Scheduler Setup
Click Configuration menu > Scheduler Setup.
Watch the following video to see how you can configure Scheduler to suit your shop's business.
For more videos, click the following link: Training Videos About Scheduler.
Enabling Scheduler
In Configuration, click Configuration menu > Scheduler Setup > Enable Scheduler to turn on the Scheduler program. On the main toolbar in R.O. Writer, the Scheduler button replaces the Calendar button .
Scheduler Options
In Configuration, click Configuration menu > Scheduler Setup > Scheduler Options.
Shop Hours
For each day of the week, set the Start Time and End Time.
If the shop is closed on that day, check Closed. The Start Time and End Time fields disable.
Scheduler Hours
The Scheduler Hours section is where you set the number of hours you can see on the calendar of the Scheduler window for each day. You can set the calendar to more hours than your shop is open to customers.
Set the Start Time and End Time.
On the Scheduler window, open hours appear in light gray, and closed hours are blocked out in dark gray.
In the Display Last ... Days setting, enter the number of days you can see past appointments on the Scheduler window. For example, enter “30” for 30 days. This field is limited to two digits. If you try to enter more than two digits, the third digit will not appear in the field.
Miscellaneous Settings
The highlight settings determine how highlighting works in the technician section of each labor line on the Parts/Labor Tab. You can decide how you want to highlight the fact that the labor is scheduled or unscheduled.
Highlight Setting | Description |
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Highlight Tech on Unscheduled Labor |
If the job is not scheduled, a red box appears in the technician code section of the labor line.
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Highlight tech on Scheduled Labor |
If the job is scheduled, a red box appears in the technician code section of the labor line. |
Don't Highlight Labor |
The red box never appears in the technician code section of the labor line. |
For example, if Highlight Tech on Unscheduled Labor is selected, the labor lines look like this in the Jobs section of the Parts/Labor tab:
- The scheduled labor line does not have a red box in the technician section.
- The unscheduled labor line has a red box in the technician section.
The Locked Closed R.O. setting prevents you from updating appointments linked to closed repair orders. It is unchecked by default.
Appointment Reminder Emails
Settings | Description |
---|---|
Send Reminder if Due in Next |
Enter the number of hours in the blank field. This is the number of hours before the appointment that the email reminder should be sent. Reminders are not sent until the Send Reminders toolbar button is clicked on the Scheduler window. To make sure all your upcoming appointments are emailed, open Scheduler and click the Send Reminders toolbar button each day. |
Send Confirmation After New |
Select to send confirmation emails when appointments are scheduled.
|
Send Confirmation When Updated |
Select to send confirmation emails when appointments are rescheduled.
|
Add/Edit Resources
You can configure resources such as bays and/or specialized equipment.
To Add Resources
Complete these steps:
- In Configuration, click Configuration menu > Scheduler Setup > Add/Edit Resources.
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On the Resources window, select the resource in the dropdown list.
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Click the Add button to add a new resource.
- Enter a Resource Code and a Resource name.
- Select a color for the resource in the Color dropdown list.
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It’s important to choose distinct colors for each resource so that they are easy to distinguish from each other on the Scheduler window.
- Click Save.
NOTE: You should also assign colors to each technician in Technician Configuration.
Add/Edit Appointment Status
These statuses apply only to appointments and not to tickets. The ticket status is independent of the appointment status. When the ticket status changes, that change applies only to the ticket and not to the appointment.
The appointment status does not change the ticket status until the repair order is finalized. At that time, the appointment status is changed to CLOSED.
To Add Appointment Statuses
You can configure statuses such as Scheduled or Waiting for appointments.
Complete these steps:
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In Configuration, click Configuration menu > Scheduler Setup > Add/Edit Appointment Status.
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To add a new status, click the Add button. The fields on the window clear.
- Enter a Status Code and a Status name.
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If desired, select a Picture in the dropdown list. This image displays on the appointment with the Status description.
The image also displays on the appointment tile.
- Click Save.
NOTE: When no status is selected for an appointment, R.O. Writer defaults to a status of Open and changes to Closed when the appointment is linked to an estimate that is saved or to a repair order that is finalized.
Additional Scheduler Configuration
After you have enabled and configured Scheduler Setup, you need to set up additional items in Configuration such as
- Assigning Colors to Technicians
- Prompting to Create Future Appointments After Finalizing
- Printing Appointment Reminder Stickers
- Password Protecting Functions in Scheduler
Assign Colors to Technicians
You may need to edit your technicians to assign them colors for Scheduler. If technicians are already assigned colors, those colors appear in Scheduler automatically.
Complete these steps:
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Select Configuration menu > Labor > Technicians.
- Select a Technician in the dropdown list.
- In the Color dropdown list, select the color for the technician.
- Choose distinct colors for each technician and resource so they are easy to distinguish from each other on the Scheduler window.
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The default color for text is black. Check Reverse Text if you select a dark color for the technician. Checking Reverse Text makes the text white so that it can be seen on the dark technician color.
- Dark color with reverse text:
- Light color with the default (black) text:
NOTE: Technicians marked as inactive do not appear in Scheduler.
Prompt to Create Future Appointments After Finalizing
You can have R.O. Writer create a future appointment when you finalize a repair order. In the Configuration module, select Configuration menu > Repair Order > Required Entries > Finalize section > Schedule Appointment.
When you finalize a repair order,
- If you select Prompt, you are prompted to schedule a future appointment.
- If you select Always, R.O. Writer automatically opens a new appointment window.
- If you select Never, R.O. Writer does not prompt you to create a future appointment or open a new appointment window.
Print Appointment Reminder Stickers
R.O. Writer can print appointment stickers for windshields to remind customers of their next scheduled appointment. You can use the same label printer and stickers used to print oil stickers.
Password-Protect Functions in Scheduler
In the Configuration module, select Configuration menu > Security > Security Levels > Scheduler.
Click the plus sign to see the functionality that can be password-protected in Scheduler. The list of functionality expands for each item.
Select each item and enter the desired security level for that functionality from 0–9.
- 0 requires no password
- 5 (and higher) requires a password
- 9 requires a password and is the highest level of security