settings established in ‘My Account’ (see page 23 for settings). You may select or deselect any of the addresses.

Click Send Email to send the work order to the designated individuals or click Return to Work Order to go back to the work order without sending an email.

Approved requests will change its status to “A” for “Approved” and the Approval Memo on the request will contain the approval date, time, approver‟s and the new work order number.

NOTE: Once the request has been turned into a work order, there is no longer a connection between it and the work order. Any changes made to the new work order will not be reflected on the old request. Also, nothing you do to the old request will show on the new work order.

Rejecting Requests

When you click Reject Request, a rejection box will open which allows you to type in a “Rejection Reason.”

Enter the reason for rejection, if any, and click the Submit button. A screen will display confirming the request has been rejected and a notification was sent to the email in the "Requestor Email‟ field. Click the Click Here link to go back to the request screen. The status will be changed to “X” for “Rejected” and the "Approval Memo‟ on the request form will display the message that was typed in the “Rejection Reason” box.

Printing Work Orders

Work Orders can be printed from either the Work Order tab by clicking the Print link on the detail view (single) or by printing a filtered group of work orders using the Work Order Print Manager (multiple).

Printing a single work order

To print a work order from the detail view, click the 'Print' link in the 'Actions' menu, at the top of the work order. This will open a printable PDF version of the work order in a separate window, using Adobe Reader. You can then click the 'Print' button in that window.

Work Order Print Manager

Work Order Print Manager allows you to print multiple work orders using various filters. You can access this by going to the 'Navigation' tab and selecting 'Work Order Print Manager', which is located under 'Work Center'.

Modifying Print Criteria
Click 'Options' and then select 'Modify Filter Fields'. That will bring up a window where you can select the fields you would like to use as filters for your work order selection. The left column shows fields available to you, while the right column show fields which you are currently using on the form. To use this screen:

• Click and drag a field from the left column, to the right to add a field to the form.
• Click and drag a field from the right, to the left to remove it.
• When you are finished, click the 'Save' button. the form will refresh and reflect the changes you've just made to it.
• You can also click 'Reset' to return the fields selected to their default, or 'Close' to close the window without saving changes.

Printing multiple work orders

After you have configured the fields on the Work Order Print Manager, begin assigning the criteria to achieve your list of work orders. Turn off a filter by placing a check in the "All‟ column. This will display all available information for the field.

TIP: The top three fields, “WO No. Range”, “WO Date Range” and “Status” cannot be removed from the page and cannot be excluded with the "All‟ column. You can exclude these fields in your criteria by leaving the WO# Range fields empty (includes all work orders), assign a broad date range and select “All” in the drop-down list for “Status”.

Click Prepare to Print when you have selected your filters. This button will search the Work Order Center for work orders that fit your set of criteria. Once it is finished, it will indicate how many records there are to print. If your search returned 0 results, click the Reset Form link in the upper right-hand corner to try a different set of criteria.

If you are satisfied with your results, click the Proceed with Printing button. This will open a printable PDF version of the work orders in a separate window.

Tracking Charges Against Work Orders

Located beneath each work order form (detail view) is the section to add charges to the work order, called Work Order Charges. These charges can be defined in several ways: Parts, Labor, and a general Misc. charge. When several charges are made against the same work order, each type is grouped and subtotaled by category.

To add a charge, click the corresponding 'Add' button. These buttons include 'Add Parts', 'Add labor', 'Add Misc', and 'Add Quick'.

NOTE: Work orders with charges cannot be deleted. Charges need to be marked for deletion then purged from the system with Remove Deleted Records.

Parts

A Parts charge uses the Inventory file to validate the item number and populate the related information into the form.

Select the part using the folder lookup located next to the 'Item No' field. The 'Item Cost' and 'On Hand' are pulled from the Inventory file when the part is selected. Please note the 'Qty.' (quantity) used cannot exceed the 'On Hand' value of the part.

Add any additional information such as the account number or an item cost adjustment. This part can also be added to the Asset's Related Parts section by checking the 'Update Asset parts list'. Click Save Entry to save the charge to the work order and remain on that screen, or Save and Return to save the charge and exit the parts charge screen, returning to the work order.

Labor

The Labor charge page uses the Contacts file to assign labor charges easily.

Begin by choosing the contact using the 'Category' and 'Full Name' fields. The 'Category' field will filter the available contacts according to their assigned category. Next, choose the contact from the "Full Name‟ list. The “Hourly Rate($)/ Unitcost” will pull over from the contact record if present. If you need more information about the contact you have chosen, click the contact icon to the right of “Full Name” field's drop-down list.

The 'Start Time' and 'Stop Time' fields are optional fields which can be used to calculate the quantity of the labor. The calendar (shown right) allows you to select the date and choose the time upon which the system will calculate the quantity of time worked.

If you choose not to use the 'Start time' and 'Stop time' fields, enter the hours worked by the contact in the 'Qty' field.

The remaining fields, 'Sub-Category', 'Acct_no' and 'Comment', can be used to track more information but is not necessary to record the charge.

Misc Charges

Misc. Charges are used to track charges for items or contacts that do not have a record in the system. An example of this is a person who is contracted to do a single job or the purchase of a new asset.

Please be aware that items or contacts used in this manner will not have a history file. It may be beneficial to create a record then use the Labor or Parts charge option instead.

Use the fields on the Misc. Charges form to describe the charge. Click the Save and Return button to save the charge and return to the work order. Click the Save and continue button to save the charge and reload a new, blank charge form. Click the Cancel button to return to the work order without saving the charge.

TIP: If you are not using eMaint to track your parts inventory but still want to track parts charges on work orders, you can use the Misc. charges to track them. Use the comments field on the Misc. charge screen to describe the part used. The comment will appear on the detail charges view.

Quick Parts

Quick Parts allows fast entry for multiple parts charges. Simply enter the quantity in the 'Qty.' column and hand-type the item number in the 'Item No.' field. When you click or tab off of the 'Item No.' field, the system will validate the entry and populate the remaining fields based on the Parts' record.

You also have the option to pull the related parts from the asset and/or the parts related to the PM schedule from which the work order was created. On the Action line at the bottom of the page, use the drop-down list to select the parts list to load from. The options are “All (PM&Asset)”, “PM Only” and “Asset Only”. Choose your desired parts list and click the Load Parts button.

Before saving, review your parts list and make any quantity or cost adjustments needed. Place a check in the 'Update Asset related parts list' checkbox to add the list to the Related Parts table on the asset form. Click Save Entries to charge out the parts. A confirmation message will appear with a summary of parts that were added to the asset related parts list. Click the Reset Form link at the top right of the page to start over or click the Return to Work Order link to go back to the work order.

NOTE: Quick Parts does not have an option to charge to a work procedure. If you must charge to a procedure, use the standard Parts charge option.

Charges Against Work Procedures

The Work Procedures table is used to define common and/or complex tasks to the work order. When used, the Work Order Charge table can track the charges against these procedures.

The task description for each procedure will be available in the drop-down box next to the 'Procedure Charged' field. Choose a procedure from the drop-down list then complete the charge form as normal. When saved, Procedure charges will appear in their own subsection on the Charges table.

Viewing and Editing the Charges on a Work Order

The charges on the Work Order Charges table are sorted and subtotaled by category.

To edit or remove a charge that has been applied to a work order, click the GoTo link that is next to the charge in question. This will display the edit screen.

Labor and Misc Charges

Make the appropriate changes in the fields provided and click the Update Charges button. To delete the charge altogether, click the Delete Charges button. If you do not intend to edit this entry, click Cancel.

NOTE: You cannot edit a contact on a Labor charge. You must first delete the charge for the incorrect employee entry and then add a new charge for the correct employee.

Parts Charges

Clicking the Goto link on a Parts charge provides you with three adjustment options. You can edit the cost of the part by changing the value in the Item Cost field and clicking Save and Return to save the change to the cost and return to the work order. You can also reduce the quantity charged by using the Return X to Inventory and selecting the quantity or, you can delete the charge entirely by using the Delete charge button.

Note: An item that is returned to inventory will be marked in red. Remove the items in red by using Remove Deleted Records menu option in the Navigation tab. This will only remove the items in the charge table, not delete the part from the system.

Purchasing From Work Orders

To purchase parts needed for a specific job and have those parts automatically charged when they are received, use the 'Purchase' link, which can be found under 'Actions', from the work order detail view. The screen below will display for you to enter the purchase order information.

When the purchase order has been created and saved, the information for that purchase will be shown in the Purchases table under the work order.

When the items are received they will be charged to the work order automatically. They will be placed in their own section marked “Purchase” on the Work Order Charges table.

Closing Individual Work Orders

There are two different kinds of work orders in the system, PM and non-PM work orders. These two types have a slightly different Close Out form.

To close a work order, open a work order's Detail view and click 'Close Out', which is under 'Actions', on the option bar.

Non-PM Close Out

The non-PM close out screen has two sections: “Work Order Close Out: and “Close out fields”. A third section, “Meter Options”, will appear if the asset has a meter-based PM.

Work Order Close Out

This section allows you to change the completion date. By default, the 'Completed Date' is automatically populated with today's date.

Meter Options (only appears if the Asset records a meter)

The “Meter Options” section gives you the opportunity to enter a new meter reading when you close the work order. If the meter is a Running type meter, the 'Meter Reading at Closeout' field will display the last meter recorded for the asset. This will help you with your entry, as Running type meters can only increase. If the meter is a Totals meter, there will be no message.

If the asset has multiple meters, you will have the opportunity to pick which meter type is being entered from a drop-down list. If no number is entered here, the system will simply close the work order without adding a meter reading.

Close Out Fields

The fields in this section are determined by the system administrator. These fields will appear on all work order types. The System Administration training explains how to select the fields for this close out screen.

When you click the Close work order link, the work order form will be updated with the information entered on the Close Out form. In addition, the 'Status' field will be changed from an “O” (open) to an “H” (history/closed).

Non-PM work orders can be reopened by clicking the Close Out link and then selecting the Reopen work order link at the bottom of the screen. This function can be turned off by the admin. See General Work Order Settings on page 23.

Close out information can be viewed at any time by clicking the Close Out link from the work order detail.

PM Close Out

The PM close out screen is divided into 4 sections: “Work Order Close Out”, “Calendar based PM”, “Meter based PM”, and “Close out fields”. A fifth section, “Select parts charges to issue”, is available if the PM Schedule has items in the PM Parts table.

Calendar based PM (only appears if the PM is calendar-based)

The calendar frequency of the PM will be listed here. The Next PM Date is shown with the options to select a new date if you wish to change it (not available on Shadow type PMs).

Meter based PM (only appears if the PM is meter-based)

You may enter a new meter reading for this piece of machinery and/or adjust the next PM interval based on the new reading.

Here are three examples that explain the options available for meter based PM's at close out.
1)  You have completed the PM work and simply want to record a new meter reading.

• Leave the box “Record a New Meter Reading” checked and enter the new reading in the “Enter Reading at close out” field.
• If the PM is a Running type meter, both check boxes will
  indicate what the entry must be greater than. This value is the last
  meter reading that was entered on this asset

Result: The “Last Meter Reading Entry” field on the PM Schedule is updated.

2)  You have completed the PM work and want to enter a new reading but the meter has advanced to such a point that you need to have the next PM schedule based off of the new reading instead of the reading when the PM was generated.

• Place a check in both boxes.
• If the meter is a Running type meter, the meter entry must be greater than the “Record a New Meter Reading” value.

Result: The “Last PM Produced at” and “Last Meter Reading Entry” fields on the PM Schedule are updated.

3)  You have completed the PM work but the meter has advanced to such a point that you need to have the next PM schedule generate from the new number at which the work was completed. However, your system automatically enters meters on your assets and you do not want to add a new reading.

• Check the “Adjust Next PM Interval” box and deselect the “Record a New Meter Reading” box.

Result: The “Last PM Produced at” field on schedule is updated.

The picture and the examples above refer to a running meter, but the option is available for totals as well. The same fields on the PM schedule will be updated but you will not see the “Must be higher than X” values on the Close Out screen.

Select parts charges to issue (only appears if PM has PM Parts assigned)

The bottom section called 'Select parts charges to issue' shows PM Parts which were set with an Auto Issue Qty. These may be deselected; but if checked, they will be issued upon close.

Note: PM work orders can NOT be reopened once closed. Please be sure that the information you enter upon close is correct because you will not be able to change the close out information after the close

Group Close Out

The Group Close Out screen provides an efficient method to close many work orders quickly and at one time. Access this page by going into the Navigation tab and clicking Group Close Out in the Work Center section.

The Group Close Out screen will display filters from which you can select a group of work orders. The screen also displays date fields that allow the user to choose a specific range of dates and a 'Close Out Date.' This form is constructed exactly like the Work Order Print Manager; see page 10 for a refresher on how to add and use fields.

Once you have your filters in place, click the Preview button to view the list of open work orders which meet the criteria selected.

Each item in the list will display the WO No. and Asset ID as clickable links to provide you with more information about the work order. You can also add parts and labor charges to each work order from using the links provided.

The checkbox provided allows you to include (check) and exclude (uncheck) each work order from being closed. The Check All and Uncheck All links reside over the list to make the work order selection easier.

The date indicated in the “Close out date” field will appear on the work order as the 'Completed Date'. This value defaults to the current date but can be changed if needed. Example: February 16, 2009 was selected to be the close out date. Every work order that has been selected for this routine will have a 'close' date of February 16, 2009.

To close the work orders, click Proceed with close out.

You will see a status bar indicating the progress of the operation. If you need to cancel the close out process, you can click the Cancel link in the action line next to the 'Close out date'. Canceling will stop the process from continuing, but will not reopen any work orders that have been completed.

When the process has finished, the list will remain in view. You may continue adding charges if needed. Click the Reset Form link to clear the list and start over again or click the Return To Main Menu link to return to the Navigation menu.

Work Order Administration Options

The Account Settings page allows you to manage the way your work orders are edited and emailed. This page is accessible by clicking the My Account link on the top right of the header bar or clicking the Change Your Settings link in the Administration section of the Navigation tab.

Work Order Email Settings
This page is used to configure the email defaults for work orders.

The sections New Work Orders and Closed Work Orders are used to manage the email notification defaults when a work order is created and closed. The three options are the Administrator, the Perform For person on a work order and the Assign To person on a work order. Click “Yes” to send an email to the person each time a work order is created and/or closed.

The Work Order Request Notification setting is used to send an email “blast” when a new work request has been entered. “Send Email to Notification Group” turns this feature on and off. The “Enable 'Take Ownership' Link” switch places a link in the email to allow the recipient to approve the request and assign himself/herself to it. This feature requires the recipient to have a Contact file with a valid email address and the 'Send Notification Email?' field set to True.

The last section allows you to choose the subject line for your work order emails.

Click Save Settings to save any changes or click Cancel to go back to the Account Settings page.




General Work Order Settings

This section allows you to set the general work order settings.

• The first option disables the ability to edit closed work orders. This option will also prohibit charges from being added to a closed work order.
• To prohibit the administrator from reopening a closed work order, set the 'Allow admin user to reopen work orders' option to “Off”.
• The next five options handle the HTML printout display. Each option, if set to “On”, will display the related table on the form.
• The next option displays the current work order number. If required, you can change the next work order number by placing a new value here. Please note the number cannot be lower than the current value.
• Lastly, the 'Payrate Information Available on Labor Charge Panel' option will determine whether the information for a contact's rate will be on the labor charge screen.

User Administration

Be sure to carefully consider the permissions you are granting users. The screens below are the options that are associated with the work order process.

                                       

Work Orders in the Workflow Manager

The Workflow Manager extends the flexibility of your work orders by allowing you to configure the system to react to certain events. These events, which take place when a form is saved, will add, change or remove data according to your specifications.

Some of the available actions that impact the Work Order Center are:

• After Work Order Save 
• After Work Request Save
• After Parts Charge Save 
• After Labor Charge Save
• After Work Procedure Save

For more information on how to configure a Workflow, see the System Administration course.