Record Resource Hours in Work Order Feedback

Summary

This article explains the processing steps to “report” resources hours via the work order by creating a new work order feedback. This procedure is selected, if a work order is processed in several steps and completed at a later point. Or a work order cannot be reported “as planned”, as too many different expenses are to be documented. The prerequisite for a work order feedback is, that a work order exists. If this is not the case, a work order is created first.

 

Record Resource Hours as Planned

As explained here, one of the two scenarios is usually present for this type of resource hours entry:

• An existing work order was processed. The work order could be executed as planned (Planned resource hours correspond to performed resource hours). There are no comments or checklist contents to report.
• A maintenance activity was performed ad hoc without a work order having been created beforehand. Now resource hours are to be recorded for this activity. Eventually remarks can be entered and additionally reported in the course of the work order creation, if necessary.

The central question before the recording resource hours in a work order feedback is therefore, whether a work order exists for which the hours can be recorded.

If a work order exists, the following part can be skipped.

 

The Work Order in MAIN-TOOL

The work order is the central component of MAIN-TOOL Work Order Management. In the work order, the planned services are recorded, work order texts are created (checklists, instructions, notes) and the basic accounting information is maintained. Detailed instructions can be found in this section.

If, for example, in the case of ad hoc troubleshooting, no work order yet exists in MAIN-TOOL, it can be created in a few steps.

The examples shown here are based on minimum or mandatory data for recording a completed ad hoc malfunction clearance and the subsequent “report” of resource hours via the work order "as planned".

 

Creating a Work Order

• Creating a new work order on the Homepage by clicking on „Work Order“.
• The Work Order Number is preset automatically by clicking into any field but “No.”

 

 

Note:

• By clicking on “Process”, “Copy Document” an existing work order, a work order feedback, a closed work order, a posted work order feedback or a Time Schedule can be used as template for the new work order.

 

 

• Subsequently, it can be selected, if information is to be copied from the document “Including Header”, “Including Lines”, “lncluding Details” and “Including Texts”. The option “Recalculate Lines” initiates a recalculation in the background e.g. to update prices or stock information and “Delete old Lines” clears the info tab “Lines” before information is copied to the new document.

 

 

Info Tab General

If the “Copy Document” function is not used, the following fields can be entered manually.

• Enter work order „Description“ fields. Use the „Comments Sheet“ for more detailed documentation of information if necessary.
• Enter in field „Res. Department No.”, which department is responsible for execution or monitoring of the execution.
• Enter „Person in Charge No.“ (who is recording the work order or is responsible for edition).
• „Work Order Category Code“ is used for evaluation purposes on the one hand, additionally it can be used to realize a pre-assignment of further fields required for the posting of a work order. A click in the drill-down menu and then on „Select from full list“ opens an input matrix.

 

 

Info Tab Technical Object

• If the work order has a reference to a technical object, then the category of the technical object at the “Reference Object” Field and with click on “Process” and then “Details” the referred technical object is to be selected.

 

 

 

 

Info Tab Lines

• The work order lines enable the entry of the resource hours, that are to be recorded for the processing of the work order.
• The entry of planning lines is done from left to right.
• If the columns mentioned below are not visible, they must be added using the “Personalize” function.

Field Name	Description / Information
Type	What type of expense is to be posted? The choices are: Items External Service Resource Resource Group
No.	No. of selected type of expense.
Description	Description of selected type of expense
Quantity	Quantity specification in the unit of the expense type
Unit of Measure Code	Selection of the unit according to the selected expense type.
Location Code	Indication only for consumables, from which storage location was withdrawn
Bin Code	Indication only for consumables, from which storage bin was withdrawn

 

 

• Here it is necessary to check, that the resource hours entered in the lines correspond to what is to be “reported as planned” to the work order.

 

Info Tab Activity

• The Field „Type of Activity Code“ serves for evaluation purposes and can be filled in accordingly.

 

Info Tab Accounting

• As a rule, the entry of a „Work Order Posting Group“ is sufficient for a simple work order feedback, so that expenses and consumptions can be posted. Pre-assignment via the field „Work Order Category Code“ is possible.

 

 

Info Tab Appointments

• In this info tab, the date of the completed order can be entered.

 

 

Status Change

If the work order is still in the „Planning“ Status, it must now be set to „Execution“ after entering or checking all relevant information for execution of the work order.

 

 

Comments on the Work Order

If detailed information on work order processing is to be documented, the „Comments“ can be used, as described here.

 

Checking Work Order for Instructions or Checklist Tasks

It is recommended to check, whether instructions or checklist tasks are stored in the work order, before the function “Report as Planned” is executed. The easiest way to do this is to check the “Work Order Texts” Info Box for possible contents and to respond if necessary.

 

Function „Create Work Order Feedback“

In the card view of the previously opened work order, a new work order feedback can be created by clicking on “New” and “Create Work Order Feedback”.

 

 

Then the query for the selection of the number series appears.

If only one number series exist, it can simply be confirmed with “Yes”, otherwise the number series in question must be selected.

 

 

Editing the Work Order Feedback

The created Work Order Feedback is opened, and relevant field entries are transferred and preset from the work order.

In the „General” info tab, the “Work Date” is preset in the fields “Posting Date” and “Document Date”.

The contents of the „Execution Date-Time“ Field are taken from any data entered in the “Appointments” info tab. These fields can now be adapted to current conditions, if necessary.

Depending on the setting in the „Work Order Management Setup”, planning data from the work order is already displayed in the “Lines” tab, otherwise, by clicking on "More options", "Actions", "Functions" and "Transfer Planning Data", it is possible to transfer planning data from a work order to the "Lines" tab.

In the „Lines“ tab, the existing line specifications, if any, can be changed or deleted, or completely new lines can be added for the recording of resource hours, in order to map exactly, what is to be “posted to the work order”. If the work order has lines with consumables, but only resource hours are to be posted, it is recommended to delete the lines with the consumables from the work order feedback.

The recording of the lines always takes place from left to right, because only in this way automatisms are activated during the recording.

 

 

Posting the Work Order Feedback

After the Recording of the Feedback Lines the Work Order Feedback can be posted by clicking on „Post“.

MAIN-TOOL is querying, whether the work order status should be changed on this occasion to a status available for selection in the drill-down menu. If no status change is to be made, the query can be acknowledged without an entry with “Yes” (for posting the work order feedback).

 

 

With the posting the new work order feedback is transferred to the list “Posted Work Order Feedbacks”, see “Posted Documents”.

 

 

Furthermore with the posting, so called “Work Order Ledger Entries” and “Work Order Value Entries” are created. They contain the expenses of the work order and can be displayed in the work order card with click on “More Options”, “Navigate”, “Work Order” and then “Entries”. Alternatively, they can be viewed in the “Work Order History” info box in the work order with click on “No. of Entries”.

The view into the work order card also allows the control of the “Planned Costs” and with click on “Process”, then “Statistics”, a detailed comparison of the planned and previously posted expenses can be displayed.

 

Create Adjustment Posting

Work order feedback can also be used to correct postings, e.g. if too many resource hours or wrong items have been posted.

In the „Lines“ Tab, the column “Applies-to Entry No.” must be displayed, add with “Personalize” if necessary.

For the reversal, the quantity to be corrected must be entered negatively in the relevant line. Only then can the corresponding “Work Order Ledger Entry No.” be entered in the “Applies-to Entry No.” column, to which the reversal is to be processed. To do this, place the cursor in the relevant field in the “Applies-to Entry No.” column. Click on the 3 horizontal dots on the right (“Extended Lookup”) to display the “Work Order Ledger Entries” List. Now select the relevant line (entry) and confirm with "OK".

 

 

 

The “Entry No.” is transferred to the column “Applies-to Entry No.”:

 

 

Note:

• Only work order entries, that have already been posted, can be cancelled and cleared. If no work order entry is displayed, no posting has been made for this line item (item, resource etc.)

After the successful allocation of the clearing, the work order feedback can be posted.

This creates a new work order entry that reduces the “Remaining Quantity” of the original posting, see following figure: