ServiceDesk 4.7.55 Update 09/04/13

ServiceBench and other warranty processors all require that electronically-submitted claims be configured to fit a particular format, which each uniquely defines for their own exclusive purpose.  These formats specify a series of "fields."  Each field is essentially a "fill-in" space that expects a particular element of data to be contained within it.  Among such fields is one called "WarrantyType." 

Historically, this field was used to indicate whether the claim was for "Parts-Only," "Labor-Only," for "Parts and Labor" or it was a claim made under "Special Authorization" or a "Policy Adjust."  In other words, this is a field that, in general, refers to circumstances as indicated by the checkboxes at top of the traditional NARDA form:

ServiceDesk has long been programmed to check the appropriate box for you, based on how other boxes within the form are populated (e.g., if you've indicated parts charges but none for labor, and if there is no special autho number provided, it checks "Parts Only" for you).  It has further long been programmed to behind-the-scenes translate, when formulating the actual claim string as needed for any processor, to the particular WarrantyType-Code as fits the applicable checkbox selection. 

There was a day when the above was reasonably simple.  However, in the last few years it's become rather more complicated as the variety of expected WarrantyType-Codes, and variation in selection of Code as expected for circumstance, has proliferated.  For example, ServiceBench now requires added codes to report COD jobs in some situations (varying still further depending on if its a referral-program-initiated COD versus otherwise), a different set of codes if the work was for Lowes, and a different set still if you are a Canadian servicer, as opposed to U.S. 

As each of these complications has come to light, we have written added IQ into the portion of ServiceDesk that manages the translation, in the effort to assure the needed WarrantyType-Code is appropriately uploaded for each circumstance.  Regardless, to make it always right has become rather complex, and potentially difficult to troubleshoot when a claim issue rises. 

To assist in such situations, we decided a while back it might be helpful to expose the actual WarrantyType-Code-character the system was translating to (and would therefore upload as part of the claim string) in each instance.  Thus, we added a little box in the NARDA's top-right corner, to so expose:

That box was also made editable -- so that, if you know you need a different code than the system is naturally inserting for you, there is opportunity for you to change to that different code. 

The small enhancement that's made with this release (yes, the above was indeed much explanation for a small enhancement) is addition of a ToolTip, exposed when you float your mousepointer over the little WarrantyType box:

It tells you precisely what the code-table meaning is, for the code-character that's been inserted for you.    

And there's a more substantive improvement.  We discovered a change, that we'd prior added to make certain U.S.-based claims code as COD when needed, was reacting in an over-broad manner, and coding some non-COD, parts-only claims as COD (which resulted in initial rejection and need for manual online correction).  That is corrected in this release.