Scheduling Job Appointments

If you're using the optional Job Scheduling feature, you can schedule technicians for Job Cost jobs using the Appointments window (for a single appointment at a time) or from the Service Management Appointment Wizard (for multiple appointments at once). In either case, technicians must be set up in Service Management before they can be scheduled on jobs.

Scheduling One Appointment at a Time

1. Select Cards > Job Cost > Job.
2. Select a Job.
3. Select the Appointments button. The Appointments window opens.
4. Complete the following fields, as necessary.
   • Appointment Description
     Enter a description that conveys the purpose or other details of the appointment.
   • Note
     Select the note icon to attach a note to the job appointment. See Creating a job appointment note for more information.
   • Attachment
     Select the paperclip icon to add an attachment to the job appointment. See Setting up and Using Document Management in Job Cost or Advanced Document Management in JC.
   • Technician ID
     Select the technician assigned to this appointment. You can use the technician schedules button to view technicians' availability or use the best technician button next to the Technician ID field if you want the system to select the next available, qualified technician for an appointment. This feature is optional.
   • Date
     The date that the appointment is scheduled to be performed.
   • Estimated Hours
     Enter an estimate for completing the appointment. The number of hours cannot exceed 24. If you want the system to figure out the technician's next available time slot for the appointment, select the next available button, next to the Date field. This feature is optional.

   • Starting Time
     Enter the time the appointment is scheduled to be performed. The time entered determines where the appointment displays in the Technician Board – Daily View window. If you do not enter a starting time, the appointment will not display in the Technician Board – Daily View window. 

     

     A 12:00 a.m. time entry is the equivalent of zero. We recommend you do not have the starting time or ending time set to 12:00 a.m.

   • Appointment Status
     Default is the default status. You can change the status as necessary. Closed is not an available appointment status.
   • Completion Date
     If you change the appointment status to Complete, enter a completion date.
5. Select Save to add the appointment to the scrolling window.

Double-clicking an appointment in the scrolling window fills its information in the header area of the window for editing. An appointment can be removed by choosing it in the scrolling window and choosing Delete.

Creating a Job Appointment Resolution Note

Job appointment resolution notes can be created for any open job. A job appointment note can be viewed, edited, and printed from within Signature, MobileTech, and Schedule. During the job appointment completion process in MobileTech, a technician will be able to create a job appointment resolution note. This note will be created with Resolution as the note subject. The job appointment resolution note is included on the Job Completion Appointment Summary report which can be generated and emailed from MobileTech.   

The appointment can have only one resolution note per appointment and technician. If the appointment is reassigned to a different technician, the note will be moved to the new appointment.

1. Select Cards > Job Cost > Job.
2. Select a Job.
3. Select the Appointments button. The Appointments window opens.
4. Select the Notes icon to the right of the appointment field.
5. The header information defaults from the job appointment and includes the job number, appointment, technician, and customer number and name.
6. Additionally, the last changed date and time display at the bottom of the note window.
7. Complete the following fields:

   • Subject
     Enter or select the note subject. The subject field is saved for future use for a job appointment note when you save the note. 

     

     Resolution notes created in MobileTech have a subject of Resolution.

   • Author
     Enter or select the author. This field defaults to the user's login.
   • Printable
     Mark the Yes radio button if you want to be able to print the note. See Printable notes in the Dexterity reports section of the Signature Reports documentation for instructions on printing reminder notes.
8. Enter the note text.
9. Select Save.

Scheduling a Group of Appointments

1. Select Cards > Job Cost > Job.
2. Select a Job.
3. Select a labor cost code, then select the Activities button to open the Service Management Appointment Wizard. Some fields will be filled in with Job Cost information.
4. Complete the following fields, as necessary.
   • Create Appointments for
     Select to create the job appointment for all technicians, a single technician, a technician team, or a service area. Your selection determines the fields that are enabled.
   • Technician ID / Team / Service Area
     • If you are creating an appointment for a technician, complete the Technician ID field.
     • If you are creating an appointment for a technician team, complete the Team field.
     • If you are creating an appointment for all technicians in a service area, complete the Service Area field.
   • Appointment Type
     Leave this field as Job to create a job appointment. You can also create an activity appointment by choosing Activity from the drop-down list. Activity appointments are non-service call or non-job related activities such as vacation, meetings, or training.
   • Activity ID
     This field is disabled unless you change the Appointment Type to Activity.
   • Job Number
     The job number comes from the Job Maintenance window. You can enter a different job. You cannot enter closed or inactive jobs.
   • Cost Code
     Enter a cost code for the job. The cost code must have a cost element type of Labor.
   • Description
     Enter a description that conveys the purpose or other details of the appointment.
   • Start Date, End Date, Starting Time, Estimated Hours
     Enter start and end dates and the start time and estimated hours. If the Appointment Wizard was accessed from Job Cost, the start date and end date from the job cost code will default.
   • Days Between Appointments
     Enter the number of days between appointments.
   • Skip
     Mark the appropriate checkboxes to skip Saturdays or Sundays.
5. Select Create. If a schedule conflict occurs, a message appears indicating the number of appointments that were left unscheduled.

Job appointments appear on the standard Dispatch Board in Service Management. 

You can reschedule job appointments in the Service Management Reschedule Appointment Wizard window. See the section Rescheduling activity and job appointments in the Service Management User Manual.