DOCUMENT 1 - ALL STAFF & UPPER MANAGEMENT

Work Order System - Full Team Overview

This document is for everyone on the team. Read it before our meeting. It explains what we are building, why, and what your role looks like in the system.

Why We Are Building This

Right now information moves between the technician, service manager, parts, and customer through paper, phone calls, and memory. Things get missed. Customers are not always told everything we found. We have no clean record of what was declined last visit, no easy way to compare estimated versus actual time, and no paper trail protecting us when a customer declined a repair that later caused a failure. This system puts every step of every job in one place - tracked, timestamped, and visible to the right people at the right time.

The Nine Steps Every Job Moves Through

Step	Who	What Happens
1	Service Manager	Captures customer problem, complaint, and any relevant notes
2	Technician(s)	Inspects unit, logs every finding as a locked tech note line
3	Service Manager to Customer	Presents findings, determines which tasks to get priced out
4	Service Manager to Parts	Sends structured quote request for all tasks flagged To Quote
5	Parts	Prices each part with multiple options (OEM, aftermarket, rush), adds markup and ETA
6	Service Manager to Customer	Builds formal quote, adjusts hours and part selections, presents to customer, records approvals and denials per task and per part
7	Parts	Orders all approved parts, tracks status from ordered through to received
8	Technician(s)	Executes approved tasks, clocks time per task, writes repair story, marks tasks complete
9	Service Manager	Notified all tasks are done; reviews actuals vs quote, builds invoice, emails to customer

Roles at a Glance

Role	Core Responsibility
Service Manager	Owns customer relationship, quoting, approvals, invoicing, and all outbound communication
Technician	Inspection findings (locked on submit), time clocking, repair execution and documentation
Parts	Parts options, pricing, markup, ETAs, order placement, and status updates
Upper Management	Full read access to all work orders, history, and reporting at any stage

One person can hold more than one role. Access adjusts automatically based on assigned roles.

Display and Sort Order - Every Screen, Printout, and Invoice

Approved tasks first - grouped by machine section (Engine, Hydraulics, Steering, Electrical, Brakes, Drivetrain, Undercarriage, Cab, Preventive Maintenance, Other). Within each section, tasks appear in the original order the technician entered them.
Denied tasks and denied parts always last - clearly labelled, never mixed with active work.

Notifications

Parts: New quote request assigned
Parts: Customer approvals recorded - go-ahead to order
Service Manager: Parts finished pricing - ready to build quote
Service Manager: All parts received - job ready for tech
Service Manager: All tasks complete - ready for invoice and closeout
Technician(s): Approved tasks and parts ready - work can begin
Upper Management: Configurable at any stage

Permanent History

Every closed work order is saved permanently to that unit's service history. Any future job on the same machine surfaces all past repairs, all previously declined items with date and quoted price at time of decline, all parts used, and estimated vs actual hours on every past job.

DOCUMENT 2 - SERVICE MANAGER

Service Manager - Your Role Guide

You are the hub of every work order. Every major transition flows through you and all customer communication originates from you.

Step 1 - Start the Work Order

Customer Concern Box

Write a clear specific description of what the customer reported. This appears on every document. Be specific: 'Customer states unit loses hydraulic pressure under load after 20 minutes' is far more useful than 'hydraulic issue.'

Plan of Attack Box

Set the initial authorization for the tech before they touch the machine:

Diagnosis only
Inspection only
Install pre-ordered parts
Full repair
Other (free text)

Step 2 - After Tech Inspection

Review each tech note line. For every line you must:

Assign a machine section group: Engine, Hydraulics, Steering, Electrical, Brakes, Drivetrain, Undercarriage, Cab/Operator, Preventive Maintenance, or Other
Flag the task as: To Quote, Not Requested, or Safety Critical
Send a quote request to parts for all tasks flagged To Quote

Step 3 - Review Parts Pricing and Build the Quote

When parts return pricing you see all options for each task side by side with the tech's labour estimate. You then:

Choose which part option to quote per line (OEM, aftermarket, or rush - you can mix across lines)
Adjust quoted labour hours up or down from the tech's estimate as you see fit - your number is what gets quoted
Add shop supplies, environmental fees, or other charges
Generate the quote grouped by machine section and email directly to the customer from within the system

Step 4 - Record Customer Decisions

Record Approved or Denied on each service task and each individual part line. This is the legal and financial record. Parts cannot order anything until this is complete.

Outbound Emails - Sent Directly From the System

All emails are logged to the work order with timestamp, recipient, and document version sent.

#	Document	When to Send	What It Shows
1	Inspection Findings Report	After tech notes complete, before quote	All findings by section. No pricing.
2	Customer Quote	After building the quote	Tasks by section, selected parts, labour, totals
3	Parts Status Update	When customer requests an update	Ordered, backordered (with ETAs), received by task
4	Invoice + Declined Summary	After closeout	Billed work by section with manager stories, totals, then declined items at bottom under 'Work Declined - Customer Record'

Step 5 - Closeout and Invoice

When all tasks complete you receive a notification. In the invoice builder you see per task:

Quoted hours and dollars vs actual hours and dollars - variance highlighted
Quoted parts vs parts actually used - variance highlighted
Tech's raw repair story on the left as reference; your customer-facing narrative field on the right

Declined items are automatic. All denied tasks and denied parts are pulled to the bottom of the invoice under 'Work Declined - Customer Record' showing task name, description, quoted price, and date the customer was informed. This prints and emails with every invoice automatically.

DOCUMENT 3 - PARTS TECHNICIAN

Parts Technician - Your Role Guide

You are the pricing and procurement engine of every work order. Nothing gets ordered until you price it and nothing ships until the customer approves it.

Step 1 - Receive the Quote Request

When the service manager flags tasks as To Quote, you receive a notification. You will see a structured list of every task that needs parts priced, organized by machine section. Each line includes the tech's description and estimated labour hours for context.

Step 2 - Price Every Task

For every task on the quote request, you provide multiple part options per line. For each option you enter:

Part number and description
Your cost
Markup applied (your standard or adjusted rate)
Option type: OEM, Aftermarket, or Rush/Expedited
Expected ETA from supplier

The service manager sees all options side by side when building the quote. They choose which option to present to the customer - you are not involved in that selection.

Step 3 - Handle Backordered or Delayed Parts

If a part is unavailable or delayed after initial pricing, update the status and enter any known ETA. The service manager and tech are automatically notified. Possible statuses:

Status	Meaning	What You Do
Ordered	PO placed with supplier	Enter expected arrival date
Backordered	Supplier has confirmed a delay	Enter expected date if known. Manager and tech see this automatically.
Received	Part is in your hands and confirmed correct	Mark received - triggers notification to service manager

Step 4 - After Customer Approvals

Once the service manager records customer decisions you receive a notification to proceed. You will see exactly which tasks and which part options were approved. Place orders only for approved parts - never order denied items.

Step 5 - Receive and Confirm Parts

When parts arrive, confirm each one against the work order line. Mark as Received in the system. When all parts for a work order are received, the service manager is automatically notified that the job is ready for the tech.

What You Never Do

You do not contact the customer directly. You do not decide which part option is quoted. You do not order anything before customer approval is recorded. All outbound communication to the customer goes through the service manager.

DOCUMENT 4 - TECHNICIAN

Technician - Your Role Guide

Your job in this system is to document everything you find, clock your time accurately, and execute approved work completely. The system is built around your findings - everything downstream depends on what you enter.

Step 1 - Review the Work Order Before You Touch the Machine

Before you begin, read:

The Customer Concern Box - what the customer actually reported
The Plan of Attack - your authorization level set by the service manager
Any service history for this unit - all previous repairs and declined items surface automatically

Step 2 - Inspection and Tech Notes (Locked on Submit)

As you inspect the machine, log every finding as a separate tech note line. For each finding include:

Clear description of what you found and where
Estimated labour hours to repair
Any parts you believe are needed (for context - parts will do final pricing)

Once you submit your inspection notes they are locked. You cannot edit them. This protects the integrity of your findings. If you need to add something, flag the service manager.

Step 3 - Clock Time Per Task

The system tracks time at the task level, not just per work order. For each approved task:

Clock in when you start that specific task
Clock out when complete or when you stop
Multiple clock-ins on the same task are supported (interruptions happen)
Your total clocked time per task is compared against the quoted hours at invoice time

Multiple technicians can clock time on the same task. The system tracks each tech separately and totals correctly.

Step 4 - Write Your Repair Story

When you mark a task complete, write a repair story in plain language describing what you did. Be specific and thorough - this is the raw record. The service manager uses it as reference when writing the customer-facing invoice narrative.

Step 5 - What You See (and What You Don't)

You See	You Don't See
Approved tasks grouped by machine section	Pricing or markup details
Denied tasks and denied parts - clearly labelled at the bottom	Customer contact information
Parts status for your approved tasks (ordered, backordered with ETA, received)	Quote amounts sent to customer
Service history for this unit	Invoice details

You Are Notified When

Your approved tasks have all parts received and work can begin
A new task is approved and added to your work order

DOCUMENT 5 - SOFTWARE DEVELOPER SPECIFICATION

Work Order System - Developer Specification

This document defines the data model, role permissions, workflow logic, and UI requirements for the digital work order system.

Core Entities

Entity	Key Fields
Work Order	ID, unit/machine ID, customer ID, status, created date, customer concern, plan of attack, assigned service manager
Tech Note	Work order ID, technician ID, description, estimated hours, machine section group, flag (To Quote / Not Requested / Safety Critical), locked (bool), submitted timestamp
Service Task	Work order ID, tech note ID, machine section, status (Pending / Approved / Denied), customer decision timestamp, customer decision recorded by
Part Line	Service task ID, option type (OEM / Aftermarket / Rush), part number, description, cost, markup %, quoted price, ETA, status (Quoted / Approved / Denied / Ordered / Backordered / Received), supplier
Time Entry	Service task ID, technician ID, clock-in timestamp, clock-out timestamp, duration calculated
Repair Story	Service task ID, technician ID, raw text (tech-facing), customer narrative text (manager-facing)
Email Log	Work order ID, document type, recipient, sent timestamp, document version snapshot

Role Permissions Matrix

Action	Service Mgr	Technician	Parts	Upper Mgmt
Create work order	Yes	No	No	Read only
Write customer concern / plan of attack	Yes	No	No	No
Submit tech notes	No	Yes	No	No
Edit tech notes after submit	No	No	No	No
Assign machine section / flag tasks	Yes	No	No	No
Price parts (all options)	No	No	Yes	No
Select quoted part option / adjust hours	Yes	No	No	No
Record customer approval / denial	Yes	No	No	No
Order parts	No	No	Yes	No
Update part status	No	No	Yes	No
Clock time per task	No	Yes	No	No
Write repair story	No	Yes	No	No
Build and send invoice	Yes	No	No	No
Send outbound emails	Yes	No	No	No
View all work orders	Yes	Own only	Own only	Yes

Workflow State Machine

Status	Trigger	Next Status
Draft	Service manager creates work order	Open - Awaiting Inspection
Open - Awaiting Inspection	Technician submits all tech notes	Inspection Complete
Inspection Complete	Service manager flags and sends to parts	Pending Quote
Pending Quote	Parts completes all pricing	Quote Ready - Awaiting Customer
Quote Ready - Awaiting Customer	Service manager records all customer decisions	Approved - Pending Parts
Approved - Pending Parts	All approved parts marked Received	Ready for Tech
Ready for Tech	All approved tasks marked Complete	Awaiting Invoice
Awaiting Invoice	Service manager builds and sends invoice	Closed

Display and Sort Logic (All Views)

Approved service tasks sorted by machine section: Engine, Hydraulics, Steering, Electrical, Brakes, Drivetrain, Undercarriage, Cab/Operator, Preventive Maintenance, Other. Within each section, preserve original tech entry order.
Denied service tasks and denied part lines always rendered last, clearly labelled. Never interleaved with active tasks.
This sort order applies to: tech view, service manager view, all printouts, customer quote, invoice, declined summary.

Notification Triggers

Event	Notify	Method
Tasks flagged To Quote sent to parts	Parts Technician	In-app + email
All parts pricing complete	Service Manager	In-app + email
Customer approvals recorded	Parts Technician	In-app + email
All parts received	Service Manager + Technician(s)	In-app + email
All tasks marked complete	Service Manager	In-app + email
Part status changes to Backordered	Service Manager + Technician(s)	In-app

Email System Requirements

All outbound customer emails generated from within the system by the service manager
Every email logged: timestamp, recipient, document type, version snapshot
Templates: Inspection Findings Report, Customer Quote, Parts Status Update, Invoice + Declined Summary
Invoice email automatically appends declined items section - always included, not optional
Multiple emails of same type allowed (e.g. updated quote after negotiation)

Invoice Builder Requirements

Per task: quoted hours vs actual clocked hours with variance indicator
Per task: quoted parts vs parts actually used with variance indicator
Tech repair story on left panel (read-only reference)
Manager customer narrative on right panel (editable)
All denied tasks auto-populate at bottom under 'Work Declined - Customer Record' - system-generated, not editable
Declined section shows: task name, tech description, quoted price at time of denial, date customer was informed

Permanent Service History

Every closed work order attached permanently to the unit/machine record
When new work order opened for same unit, surface all history automatically
History shows: all past repairs with dates, all declined items with date and quoted price at time of decline, all parts used, estimated vs actual hours per task per job

Integration Notes

This system is to be built as an extension of the existing program. Tech time clock integration should connect to the existing time tracking module. Role assignments should map to existing user accounts. All part pricing and markup editable per-line by the parts technician without affecting the master price list.