Follow on Jobs - Custom Automation

The fantastic 'Automation' feature allows you to programme a series of jobs based upon conditional branching responses.  On the Detail tab of a Job you will already be used to completing both the Positive and Negative Results fields. 

When set up appropriately in the back office, these responses can be used to trigger an automatic job, or series of jobs, until the desired outcome is reached.

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Below is a video giving a high level overview of the feature, with more detailed instructions beneath.

Step 1 - Creating Job Types

Begin in the back office by:

• Navigating to:[Top menu] Profile (icon) → Admin Settings → [side menu] → Schedule → Job Types.

Complete the fields on the Detail tab as usual:

You can either use an existing job type that is set up, or create a new one. The above image shows results that could necessitate a new Job being created, in practice a new job would be triggered in this scenario on a negative result ie 'Additional parts required' and 'Replacement boiler needed'.

Please note that although the additional Jobs above were for Negative results, Automation for Follow On Jobs can also be used for Positive results, if appropriate to the Job Type selected. For example, if used in a sales appointment scenario, a Positive result could be 'Opportunity Over 500' results in an automated follow on Job Type of 'Corporate Sales Follow Up'.

Step 2 - Adding a WorkSheet and Custom Fields

If you are using an existing job type, you can jump to step 3. Once you have created your Job Types you may typically wish to add one or more WorkSheets to attach to the Job Type. To do this:

• Navigate to:[Top menu] Profile (icon) → Admin Settings → [side menu] Schedule → Worksheets → Add/Edit

For more detailed information on creating a WorkSheet, please read the dedicated article. When you have finished, your WorkSheet will look something like this:

Now return to Job Types and attribute your WorkSheet to the appropriate Job Type:

Custom Fields can be added by:

• Navigate to:[Top menu] Profile (icon) → Admin Settings → [side menu] → Schedule → Job Custom Fields → Job Type → Add/Edit

Step 3 - Adding Automation

Once the previous steps have been completed, you can set up the trigger points for Automation. 

• Navigate to:Select Profile [icon] → Admin Settings → [side menu]→ Schedule → Job Types → [tab] Automation and then click the 'Add' icon:

   Section A - allows you to set up the scenario in which the Automation for the follow on Job would be triggered.  You will note that all fields are mandatory

Section B - Field mapping. This is the information from the original Job which you would wish to be copied across to all follow on jobs, eg Contact information, constraints, etc All fields are mandatory and most have yes/no answers.

Section C - Manual mapping allows you to add in additional information which wasn't relevant to the original Job which triggered the Automation

1. Options are 'Completed' or 'Completed with issues'
2. The selections available from the dropdown list are the Positive (Completed) and Negative (Completed with issues) results which you input on the Detail tab of the Job Type.  eg if a Boiler Service was unsuccessful because it requires a total replacement, you would select 'Replacement boiler needed' as the Comment.
3. Choose the Job you wish to automatically create eg if 'Replacement boiler needed' was the Comment, you would select 'Boiler Installation' as the automatic follow on Job.
4. Do you wish the original and follow on Job(s) to be grouped together yes/no.
5. The new Job can immediately be placed on the Schedule against the triggering Resource, with or without their assistant, or go into Unallocated on the side menu.
6. Select whether this should appear under the Job Contact or a Parent Contact
7. Do you want the original Job description to be copied over to the new Job, yes/no?
8. Do you want the original Invoice items to be copied over to the new Job, yes/no?
9. Do you want the Planned Stock, Actual Stock, or no Stock & Equipment to be copied over to the new Job.
10. Do you want the original Job group to be copied over to the new Job, yes/no?
11. Do you want the original Sales Opportunity to be copied over to the new Job, yes/no?
12. Do you want the original Skill Constraints to be copied over to the new Job, yes/no?
13. Do you want the original Vehicle Constraints to be copied over to the new Job, yes/no?
14. Do you want the original Attachments to be copied over to the new Job, yes/no?
15. Do you want the original Flag to be copied over to the new Job, yes/no?
16. Do you want the original Custom Fields to be copied over to the new Job, yes/no?
17. Do you want the original WorkSheets to be copied over to the new Job, yes/no?
18. Mapping options for dependent fields will be determined by your selection in 'Fields type' and on the responses which you set up in the back office/Resource notes.  For 'Original job' the 'Field type' options are

For the 'New job' they are:

An example completed form might look like this:

In order to easily identify which jobs have been created by the automation, the job reference for the job that triggered it is included in the comment under the activity tab.