Summary

The Work Orders module can be set up to require that estimates be approved before they can become active work orders. Once estimates are turned into work orders, the estimates cannot be revised. You will not be able to add more estimates to a work order, and you will not be able to change a work order back into an estimate, so be sure you are certain you want to change the estimate into a work order before you approve it.

Step by Step

1     Create an Estimates Approvals batch.

• Select the Estimate Approvals palette in WO> Estimate Approvals. This will expand the Estimate Approvals palette and display the steps in the batch process.
• Select New from the Estimate Approvals batch number drop-down menu to create a new batch. This will open the New Batch window.
  • If there are open batches in the Estimate Approvals process, you can create a new batch without affecting the open batches.
• Enter a Batch Month and Batch Year. These fields default to the current calendar period and are used for reference only.
• Click the Generate icon to populate the Batch Number field with the next available batch number. Batch numbers are limited to five digits and must be unique within the batch month of the batch year.
  • You can also manually create a new batch by entering a Batch Number and clicking the Save icon.
• You can delete batches by selecting a batch and pressing DELETE.

2     Select the requisitions to approve.

• Open the Select Estimates window (WO> Estimate Approvals> Select Estimates).
• The Select Estimates window will display all of the estimates currently available for approval. If you do not see the desired estimate, confirm that the estimate status has been set to Ready for Approval (WO> Estimates> Estimates> open the estimate> Status field).
• Check the Selected toggle for each of the estimates you would like to approve.
• Click the Save icon when complete.

3     Approve Requisitions.

• Open the Estimates Approvals window (WO> Estimate Approvals> Estimates).
• The Estimates Approvals window will display all the estimates selected in the previous step.
• Highlight an estimate and click the Modify icon to edit the selected estimate.
• Click the Return icon to reject a highlighted estimate.
  • This will return the estimate to the Estimates process (WO> Estimates> Estimates). The estimate status will be changed from Ready for Approval to Returned. After the appropriate changes are made, the estimate can be resubmitted for approval.
  • Once resubmitted, the estimate can be approved in the original approval batch by running the Select Estimates step again.
• Click the Save icon when complete.

4     Print the Proof List. 

• Open the Print Proof List window (WO> Estimate Approvals> Proof List).
• The Proof List will display the Estimate Number, Description, Start Date, Due Date, Category, Billable status, and estimate and report totals for Labor, Equipment, Materials, and Services.
• Click the Print icon   to process the report immediately or enter a date and time in the field next to the Print icon to schedule the report to generate at a later time. You can view the progress of the report on the Job Viewer window (SS> Utilities> Show Scheduled Jobs).
  • Click the Print icon drop-down menu and select Print Preview to preview the report before printing.
  • Click the Print icon drop-down menu and select Excel to export the report data to an Excel spreadsheet as unformatted data.
  • Click the Print icon drop-down menu and select Excel (Formatted) to export the report data to an Excel spreadsheet that includes much of the Springbrook formatting found on the printed version of the report.
  • Once the report is generated, you can also display the report using the View Reports window (SS> Utilities> View Report).

5     Generate Work Flows.

• The Generate Work Flows step applies if only certain employees are allowed to commit an Estimate Approvals batch. For example, if you are a department clerk, but only the department head is allowed to actually commit an Estimate Approvals batch, then run the Generate Work Flow step to notify the department head that an Estimate Approvals batch is ready to be committed. If you do not use work flow, skip to the Commit step and commit the batch.
• Select Generate Work Flows on the palette. This will open an information window asking you to confirm your selection. Press ENTER or click the Confirm icon   to generate the work flows. This will create a job on the Jobs Viewer window.
• Once the job is complete, the work flow will be created.

6     Review Work Flows.

• The Review Work Flows step is used to view the estimates before committing the batch and is used in conjunction with the Generate Work Flow step. For example, a department clerk runs the Generate Work Flow step to notify the department head that estimates are ready to be approved. The department head receives an email that the batch is ready to be committed, so they go into the Estimate Approvals batch, review the estimates, and then commit the batch.
• Open the Review Work Flows window to review the estimates in the batch (WO> Estimate Approvals> Review Work Flows).
  • The work flow approver can also access the requisitions batch directly from the notification email or from the My Tasks window (My Tasks icon   on the application main menu).
  • Work flows are processed on the My Tasks window in the same manner as on the My Work Flows window (SS> Work Flows> My Work Flows).
• The Review Work Flow window displays the work flow generated by the Generate Work Flows step (WO> Estimate Approvals> Generate Work Flow).
• The Status column displays the status of the work flow. If the work flow is waiting to be approved, the Status will be New.
• The Author column displays the department clerk that created the work flow (this is the employee that ran the Generate Work Flow step). If the estimates are rejected, this is the employee that will receive the notification email that the estimates have been rejected.
• The type of work flow generated during the Generate Work Flow step determines what needs to be done to the estimates before the batch can be committed.
  • If the workflow is set up as an action step on your role (SS> Work Flow> Work Flow Templates), you will have to approve or reject the estimates in the batch before you can commit the batch.
  • If the workflow is set up as an information step on your role (SS> Work Flow> Work Flow Templates), the commit step will be enabled and the batch will be ready to commit. You will not be able to view the estimates in the batch or view the estimates detail. When the workflow is set up as an information step, skip the Review Work Flows step and commit the Estimate Approvals batch.
• If you have to approve or reject the estimates in the batch, highlight the workflow in the Review Work Flow window and press ENTER. This will open the Work History Proof List, displaying all of the estimates in the batch.
  • Review the estimates. Click the Print icon to generate a printed copy of the report.
  • From the Work History Proof List, click either the Approve icon or the Reject icon.
    • If you select Accept, the Commit step on the Estimate Approvals batch will be enabled.
    • If you select Reject, the author of the estimates (the department clerk that creates the estimates) will get an email notification that the estimates have been rejected. This will not reset the batch step of the Estimate Approvals process, but you will not be able to commit the batch (the Commit step will not be enabled). The department clerk will then go back into the Estimate Approvals batch, modify the estimates, and run the Generate Work Flows step again.

7     Commit the Estimate Approvals batch.

• The Commit step will not be enabled if the Generate Work Flows step creates an action work flow and the estimates in the batch have either not been approved or the estimates have been rejected.
• Open the Batch Commit window (WO> Estimate Approvals> Commit). Press ENTER or click the OK button to commit the Estimate Approvals batch. Use the Jobs Viewer window to view the progress of the Commit step.
• The approved estimate will now be accessible on the Work Order Maintenance window (WO> Work Orders> Work Orders).