Labor Operations

Configuration menu > Labor > Labor Operations

Labor operations are specific job inside of Labor Categories. The Category dropdown list is populated by the categories in the Labor Categories setting. For example, a specific kind of oil change (labor operation) would be inside of the oil change category. Therefore, you would select the oil change category and then create/modify the oil change labor operations within that category.

R.O. Writer comes with some labor operations already defined. You can create your own labor operations or modify the ones already in R.O. Writer.

For example, you can change the

Creating Labor Operations

Complete these steps:

  1. Select the labor category in the Category dropdown list and click Add. The description window remains blank but the system assigns an the Operation Code.
  2. Enter the complete Description:
    • Remember that the first line of the operation description is what appears as the name of the labor operation in dropdown lists throughout the system. Choose this first line carefully; it should be something like "OIL CHANGE 5W" and no more.
    • The full operation name is a combination of the Operation Code the system assigns and the first line of the description.
    • Press the ENTER key on the keyboard to move to the next line and enter as much description as you need. If the description is very long, use the up and down arrows on the keyboard to navigate through the Description field.
  3. After the description has been entered, press the Spell Check button just to make sure there aren't any typing mistakes.

  4. Enter the rest of the labor operation options.

  5. Click Save. The labor operation is saved and added to the Operation dropdown list.

  6. Click the Cancel button to close the window.

Labor Operation Options

The main components of labor operations are time and money.

Time

Is this operation to be charged at a specific number of hours, or is the price to be set, and the labor hours adjusted accordingly? If there is a specific amount of time that should be billed for this operation, maybe from a labor guide, enter that amount in the Time box.

If the labor operation needs to be for a specific amount of billable time:

Rate and Charge

Select the appropriate Labor Rate, and press the Calc Charge button. The appropriate cost of this operation will be calculated, and appear in the Charge box.

But what if the intent is to charge a specific amount of a job Let’s say there is a job that is done for $39.95. How are the billable labor hours entered? Enter $39.95 in the Charge box, select the appropriate labor Rate, and press the Calc Time button. The correct billable hours will appear in the Time box.

If the charge needs to be a fixed price, like an oil change, where the technician gets credit for a specified amount of billable time, the oil and filter used is included, and a fixed price is charged for the complete job. There are a couple of ways to accomplish this:

Check Menu for the associated parts. This means the price to the customer is 0.00 and the entire job is charged through the labor. In addition, this labor operation to appear on the Itemized Sales Report under the Menu Sales section.

The other way to accomplish this is to use Package Pricing, which ensures that the parts are taxed accordingly

Sublet

Sublet means labor performed by someone other than a technician or employee in your system. If another shop, such as a wrecker service or transmission shop, usually does this job for your shop, check the Sublet box.

Sublet labor is billed and tracked differently.

No Fees

If supply charges are routinely billed on labor (see Taxes and Fees), but are not to be charged on this labor operation, specify that by checking the No Fees box.

Taxable

Is this operation taxable? This is governed by individual state laws. Tax is calculated when the taxable box is checked. Be sure that the appropriate tax rate has been configured (See Taxes and Fees).

GST and PST

GST and PST checkboxes appear only if the GST/PST Taxes option is selected in International Options. PST and GST are Canadian taxes.

Oil Sticker

If the Oil Sticker option is checked, an oil sticker is printed along with the repair order automatically.

Parts Kit

If it is known that certain parts will always be used when performing a labor operation, these parts can be configured in a Parts Kit and the parts kit added to the repair order each time the labor operation is performed. Selecting the appropriate kit in the Parts Kit box does this.

Labor Lookup

The next feature works in conjunction with the Epicor parts and labor guide interface that is supported by R.O. Writer (see Labor Lookup). Labor operations may be linked to labor operations in the guide. To establish this link, click the Labor Lookup button. This will activate the parts and labor guide. Select the appropriate labor description, and click OK. When a labor operation has an association to the parts and labor guide, the labor description from the guide will appear above the Labor Lookup button.

Summary Report

The Summary Report allows you to break out sales for specific labor operations and parts department groups. Select the breakout checkbox if you wish to have sales from this labor operation be broken out on the Summary Report.

When the desired information has been entered, click the Save button. When the information has been saved, click the Cancel button to exit.

Deleting Labor Operations

You cannot delete labor operations; instead you make them inactive for R. O. Writer and/or Express by selecting the Inactive option.

Inactive labor operations

Locking the Price

The Labor Price Locking feature enables the ability to lock the price for labor once added to an estimate or repair order.

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