System Initialization: Service Tab

Eralis Job allows companies to use the service facilities within SAP Business One to track customer equipment and create service calls. Companies can then use the functionality in Eralis Job to track the costs associated with the service work that is carried out. This provides the company with the ability to: 

• Accurately track the costs and value of service work 
• Track the productivity of their service technicians 
• Establish the profitability of service contracts they enter with their customers 

The Integrate to Service checkbox is the key to the integration. With this setting enabled, the user then has the option to create a job from a service call. There is no additional licensing cost to use the service call integration; it is included in the core Eralis Job functionality.  

The Enable Many Service Calls to One Job setting controls how service calls and subjobs are linked. With the option un-checked, the system will create a new master job and subjob for each service call that is created and linked to Eralis Job. With the option checked, the user can choose to create a new master job and subjob, or create a new subjob of an existing master job.  

The Enable Service Expenses setting is used to re-enable the Expenses tab on the Service Call form. When Eralis Job is installed, the Expenses tab becomes locked off by default so that no transactions can be processed against this tab. With this option enabled, the Expenses tab is re-enabled and users can record transactions in the tab. Please note that transactions recorded against this tab will not be displayed on the associated job if the service call is linked to a job. It is not recommended to have the Enable Service Expenses option checked as it is better to have all the expenses recorded in one place – in Eralis Job – rather than have some transactions against the job and some transactions against the service call.  

The Enable Subjob Resolution setting is used in conjunction with the web-based Eralis Anywhere application. In the Eralis Anywhere application, a service technician can mark a subjob as completed and enter the resolution details. If the subjob is linked to a service call, the Subjob Resolution form becomes available when this option in enabled. Related service calls can then be closed in a bulk process rather than on a one-by-one basis.  

The Determine Master Job from Contract Equipment Card setting is only available if Enable Many Service Calls to One Job is enabled. This option allows the company to define a master job against a service contract or against a customer equipment card. When a service call is created and linked to Eralis Job, the system will automatically determine the master job to use from the service contract or customer equipment card, and then create a new subjob linked to that master job. Having this option enabled provides greater efficiency in linking service calls and allows the company to track the true cost and profitability of a service contract, or the true costs of maintaining a piece of equipment.  

The Closed Job Status setting is used when a job is invoiced and closed from the Job Card entry screen. The Job Card entry screen allows the user to capture time, materials and resource entries for a subjob in one place, and then directly generate an A/R Invoice for the work done. The related service call (if applicable) and the associated job, will be subsequently closed. When the job is closed, the system will look at the status selected in this field and update the job accordingly.  

The Service Call Type setting is the flag that is used to link a service call to a job inside Eralis Job. When the user changes the Call Type field to one of the types marked on the grid, the system will then create a linked job inside Eralis Job and update the UDF fields on the service accordingly when the user clicks on the Update or Add button. If the service call type used is not marked on the grid, then no job will be created inside Eralis Job. 

The creation of service call types is done in the Service Call screen by clicking on the drop-down in the Call Type field and choosing the option Define New. Once the call types have been defined, the user needs to return to the Service tab of the Eralis Job setup screen to select which service call types should initiate a link between the service call and Eralis Job.