Service Stages

A service stage is a step in the life of a service order. The stages you define are the workflow of your shop: where a repair starts, which steps it can go through, and what is allowed at each step.

Every order is always in exactly one stage. Moving an order next takes it to a stage that follows its current one. Moving it back returns it to the stage it came from. Each stage can also decide what the order may do while it is there, for example that it cannot be changed once the repair is ready, or that it can only be invoiced at the very end.

An example workflow

Received
├── Diagnosis
│   └── Awaiting approval
│       └── In repair
│           └── Ready
└── Canceled

• Received is the initial stage: every new order starts here.
• From Received an order can go to Diagnosis, or to Canceled. Two stages after the same stage are two choices at that point.
• From Diagnosis it goes on to Awaiting approval, then In repair, then Ready.
• Moving back from In repair returns it to Awaiting approval.

Opening the page

Go to Service management > Setup > Service stages.

You need the privilege read service stages to see the page and create service stages to add, change or delete stages. Ask your system administrator to grant them to your role (see Roles).

What you see

Column	Meaning
Code	A short identifier, for example IN-REPAIR.
Description	The stage's name as people will read it.
Parent stage	The stage an order comes from. None (initial stage) for the first stage.
Modify	The order and its lines can be changed while it is in this stage.
Cancel	The order can be cancelled.
Delete	The order can be deleted.
Move lines	Lines can be moved to or from the order.
Post	The order can be posted for invoicing.
Reason required	Moving the order into this stage needs a reason (see Service setup lists, service stage reason codes).

The toolbar works as on the other setup pages: Back, Save, New, Edit, Delete and Refresh.

The Workflow view

Beside the list, the Workflow panel draws the stages as a tree: the initial stage at the top, the stages that follow it indented below, and branches where several stages follow the same one. Under each stage's name, short tags show what sets it apart: Can post, Reason required, Locked (cannot be modified).

The stage you select in the list is outlined in the tree. The tree updates as soon as you save a change. Use the Workflow button in the toolbar to show or hide the panel, and drag its edge to resize it.

Use it to check a workflow at a glance: that there is one start, that the branches are where you expect, and that only the stage where an order is finished can post.

Set up a workflow

Build it from the start to the end:

1. Add the initial stage first. Select New, type a Code and Description, leave Parent stage as None (initial stage), and Save.
2. Add the next stage. Select New, type its code and description, choose the stage that comes before it as Parent stage, and Save.
3. Repeat for each step. To offer a choice, add several stages with the same parent.

Rules:

• There is exactly one initial stage. Trying to add a second one is refused: every other stage needs a parent.
• The parent is chosen when the stage is created and cannot be changed afterwards. If you chose the wrong parent, delete the stage and create it again.
• Code: 1 to 20 letters, digits, hyphens or underscores; saved in capital letters; unique; fixed once saved.
• Description: required, up to 200 characters.

What a stage allows

Tick the boxes for what an order may do while it is in that stage. A new stage starts with every action allowed and no reason required. Typical choices:

Stage	Suggested rules
Received, Diagnosis, Awaiting approval, In repair	Everything allowed except Post.
Ready	Post allowed, Modify off so the charges are not changed after the customer was told the price.
Canceled	Everything off except Delete, and Reason required on, so you always learn why.

Tick Reason required on any stage whose entry should be explained: cancellations, going back a stage, "customer declined".

To change the rules later, select the row, choose Edit, change the ticks or the description and Save. The code and the parent stay.

Allow posting at the end only

If Post is ticked only on the last stage, nobody can invoice an order before it has gone through the whole workflow.

Delete a stage

Select the row and choose Delete, then confirm. A stage cannot be deleted while:

• another stage still follows it. You see The stage … has … stage(s) after it. Delete or move those stages first, starting from the end of the workflow;
• orders are in it. You see a message with the number of records that use it.

If something goes wrong

You see	What to do
The workflow already has an initial stage. Choose a parent stage for this one.	Pick the stage that comes before the new one in Parent stage.
The chosen parent stage no longer exists. Refresh the page.	The parent was deleted by someone else. Refresh and choose again.
A service stage with the code … already exists.	Choose a different code, or edit the existing stage.
The stage … has … stage(s) after it and cannot be deleted.	Delete the stages that follow it first.

Good practice

• Keep the workflow short and in the order work really happens. Five to seven stages are usually enough.
• Make the names say what is happening, not who is responsible: Awaiting approval, not Manager.
• Add a Canceled stage next to your first stage, with Reason required, so cancelled jobs are never a mystery.
• Think of the last stage first: it is where the order is finished and posted. Give it the Post permission and few others.

Related

• Service setup lists: the service stage reason codes used when a stage requires a reason.
• Service management concept