Templates for Work Orders and Tasks - D-Tools Forum

charris · 08-25-2009, 01:03 AM

Is there a way to create templates for work order and tasks? I would like to create templates so that I can copy them to projects as required. These will be defalult templates for tasks that you always do when you are setting up a system or a device. Some example to understand what I mean: 1) Lighting control keypads installations, termination, panels wire connection, e.t.c 2) NAS box setup with map folders on customer laptops, email setups, e.t.c 3) Lighting programming regular scenes, pathaways, astronomical clock, etc 4) Sonos multi room audio installation, setup rhapsody, nas connections, ups setup, e.t.c 5) AVR setup, radio preset, calibration, assigning, e.t.c

I think this would be very useful if there is a way to be setup now or maybe added in the future. Most PM software inlcudes these customised standard templates for tasks. And at laeast in the residential CI market a lot of tasks, systems, work orders, etc are almost identical and repeated from project to project.

NareshN · 08-25-2009, 06:18 AM

Hi,

Would having a dropdown on the Task Name text box (pick list which you can add to) help? So basically your commonly used Task Names would be in this dropdown. You can obviously type any task name not in this list - however the commonly used names would be in this list.

This will not make this service pack - but will be logged as a feature request.

**Ryan Brown** · 08-25-2009, 05:00 PM

What might also be cool would be the ability to store scope of work "snippets" for work commands. Being able to use these pre-crafted work explanations to add into your Task Description text boxes would make communicating commonly re-used work descriptions/ details to the installers much more efficient (and is much more likely to be included if it is easy and fast).

charris · 09-03-2009, 10:09 PM

Originally Posted by NareshN

Hi,

Would having a dropdown on the Task Name text box (pick list which you can add to) help? So basically your commonly used Task Names would be in this dropdown. You can obviously type any task name not in this list - however the commonly used names would be in this list.

This will not make this service pack - but will be logged as a feature request.

Quote:

What might also be cool would be the ability to store scope of work "snippets" for work commands. Being able to use these pre-crafted work explanations to add into your Task Description text boxes would make communicating commonly re-used work descriptions/ details to the installers much more efficient (and is much more likely to be included if it is easy and fast)..

I have been thinking more on this and also testing the scheduling tab.

Naresh,

I think what we need is a list of common tasks but a list of common Summary Tasks which they include a list of tasks specific to that summary task. These lists will inlcude all the usual Summary tasks e.g "install avr" - and the tasks under it will be connect speakers, connect sources, assign sources, rename sources, calibrate audio, e.t.c. So you just add this summary task and immediately you have a list of the tasks usually associated with this summary task. Then you can edit as needed for this project.

This means there should be a way to customisze summary tasks a bit. A description and also a details box like in normal taks will be useful. Also some new reports will be needed to inlcude these summary tasks? Ryan?- you are good with reports!

I am also wondering when you say future request what does this exactly mean?

Ryan,

your idea of these snippets for tasks and summary tasks is very good. they should be part of all the predifened tasks and summary tasks in the list.

NareshN · 09-04-2009, 06:52 AM

Charris,

Thanks - understood.

Logged as "Feature Request" means we have a database where all requests for the next service pack/release are logged and prioritized. Your request is logged there with a link to this forum post.

Naresh

David_Haddad · 09-04-2009, 11:24 PM

You guys are missing the forest for the trees

. This is why I have been asking for an additional item description field with unlimited notes. I want to store the scope of work "snippets" as Ryan calls them right with the equipment! As an example, a standard scope of work could be included for every surround processor such as:
1. Set up speaker config.
2. Set up distance to each speaker.
3. Set up defaults surround mode for each input.
etc.

These types of scope of work snippets should be able to be saved and then chosen for each component. Then on install the technician should be able to be given a report that not only includes the deliverables (equipment), but the scope of work for each deliverable.

Having it be available as other here suggest is fine too, but I want to automate the process, which is why I think my idea may be better. I want the scope of work to be as automatic and through as possible as opposed to having to choose one for a work order. Additionally, IMO the work order itself should really not be that long and the scope of work should be its own document or attachment.

Your thoughts?

avzone · 09-08-2009, 03:47 PM

David, it sound like you're suggesting the Scope of Work have the most detail and the Work Order be less detailed. Can you confirm?

I would expect the opposite to be necessary. The SoW should be a guideline and the WO should include every/greater every detail to ensure technicians don't overlook/miss anything.

David_Haddad · 09-09-2009, 01:13 AM

Graham

I probably should not have even included that last sentence as it's not really pertinent to the discussion and I don't consider this a "scope of work" versus "work order" discussion. All I am saying is "what is the best way to generate a project plan" for the technicians? If it has to be done manually every time (grabbed from snippets and inserted onto a work order) that's a huge amount of work for who ever is doing the scheduling and it is also going to lack consistency. But if it is generated automatically from the equipment and/or packages themselves the entire process can be made 100% automated and repeatable.

It's also not an either/or, we should be able to include a scope of work for each component (when we create an item in the MMPD) while also inserting scope of work or work order comments or whatever you want to call them onto each work order.

Look at it this way. All I am saying is that the work that needs to be done when installing a particular component is every bit as intrinsic to the component as the price of it is. It's a lot more convenient to enter the price right with the component than on a work order. In the same way a scope of work associated with the component is IMO preferable to having to create one for every order. Then we can concern ourselves with only adding "special" info to the work order that is not automatically generated.

David

charris · 12-22-2009, 12:02 AM

Originally Posted by David_Haddad

You guys are missing the forest for the trees

. This is why I have been asking for an additional item description field with unlimited notes. I want to store the scope of work "snippets" as Ryan calls them right with the equipment! As an example, a standard scope of work could be included for every surround processor such as:
1. Set up speaker config.
2. Set up distance to each speaker.
3. Set up defaults surround mode for each input.
etc.

These types of scope of work snippets should be able to be saved and then chosen for each component. Then on install the technician should be able to be given a report that not only includes the deliverables (equipment), but the scope of work for each deliverable.

Having it be available as other here suggest is fine too, but I want to automate the process, which is why I think my idea may be better. I want the scope of work to be as automatic and through as possible as opposed to having to choose one for a work order. Additionally, IMO the work order itself should really not be that long and the scope of work should be its own document or attachment.

David or D-Tools has this benn added as a future request and does it have any chance to be implemented soon?
Your thoughts?

Ok, I am coming back to this after experimenting a bit more with the scheduling tab.

I think David's idea is brilliant. If you think about it a work order is mostly associated with equipment and the tasks that are required for each piece of equioment. So if we can have these tasks in the database asscociated with the equipement it would make our work and the issuing of work orders much easier. Yes, there are always tasks in a work order that are not associated with equipment and are more general but this has already been accomotaded by D-tools and you can just add them to the work order manually.