Working with Equipment Records

With Service Management, you can track your customer's equipment with a complete equipment database for each customer location. The equipment database tracks the manufacturer, type, model, serial number, and location of each piece of equipment. Fields are also included on each record to keep track of the installation date, installer, and warranty information. Each equipment record can contain user-defined fields, as well as notepad and document management functionality. You can set up component records, which can be assigned to equipment records if you want to track individual parts.

The equipment database allows you to monitor equipment warranty types and expiration dates, which helps you avoid billing a customer for a service that is covered under warranty. Tracking equipment information can also help your marketing efforts by identifying the recommended service or maintenance contract sales opportunities.

A Warranty indicator appears in several windows if equipment associated with a service call or maintenance call is covered by a warranty. You associate equipment with a service call in the Service Call Tasks or Service Call Tasks window. You associate equipment with a maintenance contract in the Contract Coverage Maintenance window. The indicator appears in the Service Call, Service Invoice, Maintenance Costs, and Adjustments to Costs windows. If the date in the Warranty Expires or Extended Warranty Expires field in the Equipment window is greater than the date the service call was opened, the indicator appears.

Another feature for servicing and tracking equipment is refrigerant tracking. Organizations are required to report annual refrigerant usage and track leak rates to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). If you work with a third-party agency to manage or confirm refrigerant safety, reporting can be done through that agency.

Notes:

• When setting up an equipment record, we recommend that you enter data in as many fields as possible. Detailed record keeping helps to fill report information more completely. It also helps when using the Find button on the Service Manager window to locate a customer based on equipment information.
• You can set up Equipment Types to save data entry time when creating new equipment records. Think of equipment types as templates to be used when creating similar equipment records. When you create a new equipment record, information from the equipment type template, including the task list if associated with a maintenance contract, appears on the equipment record. See Setting Up Equipment Types.

Creating an Equipment Record

1. To create a new Equipment Record, go to Cards > Sales > Customer.
2. In the Customer Maintenance window, select the customer.
3. Select the Location button.
4. In the Location window, select the Address ID.
5. Select the Equipment button. 
6. In the Equipment Master window, complete the following fields, as necessary:
   • Equipment ID
     If you chose to auto-generate equipment IDs during setup, the ID will already be entered. See Choosing Service Options.
   • Equipment Description
     Enter a description of the equipment. This description displays on the Contract Task Maintenance window.
   • Building ID
     Enter the building ID.
   • Room
   • Enter the room where the equipment is located.
   • Suspend MCC Calls
     This checkbox is used to temporarily suspend computer-generated maintenance (MCC) calls for the equipment. For more information, see Suspending MCC calls.
   • Retire/Inactive
     Mark if the equipment is retired or inactive.
7. On the Main Fields tab, complete the following fields as necessary.
   
   • Equipment Type
     Use the lookup or manually enter an equipment type. Information from the equipment type template appears on the equipment record. For information on setting up and using equipment types, equipment type replacement parts, and maintenance tasks, see Setting Up Equipment Types.
   • Manufacturer ID, Model Number, Serial Number
     Some information in these fields may default from the equipment type template.
   • Sublocation ID
     To help technicians complete service calls more efficiently, you can direct them to a sublocation where the equipment is located. If you marked the option during setup to use validation for sublocations, you can use the lookup window, as well as the zoom feature in the Sublocation ID field.
   • Installation Date
     Enter the installation date.
   • Installation By
     Identify who installed the piece of equipment. You can use the lookup or add on-the-fly. See Setting Up Installation Information.
   • Warranty Expires
     This date is automatically calculated based on the warranty days entered for the equipment type, if applicable, once the Installation Date is entered or you can enter the month, day, and year of the warranty's expiration. 
   • Extended Warranty
     The Extended Warranty defaults from the equipment type, if applicable, or you can use the lookup to select a different extended warranty or you can add-on-the fly. See Setting Up Extended Warranty Types.
   • Extended Warranty Expires
     This date is automatically calculated based on the extended warranty days entered for the equipment type, if applicable after the Installation Date is entered or you can enter the month, day, and year of the extended warranty's expiration.
   • Service Level ID
     If you are using the service level agreement feature, you can assign a service level ID to the equipment.
   • Contract Number
     After the equipment is covered by a maintenance contract, you can zoom on this field to open the Maintenance Contract window.
   • Bar Code ID
     Enter the bar code ID.
8. Select the Additional Fields tab to view or enter:
   • User-defined information and view active user-defined information. The user-defined information defaults from the equipment type, if applicable, or you can manually enter the information. See Setting Up Equipment Types.
   • Refrigerant Tracking fields. This information will default into the Refrigerant Tracking window for this equipment.
     • Optimal Charge (lbs)
     • Refrigerant Type ID
     • Refrigerant Equipment Type
9. Select Save.

Buttons on this window

• Refrigerant Tracking
  Select to open the Refrigerant Tracking window. For more information, see Refrigerant Tracking.
• Equipment Test Results
  Select to open the Equipment Test Results window. For more information, see Service Equipment Testing.
• Meter Readings/Hours
  Select to open the Meter Readings / Hours window. For more information, see Entering Equipment Meter Readings.
• Service History
  Select to open the Service History window. For more information, see Reviewing Service History.
• Replacement Parts
  Select to open the Equipment Replacement Parts window. The replacement parts default from the equipment type, if applicable, or you can use the lookup to select the Item Number. Any replacement parts that you've added manually to the equipment record are not cleared out if you add or change the Equipment Type.
• Maintenance Tasks
  Select to open the Maintenance Tasks window. This window opens if the equipment has a contract assigned. This button displays if you've purchased the Maintenance Contract module. For more information, see Reviewing Maintenance Tasks.
• New Call
  Select to open the Service Call window with the Equipment ID automatically populated. For more information, see Creating a Service Call Using the New Call button.

Editing an Equipment Record

1. To edit an existing Equipment Record, you can access the Equipment window in one of two ways:
   • Select Cards > Service Management > Service Manager > Additional > Equipment. Select the equipment and then select Edit.
   • Select Cards > Sales > Customer > Location > Equipment. In the Equipment window, use the lookup to select the equipment to be edited.
2. See the content above for Equipment Master field descriptions.
3. Select Save.

See also: