ServiceDesk 4.7.89 Update 09/07/14

Since forever, ServiceDesk has allowed you to use "fake" serial numbers in a UnitInfoSheet (though, of course, we use the somewhat more uppity expression of "pseudo-number").  Since October of last year, ServiceDesk has also allowed you to make "fake" appointments (see entry in this blog accompanying Rel. 4.7.2) -- though again, for formality, we use the expression "pseudo."  Now we introduce a third "fake" actor.

The genesis for this one came, actually, from the same shop that led us toward the last one (Guinco in Fort Worth, TX).  Jeff Guinn called to explain how they are now finding it almost essential to specialize each of their techs within particular areas of competence (laundry, refrigeration, cooking appliances, etc.).  The problem is they want to keep most of their appointments unassigned until the day prior, but it's important from within the DispatchMap to see which jobs (and how many) fit into each competence category.  For this reason, Jeff and his team created some artificial technicians.  In the Settings form (Ctrl-F1), they created a tech called "Laundry," one called "Refrigeration," and so on.  In result, they obtained list areas in the DispatchMap where each appointment could be temporarily assigned (for the kind of competence it required), until the day prior, at which point it would then be assigned to an actual/true tech.  In other words, they used the device of a "fake" technician to create a semi-unassigned category: not assigned to any particular/actual tech, but nevertheless assigned to the competence category.

Jeff reported that, though generally the scheme was working well, it had some shortcomings.  One of them was that ServiceDesk, not knowing that "Laundry" and "Refrigeration" were not real techs, would within the DispatchMap dutifully draw route-lines between each assigned appointment.  This made the DispatchMap look like an awful mess.  In many other places as well, treatment of the fake techs, as though real, created issues.  What was needed was some mechanism that would allow these fakes to be treated more genuinely like the unassigned category, within the DispatchMap, and not like a real tech otherwise.

So, we have now added a new technician property.  If you go into your Settings form (Ctrl-F1) and click on any tech listing, it of course brings up the TechnicianProperties window as applicable to that tech.  Here is what it looks like now, with our new addition:

If you actually check the new box, you'll see the system removes most of the other settings options, because they cannot realistically be applicable to other than a real tech:

(Please note that if, when selecting to make a tech fake, you have already picked options that make no sense for a fake tech [such as to indicate 'Using SDM', for example], the system will not undo those settings [even though they become no longer visible].  To fix any such situation, you should uncheck the fake-property box [so as to make such settings again visible], fix the wrong settings, then check again.) 

There are a few score of operations where ServiceDesk tallies through your set of techs for a huge range of purposes.  We have endeavored to modify everyone of these so as to ignore techs as now designated fake, except for the particular purpose where you may want them treated as though real (specifically, where you are using as a device to make a competence category, for temporarily assigning appointments, within the DispatchMap).  It's possible it will be discovered we missed one or more such operations.  If you discover this, please let us know. 

ServiceDesk tucks parts information into quite a few places.  There are important operational reasons for this, such as the fact special-order parts are best managed via a system specifically tailored to their purpose, while stocking parts are best managed via a system differently tailored to their purpose.  Regardless (and as is true with any kind of machinery), to attain a gain in one attribute of performance a price must paid elsewhere.  In regard to parts management in ServiceDesk, one such price is the fact, if you happen to be interested in reviewing all of your company's dealings as applicable to a particular part number, you might need to look in a variety of places. 

Let's suppose, for example, you are interested in seeing everything your operation has had to do with part number 341241.  It's possible this part has been special-ordered one or more times.  To find any such events, you'd need to do a search in the current PartsProcess area (F8-->M-->type-the-target-characters-->hit-Enter), and do the same in the archived context (Ctrl-F8-->M-->type-the-target-characters-->-hit-Enter).   It's also possible 341241 is a stocking item, and, if so, you might want see both what is your stock-movement history on it, plus inquire as to what you have in stock presently, and where.    To separately determine these elements, you'd need to go your InventoryControl form, and there do two different searches (F10-->U-->P-->type-the-target-characters-->hit Enter for history of movements; and F10-->I-->F-->type-the-target-characters-->hit Enter for current stock at each location).  It's possible, even, you'd want to examine the anchor listing for this item in your MasterPartsPlan (Ctrl-F10-->S-->type-the-target-characters-->hit Enter). 

To be sure, we have long had contextual cross-links between some of these venues, so that with an easy click from one you can instantly see what another has to show in regard to the same part (if in the MasterPartsPlan, for example, a Ctrl-Right/Click will direct-open the InventoryControl form's view of quantities for that item at each location; and, vice versa, if in the InventoryControl form a Ctrl-Click on an item will instantly open its anchor listing from within the MasterPartsPlan).  Regardless, there has been no simple, "one-stop-shopping" method via which to instantly find everything ServiceDesk has to tell you about all its dealings with any particular part number. 

Recently, a client (Ray from AAA Appliance in Plano, TX -- what is it with these Texas guys?) all but insisted we provide this, and it seemed like a reasonable idea. 

The new feature is accessed from within the PartsCrossover form, via a simple button (shortcut access is Shift-F8-->G).  Here is what the new button looks like:

You may either use the shortcut above-descried, or click with your mouse.  Either way, a dialog box will ask for your search target.  You may type as much or as little of the part number of interest as you wish.  In response, the system will automatically open all relevant searches for you, and display the results.

SD-MobileLink to at least Ver. 2.0.15 or above. 

This is one we should have done a long time ago.  We so much should have done it long ago, it's quite embarrassing it has only been done at this late date. 

In the inventory system, each stocking line-item has an attached Supplemental-Info form.  In the MasterPartsPlan (Ctrl-F10), you can display this form by clicking in the green band, just to the right of each line-item.   In the InventoryControl form (F10), a simple click on most listings will display it.  Within the form there is a section for listing up to five alternate part numbers.  These are alternates that may potentially be used in addition to the two, in-column alternates that can be created within the face of each line-item (those base-level alternates are identified as IndustryNumber and OtherNumber).  Thus, you may store up to eight different part numbers, as connected with a single line-item.  But there has long been a difference between the base-level alternates (only two) versus the five Supplemental-Info alternates.  The latter have not been included in any of the as-you-type searches, and therefore have had very limited usefulness. 

That oversight is corrected with this release.

Now, when your system rebuilds the underlying index that enables as-you-type identification of stocking line-items, it will include in its index build all of the alternate numbers you have listed in Supplemental-Info.  So, when you go type any of those in a contextually-applicable context (including your techs in SD-Mobile), you'll see references as needed:

Picking an alternate reference will select the core, underlying line-item, just as you'd otherwise expect.  I am sorry we were not quicker with this obviously-logical improvement. 

In November of last year we added significantly to the set of CyberOffice-connected emails where you may customize the text to more perfectly fit your own particular preference, taste and circumstances (see entry in this blog accompanying Rel. 4.7.63).  Each of the emails involved can use from among a particular set of fields, where actual/particular text replaces a mere placeholder in the customized text (e.g., "We are reminding you about your appointment scheduled for [Appointment].").  In general, we made available to your customized text only the particular and same fields as were used in our canned/default text.  It turns out, in some of these emails, some of you wanted to use other fields.  This release adds significantly to the list of fields available in each of the potential customizations. 

For details, please see pages 18 through 23 in the CyberOffice Handbook.

Additionally, we have added two new items, to the list of auto-sent emails where you may customize the text, as opposed to using our direct canned text.  In fact, I believe with these two additions all auto-sent emails are now subject to potential customization. 

The first item that is newly subject to potential customization is the Survey-Invitation, as sent my SD-MobileLink.  This particular email is something of an oddity in that, while its functionality is indeed part of the CyberOffice suite of services, it's in fact the MobileLink program that does the actual sending.  The reason is, mechanically, it simply works out better that way. 

The second item is an email that's also sent by the MobileLink program, but it's actual Mobile function.  It's sending of the e-ticket to the customer. 

Instructions on how to do the work for these newly-customizable items is likewise found in the CyberOffice Handbook, but on page 24.  It may seem odd that we've placed instructions there, for how to do customizations for emails as sent by SD-MobileLink.  We simply thought it would be easiest for you if all auto-send email customization instructions were in one place. 

Incidentally, for these last two customizations to be possible, you must update your copy of  SD-MobileLink to at least Ver. 2.0.15 or above.