TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Enable the feature
- Activate Dispatch Workflow
- Auto Activate Booking Dispatch Workflow When Booking Is Confirmed
- Days To Invoice options
- Contact fields
- Master Check Out and Master Check In
- Dispatch Workflow and the Dispatch Edit Window
- New Dispatch Module window
- Delivery Method
- Collection Method
- Dispatch window additions
- Access the Object window from the Dispatch
With version 7.1 onwards and if the EMT module is licensed, this new feature "Dispatch Workflow" is now available.
The "Dispatch Workflow" allows to establish Booking buffers by specifying Preparation Date, Delivery Dates and Collection Date and Return Dates. Those dates will then be integrated into the Dispatch Module allowing to organize the Preparation, Delivery or Collection Task per date.
Enable the feature
To be able to use the new Dispatch Workflow it has to be enabled on each Booking Name Template where it is needed: Go to Toolbox > Settings tab > Booking Defaults > Booking Names & Customs > Select a name and Edit or Modify. In the Booking Setup window tick the checkbox: "Dispatch Workflow".
Below the checkbox you can set Dispatch Custom Field templates for the linked Dispatch:
"Default Custom Fields For Check Outs" and"Default Custom Fields For Check Ins". Those have to be setup previously in the Dispatch module. The Custom Fields won't be accessible from the Booking Window, they will just appear in the linked Dispatch.
Once this option is enabled the Booking window will show new options in the right lower part of the window:
Activate Dispatch Workflow
By toggling this switch farmerswife will create a Master Check Out and Master Check In for this Booking. The corresponding dates for those Dispatches are taken from the dates set below.
Once the Dispatch Workflow is activated, the toggle switch disappears.
If you don't want to start the process by toggling the switch, there is a setting that will automatically initiate the process if your workflow includes using planning, preliminary and confirmed Booking Statuses:
Auto Activate Booking Dispatch Workflow When Booking Is Confirmed
This new setting is enabled a Master Check Out and a Master Check In are created as soon as this Booking is set to a Confirmed (Sub)Booking Status.
If the Booking is created by default in a confirmed Global Booking Status, the "Activate Dispatch Workflow" toggle switch is turned off and needs to be set to active manually. Or the Booking Status has to be changed to a not confirmed Global Booking Status and back to a confirmed one.
The Preparation Date and Delivery Date correspond to the Booking Start Date and are synchronized to match each other. Likewise, the Collection Date and Return Date are based on the Booking's End Date and are synced to reflect the same timeline. However, you can override this synchronization by clicking the lock icon and choosing different dates for each set as needed.
The difference between the original booked time range and the newly set preparation or collection and return time will be shown as buffer times in the booking color in a striped pattern in the New Object Tree and Project Tree.
You can decide if you’ll manage the delivery yourself or let the client pick up the gear. The same choices apply for the Collection date, making it easy to adapt to different situations.
If you need to add or modify these options, just go to the field settings and click on the Server Setup button. This allows you to quickly customize how you handle deliveries and collections right within the system. Choose Other to quickly add an one off option, that should appear in the corresponding Dispatch.
These new features make managing equipment logistics smoother and more adaptable to your specific needs. Both the Delivery or Collection method are displayed in the corresponding Dispatches.
Add a note for specified needs through the Edit Note button: This note will also show in the Dispatch itself.
Days To Invoice options
- "Invoice Days As Booked" if ticked, it will take the Booking Start Date and the Booking End Date and calculate the amount of days between them. (If a Preparation date has been set the Booking Start Date will be the Preparation date).
- With Client: xx Days: It calculates the amount of days between the Delivery Date and the Collection Dates, as those are the days that the equipment will be with the client, and the client will only be charged those days.
- Select Days: Use the "Select Days" option to quickly apply a default amount to all equipment. For custom amounts, choose "Other" to set your own value.
Contact fields
The Contact fields in the lower right part of the Booking come from the Project, but can be set to match a new client or edited directly from there. A Collection Address can be set by clicking on the lock icon in front of the Delivery Adress, if the collection of the equipment is in a different location. The field is connected to the Contact database and by starting to type some letters, farmerswife will suggest already existing Contacts.
Master Check Out and Master Check In
Compared to the EMT workflow where there is only one Check Out created when clicking on the "Create Dispatch" button, in this new workflow two Dispatches are created to enable to work on daily task of preparation, delivery, collection and return.
This new workflow will create two Dispatches, a Master Checkout that will hold the Preparation Date and Delivery Date and the Master Check In that will hold the Collection and Return Date.
Once the toggle switch is set to active the Master Check Out is shown with its Dispatch Number as a blue link right next to the Preparation and Delivery Dates and is clickable. A yellow mouse over will show the Status of the Dispatch, which will be by default "Requested".
The Master Check In will be shown next to the Collection and Return Dates, also as a clickable link in blue, and the yellow mouse over will show its actual Status, which by default is set to "Requested".
On the Master Check Out whenever the Status is changed to anything other than Requested a little square box will show in front of the Dispatch Number in the Booking window displaying a color:
- yellow for "In Preparation" and "In Preparation (No Swapping)"
- green for "Ready"
- a red box with a white arrow pointing upwards for "Dispatched"
- a yellow warning triangle for "Overdue"
- The "Pending" status does not display any color or icon
If a Sub Status have been given from the Dispatch Module, those can be seen in the yellow mouse over.
Default Sub Status for Check Outs are:
- Being Delivered
- In Transit
- Delivered
Default Sub Status For Check Ins are:
- Being Collected
- In Transit
- Collected
Custom Statuses can be set directly from the Master Check-Out by selecting "Other" or "Setup" to create new sub-statuses according to your needs.
To do so, go to the Dispatch Module > Status > Server Setup:
Those Sub Statuses will be displayed in the Status Column in the Dispatch Module.
Dispatch Workflow and the Dispatch Edit Window
Both the Master Check Out and Check In will have a blue indication text at the top right corner inside of the Dispatch Edit window "Dispatch Workflow Booking", marking it as a Dispatch with a Dispatch Workflow Booking associated.
By clicking on this link, you will get to the Booking window to be able to change any of the four dates available. It is not possible to change the Date of the Dispatch from the Dispatch module, any change has to be done on the corresponding (EMT) Booking.
Next to the blue link to the EMT Booking you will find the Check In and Check Out icon which allows to quickly navigate to either of them.
New Dispatch Module window
By default the Advanced Search view is ticked, however if using the Dispatch Workflow, it is recommended to activate the cleaner view that allows to search for the daily tasks around Preparation, Delivery and Collection/Return of equipment.
You can search by specific daily tasks such as Preparation, Delivery, Collection, and Return. Use the checkboxes to select all, combine, or sort by them individually.
The task that needs to be completed on the selected date will be highlighted in yellow.
You can also search for a specific time range that will show you all tasks in the time range, Dispatches which have set any of their dates outside of the time range chosen, will not be displayed.
The main Search field will clear the date field data and return any Dispatch that matches the search. You can search for Dispatches from a certain Client or Project or any Note or Custom Field data. If you need to search more specific, use the Advanced Search.
Use the Edit View in the drop down menu to display all needed information:
New options to select:
New Dates options coming from the Dispatch Workflow Booking:
- Preparation / Date And Time
- Delivery / Date And Time
- Collection / Date And Time
- Return / Date And Time
On Day Activities: The specific action to be performed on the chosen date.
Example: Date selected 21.6, which is a "Preparation" On Day Activity.
The same Dispatch will appear in the list for the following date, showing "Delivery" as On Day Activity.
Delivery Method
Default options to choose are:
- Delivery By Us
- Delivery By Courier
- Delivery By Client
Additionally, there's an "Other" option that enables inputting any text, while the Setup option permits adding new default options and rearranging existing ones.
Collection Method
Default options to choose are:
- Collection By Us
- Collection By Courir
- Collection By Client
Additionally, there's an "Other" option that enables inputting any text, while the Setup option permits adding new default options and rearranging existing ones.
Use the Overdue Items button to initiate a search for all overdue Objects. Automatically the Maximum Hits When Searching are set to No Limits.
Check the Show Items checkbox to show all items involved in a Dispatch.
Using this new option on Bookings that already have a Check Out associated with it is supported. However there will be no Master Check In created.
Dispatch window additions
Set a Box Number
A dropdown menu has been incorporated beside the "Add Object (Inv. Number):" field labeled "Box." You now have the option to choose from "None" (default), select a number between 1 and 10, or choose "Other" to input a different number.
First choose a Box Number and then start scanning. If the items are already inside of the Dispatch then you only need to verify them, by first selecting the desired box and then start scanning.
If for some reason you need to add the boxes after all items have been verified, highlight the line items, right mouse click > Set Box > Select a number and the Box Number will be applied afterwards.
This Box number has also been added to the Edit Dispatch window as a column next to the "Status" column.
The element "D:[Box]" has been added to the Element Row section which makes it possible to print out the Box number in the Dispatch Report. Sorting by Box Number is also possible through the Options button inside of the Dispatch report: "Sort By Box".
Two additional elements have been added to the Dispatch Report Header section:
"D:[Box Weights]" and "D: [Amount Of Boxes]".
The Box weights will sum up the weight of each individual item that is inside of the box if there is an Object Custom Field called: "Weight".
If you highlight an Object line and use Cmd+C you can copy the Inventory easily and use Cmd+V to paste it to another field.
Access the Object window from the Dispatch
By double clicking on the Object line, it will open up the Object window from the Dispatch itself.