Depending on your specific internal processes and Job setup, common uses of Service Logs could be:
Service Logs for reactive work created by a back-office person who allocates them to an employee who will perform the work and record all costs involved in delivering that work. This employee could invoice the Log once it has been completed, right from the Log. Or the invoicing could be done by a back-office employee once the work has been completed.
Planned work.
If Using Upvise, our mobile platform, the Service Logs can be created directly from Upvise, as Upvise Jobs and will sync back to Workbench.
A mechanic at the workshop creates Service Logs to record any maintenance or fixes performed on a Plant Item. See Plant Maintenance Logs for this scenario.
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Another common scenario would be in those cases where there are very small jobs done for different clients, that do not have a specific Job Code set up for it in Workbench, but rather a generic/catch-all Job for Small Jobs, where the Client could be the Internal company. The Service Log can be created against this ‘Small Jobs' generic Job code, and the particular Client selected in the Log to indicate who the work is being done for and to be able to invoice it to them. Typically, the work will be done and invoiced by the allocated person from the Service Log itself. Detail of billing of 'Small jobs’ can be found here.
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Log statuses
A Service Log has three types of the status:
Process Status: Pre-defined stages indicating the progress of the Service Log. The sequential order may vary based on the setup of Jobs.
The billing status: A status aiding in determining the billing stage. Further insights can be found in the Log billing article.
The workflow status: An automatically generated value reflecting the combination of the log's status and its billing status. It dynamically updates with billing or processing changes.
These statuses are displayed in the ‘General tab’ as decribed below.
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Screen Guide:
By default, all existing logs are displayed and sorted by On Hand (Hrs) column which is hidden by default on Grid Management. On the [Apply filter] button the option to create a tile can be used to create a shortcut on the home screen with the filters of your choice. Clicking on the Log Number will drill into the Log detail.
The two colour coding regimes are controlled by the Control Parameter ‘Log Maintenance Colour Coding’:
Response Time: the colour is determined by how close to the scheduled date/time the log is (log Scheduled field). The response times specified on the Log Priorities will be used to determine which colour to use. In this scenario, the colour may initially match the priority specified, but as it gets closer to the scheduled date/time the colour will change, but the priority itself will not change.
Once a log has Arrived On Site populated all colour coding is removed.
Priority: the colour is determined by the priority set on the Log, and the colour is defined on Log Priorities table.
By default, all available tabs will display on Logs. These can be narrowed down by listing the desired tabs using the setting Log Maintenance Tabs. There are two possible options for the General tab, the standard one and a simplified option called GeneralAlt.
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Note:
Permission Reopen Service Logs: This permission enables the Reopen button on Service Logs. Sets the Workflow Status back to Allocated.
For the configuration and setup of Service Agreements, Log Types, and Log Service Types, the Workbench legacy platform is still required.
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Create new log by drag-drop emails.
You can also generate a new log by dragging and dropping an email directly from your inbox or a saved email with the .msg extension into the box at the top of the screen. The fields will be auto-filled using the contents of the email:
The company will be derived from the 'From' address of the email.
The 'Description' field will be filled from the email subject.
The log details will be populated from the message body.
Contact details will be filled from the sender email address.
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Log detail (Tabs)
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Log No is a system-generated sequential number based on the Next Log Number setting, that can be configured at a Global level, by Financial Company, Location, or Profit Centre relative to the user creating the Log.
Log By is the name of the user who created the Log.
Created Date
Status vs Workflow Status Status is a manual selection of custom/user-created statuses defined in Statuses as Log Statuses. They can be manually changed at any time, and in specific steps, updated by actions taken on the Log, to keep it in line with the Workflow Status. Workflow Status is always the current status of the Log and is updated by the system depending on which stage the Log is at. This status is split into two: {Progress Status of the Log} - {Billing Status of the Log}. Generally updated by actions taken with the buttons or Updated by the Upvise Integration:
Entered when just created
Allocated when assigned to the employee that will perform the Job. As soon as the Log is created as saved
Completed once the Completed Details are populated ( the Log is given a Completed date/time).
Finalised is a decision made by the person invoicing, and indicates the Log is locked and no further action is required. This status is often used when the invoicing is not Input or Output based, and there is no link between the actual invoice for the work done on the Log and the Log. This could be that manual lines are created to charge for the work done, rather than using the transactions generated by the Log that can be selected on get Sales. So the user invoicing must indicate that the Log has been finalised. And the Billing Status will still show as Unbilled because the Log transactions have not been included in an Invoice.
Plus the Billing status of the Log
Billed after all the Costs and/or Outputs on the Log have been billed, regardless if the Log has been completed and reopened.
Unbilled when there are any unbilled Costs or Outputs on the Log, regardless of the Progress status.
Part Billed after the Log was billed and additional Costs/Outputs are added.
Status is a legacy attribute from Workbench MDE (legacy platform) and Workflow Status is a native attribute from Web Workbench. Status columns can be hidden from the Logs list if it is not necessary.
Log Workflow Status & Upvise Job Status: Workbench Logs and Upvise Jobs statuses do not always match 1 to 1. In the Logs List, you can filter using Workbench Workflow Status. There is the option of using the Language Translation feature in Workbench if you want to display the Upvise status equivalent. Status mapping below:
Upvise
Workbench Workflow Status (without translations)
Upvise
Workbench Workflow Status (without translations)
Unassigned / Open / Owner blank
Allocated
Assigned / Open / Owner set
Allocated; Allocated To
In Progress Check In / Checked In / Owner set
In Progress
Paused / Paused / Owner set
Paused
Completed / Completed / Owner set
Completed
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Service Agreement displays a list of Service Agreements for selection. If a Client has already been selected, only Service Agreements for this Client will display.
Original Scheduled will be populated with the Scheduled date and time in which the Log was created. Once created The Scheduled date and time can be changed and use this field to record the original date. This is editable.
Scheduled or Scheduled Start The date/time when the work is scheduled to be done.
Expected hours is the number of hours estimated for the completion of the work.
Expected Value to indicate a quoted amount or approximate amount for the Job. This could be useful for the person invoicing to compare the amount o fthe actual transactions being billed vs the Expected Value. In some cases it can be used as a Quoted value and when invoicing just overwrite all transactions and sell the work for this amount.
Expected End is the estimated date/time of completion.
Priority displays a range of priorities that can be configured under the Log Priorities screen. If the Service Agreement has a limited option of Priorities, the available list will be limited by those on the Agreement.
Allocated To is populated with the name of the employee that creates the Log. It can be changed. This may initially be a Supervisor, who will later change it to the person who will actually perform the work. If the selected Service Agreement has a default Allocate To person, this will be used used to populate the Allocated To person.
Description: A manually entered description for this Log. There are some options to default the description from other places, which can then be overridden:
If the selected Service Agreement has a default Log Description this will populate new Logs under this Service Agreement.
If an Asset has an Asset Attribute of 'Log Description' then the Asset Description automatically defaults to the description.
Charge Type If this is populated, then the log may be billed directly from the Log screen with the Invoice button, and that charge type will be used in the billing process (regardless of the Job’s Charge Type), otherwise, the Invoice button will be greyed out.
Client If a Client is selected, this serves as the filter for the next selection of Service Agreement.
Job Code this is the Job Code against which the costs and revenue associated with this Log will be recorded. If the Service Agreement has a default Job Code, this will default. This can be either a Client Job or a Plant Item. Equipment repairs or maintenance work are typically recorded via a Service Log. If the Job code needs to be chnaged after transactions or Job outputs have been entered you must usea utility for this, as the Job code is locked once transactions have been entered.
Asset being the Assets to be worked on under this Log. Assets can be created from Assets screen.
Order No is the Client Order No for this Log (optional)
Log Type is manually selected from a dropdown list.
Variation use this filed to link the work carried out on this Service Log to a specific Approved Variation Budget.
Reference
Log details provides a space for instructions to the person that will be providing the service. Maximum 2000 characters.
Arrived on Site The date/time when the Allocated To person arrived on site to commence work. This will be recorded when the contract under which the work is being done requires this data as a KPI. This will typically be entered by the Allocated To person from his Upvise app or from the Mobile Service Logs screen on Workbench. This data is optional.
Service Agreement and Asset will not display if this information has not been set (note that this is only maintained from Workbench legacy platform - MDE)
Address Title is a list of addresses on the Job, Job Site Address and addresses on the Client. Map button opens Google maps on a browser with the address indicated in Site Address
Site Address will be populated with the address on Address Title selected. It can be manually entered as well.
Site Contact is a text field to enter the name of a person that will be onsite and can be the primary contact. Contact Phone No and Contact Detail can also be populated and are related to the Site Contact.
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Attachments can be loaded here. Also, any attachments loaded on an Upvise Job or sub-Job linked to this Log will be imported back to Workbench and displayed on this tab. Additionally, all Upvise Forms on the Job or subjobs will be attached to the Workbench log as PDF files.
Use Extension columns to define and capture specific data that is not captured on any other standard fields. Use LogHeader Extension type and create views to group data and display on this tab. The Extension tab supports conditional extension views (These definitions are generally MDE compatible, although minor adjustments to Combo List syntax may be required in some instances).
Steps to create new custom columns and views below:
A. From Extension Column screen select the Extension Type to configure. Use LogHeader (i.e. Log Maintenance) for Service Logs.
B. Click Views to navigate to Extension Views Maintenance.
C. Select the View to edit or create a new view; the example created an 'Address Details' view.
D. We assume there are no appropriate Criteria, so we select New from the ellipsis menu.
E. The Criteria popup is displayed and we specify the details; specifically LogHeader.ServiceAgreementID as the criterion field. If we want a default section that always displays then define a Criteria of 'Form Default' with no table column selected.
F. On save the criteria is available.
G. We select our new criteria.
H. We specify the Criteria Value for which the view is displayed e.g. an ID value of 12; note this time it is a numeric key, in other instances, it may be a more readable string.
I. We specify the fields to display in the view.
J. We Save our view configuration.
K. Preview will display an example from our data if we have any data meeting the criterion.
Time can be entered for any employee that worked on this Job. This screen behaves the same way as any of the other Timesheet entry screens (Daysheets, Timesheets). OutputMeasure can be used to indicate the number of Outputs completed by that person in that period of time. This is not to be confused with Job Outputs on the Outputs tab.
Dockets are designed to capture a variety of bulk supply or external labour items. Dockets provide immediately recognised costs on jobs.
To create dockets, the appropriate Docket Cost Schedules must already be created and applied to Job.
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Invoicing a Log
You can do the billing from the Service Log screen via the button ‘Invoice’ in multiple ways:
Wait until all services are completed and send one invoice at once, or
Bill customers for each activity/transaction as it occurs (invoice incrementally as each activity is completed) by creating invoices before marking the service as 'Finalised.'
Use both methods: bill for each transaction as it happens and, upon completion of the service, send an invoice for any remaining items.
Once an invoice introduced, the process Job Sale Invoice will be applied.
Once flagged as Finalised, the log becomes read-only. If new transactions are required, the [Re-open & Unfinalise] button can be used to revert the status to Allocated, making the Log editable again.
Permission Reopen Service Logs: This permission enables the Reopen button on Service Logs. Sets the Workflow Status back to Allocated.
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Exporting to Upvise
If the Control Parameter "Export Logs to Upvise" is enabled, when a Log is created from an email, Workbench will sync it to Upvise only once. The corresponding Upvise Job is created, and this becomes the master, which will be synced back to Workbench with updates.
The data mapping is provided in the table below:
Workbench
Upvise
Workbench
Upvise
Description
name
Comment
note
City
city
Country
country
StreetLine1
street
SchdDate and SchdTime
duedate
JobCode
projectid
LogDate
creationdate
LogHeaderID
Log No (custom field)
Please note that the Comments section is populated with the body of the email and will be trimmed if it exceeds 2000 characters. The email is attached to the Log as an attachment, and if the user requires further details, they can always open the attachment.