Click on the WorkTracer shortcut on your desktop to start the program.
When the opening dialog box appears, click on Evaluate.
The first time you run the program, WorkTracer will lead you through the setup process. If all the information required is not available, you may leave the setup process and WorkTracer will start where you left off the next time you run the program. You only have to go through the setup process once.
The order of setup is as follows:
1.1 Company details
1.2 Date format
1.3 Currency symbol
Select whether your currency is divisible by 100 (eg dollars & cents) or non divisible (eg Korean won).
1.4 Taxes on labour and sales
For each type of tax, enter the name of the tax and the percentage rate.
1.5 Change calculator
1.6 Labour charges Then specify whether labour charges should be calculated to the nearest minute, or rounded up to the nearest quarter, half or full hour.
1.7 Field names
1.8 Ticket numbering
1.9 Configure email The port number defaults to 25. You should not need to change this.
If you don't know the settings you can configure the email later by selecting Configure email
from the Setup menu.
1.10 Password for the Setup commands
If you make a mistake during the setup process, you can correct it later by selecting the appropriate item from the Setup menu.
2. Adding stock
To add a stock item to the WorkTracer database, click on Add Stock item from the Stock menu, click on the stock icon (pair of cans) on the toolbar, or press the F4 key.
The field for unit quantity could be “gallons” or “litres” in the case of fluids. In the case of something like brake shoes it could be “set”. In the case of items which are sold singly such as fan belts, you could leave this field blank.
The fields for categories could be, for example, “hoses”, “coolants”, “tools”, “tyres”, etc.
The program will prompt with a stock number, but you may override this with your own number (such as the UPC code).
Indicate which taxes apply to the stock item.
If you want the stock price to be flexible when you are selling the item, leave the sales price field blank.
You can set up a standard markup for stock prices by selecting Stock prices from the Miscellaneous submenu of the Setup menu. Then when you enter the cost price for a stock item the sales
price will be calculated automatically.
Click on the Print labels button to print barcode labels for the stock.
You can also print barcode labels for stock by selecting Print barcode labels from the Stock menu. Identify the stock item
and enter the number of labels to print. Labels print on a label printer such as a Brother QL-500. We
recommend 29mm x 90mm labels.
If the stock is a major item which you sell with a warranty, click on the
Add serial numbers button so that you can enter serial numbers for the
items and track the warranty end date after you sell an item. If the item is returned during the warranty
period the ticket will be flagged as warranty.
You can also add stock by clicking on the button with the + sign next to the Add stock button from
the ticket screen or the quotation screen, or by clicking on the button with the + sign on the
Sell stock screen.
3. Managing Work Tickets
3.1 Starting a new ticket
Specify whether the customer is an existing customer or a new customer.
If the customer is an existing customer, enter the customer number or a previous ticket number, or enter part of the customer’s name
or any part of any line of the address (eg the zip or postal code, minimum 3 characters)
or the last 4 digits of the phone/cell number and select the customer from the list.
Details of the customer's previous equipment will be displayed, and you can select one of these items if the
same item is in for repair again. If you have specified the ticket number for the existing customer, the appropriate item will be
highlighted.
In the customer details section the require fields are the name and the customer number. The program will prompt with the customer number, but you may override this. Duplicate numbers are not allowed. If the customer name is a company, you may also enter the name of the contact person.
In the Work required section, the required field is the Brief description of the work. If you wish to print out the ticket details you should click on the Print ticket button. If you have entered
the customer's email address you will also have the option of emailing the ticket details to the customer.
You need to configure your email first (Setup menu -> Configure email).
You can choose to use drop lists for the fields Brief description of work, Manufacturer, Model and Serial number by selecting Use drop lists for fields
from the Miscellaneous submenu of the Setup menu. The drop lists will be populated with data from past tickets when you start a new ticket.
You can also choose to autofill the field for Work required for a new ticket. After you have done that, to implement it you must first
select the Manufacturer, Model and Brief description, in that order. Then click on the field for Work required so that
is in focus. WorkTracer will search the database for the last instance of those fields and populate the Work required accordingly.
If you do not wish to specify the date and time for collection, click on the Options button next to the time selector and check the appropriate box. You can set up
the program so that the collection date and time are, by default, not specified on new tickets by selecting Collection date & time from the Setup menu. You can also rename
the terms "Collect on" and "Collected on" (eg to "Dispatch on" and "Dispatched on").
If the customer is paying a deposit, enter the amount and select the payment method.
If you have standard work items which you wish to add to the work details edit box, click on the Add standard tasks button below the edit box. To add a standard item
to the drop list, enter the description of the item and click on the Add button. To edit or remove an item from the list, highlight the item and click on the Edit button.
To add a standard item to the work details, select the item and click on the Add work button.
If the ticket is a priority ticket, check the appropriate box.
If you wish to add other information about the equipment, click on the More fields button. You can add up to 5 items of information here (such as VIN number,
chassis number, etc). This information will be saved as soon as you click on OK. You can also customize the field names by clicking on the buttons at the
bottom of the window.
If you wish to specify the location of the job, click on the Location button to the left of centre
near the bottom of the screen.
If you wish to specify the status of sub components, click on the Sub components button to the left of centre
near the bottom of the screen.
If you wish to add spoken notes to the ticket, click on the Record audio button.
To print a label for the ticket, click on the Print label button. The program prints on standard
A4 or letter sized printers or on label printers. If a standard printer is selected the program
prints on return labels, 1-3/4 inch x 1/2 inch, 80 per sheet, such as Avery # 8167. If a label printer
is used we recommend 29 mm x 90 mm labels. The customer name and/or work description, ticket
number, and corresponding Code 39 barcode are printed on the ticket. You may change the options for
printing labels by selecting Labelling from the Print options submenu of the Setup menu.
If you specify a label printer you can make the program print directly to the label printer without
showing the printer dialog by clicking on Select the label printer and selecting the printer from
the list. If you select the Default printer the printer dialog will still be shown.
When you have saved the new ticket you will be asked if you wish to open the work scheduler for the ticket.
3.2 Updating a ticket
To update a ticket, click on Find ticket from the Tickets menu, click on the first binoculars icon on the toolbar, or press the F3 key. Enter the ticket number, or enter the first few characters of the brief description of the work or part of the customer’s name or the first few characters of the Manufacturer and select the ticket from the list.
When the ticket number is preceded by several zeros (eg 0000178) you can simply enter the nonzero digits (178) to search for the ticket.
To add a labour charge to a ticket, click on the Add hourly labour button. Select the type of labour, enter the number of hours and minutes of labour, and select the employee
if appropriate. (To add employees, see section 4).
If you have standard flat rates for labour charges, which are not based on an hourly rate, click on the Add standard labour button. To add a standard
charge to the drop list, enter the description, the cost, specify whether taxes apply and click on the Add button. To remove an item from the drop list or to edit an item,
highlight the item and click on the Edit button. To add a standard charge to the ticket, select the charge and click on the Add labour button.
If the Brief description field is empty, the description of the first standard labour charge will be copied into this field.
To add the cost of stock to the ticket, click on the Add stock charge button. Enter the stock number, or enter the first few characters of the description and select from the list.
Enter the quantity that has been consumed. You may enter a discount for each individual stock item. You might wish to charge for stock used in repairs at the cost price rather that the
retail price. To set up this option select Stock prices from the Miscellaneous submenu of the Setup menu.
You may wish to sell stock which is not part of your inventory, for example if you have ordered a part specially for the customer. In that case click on the Non-inventory item button, and enter the details of the sale or select the item from the list.
You may also add percentage charges (eg shop supplies) to the ticket. When you have finished adding labour and stock charges, click on the
Percentage charge button. You will be prompted to enter the description of the charge, the percentage, and indicate whether the percentage is based on
labour charges only or on charges for labour and stock. These details will be saved for the next time you add a percentage charge.
To remove an item of labour or stock, highlight the item in the list and click on the Remove item button.
To edit an item of labour or stock, double click on the item and enter the new times (labour) or
quantity (stock). You will not be allowed to edit standard labour charges or percentage charges.
When the work on the ticket is complete and the work is ready for collection, click on the Status button and select "Work complete".
Here you can also set up an intermediate status for the ticket, such as "Waiting for parts". When the ticket has been collected, click on the Options button next to the time selector and check the appropriate box. Remember to select the appropriate date and time that the ticket was collected.
As the work on the ticket progresses, you may wish to add notes by clicking on the Notes button and entering the notes. You can choose whether the notes will print on the ticket and the receipt/invoice, or whether this space will be left empty for handwritten notes.
If you have scheduled work for the ticket using the scheduler you can view and print out the times by clicking on the Work schedule button.
3.3 Closing a ticket
If the cost of the ticket is to go to the customer’s account, select Post to account as the payment method.
Check the box to show that the ticket is closed.
4. Adding employees
You may add employees who will be associated with labour charges to the WorkTracer database. In that way you will be able to check which employee was responsible for a particular item of work.
To add an employee, select Add employee from the Employees submenu of the Setup menu. Enter the name of the employee. If you pay employees based on commission, enter the percentage rate.
To remove an employee, select Remove employee from the Employees submenu of the Setup menu, and select the employee from the droplist.
To change an employee’s rate of commission, select Change commission from the Employees submenu of the Setup menu Select the employee from the droplist and enter the new percentage rate.
5. Modifying stock
To modify the details of a stock item, select Modify a stock item from the Stock menu, click on the third binoculars icon on the toolbar, or press the F5 key. This
is useful if you have received new stock and you wish to change the quantity in stock.
Identify the stock item. Click on the Save button to save any changes. If you wish to delete the stock item click on the Delete item button.
6. Selling stock
To sell stock to a customer, select Sell stock from the stock menu, click on the shopping trolley icon on the toolbar, or press the F6 key.
The first dialog box asks if you wish to sell to a walk-in customer, an existing customer (already in the database) or a new customer. If you choose to sell to
an existing customer you will be prompted to identify the customer. If you choose to sell to a new customer you will be prompted to enter the customer details.
To add an item to the check out list, click on the Add item button. Identify the stock item,
and enter the quantity to be sold. You may also enter a discount for each item sold.
You may wish to sell stock which is not part of your inventory, for example if you have ordered a part specially for the customer. In that case click on the Non-inventory item button, and enter the details of the sale or select the item from the list.
To remove an item, highlight it in the check out list and click on the Remove item button.
When the list is complete, select the payment method. You may also enter a discount, either as an amount or a percentage of the total cost.
If you make a mistake, you can retrieve the sales ticket by searching for it by clicking on Find ticket from the Tickets menu, clicking on the first binoculars icon on the toolbar, or pressing the F3 key. You can then edit the details of the ticket, or cancel the ticket.
7. Password protection
The Setup menu is automatically protected by the Setup password. So to change any of the Setup it is necessary to log on the WorkTracer using the Setup password.
You may also password protect various other functions and reports by selecting Password
protection from the Password submenu of the Setup menu and checking the
appropriate boxes.
8. Account holders
When a customer pays by ‘post to account’, the amount goes by default to the customer’s account balance.
However you may have customers who are not responsible for paying for repairs, for example if the repair is under warranty, in which case the amount should go to the equipment manufacturer’s account balance (or whoever is responsible for the warranty).
You can set up such account holders by selecting Add account holder from the Account holders submenu of the Setup menu.
You can also edit the details of an account holder and remove an account holder from this submenu. You will not be allowed to remove an account holder with an unpaid balance.
After adding account holders, whenever you select Post to account as a payment method, you will be asked to select the account holder.
When you print or email an invoice, make an account payment or cancel an account payment, you
will be asked to choose if the account is a regular customer or an account holder.
You may obtain a report on the status of account holders by selecting Account holders from the Accounts submenu of the Reports menu.
9. Printing/emailing account statements
To print or email a monthly account statement for a customer, select Print account statement from the Accounts menu.
Identify the customer or account holder, then specify the month (mm/yy) for the statement which defaults to the month prior to the current month.
10. Accepting an account payment
If a customer has paid for tickets using the “Post to account” payment method, you can accept account payments in two ways:
(a) Select Accept account payment from the Account payments submenu of the Accounts menu, click on the credit card icon on the toolbar, or press the F7 key.
Identify the customer or account holder. A dialog box will appear, showing the tickets which require an account payment.
To accept an account payment, double click on the ticket or highlight it and click on Accept. You can accept a part payment by editing the amount paid.
When you have selected all the tickets for which you wish to accept payment, select the payment method.
Click on OK to close the transaction.
Please note that the cost of a ticket will not be posted to the account until the ticket is closed.
If you wish to cancel an account payment, click on Cancel account payment from the Account payments submenu of the Accounts menu. Identify the customer.
A drop list will appear showing the ticket numbers, dates and times of the customer’s account payments. Select the payment from the list and click on Cancel payment.
(b) You may also accept an account payment for an individual ticket if it is the customer's account and not an account holder
by searching for the ticket (Tickets menu, Find ticket) and changing the payment method
from “Post to account”. You will have to clear the “Ticket closed” box first, which may
require logging on with the Setup password. This method will not be available for tickets
where part payments have been made.
11. Printing/emailing invoices
To print or email an invoice for a customer who has paid for tickets by the “Post to account” method, select Print/email invoice from the Accounts menu, click on the invoice icon on the toolbar, or press the F8 key.
Identify the customer or account holder. A dialog box will appear, showing the tickets which require an account payment.
To print an invoice, highlight the ticket and click on the Print button or double click on the ticket.
You may also email the invoice (provided you have entered an email address for the customer or
account holder) by highlighting the ticket and clicking on the Email button. The invoice will be created
as an HTML email and sent by WorkTracer. This will not work with Web based emails.
If there are more than one invoices you may print or email a single combined invoice by clicking on the
appropriate button.
12. Print options
12.1 Text for contracts, invoices and receipts
To set up or edit the contract text, select Contract text from the Print options submenu of the Setup menu.
To set up or edit the invoice text, select Invoice text from the Print options submenu of the Setup menu.
To set up or edit the Receipt text, select receipt text from the Print options submenu of the Setup menu.
You also have the option to print invoices in Dutch (English is the default language).
12.2 General settings
If you do not wish to show the Printer dialog box each time you print from WorkTracer, check the appropriate box.
If you intend to print documents on headed paper, check the appropriate box.
If you wish to print your company logo on documents, check the box. The logo should be a 24 bit BMP file. The height of the image should be around 200 pixels. Name the file logo.bmp and
save it in the folder C:\WorkTracer. If you have trouble creating a 24 bit BMP file please send
your existing logo file as an attachment and we will convert it.
If you do not wish to print borders on receipts, invoices, etc, check the appropriate box.
If you wish to print a barcode for the ticket number on tickets/receipts/invoices, check the appropriate box.
You may also opt (a) not to show discounts for individual labour and stock items on receipts and invoices, (b) not to itemize labour
charges, (c) not to itemize parts used for repair tickets and (d) not to show part numbers.
If you wish to reduce the size of the font for the text which appears at the bottom of tickets, invoices, etc, change the size from 100% to 80% or60%.
WorkTracer is compatible with 3 inch (75 mm) wide receipt printers. If you are using a cash drawer which connects to the receipt printer (so that the drawer opens each time a receipt is printed) check the appropriate box.
As far as we are aware, WorkTracer is compatible with any printer which has a Windows driver.
If you are using a receipt printer and you find that it is printing slowly, you may be able to speed it up by selecting Receipt printer speed from the Print options submenu of the Setup menu and checking the box to use the printer font.
13. Exporting reports
WorkTracer is capable of exporting all reports in comma separated variable (CSV) format, so that the reports can be opened in applications such as Microsoft Excel.
To set up this option, select Export reports from the Setup menu, and check the box.
Each time a report is displayed a file report.csv will be created and saved in your My Documents folder.
14. Data backup
WorkTracer allows you to backup your data files for security. To do so, select Data backup from the File menu. Specify the folder where you would like the files to be saved.
You may set up WorkTracer so that it prompts you to back up data each time you close the program by selecting Prompt for file backup
from the Miscellaneous submenu of the Setup menu.
We recommend backing up the files to a flash drive. DO NOT back up the files if you think there may
be a problem with them as you may overwrite the good files.
If you have recorded any audio, the sound files (wav) are in the "sounds" subfolder. You should back these up separately.
In the event of hard disk or other failure, you should reinstall WorkTracer, then copy
the data files from the backup medium into the WorkTracer folder (C:\WorkTracer). Alternatively
run the program Restore.exe which you will find in your WorkTracer folder and select the folder
containing the backup files.
15. Payment methods
WorkTracer comes installed with the following methods of payment: cash, cheque,
credit card, debit card. If you wish to add other payment methods, select Add payment method from the Setup menu.
16. Reports
16.1 Accounts
Account activity: reports on all account activity (tickets paid by account and account payments received) for a specified period.
Account holders: reports on the current status of account holders.
Advance payments: reports on the status of advanced payments received during
a specified period.
Deposits held: reports on deposits currently held.
Employees: reports on revenue and commissions earned by employees from labour charges on
closed tickets over a specified period. You can choose to base the revenue on the date the ticket
was closed or the date the work was completed.
Lay-by (layaway) payments: lists payments for lay-bys for a specified period.
Receipts (by payment method): provides a report on receipts by method of payment from
closed tickets for a specified period. This report shows monies actually received.
It includes any payments to accounts during the period but does not include tickets paid
by account. It also includes any refunds.
Receipts (by ticket): provides a report on receipts from
closed tickets for a specified period, listing the tickets. This report shows monies actually received.
It includes any payments to accounts during the period but does not include tickets paid
by account. It also includes any refunds.
Refunds: provides a report on refunds for a specified period.
Revenue: provides a report on revenue from closed tickets for a specified period.
This report shows actual revenue. It includes revenue from tickets paid by account but does
not include any account payments received during the period. You can choose to base the revenue on the date the ticket
was closed, the date the work was completed or the date payment was received (ie account payments).
16.2 Contracts
Payments: Lists payments for service contracts for a specified period.
Summary: Provides a summary of all service contracts. The Cost is the amount of discount the
customer has received as a result of the service contract.
16.3 Customers
Account activity: reports on a customer's account activity (tickets paid by account and account payments received) for a specified period.
List customers: displays a list of customers, showing contact details and account balances.
Most active: reports on customer activity during a specified period.
Recalls: reports on reminders for recalls which are due in a specified month.
Referrals: provides a summary of referrals for a given month. Referrals can be used for
tracking advertising campaigns.
Statement: displays a statement for a customer for a specified month.
Ticket details: shows a customer’s ticket details for a specified period.
Ticket summary: shows a summary of tickets for a customer over a specified period.
16.4 Employee utilization
Reports on scheduled employee utilization for a specified period. Enter the start and end dates for the report.
16.5 Orders
Details of orders: displays details of orders created during a specified period.
Orders received (not WT): displays a report of stock orders received over a specified period
which were not created using WorkTracer.
Orders received (WT): displays a report of stock orders received over a specified period
which were created using WorkTracer.
Suppliers: lists suppliers.
16.6 Quotations
Reports on quotations for a specified period. Enter the start and end dates for the report then select the customer. Click
on a quotation to open it.
16.7 Stock
Lay-bys (layaways): provides a report on active and completed lay-bys.
List stock: provides a report on stock, showing prices, quantities, etc.
Locations: lists stock, showing locations.
16.8 Tickets
Days to complete work: provides statistics on the number of days that were taken to complete work tickets during a specified period.
Equipment serial numbers serviced: reports on equipment serial numbers serviced
during a specified period.
Manufacturers serviced: reports on manufaturers serviced during a specified period.
Models serviced: reports on models serviced during a specified period.
Labour by employee: reports on labour performed by a particular employee over a specified period.
Labour summary (hourly charges): provides a summary of labour charges (based on hourly rates) and times for a specified period.
Labour summary (standard charges): provides a summary of labour charges (based on standard flat rates) and quantities for a specified period.
Open tickets: provides a summary of open tickets. You may choose to show all open tickets, only those where the work is complete, or only those where the work is incomplete.
Sales and work history: displays a report on closed tickets for a specified period, showing stock sales and labour charges.
Sales summary: displays a summary of stock sales from closed tickets for a specified period. You have the option to show all stock sales, only stock sales from POS, or only stock sales from work tickets.
Status of open tickets: reports on the current status of open tickets.
Summary of all tickets: lists all tickets started over a specified period.
Summary of charges: shows the charges for all tickets (open and closed) which started over a specified period.
Tickets requiring A/C payment: displays closed tickets requiring an account payment (ie where the method of payment was “post to account”. You may choose to show all tickets requiring an account payment, or only those prior to a specified date (ie tickets where the payment is overdue).
Tickets requiring collection: reports on tickets which are due for collection during a specified period. If you export this report as a csv file, the file will also contain the customers' addresses.
Tickets with work incomplete: displays open tickets with incomplete work, sorted according to the due date.
Track equipment history: displays the work history of an item of equipment based on serial number. Enter the first few characters of the serial number or the first few characters of the type of equipment and select the item from the list.
16.9 Time clock
Employees clocked on: shows the details of employees who are currently clocked on to work tickets.
For an employee: shows the clock times for an employee over a specified period.
For a ticket: shows the clock times for a ticket over a specified period.
16.10 User logons
Displays the times of user logons and logoffs for a specified date.
16.11 Warranties & serial numbers
Displays a list of items which were sold with warranties and/or serial numbers. The report can be filtered to show only items with the warranty still in effect.
17. Work scheduler
WorkTracer has a graphical work scheduler, which allows you to plan your employees’ days.
To open the work scheduler, select Open scheduler from the Scheduler menu, click on the calendar icon on the toolbar, or press the F11 key.
To enter a new work period, click on a empty period on the scheduler (shown in blue). Select
the start time and the end time for the work. You will be asked if the schedule is for an existing
ticket.
If it is, identify the ticket. You will be asked if you wish to append the work to the ticket. If
you never intend to use this feature check the Dont' show this again box.
If the work is for a new ticket, enter the details of the new ticket. When you click on the Add
labour button the period and employee will be taken from the scheduler but you can override these
values.
To edit or view a ticket, or to cancel or edit the times of a period of work, click on a work period (shown in red if the work is ongoing, green if the work
is complete or yellow if any other status is specified, and grey if the ticket is closed). If a ticket has work scheduled for subsequent days a small arrow will be
shown above the ticket number.
To view the previous day’s work schedule, select Show previous day from the Scheduler menu, click on the left pointing arrow on the toolbar, or press the F10 key.
To view the next day’s work schedule, select Show next day from the Scheduler menu, click on the right pointing arrow on the toolbar, or press the F12 key.
You can view a snapshot of an employee's schedule for the week by clicking on the employee's name.
To print out an employee’s daily worksheet, select Print worksheet from the Scheduler menu or click on the worksheet icon on the toolbar. Enter the date for the worksheet and select the employee. If you wish to print the work details on the
worksheet, check the box.
If certain employees are not available on certain days of the week you can specify the days when
they are unavailable by selecting Availability from the Employees submenu of the Setup menu.
You can set up holidays by selecting Holidays from the Employees submenu of the Setup menu.
You can set up breaks in the work schedule by selecting Scheduled breaks from the Employees
submenu of the Setup menu. Breaks can be every day (eg lunch hour) or on a specified day (eg
staff meetings).
18. Customer mail merge
WorkTracer allows you to export a customer mail merge file in tab delimited format. Select Customer mail merge from the Tickets menu.
The file which is created is mailmerge.dat, and it is saved in your My Documents folder. The fields in the file are customer name, address (line 1), address (line 2), address (line 3) and contact name.
19. Networking WorkTracer
WorkTracer is network ready. If you wish to run WorkTracer on a network, follow the following steps:
20. Attaching photographs of equipment
To attach photographs of an item of equipment under repair, open the ticket and click on the Attach photos button.
Click on the Load image button to import the image file. Files can be BMP, GIF, TIF, PNG, JPG, WBMP, PCX or PSD format. The preferred orientation is landscape; if the orientation
is portrait you will probably have to scroll vertically to view the entire image.
To attach the image to the ticket, click on the Attach image button. Please note that WorkTracer does not save the image, it saves only the path to the image file,
so you should not remove the file from its original folder.
21. POS equipment
If you are using a cash drawer which plugs directly into your PC, go to the Setup menu, POS equipment, and select the type of connection. If the cash drawer is
driven by your receipt printer, select Number of copies, etc from the Print options submenu of the Setup menu and check the box
at the bottom. You can open the cash drawer without making a sale by selecting Open cash drawer
from the file menu or pressing Ctrl + D.
If you are using a pole display, select the type of connection and select whether the display is a Logic Controls display (or emulates Logic Controls) or an Epson display (or emulates Epson).
22. Accessing TrackEasy customers
TrackEasy is GrenSoft’s rental software. If you are running both TrackEasy and WorkTracer, you can access the TrackEasy customer database from WorkTracer.
For this to take place, both programs must be installed on the same drive. For example, WorkTracer would be installed in C:\WorkTracer, and TrackEasy in C:\TrackEasy.
If the two programs are installed correctly, when you start a new ticket there will be a checkbox for Find in TrackEasy database when you search for the customer. Check this box, then enter the customer number or part of the customer’s name
or any part of any line of the address (eg the zip or postal code, minimum 3 characters)
or the last 4 digits of the phone number. WorkTracer will then search the TrackEasy database for the customer and enter the details in the new ticket.
Please note that this is the limit of the integration between the two programs. For example customer account balances are stored separately in the two programs. Also, if customer details are edited in one program, the changes will not automatically appear in the other.
23. Options for ticket & invoice numbering
By default, merchandise sales are numbered in the same way as repair tickets. You may choose to number the sales separately so that a sales ticket begins with the letter M (eg M0000001).
Also by default, the ticket number is saved at the start of a transaction, so that if the program is being run on a network two workstations cannot create duplicate ticket numbers. This means that if a ticket is started then cancelled the ticket number will be lost and the numbers will not be sequential. If you are not running the program on a network you can choose to save the ticket number when the ticket is saved, so that numbers are sequential (with no missing numbers).
You may choose to use your own ticket numbering system instead of having WorkTracer allocate the numbers.
Ticket numbers must comprise 8 alphanumeric characters. Duplicate numbers are not allowed.
You may also choose to use your own invoice numbering system instead of using the ticket number for the invoice number.
You can set up the system for ticket and invoice numbering by selecting Ticket & invoice numbering from the Setup menu.
24. Recalls
WorkTracer allows you to create reminders for recalls to let you know when an item of equipment
will be due for recall (eg for recalibration, inspection, etc).
You can set up this option by selecting Recalls from the Setup menu.
After you have set up the option, each time you close a ticket you will be prompted to set
up a reminder to recall the equipment. For this prompt to appear you must have entered
the type of equipment and/or the serial number on the ticket.
Select the time interval which must elapse before the recall and enter the reason why
the equipment should be recalled (optional).
You can generate a report on recalls for a specified month by selecting
Recalls from the Customers submenu of the Reports menu.
When you start the program each day, it checks to see if any recalls are due on that day.
If so, you will be asked if you wish to print the recalls.
Recalls are automatically deleted from the system after the recall date has passed.
25. Adding and modifying customers
There may be times when you wish to add a customer to the WorkTracer database without
creating a work ticket, for example if you have a customer who buys merchandise but
does not require repairs.
To do this, select Add customer from the Tickets menu. Enter the customer's details.
You can also modify the details of a customer (address, phone, etc) by selecting Edit customer from
the Tickets menu. Identify the customer and make the necessary changes.
26. SMS text messaging
WorkTracer allows you to send SMS text messages to clients. Select SMS text messaging from the Setup menu. To use this feature you must
first set up an account with one of the gateways listed and they will provide you with the necessary details.
Enter your country code if required. For example if you were in the UK you would enter the country code 44 and check the box to remove
the leading zero from phone numbers.
All except CDyne use email to SMS, so you should configure your email before sending messages.
27. Editing field names
You may change the names of the fields Manufacturer, Model and Serial number which appear on work tickets. For example you might wish to change Serial number to Registration No.
To do so select Field names from the Miscellaneous submenu of the Setup menu and enter the new field names.
28. Non-inventory stock
When you wish to sell a non-inventory item, the list of non-inventory stock is generated from sales of non-inventory stock sold in the past.
You might wish to restrict the list to stock sold over the last 6 months, 3 months or 1 month.
To do so select Field names from the Miscellaneous submenu of the Setup menu.
29. Removing customers
To remove a single customer, select Single customer from the Remove customers submenu of the Miscellaneous
submenu of the Setup menu. Identify the customer. You will not be allowed to remove customers
with open tickets.
To remove customers who do not have any tickets (whether open or closed), eg customers whose
tickets have been cancelled, select Without tickets from the Remove customers submenu of the
the Miscellaneous submenu of the Setup menu.
30. Changing prices/rates en bloc
WorkTracer allows you to change the labour rates, standard labour charges and stock prices en bloc.
Select the appropriate item from the Change prices/rates submenu of the Setup menu. Choose whether the rates should be increased or decreased and enter the percentage change.
In the case of stock you may also select the supplier and the category.
Advance payments can be accepted from customers and account holders to charge up their accounts so
that the payment can be used to pay off an account at a later date.
To accept an advance payment select Accept advance payment from the Advance payments submenu of
the Accounts menu. Choose whether the payment is for a regular customer or an account holder. In
the case of a regular customer identify the customer. In the case of an account holder select the account
holder from the droplist.
Enter the amount paid and select the method of payment.
To cancel an advance payment select Cancel advance payment from the Account payments submenu of
the Accounts menu.
The WebLink module allows your customers to check the status of their jobs and the availability of stock online.
To allow customers to check the status of jobs you should place a link on your Web site to the query page which is uploaded by WorkTracer using the WebLink.
The name of the query file is query.php. To allow them to check the availability of stock you should link to the file stock.php.
To set up the WebLink, select WebLink from the Setup menu. The required fields are:
You may also change the appearance of the php generated Web pages by clicking on the Options button. Here you can change the font, the text colour, the page background colour and the table background colour. If these options are not flexible enough and you are familiar with HTML and PHP you can edit the php files which are uploaded by WorkTracer. These are query.php and result.php.
To enable the ftp transfer, check the Enable connection box.
If you check the box to upload files automatically, each time you sell stock or change the status of a ticket
or edit the notes then save the ticket, the WebLink files will be uploaded to reflect the changes.
Alternatively you can upload the files manually by selecting Upload WebLink files from the File menu,
clicking on the two computers icon on the toolbar or pressing Ctrl + U.
To view the status of the ticket the customer should enter the ticket number or the serial number
of the work, and the last 4 digits of their phone number.
You can also show images of stock online. The image should be a jpg file and the file name should be based on the stock number, so if the stock number
is 123456 the image file should be 123456.jpg. You should upload the images manually using FTP to the folder containing the PHP files.
The Orders menu can be password protected separately from the rest of the program. To set up the password,
click on Set password.
Before creating an order you must set up suppliers. To add a supplier click on Add supplier. To
edit a supplier's details click on Modify supplier.
To start an order, click on Create order. Select the supplier. To add an item to the order click
on Add item and identify the stock item. Enter the order quantity (which defaults to the reorder quantity in
the stock database), the cost price (which defaults to the value in the stock database) and the supplier's
stock number. If you have not ordered the item previously the stock number will default to the
number in the stock database.
To remove an item select the item from the list and click on Remove item. You will not be allowed to
remove items which have already been received.
To edit an order or receive items select Edit order. Select the order from the list. You can streamline the
list be selecting the supplier or only showing incomplete orders.
To receive an item, highlight the item and click on Receive item. Here you can change the cost price if
necessary. The sales price defaults to the price in the WorkTracer database. You can edit it manually or set it by entering a percentage
mark up on the cost price. When an item is received the quantity is added to the quantity already in stock.
To receive all outstanding items click on Receive all. You will be asked if you want to keep the existing sales prices ins the stock database
or mark up the cost prices by a percentage.
Click on Print order to print the order.
Click on Save to save the changes.
WorkTracer allows you to create quotations which can be printed, saved and converted into work tickets.
To create a quotation select New Quotation from the Quotations menu or click on the Q icon on the toolbar. Specify whether the quotation is for a new customer
or an existing customer, and identify the customer if the customer already exists.
The quotation screen is similar to the ticket screen. You can enter labour charges and stock to
generate the cost. You can print the quotation and save it if required.
After the quotation has been saved you can retrieve it by clicking on Retrieve quotation from the
Quotations menu or clicking on the second binoculars icon on the toolbar. Identify the quotation in the same way you would a work ticket. Then you can edit the
quotation, reprint it and save the changes. You can convert the quotation to a ticket by clicking on the Save and convert to ticket button.
You may also convert an existing quotation to a work ticket by selecting Convert to ticket from
the Quotations menu. Identify the quotation as you would a work ticket. You can then edit and save the ticket
in the usual way.
To give a refund to a customer select Refund from the Accounts menu.
Enter the number of the ticket for which the refund is due. You may refund the full cost of the ticket
or part cost. Any taxes will be calculated accordingly.
You will not be allowed to give a refund for a ticket which has already been refunded. To cancel a refund enter the ticket
number and confirm that you wish to cancel the refund.
P> You can set up users with passwords so that unauthorized people are unable to access WorkTracer.
To add a user select Add user from the User passwords submenu of the Password submenu of the
Setup menu. Enter the user name. Enter the password (alphanumeric characters only, maximum 8 characters)
and re-enter the password to confirm. After you have set up users it will only be possible to log onto the
program using the Setup password (as administrator) or as a user by entering the appropriate password. Users
can log off and log on whilst the program is running by clicking on the key icon on the toolbar.
To change a user's password select Change password from the User passwords submenu of the Password submenu of the
Setup menu.
To remove a user select Remove user from the above menu.
You can add reminders to tickets by clicking on the Reminder button on the ticket window. An
example of a reminder might be "Waiting for parts, expected on ....".
After you have set up reminders, when the date of the reminder is reached you will be alerted
the next time you start WorkTracer. There is also a report on reminders (Reports -> Tickets -> Reminders)
where you can show all reminders or those for a specified date.
Reminders will remain in the system until you delete them from the ticket window.
You can set up annual service contracts by selecting Add service contract from the Contracts
menu. Identify the customer. If it is a new customer, add the customer to the database by selecting Add customer from the Tickets menu.
If the contract is already in effect, specify the renewal date. Enter
the annual fee and specify whether the contract entitles the customer to free parts, free labour, or both
on repair tickets. If the contract applies to all of the customer's equipment, select All equipment,
otherwise enter the serial number. If this is a new contract you will be taken to the payments screen where you can accept payment for the
contract.
To edit a contract, select Edit service contract from the Contracts menu. Enter the contract
number, or enter part of the customer's name and select the contract from the list.
To cancel a contract, select Cancel contract from the Contracts menu and identify the contract.
To accept payment for a contract, select Accept payment from the Payments submenu of the Contracts menu.
Identify the contract. The renewal date will be advanced automatically by one year. You can set up
the text to be printed at the bottom of receipts for contract payments by selecting Service contract
text from the Print options submenu of the Setup menu.
To cancel a payment select Cancel payment and identify the contract.
After a contract has been set up the customer will receive free labour or parts on work
tickets. If the contract is for a specific item of equipment, enter the serial number in the
work ticket before adding stock or labour.
For reports on contracts, see the Contracts submenu of the Reports menu.
After some time your data files might become large enough to slow down the program. You can remove old data by selecting
Remove old data from the Setup menu. Enter the year prior to which you want the data to be removed. You will not be
allowed to remove the current year's data.
If you have recorded any audio files, these will not be removed. You should remove them manually from the "sounds"
subfolder.
WorkTracer allows you to manaage lay-bys where a customer pays for an item in instalments before the item is released
to the customer when payment is complete.
To start a new lay-by click on New lay-by from the Lay-bys submenu of the Stock menu. Identify the customer then the
stock (and select the serial number if appropriate).
You can change the price if you add a surcharge for lay-bys. Enter the intital payment and select the method of
payment if appropriate. Make sure Print statement is checked if you wish to print a statement.
To accept a payment for a lay-by click on Accept payment from the Lay-bys submenu of the stock menu. Identify the customer
and the lay-by if the customer has more than one. When the balance is zero and the customer has made the final payment you
should release the item.
To cancel a payment, click on Cancel payment from the Lay-bys submenu of the stock menu. Identify the customer and
select the payment to be cancelled. You will not be able to cancel a payment after the item has been released.
To attach documents (such as pdf files) to a work ticket click on the Attach documents button. Click on
Attach document and identify the document file. You can also email the document to the customer from this window. Click on Save to attach the files.
Please note that WorkTracer does not save the documents, it saves only the path to the document file, so you should not remove the file from its original folder.
WorkTracer allows you to send phone notifications (text to voice messages) to customers, specifically to those with repairs waiting for collection and with equipment due for recall.
To use this feature you must set up an account with CDyne www.cdyne.com and they will provide you with a licence key.
Select Phone notification from the Setup menu and enter the licence key. Enter your country code if required. For example if you were in the
UK you would enter the country code 44 and check the box to remove the leading zero from phone numbers.
The time clock allows employees to clock on when they start a job and clock off when they complete it. Then the labour can be added to the ticket.
To clock on, select Employee time clock from the Tickets menu, press Ctrl + T or click on the clock icon on the toolbar. Select the employee. Identify the work ticket.
Select the type of labour. Click on the Clock on button.
To clock off, select Employee time clock from the Tickets menu, press Ctrl + T or click on the clock icon on the toolbar. Identify the employee. Click on the Clock off button.
You will then be prompted to add the labour charge to the ticket.
WorkTracer allows you to save invoices in a csv (comma separated variables) file which you may be able to import into your accounting software.
The invoice is saved when a work ticket is complete and you either print or email the invoice (or receipt if payment has been made). The invoice is also saved
when you sell merchandise and print the invoice (or receipt).
A file called invoice.csv is appended and saved in your WorkTracer folder.
Your customers might decide that they do not want to be notified of offers, etc, by email, SMS, phone or post. To record their preferences, click on the Data protection
button on the customer details screen (Tickets menu -> Add customer or Edit customer) and uncheck the appropriate boxes.
If you uncheck Postal mail, for example, the customer will be excluded from the mailmerge. If you uncheck email, you will see an alert when you try to email the customer.
If you wish to remove customers who have been inactive for a long period from the database, select Inactive customers
from the Remove customers submenu of the Miscellaneous submenu of the Setup menu.
1. Getting started
Enter the name of your company and the contact details. There is a field for other information, which could be used, for example, for your company’s tax number. These details will appear on printed receipts.
You can choose the date format dd/mm/yy, or mm/dd/yy.
Enter you currency symbol (eg $).
Select the number of taxes which apply to labour and sales, and select whether taxes are included in labour and sales prices or should be added to prices.
The change calculator will tell you the change due after each transaction involving a payment. If you wish to use the
change calculator, check the box. You may also choose to round the change to the nearest 5 cents.
Enter the labour charges that you have (eg skilled labour, unskilled labour) and the hourly rates, and specify whether
taxes apply to the rates.
You can change the default field names for manufacturer, serial number and model.
Here you can choose whether to allow WorkTracer to provide sequential ticket numbers (recommended) or use your own ticket numbers (which must be 8 alphanumeric characters).
If you are going to use WorkTracer to send emails to customers you need to configure
your email settings. You can usually find these settings from your existing email program.
Select a password which will be used to access the Setup menu. You should make a note
of the password. If you lose the password, please contact GrenSoft and we will explain
how to acquire a new password. The password prevents unauthorized users from changing the
setup parameters. You may enable or disable the password without closing the program by clicking on the key icon on the toolbar.
To start a new ticket, click on New ticket from the Tickets menu, click on the New ticket icon on the toolbar, or press the F2 key.
As the work on a ticket progresses, you may wish to update the ticket.
When the customer has paid for the ticket and the work has been collected, you should select the payment method from the droplist. If a discount is offered you should enter the discount either as an amount or a percentage of the cost.
When you print a contract, invoice or receipt for a ticket, you have the option of including a paragraph of text at the bottom of the document. For example, this could be your terms and conditions.
Select General settings from the Print options submenu of the Setup menu to specify the number of copies of contracts, invoices and receipts that should be printed (either 1 or 2).
Please note that if you change the WorkTracer setup on any of your computers you must restart WorkTracer on the other computers for the changes to take effect.
Email: info@grensoft.com