Using the Main Window

The toolbar and menus on the main window provide access to the most important functions of your day-to-day business.

The main toolbar.

The File and Quick Functions menus contain the same items as the main toolbar with the additions of the Time Clock and Daily Summary.

Pressing the F5 key refreshes the Work in Progress and Estimate in Progress screens.

Pressing the F7 key displays a Daily Summary of activity in the shop.

Toolbar Buttons

You can change the items that appear in the Configuration module under File > General Options. The table below describes the default toolbar buttons.

Button

Name

Description

The dropdown menu expanded from the History toolbar button.

History

History is an archive of saved estimates and closed and voided repair orders.

Click the down arrow to see more History options.

Local History	Click to open Local History. The customer, then vehicle search windows open where you search for the customer whose history you want to review.
Reprint History	Click to reprint estimates for repair orders.
Service History Check	Click to open a CARFAX Service History Report for a specific vehicle.

The WIP toolbar button.

WIP (Z)

Click to open the Work in Progress (WIP) window, which displays all open repair orders. Repair orders are removed from this window when they are finalized or voided.

The Estimates toolbar button.

Estimates

Click to open the Estimates in Progress Window, which displays all active estimates. Estimates are removed from this window when they are saved, deleted, or converted into a repair order.

The New repair order toolbar button.

New RO

Click to begin a new repair order.

The new estimate toolbar button.

New Est

Click to begin a new estimate.

The phone quote toolbar button.

Phone Quotes

Click to begin a new phone quote, which allows you to add parts and labor without entering a customer or a vehicle.

The Parts Invoice toolbar button.

Parts Inv

Click to begin a new parts-only invoice.

The Parts Estimate toolbar button.

Parts Est

Click to begin a new parts-only estimate.

The quick parts toolbar button.

Quick Part

Click to open Quick Parts, which accesses all stock, non-stock, or consigned parts that have been entered as inventory items. You can search for parts by part number, description, or alternate part number.

The calculator toolbar button.

Calculator

Click to open an on-screen calculator.

Calendar

Click to open a monthly calendar that helps you manage customer appointments.

This button appears if Scheduler is not enabled in Configuration.

The scheduler toolbar button.

Scheduler

Click to open the Scheduler that helps you manage customer appointments.

This button appears only when Scheduler is enabled in Configuration.

The notes toolbar button.

Notes

Click to open shop notes. If this button has a red check, there are notes for the current day. Click it to open the note.

The post ap toolbar button.

Post AP Invoice

Click to open the Accounts Payable posting function, which allows you to post parts from open repair orders to the Accounts Payable module.

Custom Buttons

Custom Buttons

You can add up to three custom toolbar buttons in the Configuration module in the File menu > General Options > Custom Buttons section. These buttons appear after the Post AP button(if it's visible) or after the Notes button (if Post AP is not visible).

NOTE: For the toolbar inside open estimates and repair orders, see Ticket Toolbar .

Quick Functions Menu

The following tables describes the items are only on the Quick Functions menu.

Name	Description
Time Clock	Click to open the Employee Time Clock.(This is the time clock for employees in general not the Labor Time Clock for jobs on repair orders.)
Daily Summary	Click to see a daily summary of your current activity. See Running a Daily Summary.

Windows Menu

The Windows menu contains items that control how windows display on the main window and some other windows you access from the main window.

The windows menu expanded.

The following tables describes the items are only on the Windows menu.

Menu Item	Description
Job Based Repair Orders	This switches the Jobs area of the Parts/Labor tab to the Job-Based View. This is the default and recommended view. Certain functionality works only in the job-based view.
Auto-Hide Toolbar	When selected, the Quick Launch does not display until you move your mouse cursor to the left of the screen.
Hide Parts and Labor Cost	When selected, the cost for parts and labor does not display in the system. In addition, the Cost column does not display in Tire Quote and Quick Parts. This item appears only if the Display Costs option is selected in Configuration.
Hide Package Discounts	Shows and hides Package Discounts.
Tile Horizontally Tile Vertically Cascade	Use these options to arrange the way the Estimates in Progress Window and the Work in Progress (WIP) Window are arranged. Select Tile Horizontally to place one window above the other. Select Tile Vertically to place these windows side by side. Select Cascade to place these windows stacked on top of each other.
Work in Progress Settings	These options allow you to save your adjustments to the Estimates in Progress Window and the Work in Progress (WIP) Window as the default for the next time you open R.O. Writer. See Customizing the WIP Window and see Customizing the EIP Window

Help Menu

The Help menu provides access to this help system as well as a number of other options.

The help menu expanded.

Menu Item	Click to…
Help	Open this Help system.
About	See version and license information; see About.
Check for New Version of R.O. Writer	Go to the Downloads section of the R.O. Writer web site where you can download the latest version of R.O. Writer.
R.O. Writer Updater	Launch R.O. Writer Updater, which downloads and performs relevant updates to R.O. Writer databases.

Quick Launch Panel

The Quick Launch provides access to repair lookup databases, online catalogs, other licensed modules such as Reporting, Configuration, and Inventory.

Click the button to expand and collapse each section.
Click the Windows menu > Auto-Hide Toolbar to hide this panel. The Quick Launch only pops out when you hover the mouse over the left side of the screen.

Quick Launch Sections

Repair	Catalogs	Quick Launch
Online repair lookups integrated with your system.	Parts catalogs integrated with your system.	R.O. Writer modules you have access to.
See Repair Section.	See Catalogs.

Repair

Catalogs

Quick Launch

Online repair lookups
integrated with your system.

Parts catalogs
integrated with your system.

R.O. Writer modules
you have access to.

The repair section in the quick launch.

See Repair Section.

the catalogs section in the quick launch.

See Catalogs.

the quick launch section in the quick launch.

You can customize what appears in the Quick Launch in Configuration > File menu > General Options > Quick Launch section.

NOTE: When you click a button that appears in the Quick Launch but you are not licensed to user, a window appears showing the vendors we integrate with.

This section contains the following topics: