Service and Maintenance

For Prophet 21

Features
Related Links

The service and maintenance module in Prophet 21 allows users to set up service contracts as non-inventory items that, when sold on an order, automatically create a service contract record tied to a specific serial number in the solution. The service contract record tracks expiration dates, contract detail, parts and labor covered, billing effects, etc.

Capabilities
  • Set up service contracts as accessory items
  • Track and maintain warranty information for eligible items
  • Set up preventative maintenance schedules and automatically notify customers at specific intervals
  • Schedule service by dragging and dropping labor tasks into a technicians' open time slots
  • Track serial numbers from point of sale through the life of an item
Benefits
  • Streamlined transactions of serviceable items
  • Integrated functionality connects all aspects of service work, from parts and labor to contracts and schedules
  • Automated tracking of service information for each, unique serial number as it moves through the solution

In addition, service contracts can be attached to particular item categories so that every time a related serial number is entered on an order, Prophet 21 will automatically "suggest" the appropriate service contract.

Warranties and Preventative Maintenance

Prophet 21 allows you to set up warranty information and preventative maintenance schedules at the item level. For example, suppose your supplier offers a one-year warranty on a specific item. You can set up a warranty ID for that item so all related serial numbers have warranty information attached to them at the point of sale. That way, if a customer brings the item in for service while it is under warranty, you can send a claim to your supplier right from the solution and be reimbursed for what the warranty covers.

Similarly, if the manufacturer recommends preventative maintenance, Prophet 21 can automate the reminder process, sending e-mail notifications to customers at specified times to make them aware of maintenance due. And, if there is a certain labor process or technician associated with the service, you can set them as defaults, so whenever a service order is processed from your preventative maintenance schedule, the solution will automatically suggest them for the job.

Managing Service Schedules

Since you may have multiple technicians who specialize in different types of service, Prophet 21 includes functionality to help you monitor their schedules and preferences. You can create a business calendar that tracks typical business hours, as well as technicians' schedules, indicating time off, shifts scheduled, etc. There is also a time scheduler window that allows you to view open service orders in need of scheduling.

When you view a graphical display of technicians' availabilities in the time scheduler window, and drag and drop specific labor tasks into an open time slot, Prophet 21 automatically creates start and end times for the technicians to complete the associated labor. In addition, any parts associated with the service are immediately allocated in your inventory for the job.

Distributors who do not perform service in-house have the option of outsourcing service work to a third party by creating a service purchase order and sending to an external vendor.

Serial Number Tracking

Once your customer has purchased a serviceable item along with the necessary warranty, contract, and preventative maintenance programs, you must then efficiently provide the expected service. Prophet 21's service order module helps by tracking labor, technician, warranty, and service information and allowing you to set up everything from labor rates (i.e., regular, overtime, and premium) to technicians' schedules.

Since Prophet 21 attaches all relevant data (i.e., warranties, service contracts, etc.) to the serial numbers of items to be serviced, when they are entered into the system, the solution will automatically populate its fields with all available information. This way, when a customer brings an item in for service, your customer service representatives know whether the item is still under warranty, or if its service contract covers the necessary parts and labor, etc.

If a customer ever brings in a serviceable item that Prophet 21 does not recognize, your employees have the option of entering customer, item, and serial number information on the fly. And since serial numbers can change hands from one party to another, the solution allows you to transfer ownership to another customer.

For more information on Activant's enterprise software solutions, please fill out our Web Contact Form.

Back to Top