Overview
A pre-installation job covers any work that must be done prior to the main job. These are situations where a non-managed technician goes out to the service location ahead of the lead installer to do prerequisite work. One example of a pre-installation job is permit handling, where a permit needs to be posted in advance of the installation. Another example is an equipment drop-off to the job location before the work begins.
Who uses this feature
Office employees
Applies to all business types
Applies to all trades
Feature configuration
Account configuration is required to use certain aspects of this feature. To update your account, please contact Technical Support for details.
Set up pre-installation jobs
To better organize, manage, and handle pre-installation tasks, add specific job types and job hold reasons for pre-installation jobs. Then, set up a way to monitor jobs that are on hold to ensure that all pre-installation jobs are eventually completed.
Add job types
Create a job type specifically for each kind of pre-installation job. To continue using the examples above, create one job type called Equipment drop off and another called Permits.
For more, see Set up and use job types.
Add job hold reasons
In addition to a job type for each kind of pre-installation job, add a job hold reason for each. To continue with the examples above, add On Hold After Equipment Drop Off and On Hold for Permit Posting as job hold reasons.
For more, see Place a job on hold.
Monitor jobs
There are three ways to monitor jobs on hold to ensure they are closed out at the end of the process:
Create a report using the job dataset for the hold status(es) and job type(s) you have added so that no job is left behind.
Review the report every morning for the prior day and pull the report for the past 60 days. The report can be scheduled to be sent to someone who handles the closeout process within the organization. For more, see Reports.On the Search screen, search for jobs on hold and export that data.
On the Job Tray at the bottom of the Dispatch Board, click Hold to view jobs that are on hold.
For more, see Use the Job Tray.
Use pre-installation jobs
The person who made the sale completes the sales job, chooses Perform Work Later, and closes out the job.
An office employee goes to the estimate, sells it, books the job for the actual installation (not the pre-installation job), and assigns the lead installer to the job. For more, see Estimates and Sales FAQ.
An office employee adds the main installation job to a project. For more, see Manage projects.
From the project screen, an office employee books the pre-installation job by clicking Add Job and assigns a technician who is not a lead installer to the job.
The technician on the pre-installation job is dispatched to the job, arrives at the job, and (when done with the job) marks done for now, choosing the hold reason applicable to the pre-installation job. For more, see Place a job on hold.
The lead installer follows the usual technician workflow and completes the main installation job.
The next day, an office employee sees the pre-installation job(s) on the job report and closes them out. The designated office employee who reviews installation/project invoices should do another final check to make sure all project jobs are closed out.