ServiceDesk 4.6.8 Update 05/20/12

Initially, SD's Inventory Control system was built with the assumption that, aside from such inventory as kept on each truck, each service operation would have a single inventory storeroom ("OF"), and movements to and from the the trucks would all be via that single location.  You might call this the "assumed-office-storeroom-as-hub" premise. 

In bits and pieces, we have transcended that premise. 

Quite a long time ago, for example, we made it so you can specify and manage inventory locations that are independent of either techs or the assumed office storeroom.  Just a couple of years ago, we made it so restock shipments can be checked directly into any location, with no need to pass through the office storeroom first. 

Recently some users have wanted to further transcend the "assumed-office-storeroom-as-hub" premise.  This release accomplishes such transcendence in two respects:

1.    Within the F10 form's two main Transfer-Items functions (typically used to restock a tech from office inventory), you may now optionally designate a source other than "OF" as the "pull-from" location.  Stated more simply, you may now move a set of designated items directly from one truck (or any other non-"OF" location) to another.  

To do so, you simply must select the function in a slightly revised manner (this slight revision informs SD of your intent to specify a different-than-standard "OF" source for what's being moved)

 We added the capabilities in this manner because we did not want to slow down the more typical scenario by placing an added inquiry into it.  As you can see from the above, if you want the source to be other than the standard "OF," just right-click to select the function (as opposed to what would otherwise be a normal left-click) -- or, if you're using the quick-key access method, hold down Ctrl while doing so.  Either method tells ServiceDesk you want to designate other than "OF" as the source, and it will provide a dialog for you to indicate such other. 

2.    When speculatively-tagging items from stock for particular jobs, you may now indicate a source (for such tagged items) other than "OF."  Suppose, for example, you have a second physical location (with its own inventory storeroom), and sub-set of techs who work from it.  If you're spec-tagging parts for jobs those particular techs will be going on, you'll want to tag them to  inventory as located at that secondary location, and not at your main one. 

The contextual guide to use of this feature is provided in the F7 form (i.e., same context from which you initiate a spec-tag) via a Tooltip that arises when you float your mousepointer over its "Tag Part for Visit" button. 

As you can see, the method to designate other-than-standard/assumed-location parallels what we just saw above.  Do a right-click (as opposed to standard left-click) on the button, or modify the quick-key shortcut with Ctrl (please note that if you happen to have your Windows focus in a text box, the "Ctrl-V" quick-key method will be superseded as a Windows Insert command). 

If you have multiple locations, each conducting POS operations, and if those locations are subject to different tax rates, this one is for you. 

This is one of those solutions where the need is so rare that, rather than providing a direct user interface whereby you can specify this variation, we're asking you (should you have the need) to create a little file that will tell ServiceDesk what it needs to know for your circumstance. 

Here are the brief instructions:

1. Open any text editor (e.g., Word, WordPad, NotePad, etc.). 

2. Type the first rate (it's the rate on materials if you're U.S.; PST if you're Canadian), then Tab, and type in the second rate (the rate on labor if you're U.S., GST if you're Canadian).  Type each rate as a decimal fraction (e.g., 7.25 percent would be typed as .0725). 

3. Save the file as "MyPosTaxRates.TXT", and be sure to save as as "File-Type" Text-Only.

4. Place a copy of this file into the operative LocalData folder as applicable to each station where needed (i.e., any that needs POS tax rates other than as placed into the ServiceDesk Settings form).  To determine which is the applicable LocalData folder at any station, bring up its About ServiceDesk form; a list of applicable paths is in the lower-left. 

The above is all you must do.  ServiceDesk looks for the above-described file on startup.  If it sees it, if reads inside to find the two, special-for-local-use rates you have provided.  It then applies these in the POS context, for the station involved.   

Occasionally, we accommodate needs, but in less than a royal fashion (our logic is that it's impossible to do everything royally, and some provision is better than none).  In this case, a client finds it useful to pay techs particular add-ons, for things like selling water filters.  It's practical for the operator that's making SalesJournal entries to keep an eye out for those particular items where such spiffs should apply, but less practical to make notes in each instance in any context outside of ServiceDesk.  A method was desired via which said operator could denote, as connected with each such SalesEntry, when any such spiff was applicable.  This release accommodates that. 

Specifically, when in the SalesEnter form (F9) and making an entry, if as an operator you note it's a sale on which a  spiff should apply (or any other special notice you want to attach to the sale), simply right-click in your entry line, before hitting Enter to insert it.  This can be done before you've entered text, during or after.  What matters is simply that it's before hitting Enter for the line's insertion. 

In response to this right-click action, the system will query you for text entry (up to eight characters), which will become part of that SalesJournal entry, in a special little OtherData field.  If you're using it for the Spiff purpose, perhaps you'll put in an actual amount (or perhaps a description of the Spiff: whatever purpose you wish to achieve). 

This new/extra field is not generally viewable, because at this point we've not wanted to revise all the other many mechanisms with which the SalesJournal is associated (it would be a more major project than we're presently ready to undertake for this purpose). 

Instead, the main place to make use of this new field is in a Sales data export, as available from the Reports form (F11), after having ran a SalesSummary report for any period of interest (look for the "Export with Extended Data" button in the form's lower-right).  When you run the export, you'll find a new field in the output labeled "OtherData."  This field will contain whatever you've input via the method above-described. 

Of  course, you may sometimes find mistakes were made, and need to be fixed.  For that reason, we've also provided limited access to this field from the SalesView form (Shift-F3).  Simply use the method you wish there to display the item or items of interest.  If you wish to see (and perhaps revise) the "OtherData" field as attached to any item, simply right-click on it. 

Again, the mechanism we've provided for this purpose is a bit "back-door"-ish in nature, but for now (and for the particular/atypical need involved) we hope it will be adequate.