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Inventory Servicing |
  
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Inventory Servicing |
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This tip will provide instructions on utilizing the Inventory module’s Service Types, Service Schedules and Service Records. These three features provide slightly different options but are intertwined, and were designed to accommodate efficient recording of maintenance on a Department’s Inventory.
Service types are the actual service tasks you might perform, Service Schedules are the schedules for when the tasks are due, and Service Records are logs of when the tasks were done.
Service Types: are lists of services by type that can be performed on inventory items sharing the same sub-category. They can include scheduled services (ex. Flow test, Oil Change, Brake Check) or unscheduled services (ex. Repairs, Maintenance, General.) The Service Types list can be used to provide a detailed list of tasks that are to be included in a Service Schedule.
Service Schedules: are the services that happen on a regular basis. The service Schedule tab shows you the next scheduled date for each type for the current inventory item.The service schedule uses the time increments between schedules, and their reminder notice date, for that sub-category.
Service Records: hold all of the inventory item’s service records that have happened. Service records are linked to Types and may be from a Schedule but can also be added manually.
Note: If you have not started using the Inventory module yet, we recommend carefully thinking and planning an organizational model before setting this up. A past tip can be referenced for instructions and tips on Inventory Organization. In an organized inventory list, like items are grouped together by their category and sub-category. This provides an excellent platform for scheduling services for these items.
The Inventory’s Sub-Category is used to provide an additional level of organization to ‘Category’, and it also determines the Service Schedule information, and is where you set Service Types for recording Service Records.
1. Open an Inventory item’s record window .The Inventory’s Sub-Category, found at the top of the window, has an ellipses button, which is the key to open the Service Schedule.
2. This will open the Inventory Sub-Categories window:
There is a list to the left with every inventory subcategory listed. Selecting an item from this list will show its general information to the right, and directly under that information there are two buttons which will be used to name the Types of service records and set the Service Schedule for all inventory in the selected category/sub-category.
3. Scheduled Services
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Clicking on the ‘Service Schedule’ button (on the Inventory Sub-Category window) will open the window above (left) and is where the type of service is named and the time period between services is set. Note that changing the Service Schedules here will change it for all inventory items in that sub-category. Services entered and saved will then automatically populate in the Service Schedule tab in the item’s record window. (see window above right)
4. Service Types
Service Types’ populates the list of services performed on inventory items in this sub-category. This list will available in the Service Records tab on the inventory window, ‘Type’ drop-list ( see above image, right.)
Linking Service Types to Service Schedules will occur with the checkbox option. In the (see above image, left) example I’ve linked the service type ‘commercial vehicle inspection’ with its corresponding schedule ‘CVI.’ Another example would be a schedule type “Visual Inspection’ which could cover a number of service types. You would then check every scheduled inspection task that would be fulfilled with this service type.
Scheduled services will automatically generate reminders in the Reminders module. The ‘Schedule Service Report’ (available with the print icon on the Inventory List Window) provides a hardcopy of all Scheduled Service for the time range selected.
*You can also link Defect records to Service records! This will allow for more comprehensive Inventory Management, as it will provide the department more accurate budgeting information by providing actual maintenance cost of the Service records by including scheduled and defect servicing. To learn more, click this previous Tip ‘O the Week entry, ‘Linking Defect Records to Service Records.’