External Service Setup

If items for maintenance are to be planned and expenses for them are to be posted without entering and maintaining inventories, the external service item can be used, around which maintool has extended the BC item.

There are 3 item types:

• External material, e.g. small material such as screws, nuts, sealing rings
• External service, e.g. acceptance tests by service providers, fire extinguisher maintenance
• Third-party resource, e.g. aerial work platform on loan, external expert

Preparation of Setup

It is recommended to clarify in advance if a new product posting group is to be created for the items of type "external service". If necessary, this article explains the possible procedure.

General Setup Information

The external service item can be created in BC like all "normal" items (do not confuse it with "service items"), whereby the following chapters will address the special features or elementary specifications for setting it up. It is possible to create a separate number series for external service items only, in order to differentiate them from inventory managed items by their item number.

A new item card can be opened by clicking on "New" in the "Item" menu at the "Master data".

Depending on the item template setup in BC an applicable template can now be selected.

In the following chapters, the "Miscellaneous" template was selected and the number series defined in it was used. Clicking on "OK" creates a new item and opens it in the card view. It is recommended to set up a new "Item Template" for the external service items.

The available item tabs are shown below, but only the tabs that require external service specific elementary information are explained.

Specific External Service Features of the Item

General Info Tab

Elementary Field Details:

• “Description”
• “Base Unit of Measure”
• “Type” must be “Service” in BC

Note:

The “Item Category Code” field can be useful to complete the description field.

Costs & Posting Info Tab

Elementary Field Details:

• „Gen. Prod. Posting Group“
• „VAT Prod. Posting Group“

Replenishment Info Tab

Note:

If there is a preferred supplier, the “Vendor No.” field can be filled in here.

maintool Info Tab

The only elementary field specification in this tab is „Item Type”. There are 3 options:

• External Material
• External Service
• External Resource

Note:

The 4th option „Std.-Invoice Text“ will be explained in this article.

Using External Services

Planning of an External Service

External Services can be entered in the work order planning like usual items in the “Lines” with the difference that in the “Type” column not “Item”, but “External Service” (External material, external service, external resource) must be selected.

By selecting the “No.” of the external service (limited Item selection – Item Type: External Service, External Material and External Resource), the effort lines of the work order can be planned.

Following the planning, an external service can be requested or ordered from the planning lines in the same way as for other items.

Posting of an External Service

Depending on the maintool setup, costs for an External Service can be added to the relevant work order using 2 procedures:

• Purchase Order, delivery, and invoicing of the incoming invoice.
• Invoicing of the incoming invoice without Purchase Order.