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When you click Edit or New in the Task browser, MainBoss opens a window where you can enter information about a preventive maintenance task.
| Note: Much of the information specified in a task description will be used to create work orders for preventive maintenance jobs. For example, the labor and materials estimates in the task description will be used to make labor and materials estimates for generated work orders. Therefore, when you are preparing a task description, you might find it helpful to refer to the section Creating and Editing Work Orders, for explanations of how various kinds of information are used in work orders. |
The Task editor contains the following:
- Task: An identification code assigned to this task (15 characters maximum).
- Subject: A one-line description of the task.
- Description: This section is simply a large blank area where you can fill in all the work that should be done for this task. Most organizations write up task descriptions as step-by-step instructions or as check-lists of the operations that should be carried out during the job.
- Properties: This section specifies general information about the task.
- Work Duration: If you fill a value into "Work Duration", work orders generated from this task will add the given "Work Duration" to the prototype work order interval established in Administration —> Preferences —> Work Orders. For example, if the "Work Duration" for this unit is 1 day, you are saying that work on this unit takes one day longer than the "standard" interval set in your preferences. By default, the standard interval in your preferences is set to 1 day (meaning that the job will last a maximum of one workday). For more on setting work order preferences, see Work Order Preferences.
As a simple example, if you expect the task to take less than a day, set the "Work Duration" in this window to zero. This will add to the default work duration in your preferences to indicate a final work duration of one day or less.
- Work Cat.: The work category of the task. For more about work categories, see Work Categories.
- Access: An access restriction code. This may indicate to workers when the work can or can't be done, and any other restrictions on access to the work area. For more about access restriction codes, see Access.
- Priority: A priority code, indicating how urgent the work is. For more on priorities, see Priorities.
- Cost Ctr.: The cost center associated with this task, if any. For more about cost centers, see Cost Centers.
- Project: The project associated with this job, if any. For more about projects, see Projects.
- Labor: This section lets you record personnel assignments and estimates of labor costs for the task.
- Add Estimate: Lets you assign personnel to this task and/or specify labor costs. Clicking this button opens the same window that is used for assigning personnel to a work order. For more information, see Assigning Personnel to a Work Order.
- New Purchase Order: If some or all of the labor and materials are to be supplied by an outside contractor, you need to create a purchase order to send to that contractor in order to cover the labor and materials costs.
Since you are only creating a general task description rather than a real work order, MainBoss does not create an actual purchase order for the outside labor required by the task. Instead, MainBoss lets you record general information that can be used when creating actual purchase orders for any work orders resulting from this task. For more information, see Purchase Order Information in Tasks.
- Add Extra Estimate: Clicking this button lets you add an estimate of labor costs from an outside contractor.
Before you can use Add Extra Estimate, you must create a purchase order for the contractor using New Purchase Order (described previously). The labor costs will be added as an extra on this purchase order. When you click Add Extra Estimate, MainBoss displays a window where you can record information about the extra labor costs; for more about this window, see Extras on Purchase Orders.
- Edit: To use this button, first click an entry in the list of labor assignments, then click Edit. MainBoss opens a window where you can edit the labor assignment and/or cost estimate.
- Delete: To use this button, first click an entry in the list of labor assignments, then click Delete. MainBoss deletes the entry.
- Material: This section lets you specify the materials that you expect to use during the task. When MainBoss generates work orders from this task, the specified materials will be put on reserve for use during the job.
- Add Estimate: Clicking this button opens a window where you can assign materials to the task and estimate costs. This is the same window used in assigning materials to work orders. For more information, see Reserving Materials for a Work Order.
- New Purchase Order: If some or all of the labor and materials are to be supplied by an outside contractor, you need to create a purchase order to send to that contractor in order to cover the labor and materials costs.
Since you are only creating a general task description rather than a real work order, MainBoss does not create an actual purchase order for the materials required by the task. Instead, MainBoss lets you record general information that can be used when creating actual purchase orders for any work orders resulting from this task. For more information, see Purchase Order Information in Tasks.
| Note: The same purchase order can be used for both materials and labor from an outside contractor. |
- Add Extra Estimate: Clicking this button lets you add an estimate of material costs from an outside contractor.
Before you can use Add Extra Estimate, you must create a purchase order for the contractor using New Purchase Order (described previously). The material costs will be added as an extra on this purchase order. When you click Add Extra Estimate, MainBoss displays a window where you can record information about the extra material costs; for more about this window, see Extras on Purchase Orders.
- Edit: To use this button, first click an entry in the list of materials, then click Edit. MainBoss opens a window where you can edit the materials and/or cost estimate.
- Delete: To use this button, first click an entry in the list of materials, then click Delete. MainBoss deletes the entry.
- Close: This section specifies default information to be included in the "closing" area of the work order.
- Down Time: If the preventive maintenance work orders generated from this task are expected to result in a standard amount of downtime for all scheduled units, you can enter the expected downtime in this field.
- Repair Cd.: A default repair closing code. For example, if this task description describes an annual inspection process for a piece of equipment, you might set the default to a code that means "Inspection normal, no problems found." If workers do find a problem during the actual inspection, you can change the closing code when you close the work order; otherwise, you can leave the default code as it is.
- Closing Comments: Standard text to be filled into the "Closing Comments" area of any work orders generated using this task. As with "Repair Cd.", you might set the standard text to be "Inspection normal, no problems found." If workers do find a problem during the actual inspection, you can change the closing comments in the work order to describe the problem found; otherwise, you can leave the standard closing comments as originally provided by the task description.
- Assigned Units: This section specifies a set of pieces of equipment and/or spaces to which the task applies. For example, if the task describes monthly maintenance procedures for a forklift truck, the assigned units might list all of the trucks that require such maintenance.
- Add Unit: Clicking this button opens a window that lets you assign one or more units to this task. For a description of how to use this window, see Scheduling Units for Preventive Maintenance.
- Edit: To use this button, first click an entry in the list of assigned units, then click Edit. MainBoss opens a window where you can edit information about the assigned unit.
- Delete: To use this button, first click an entry in the list of assigned units, then click Delete. MainBoss deletes the entry.
- Select for Printing: Checkmarking this box indicates that you want the Select for Printing box checkmarked in all work orders generated from this task. For more information on Select for Printing in work orders, see Creating and Editing Work Orders.
- Save & New: Saves the current record and clears fields in the window so you can enter a new record.
- Clone: Copies most of the information from this task and creates a new task based on that information.
- Delete: Deletes the entire task description.
- Save: Saves the current record, but leaves all data as is. You can then continue to edit the same record.
- Cancel: Closes the window. MainBoss discards any information that you haven't already saved with Save.
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