AllsystemsMax Pro User guide 2017

TABLE OF CONTENTS

QUICK START GUIDE ..............................................................................................................................4 First Look .............................................................................................................................................5 APPLICATION MENU BAR .......................................................................................................................7 File........................................................................................................................................................8 Setup Current Company ..............................................................................................................10 Company Information ............................................................................................................12 Tax Schedule .........................................................................................................................13 Default Labor Rates ..............................................................................................................14 Additional Fees ......................................................................................................................15 Inventory Control ...................................................................................................................17 Work Flow ........................................................................................................................19 Split Pricing ............................................................................................................................21 Invoicing (multi-tab) ...............................................................................................................23 Numbering & Copies .......................................................................................................24 Text ...................................................................................................................................26 Comments ........................................................................................................................28 Graphics ...........................................................................................................................29 Header Image Configuration .....................................................................................31 Tracking..................................................................................................................................32 Administrator Utilities ...................................................................................................................34 Administrator Password Window ...........................................................................................36 Mail Server Setup ..................................................................................................................37 Control User Access ..............................................................................................................39 Inventory ................................................................................................................................40 Automatic Refresh .................................................................................................................42 Workstation Assignments ......................................................................................................43 Edit .....................................................................................................................................................44 Customers/Vehicles .....................................................................................................................45 Merge Customer into.. ...........................................................................................................48 Merge Vehicle into.. ...............................................................................................................49 Employees ...................................................................................................................................50 Technicians ............................................................................................................................51 Details- Locate .................................................................................................................53 Details- Other...................................................................................................................54 Details- TimeClock ...........................................................................................................55 Vendors ........................................................................................................................................56 Details- Locate .......................................................................................................................57 Details- Account .....................................................................................................................58 Labor ............................................................................................................................................59 Details ....................................................................................................................................61 Parts .............................................................................................................................................63 Details ....................................................................................................................................65 Sublet ...........................................................................................................................................67 ServiceWriter/Workstation Settings .............................................................................................69 Page #1 .................................................................................................................................70 Page #2 .................................................................................................................................71 Page #3 .................................................................................................................................72 Purchase Orders ..........................................................................................................................73 1. UnPosted Only ..................................................................................................................74 2. Posted,not Paid .................................................................................................................77 3. Paid....................................................................................................................................81 2

Purchase ............................................................................................................................................82 Help ....................................................................................................................................................84 THE TABBED NOTEBOOK (5 tabs) .......................................................................................................85 Tab 1: Schedule .................................................................................................................................86 Rescheduling a Repair Order......................................................................................................88 Tab 2: Repair Orders .........................................................................................................................89 Start New Repair Order...............................................................................................................90 Packages aka 'kits' ......................................................................................................................93 Estimates .....................................................................................................................................95 Line Items ....................................................................................................................................97 myCARFAX Service History ........................................................................................................99 Traditional Invoice Format or Subtotaling by Job- Your choice at all times ...............................101 Procedures .................................................................................................................................103 Tab 3: Final Invoices .......................................................................................................................107 Tab 4: Reports .................................................................................................................................109 Tab 5: Contact Manager ..................................................................................................................112 CONCEPTS ...........................................................................................................................................114 A. The Power Grid ..........................................................................................................................115 The power of 'groupable' spreadsheets ....................................................................................116 Spreadsheet functions ...............................................................................................................117 Saving and Restoring Custom layouts ......................................................................................118 B. Inventory Control .........................................................................................................................119 Returns .......................................................................................................................................120 Inventory Setup and Entry of New Parts ..................................................................................121 How Inventory onhand quantities increase and decrease ........................................................122 Maintaining stock on hand ........................................................................................................123 Purchase Orders ........................................................................................................................124 Inventory Core Handling ............................................................................................................125 C. The Date Selectors .....................................................................................................................126 D. The Tech Planner .......................................................................................................................127 E. Mobile App ..................................................................................................................................129

3

QUICK START GUIDE Follow these 4 steps to get up and running:

1. Visit the AllsystemsMax Pro website at http://www.allsystemsmax.com, and click the 'Price/Download' button near the bottom left of the home page. 2. Click the 'Download Now!' button to download 'setup_AllsystemsMax_v9.n.n.n.exe'. 3. After download is complete click on 'setup_AllsystemsMax_v9.n.n.n.exe' found either at bottom left of the screen, or in your Downloads folder. 4. The first time you install AllsystemsMax Pro you must select 'Full Installation' and include the MySQL server. You only install the software on one File Server, but thereafter you can purchase additional licenses and install on as many additonial Windows Workstations as you need. On additional Windows workstations you must select 'Local installation, without MySQL Server'. Installation on Mobile Devices, both android and iPhone is handled differently.

More about the mobile app can be found in the Concepts section found at the end of this manual, in Section E: Mobile App. About this document... This document follows the organization of the software itself, by covering the two main sections, Application Menu Bar and Tabbed Notebook, in which you will do all your work. That is followed by the Concepts section, which discusses topics that apply to the entire program. Reading the Concepts section will give you a more complete understanding of the software and enable you to gain maximize benefit from its use. You can use this document by itself to learn about the software. There are ample screenshots. But you will probably want to try things out yourself as you read through it, so we recommend having the software up and running with the Sample Company database open while you do so.

4

First Look AllsystemsMax Pro has a single homepage that remains active so that you never get lost within the program. Like many traditional Windows programs designed to handle a large database of information, there's a simple menu bar along the top of the screen which contains drop-down menus. These menus are for activities that you may only need to do once in a while yet are still important. However, to get started quickly, familiarize yourself first with tabs. That is where the day to day action is. In the snapshot below, the Schedule tab is selected.

In the tabbed notebook,. you work from left to right. The Schedule tab displays your current work in progress. Double click a line and your repair order is opened for editing in the next tab to the right. Or start a new repair order by clicking the Start New R.O. button found at the top left of the window, below the tab labeled 'Schedule', circled in the screenshot above. For more about the Schedule tab click here. In the Repair Order tab, customer and vehicle information can be edited, and previous invoice history for the vehicle is also available. But the first thing you will probably want to do is insert labor parts and sublet line items into the repair order, using the 4 buttons illustrated below.

5

For more about the Repair Order tab click here. Before invoicing, preview the repair order by clicking the Preview button (bottom left in the illustration above). Make sure it is complete and accurate by seeing the job as it will appear when printed. Then click the Invoice button (not shown above) to begin the invoicing process. Make final decisions about additional fees, and discounts and then accept full or partial payment, or just charge on account and post payments later. After invoicing a repair order, it is no longer in the Schedule tab. Instead, it will be stashed in the next tab to the right, the Final Invoices tab. Final means final. Except for some very minor exceptions, invoices cannot be edited. But you can create a refund for all or part of the invoice. For more about the Final Invoices tab click here. The next tab to the right, the Reports tab, helps you take full advantage of all the data you have collected, by providing an easy way to view reports for any date range, either in spreadsheet view or in formatted reports. In addition, key indicators for your business are charted graphically. For more about the Reports tab click here. The Contact Manager tab keeps you connected with your customers, by generating appointment and service reminders, as well as other followup correspondence. For more about the Contact Manager tab click here.

6

APPLICATION MENU BAR Contains 4 drop-down menus

7

File The top section of the file menu, items 1-3, manages multiple companies. Create as many company data sets as you like.

Select Company

Use the pre-loaded Sample Company for experimentation. After you create a new company, it will also appear here. Create New Company

Give your new company dataset a name and it is created. Setup Current Company Click here for details Backup and Restore

Schedule automatic backup to a location that is also linked to cloud storage (Drop Box, Google, etc) Clock In/Out

Simulated punch in, punch out timeclock, used for hourly employees. Also useful for tracking time spent on specific jobs.

8

Demand Force

You must have an account with Demand Force to use this feature. Contact them for help more about their product. Carfax Service Link

You must have an account with Carfax to use this feature. You can start one within AllsystemsMax by agreeing to the license. Saved Spreadsheets

This is a repository of spreadsheets saved by clicking the Excel button in Schedule, Reports and Contact Manager tabs. Any report can be exported, as well as the information in all Contact Manager grids. Administrator Utilities

This section contains all protected functions that always require the highest level password, which is 'Administrator'. Click here for details

Exit AllsystemsMax As an alternative, exit AllsystemsMax by clicking the X in the top righthand corner of the application window.

9

Setup Current Company Please note: You must first create a new company by clicking Create New Company and then select it by clicking Select Company at the top of the menu, to make it the current company, before attempting to return here to configure it here.

Company Information Click here for details Tax Schedule Click here for details Default Labor Rates Click here for details Additional Fees Click here for details Work Flow Click here for details 10

Inventory Control Click here for details Split Pricing Click here for details Invoicing Click here for details Tracking Click here for details

11

Company Information

Upper Section If you decide to use a text-based header, then the information you enter in this upper section will be printed at the top of every estimate, repair order and invoice. Lower Section This section is optional. Next

Use the Next and Previous buttons to navigate among the tabs, or click on them directly.

12

Tax Schedule

State Tax\GST For Canada, the label will automatically become GST. Local Tax\PST In the USA, local tax is very uncommon and most often should be left as zero. In Canada this will be labeled PST.

13

Default Labor Rates

Default Hourly Shop Rate

Default Hourly Shop Cost

Default Hourly Sublet Rate

Default Hourly Sublet Cost

14

Additional Fees

Yes. option To automatically calculate additional fees as the sum of individuals percentages of the invoice parts, labor and sublet subtotals, check this box. Do not neglect to set an upper limit. No. option Check this box if you don't want automatically calculated additional fees. You can then set a flat fee or no fee. Note that regardless of how you set automatic or a flat fee, you can always modify the fee amount before finalizing each invoice. Tax Exclusions

15

Exclude tax on additional fees according to the legal requirements of your state or province. Fee Association

This is an optional setting which, if appropriate, can make your invoices easier to read. Label option The label for additional fees can be whatever you like, but try to keep it short, as there is a limited amount of space for it. For example, use 'Fees' instead of 'Additional Fees' and 'Supplies' instead of 'Shop Supplies. If the label is too long it may overlap or be hidden by, other parts of the invoice.

16

Inventory Control If you have thousands of labor services or stocked parts, searching will be more efficient if you first set up a master list of Groups and Locations and then assign labor and parts to items in the master list. Otherwise, Groups and Locations will likely not be needed. If you stock a large number of parts, review a complete description of how AllsystemsMax provides simple yet effective control of stocked inventory by clicking here.

Reference required

A 'Reference Number' is a vendor invoice number, packing slip, or another vendor number that can be used to trace the part back to its source vendor. If this box is checked then you will not be allowed to finalize a repair order and turn it into an invoice until you have entered a reference number for any part on the repair order that was ordered specifically for the job, that is, was not pulled from stock on hand. This ensures that all purchases are accounted for at point of sale. It avoids the problem of having to locate vendor purchase receipts after the fact, 17

or worse, neglecting to verify vendor purchases at all, and instead simply assuming that the vendor statement is always accurate. Groups

Groups are used to organize both parts and labor by service categories of your own choice. Locations

Locations are used to identify a particular location for stocked inventory, for those shops that stock an unusually large number of items. Set as Default button The default is the value that is assigned when inserting a new labor item or part into the company database. Delete button Delete the currently selected item from the master list. Insert New button Insert a new group or location into the master list.

18

Work Flow The Order Status and Vehicle Status master lists installed with the software are only suggestions to get you started. Modify them to fit the workflow of your repair shop. These master lists will populate the drop down combo boxes found in the Repair Order tab after pressing the Sheduling button.

Order Status

Use Order Status to track the progress of repair orders from start to finish. Create whatever progress markers are best for your operation. Using Order Status helps you manage a quiet, organized, productive repair shop.

19

Tip: Descriptions will be sorted alphabetically, so if you desire a listing in a particular order, start each description with a number. Vehicle Status

Vehicle Status identifies current location or disposition. For a busy shop, the time saved in quickly locating a vehicle without interrupting other employees, is worth the time spent keeping the vehicle status up to date. Set as Default button The default status is the value that is assigned when beginning a new repair order. Delete button Delete the currently selected item from the master list. Insert New button Insert a new status item into the master list.

20

Split Pricing Split pricing is used to take advantage of the fact that price resistence on lower priced items is generally less than on higher priced items. In other words, a consumer is much less likely to complain about paying triple your cost on a $10 item, compared to $500 item. Therefore, if you price all items with the same profit markup or margin, you are leaving money on the table for you low cost items.

Price Range Adjustment Tip: The price range should never decrease from the top of the chart to the bottom. If you don't want to use all ten available categories, set the lower slots equal to, not less than the slots above. Markup/Margin button

21

You have two ways to calculate your profit margin and can switch between them at any time. The profit margin graph that appears at the bottom of the Repair Order tab will also follow the choice you make here. Markup/Margin Adjustment Tip: Set significantly higher margins towards the top of the chart. Decreasing in lower and lower increments from top to bottom. Enable split pricing check Check this box to automatically calculate selling price based upon cost when inserting new parts. When importing from WoldPac Check this box to display the calculated selling price during import from Worldpac. Multiple pricing options will be available.

22

Invoicing (multi-tab) There are four different configuration pages for Invoicing.

23

Numbering & Copies Repair order numbers are assigned when a job is started. Invoice numbers, on the other hand, are assigned when a repair order is finished. Because of this, the repair order numbering sequence is unrelated to the invoice numbering sequence, especially in larger shops. Both the repair order number and the invoice number can appear on the final invoice. Choose to hide the repair order number on the invoice by changing the service writer settingn found in Edit-> ServiceWriter/Workstation Settings-> Page#2.2.

Last Repair Order Number Beginning with the number entered here, repair order numbers are assigned as soon as a new repair order (or estimate) is started. Use alternate invoice numbering The explanation in the screen snapshot describes how alternate invoice numbering works.

24

Last Invoice Number Invoice numbers, assigned at invoicing time, are guaranteed to always be unique. If you set Last Invoice Number to a number less than previously set, any invoice numbers already used will be skipped. Copies Select the default number of copies you want printed when a repair order is invoiced. To turn off invoice printing set the number of copies to zero. Sub-tabs are selected below the display

Navigate among the Invoice sub-tabs using the mouse. Next button

Use the Next and Previous buttons to navigate among the tabs, or click on them. Previous button

Use the Next and Previous buttons to navigate among the tabs, or click on them.

25

Text There are two sets of disclaimer/warranty text; one pair for repair orders and estimates, and one pair for invoices. AllsystemsMax comes with generic disclaimer/warranty text already installed. However, it is your responsibility to provide whatever text required to satisfy both your own business policies, as well as federal, state and local laws. For best results: 1. Observe the line limits (in red, below). 2. Do not use hard character returns when entering your text. Failure to observe these two rules will likely result in poorly formatted, incomplete text.

Sub tabs are selected below the display

26

Navigate among the Invoice sub-tabs using the mouse.

27

Comments

Insert button Insert a new comment into the master list. Delete button Delete the currently selected comment from the master list. Sub tabs are selected below the display

Navigate among the Invoice sub-tabs using the mouse.

28

Graphics

ASA (left) check

If checked, the ASA logo will be included as shown in the image above. ASE (right) check

If checked, the ASE logo will be included as shown in the image above. Text Only option If selected, the company information found here will be used to create a header for your estimates, repair orders and invoices. Graphic option 29

If selected, a graphic image file of your choice will be used for part, or all of the header area on estimates, repair orders and invoices. Click here to learn more about setting that up. None (preprinted forms) option If selected, nothing is printed in the header area. You feed your printer with paper that is pre-printed with with company information and logo in that area (7.5 inches wide X 1.68 inches high). Preview button

Test your new settings here. Another way to test is simply to save and then click print/preview in the Repair Order tab. Sub tabs are selected below the display Navigate among the Invoice sub-tabs using the mouse.

30

Header Image Configuration

Select Graphic Header button

Use the button to locate the graphic file that contains the image you wish to use. The graphic image file type must be 'bitmapped' (filename.bmp). Other graphic formats such as jpg, jpeg and png will not work. These, and any other graphic image type other than bitmapped must first be converted to bmp. You can use the Paint application that is shipped with all versions of Windows to accomplish that by simply loading your file and saving as bitmapped (.bmp). Paint can also be used to modify the image, including its size, which should fit the parameters shown in the screenshot above. The size of the graphic image should be the same as the area that it is intended to cover. If you need assistence in creating or configuring your graphic file, our graphic artist we can assist you for a small fee.

31

Tracking The Customer Type and Job Type master lists provide you with the opportunity to track your profit by two parameters of your own choosing; customer type and job type. Modify the master list as needed. For example, to track results of a new ad campaign callled New-Ad, first insert 'New-Ad' into the Customer Type list. Customer Type is assigned to a (new) customer from the Customer Type drop down combo box, found either by first clicking the Customer button on the Repair Order tab, or from the Edit menu-> Customers/Vehicles. For reporting of sales and profit by Customer Type, select the Sales->Profit Summary in the Reports tab. Then select 'by customer type' from the multiple options submenu. The procedure for tracking by Job Type is similar.

Set as Default button The default type is the value that is assigned when beginning a new repair order. Delete button Delete the currently selected item from the master list. 32

Insert New button Insert a new item into the master list.

33

Administrator Utilities

Administrative utilities are only available after successful login in the Administrator Password Window. The default password is 'Admin'. It is case sensitive. That is, capitalization matters! The administrator can handle technical issues such as mailserver setup, and sensitive issues such as assigning passwords that limit access to particular parts of the software. Also, the administrator can make corrections to inventory, handle multi-user refresh, and limit the contents of the Tech Planner window to only the assigned technician. Mail Server Setup Mail server setup is required before you can send emails from within AllsystemsMax. Click here to learn more.. Control User Access Multi-level password control allows the system administrator to allow access to different parts of the software according to job function. Click here to learn more.. Inventory Adjustments to inventory are allowed only for those with administrator level access. Click here to learn more.. Automatic Refresh Automatic refreshes the contents of the current window when the database is updated by another user on the network. Click here to learn more..

34

Workstation Assignments Workstation assignments are useful only on multi-user systems in which each technician has there own workstation. Click here to learn more..

35

Administrator Password Window The administrator password provides access to the protected functions in the Administrator Utilities.

password

The default password is 'Admin'. It is case sensitive. After gaining access the first time, the password can be changed in Control User Access.

36

Mail Server Setup

Get your app specific password

Follow the link to get a specific password for use only within allsystemsmax. Then enter it in Step 3. User Name Enter only the first part of a valid gmail account. This gmail account will be used to send mail from within AllsystemsMax, without being considered spam. Password

37

Enter the password generated by google 2-step verification.

38

Control User Access

Password ON/OFF Switch

If OFF, then when AllsystemsMax opens, a password will not be required but a pop-up window will still notify the user that password checking is OFF. Passwords by Job Function

When passord checking is ON, one the 5 passwords will be required before the software can fully open. Starting from the top job function, General Mgr., who will see and have access to the entire program (except administrator utilities), each step down will reveal fewer and fewer menus, tabs and buttons. Note that passwords are linked to job function, not individuals. The Administrator has the same program access as the General Mgr., but also has: 1. access to administrator utilites, 2. the ability to turn password checking on and off, and 3. the ability to change the job function passwords, as shown here.

39

Inventory This is a powerful utility. Use with caution!! Before beginning use of this utility program, a backup is recommended. Tips on using the Inventory utility program: 1. To edit a line, click on it or use the up and down arrow keys to move one line at a time. 2. When you move off a line, your changes are saved. 3. Changes are made immediately and cannot be reversed. So move carefully in this program.

Current Company (display only)

Use Split Pricing

40

Delete Selected Item button

41

Automatic Refresh Automatic Refresh updates the contents of the current window when another user on the network changes information in that window. By default Automatic Refresh is on. For single-user systems it has no purpose and should be turned off. On slower systems, in some instances you may see the screen flicker every 5-10 seconds as the window contents are refreshed.

42

Workstation Assignments Workstation assignments are useful on multi-user systems in which each technician has there own workstation. The assignments are used by the Tech Planner which hides all technicians except one assigned to the computer's login username. If assignments are not made, then each technician will see not only his own schedule, but also the schedule for all other technicians.

Username

Enter the username that the associated technician uses when logging in to his computer.

43

Edit The edit menu provides an opportunity to edit lists of such things as customers vehicles, employees, vendors, as well as labor, parts and sublet items. Each workstation on multi-user systems can be customized by editing the ServiceWriter/Workstation setting. Create, review, and modify vendor purchases from the Purchase 0rders submenu. This submenu is not to be confused with the first level Purchase menu, which is reserved for your purchases from AllsystemsMax.

44

Customers/Vehicles

Delete Customer button

A customer that owns a vehicle cannot be deleted. Nor can vehicles be deleted if they have a history. To delete a customer, change ownership (7) to the customer named 'No-Owner' that is provided for this purpose. You will be able to continue to look up history for the vehicle by license plate or VIN, and the owner at the time of invoicing will still appear on the reprinted invoices. If a new owner returns to your shop with the vehicle, then first create a new R.O. for the new owner and a temporary vehicle '~TEMP'. Next, look up the vehicle under 'No-Owner' and once again change ownership, this time to the new, real owner. Finally, delete ~TEMP before creating any history for it. Search Box

The search box is very flexible and easy to use. Simply enter any part of first, middle, last, or company name, or any sequence of digits in the phone number. The quickest way to use a phone number is to enter the last 4 digits of the number. Show SMS report button

45

When you display the texting history report by clicking this button, AllsystemsMax already has identified the customer and assumes you only want to see history for the currently selected customer. The report shows both sides of the texting conversation, ordered from oldest to most recent. Edit column button

The Column Editor provides the ability to change which columns are displayed in the grid. When clicked, a list of all hidden columns pops up in the bottom righthand corner of the screen. Use your mouse to drag and drop column labels, in both directions, between the pop up list and the column header bar of the power grid. Send Text button

Send a text to the selected customer. Texting is two way. When the customer replies the Received Text button will appear near the top to the screen. Merge Customers button

If you find that you have two customer accounts that you decide should be handled as one customer account, first select the customer that you are gathering vehicle history from. Next, locate the target customer that you want to merge those records into. After merging all vehicles will be found under the target customer. The other customer will no longer exist in the database. Do not confuse merging customers and merging vehicles (9). When you merge vehicles you are combining the history of two vehicles owned by a single customer. After merging customers, if you have two sets of vehicle history for what is actually the same vehicle, then AFTER merging customers, you will also probably want to merge some vehicles so that the history of that vehicle is continuous under a single Vehicle ID. For more about merging vehicles see (9) below; also click here. Change Ownership button

Changing ownership does NOT change the owner on finalized invoices. Invoices in AllsystemsMax, as saved, printed or reprinted, are considered as the legal documents they truly are and cannot be changed after invoicing time. When you change ownership you are only changing ownership responsibility for future work on the vehicle. Delete Vehicle button

This button has limited use. You can only delete a vehicle that has no history. In order to maintain a valid audit trail, vehicle history is never deleted within AllsystemsMax. The primary use for this button is after creating a new customer with a ~TEMP vehicle, in order to simply get a new customer established in the database without a vehicle. AllsystemsMax is designed so that the minimum of preset information is required before doing productive work. The most common use for this button is within the process of transfering waiting for reassignment in the ownership 'holding tank' called 'No-Owner', as described in (1), above.

46

Merge Vehicles button

Care should be taken when merging vehicles within a single customer. You will be merging two parts: 1) the vehicle description, and 2) the service history. The first decision that must be made is which vehicle description to keep and which to get rid of. Which description is more accurate and will require the least editing? The vehicle with the most recent odometer reading may be the best choice. If it is less complete you can still use it and recreate most of the description if the VIN is accurate by decoding the VIN. But some of the description fields (the ones on the right side the vehicle description tab) have been handentered by you. So before you merge, examine both records carefully and make hand written notes if necessary. For more about merging vehicles click here.

47

Merge Customer into..

Search boxes The individual search boxes at the top of the window can be used to narrow down your search for the target customer, that is, the customer that will remain. Also use column sorting capability of the grid to sort by any column. Although not as fast or useful, you can also use vertical scroll bars to scroll through the list.

Target area Highlight the selected target customer. Remember that you are merging the first customer you selected INTO the target customer. After merging, the first customer selected will no longer exist.

Merge it! button

The actual merging process is quick but don't click until you're ready! It is not possible to undo a merge. There is no UNDO button!

48

Merge Vehicle into..

Search boxes

The individual search boxes at the top of the window can be used to narrow down your search for the target vehicle, that is, the vehicle that will remain. Also use column sorting capability of the grid to sort by any column Although not as fast or useful, you can also use vertical scroll bars to scroll through the list. Target area Highlight the selected target vehicle. Remember that you are merging the first vehicle you selected INTO the target vehicle. After merging, the first vehicle selected will no longer exist.

Save button

The actual merging process is quick but don't click until you're ready! It is not possible to undo a merge. There is no UNDO button!

49

Employees

Although there are three types of employees, the procedures for each are almost identical. So, only the screens and procedures for technicians will be shown in this documentation. Technicians (3) The number (3) shown above is simply a count of the number of technicians on file. Click here for details about editing employees.

50

Technicians

Detail button

View employee details in a 3-tabbed notebook, which provides viewing and editing of all information pertaining to a particular employee. The thee tabs are: Locate- Address, phone, email, website and other contact information. More.. Other- Employment information such as hourly rate, tax number, start/end date of employment. More.. Timeclock- Clock In/Out records for the employee for viewing and and also for editing (by administrator only). More..

Add New Technician button

51

The process of inserting a new employee into the database is very simple. A new form is presented that is identical to what you see when you click the Details button, except that the name field is blank. Simply enter the name of the new employee. From that point on you are editing the new employee record, just the same as when you edit an existing employee record. Column Editor button

The Column Editor provides the ability to change which columns are displayed in the grid. When clicked, a list of all hidden columns pops up in the bottom righthand corner of the screen. Use your mouse to drag and drop column labels, in both directions, between the pop up list and the column header bar of the power grid.

52

Details- Locate The locate tab is the first of three tabs that apply to each technician. It is a simple fill-in-the-blanks form.

Technician records are never really deleted. But if a technician no longer works at your shop, you can remove them from view in other parts of the program by clicking on the 'Do not display in pick list' checkbox, in the upper righthand corner.

53

Details- Other

Other tab The 'Other' tab is tab 2 or 3. It use is explained on the screen itself. The lower fields (tax number, start date, end date, and notes are provided for your use and are optional. Whatever your enter is not displayed anywhere else in the program.

54

Details- TimeClock You can view time clock records for the currently selected employee here, but this tab is primarily intended for use by the system administrator or the office manager, whenever it becomes necessary for editing those records that are recorded in real time by the employee as they puch in and punch out from the File menu -> Clock In/Out. These records represent money earned by your employees, so that is why this function requires the administrator password before entry is permitted. Care should be taken when editing. It is also a good idea to print the time clock report (Reports tab -> Employee > Time Clock Hours), before making any changes here.

55

Vendors Select an existing vendor for viewing or editing details by double-clicking on the vendor of your choice, or by highlighting it with a mouse click followed by a click on the Detail button. To make your selection easier to find, sort the list by any column by clicking on the column header (FullName, Address, City, etc). There are many more columns than shown in the snapshop below. Use the horizontal scroll bar to see them all. If vendor is not already in the list, click the Add New Vendor button. The Add button opens the details button, empty and waiting location and account information for a new vendor record.

56

Details- Locate

Do not display in pick list To preserve purchase history, vendors are not deleted. But if a vendor account is no longer active, you can check this box to remove it from other parts of the program.

Locate tab This tab shows vendor location and contact information. To view multiple vendors of your choice, use Reports tab-> Vendor -> Active Vendor list.

57

Details- Account

Account tab This second tab show additional account information. The notes memo field (unlimited length) is especially for keeping track of ongoing conversations with your vendor.

58

Labor

Delete 1 button

This will delete the highlighted it after confirming that you really want to delete it. After deleting a labor service you can still sell the service again, but you will need to recreate it first. If you think you may want want recover the item for use later, don't delete it. Instead mark it inactive in the details window.

Add New In-House Item button

If the item is not already in the list, click this button to open the Details button, but completely empty and waiting for details about your new item.

Clone button

59

Clone will create an identical copy of the highlighted item but with a tilde (~) appended to the end of the itemnumber. Use cloning to quickly create many similar labor items. For example, to create a variety of tune-up services for 4, 6 and 8 cylinder vehicles, first create a base service called 'tune-up', then clone it to create 'tune-up~'. Edit the clone by changing the 'tune-up~' to 'tune-up 4cyl', and editing the price and other details by working off the base service entries already created for you.

Details button

Select an existing labor item for viewing or editing by double-clicking on the item of your choice, or by highlighting it with a mouse click followed by a click on the Details button. If the item is not already in the list, click the Add New In-House Item button (2). This button opens the Details button, but completely empty and waiting for details about your new item.

Delete Many button

Because the default behavior of the software is to save all new labor line items for reuse on future repair orders, you may find it useful to periodically remove obsolete items from the labor list. This button allows you to removes them with only a few keystrokes.

60

Details

days or miles AllsystemsMax updates average vehicle miles driven per day for all repeat business, beginning on the second time a vehicle is serviced in your shop. It does this by noting the interval in days between successive invoices and then divides that number into the change in the odometer reading. Here you can (and should) define the preferred intervals for maintenance services. Because the software can predict how many miles the vehicle will be driven each day on average, it can generate the earliest appropriate reminder date, and will do exactly that if you fill in both of these fields.

Inactive Check this box if you prefer to hide an infrequently used service instead of deleting it. This way, it will not appear in the labor services list, but if you do need to bill the service in the future, it won't be necessary to recreate the item from scratch.

group Groups are defined in File menu-> Setup Current Company menu -> Inventory Control. 61

Assigning a labor service to one of the pre-defined groups, gives you the ability to quickly display all group-related services available for editing (as on the prior page) or insertion into a repair order, instead of searching one by one by item name or description. Either method is very fast, but if you have a large number of services, or very specific menus of detailed services, for example, a quick tune, custom or other specialty shop... then creating and using labor service groups may be worthwhile.

62

Parts

Add New Item button

If the item is not already in the list, click this button to open the Details button, but completely empty and waiting for details about your new item.

Details button

63

Select an existing labor item for viewing or editing by double-clicking on the item of your choice, or by highlighting it with a mouse click followed by a click on the Details button. If the item is not already in the list, click the Add New In-House Item button (1). This button opens the Details button, but completely empty and waiting for details about your new item.

64

Details

Vendor selection and setup If the vendor is unknown then 'Default Vendor' is always present in the drop down list and should be used. The vendor selection here is not very important for parts that are most often ordered for immediate installation on a vehicle. That decision is easily made when assembling the repair order. New vendors can be created by clicking the New button and existing ones can be edited by clicking the 'Details button... all without going to the Vendor setup form.

Group and Location

Groups are defined in File menu-> Setup Current Company menu -> Inventory Control. Assigning a part to one of the pre-defined groups, gives you the ability to quickly display all group-related parts available for editing (as on the prior page) or insertion into a repair order, instead of searching one by one by item name or description. Either method is very fast, but if you have a large number of parts, or groups of related parts... then creating and using part groups may be worthwhile. 65

Locations are also defined in File menu-> Setup Current Company menu -> Inventory Control. The Location is another attribute that can be assigned to parts to make managing parts easier, especially when doing physical inventory counts. Core

If the part has a core, check the HasACore checkbox. A secondary window will appear that provides the opportunity to enter the core price that will be charged if necessary.

A core price is required. After saving the core price, a new part with the same itemnumber as the parent but beginning with the '&', will automatically be created. When parts with cores are inserted into a repair order, the core part is inserted automatically and billed at zero quantity. If a charge must be made, the core price is already present. You only need to change the bill quantity. When the job is invoiced, cores not billed to the customer are automatically returned to the vendor by being placed in the 'Returns Bin'. Inventory Control area

These fields are calculated automatically, so information here is for display only. Adjustments, to these fields and other inventory control fields, are made in the File menu-> Administrator Utilities-> Inventory section. The Administrator password is required.

66

Sublet Sublet items refer to work that you bill to your customer but you pay another company to do, such as towing or machine shop work. As such, it has some characteristics of labor items, that is, it is usually a service, but may include deliverable goods, and also some characteristics of parts, such as the requirement to track the service vendor. Tax on sublet is set up separately from both labor and parts. So sublet may also be useful for handling special fees such as inspection certificates and other charges that may require different tax treatment than both parts or labor. Use of sublet is not required. Many programs do not even make it available as a third type of line item. As you can see below, sublet functions are more limited than parts but similar, as described on the Parts and Parts Details pages. Initial window from a shop with many sublet items:

67

Details window:

win

68

ServiceWriter/Workstation Settings Each workstation running AllsystemsMax can be configured independently of all the others. Each workstation can be assigned to a particular service writer, to track sales. However, control of a workstation is limited to the control provided by Windows login and logout.

69

Page #1

Assembling RO's, Estimates, and Invoices

70

Page #2

Appearance of RO's, Estimates, and Invoices

71

Page #3

Defaults and Other Settings

72

Purchase Orders

Handling purchase order is a three step progression: 1. UnPosted Only- On order and waiting to be received, or waiting in 'Return Bin' to be returned 2. Posted, not Paid- Received and either on the shelf or carside, but not yet paid for. 3. Paid- Payment made to vendor. Note: All of the above refers to the state of the database. That is, unposted means that the order has been entered into the database, posted means receipt of the order has been entered into the database, and paid means that payment has not only been actually made to the vendor but also entered into the database.

73

1. UnPosted Only Notice that in the upper area (Show), the action buttons are enabled according to the purchase processing stage you have selected: 1. Unposted Only, 2. Posted, not Paid, or 3. Paid.

Return Bin checkbox There are two types of unposted purchase order items; incoming purchases and outgoing returns. When an item is waiting to be returned to the vendor it is placed in a virtual 'Return Bin'. The return may be an actual box near the back door, a shelf in the parts room, or other physical location. But to the computer it is simply the 'Return Bin'. Check this box if you want to see pending returns rather than purchases Action buttons

+ Add items: Purchase orders for items acquired for immediate installation on a particular vehicle are created simply by inserting them into a repair order. Until a reference number is also added, the purchase order will appear here as unposted. When the reference number is included, the item is elevated to stage 2: Posted, not Paid. All of that happens without further intervention on your part. For items that will be placed into shelved inventory for future use, you must can create a purchase order here, or use the Reports tab-> Parts-> ReOrder guide to quickly created a purchase order for multiple vendors.. Post: 74

Posting a unposted purchase (or return) marks the item as received or returned. For receiving items, posting processes the item by adding it to inventory or to an open repair order. In the Inventory table, the OnHand amount increases, while the OnOrder amount decreases, and average cost is also recalculated. For both purchases and returns, the item is elevated to stage 2: Posted, not Paid. Delete: Delete a purchase order by first selecting it by clicking on the Reference header line. Note- You cannot delete individual unposted items. Instead change the Order Qty to zero. Returns button If not placed into shelved inventory, items purchased for immediate use on an open repair order and then deleted from that repair order are automatically added to the virtual Return bin. However, you may also click this button to move excess shelved inventory into the Return Bin. Essentially, you will be creating a purchase order for the part, but in reverse direction, back to the vendor. The returns button is available at all stages of the purchase order processing. Vendor Use the drop down combo box to select a vendor. Here only one vendor can be managed at a time. Use the Report tab-> Parts to view purchasing-related information on multiple vendors. Use the Reports tab-> Parts-> ReOrder guide to quickly created a purchase order for multiple vendors. Date Range

After selecting a vendor, Date Range selection allows you to manage purchases for any selected period of time. Expand and Flatten

Expand will take you from this view,

to this.

75

Flatten will take you back again to the upper view.

76

2. Posted,not Paid Notice that in the upper area (Show), the action buttons are enabled according to the purchase processing stage you have selected: 1. Unposted Only, 2. Posted, not Paid, or 3. Paid.

Action buttons

Export To XL: AllsystemsMax exports to the old-style .XLS format introduced originally by Excel. Adjustments: Create adjustments here. Disable Pmt:

To remove a purchase order from payment, first selectd the reference number line by clicking with your mouse purchase order will be redisplayed with a strike-through indicating that it is no longer available for payment and change to 'Enable Pmt'. The Grand Total will also decrease. At this point if you choose Pay Up, the new Grand purchase orders except for the disabled one will be elevated to stage 3: Paid.

77

Pay Up: When you click on the Pay Up button, all selected purchase orders that add up to the Grand Total will be eleva information.

Returns button If not placed into shelved inventory, items purchased for immediate use on an open repair order and then deleted from that repair order are automatically added to the virtual Return bin. However, you may also click this button to move excess shelved inventory into the Return Bin. Essentially, you will be creating a purchase order for the part, but in reverse direction, back to the vendor. The returns button is available at all stages of purchase order processing. Vendor

Use the drop down combo box to select a vendor. 78

Vendors are managed individually, one at a time. But the administrator can also use the Show All Vendors butt able to change the vendor and reference number for already posted, but not yet paid, purchase orders.

Date Range

After selecting a vendor, Date Range selection allows you to manage purchases for any selected period of time. Grand Total The grand total shown is the sum of all purchase orders within the selected date range. By adjusting the date range to match the statement received from you vendor you can quickly determine whether your records exactly match with your supplier before paying. If they don't match, and you have been posting accurately, then a closer look can uncover parts that were charged incorrectly, or at a different price than originally quoted. Expand button

Expand will take you from this view,

79

to this one. Notice that posted returns are also included.

Flatten will take you back again to the upper view.

80

3. Paid Notice that in the upper area (Show), the action buttons are enabled according to the purchase processing stage you have selected: 1. Unposted Only, 2. Posted, not Paid, or 3. Paid.

Returns button If not placed into shelved inventory, items purchased for immediate use on an open repair order and then deleted from that repair order are automatically added to the virtual Return bin. However, you may also click this button to move excess shelved inventory into the Return Bin. Essentially, you will be creating a purchase order for the part, but in reverse direction, back to the vendor. The returns button is available at all stages of purchase order processing. Vendor Use the drop down combo box to select a vendor. Vendors are managed individually, one at a time. Date Range

After selecting a vendor, Date Range selection allows you to manage payments for any selected period of time.

81

Purchase

AllsystemsMax and Add-ons

If you still have a free trial license and wish to purchase AllsystemsMax, this is the only place to do that. Likewise, it is the only place to purchase a license for additional workstations, after installing the software under a trial period license. You cannot purchase these items at the AllsystemsMax website. After your trial period is expired, you can also purchase phone support if you need it to supplement the free support options as described at allsystemsmax.com.

82

Texting Credits

If you wish to use two-way texting, this is the place to purchase texting credits.

83

Help

The help menu contains Internet links for remote support, and a quick jump to the AllsystemsMax Pro website. Support phone numbers are also found here for easy reference. Online Documentation Lastest PDF version of this documentation, available online. -----> Click here for remote support Service Writer/Workstation Settings -> Page 1, #7. The order status and vehicle status are useful in larger shops in which not everyone might be aware of the current state of work in progress, or the current location of the vehicle. Using order status and vehicle status helps avoid situations where one person is waiting for or interrupting someone, just to ask a question that can easily be answered by simply looking at the computer monitor. The type indicators, such as order type and customer type are used in the Profit Summary sales report. They help you discover how effective an advertising campaign may be, and where your customers may be coming from. The instructions can be displayed in two different ways on the Schedule tab: 1. As a normal column, just like any other. 2. As an additional line for each repair order, when the Large Blue I is pressed down, like this:

104

The other procedures are as follows: Comments, printed on the repair order and invoice, can be assembled from a canned list, which you can modify at any time. Or you can enter whatever comment you like. Prepayments are entered by clicking the Pre-pay button in the control panel on the Repair Order tab. They can be updated or returned to the customer from here as well. When the repair order is invoiced, the prepayments are applied to the final invoice total before additional payments are accepted. Authorization for both the original estimate and any changes thereafter, must be recorded in some States... California, for example. Even if this is not required in your State, authorization can be turned on for you. Contact Tech Support. Preview the repair order, before you start the invoicing process, to make sure that it is complete and accurate. Remember, invoices are final. An invoice is a legal contract between you and your customer. To keep it legal, and insure a valid audit trail, invoices cannot be edited after they are created, though refunds and credits can be issued against finalized invoices. The Invoice button at the bottom of the control panel, brings up the following window for putting the finishing touches on the repair order, such as editing discounts and additional fees, and also correcting any last minute errors the software finds, such as missing odometer reading, and line items that have not been assigned to a technician, or parts that have not been updated with vendor reference (i.e., invoice) numbers. You can set service writer options and inventory control setting that will guarantee this information is updated before an invoice can be finalized.

105

If you have any hesitation to finalize, then press Cancel. Otherwise, click the appropriate button to either finish by accepting a payment, or charging the entire invoice on account. Below a payment is being accepted.

This is the last step before an invoice is finalized and printed.

106

Tab 3: Final Invoices

There are two views of final invoices. This first view is the default view. It shows all final invoices for the date range selected at the top of the window. Invoices can be sorted by clicking on any column header and grouping is on. You can group by customer name or last name, which will be useful if you have fleet accounts, each of which may have many invoices. Individual invoices can also be easily selected by using the search box.

To see only invoices that are not yet fully paid, check the Unpaid Only checkbox in the top lefthand corner.

107

In this second view, notice that: 1. Because you are now viewing accounts receivable only, grouping by Last Name is already active. 2. The account balance is shown to the right of the name. 3. The action buttons in the lefthand column are available for A/R appropriate functions like posting payments, paying out credit balances, and examining the payment history. 4. The ability to change a final invoice is limited to a very few things that do not substantially change the invoice from the customer point of view. Final means final. Line items cannot be changed or deleted. New line items cannot be inserted. In order to maintain a valid audit trail, if an invoice needs modification use the Refund button in the other view, and/or create a new repair order. In either view, double click an invoice in the grid to view, reprint, export to pdf, or email.

108

Tab 4: Reports Charts and graphs will display the key indicators for your business, for the selected date range.

Select any of the other non-graphical reports from the column on the left. Some reports also have multiple subreport choices.

Here is a cut out from a Daily Sales Summary report: 109

Records are selected for printing or previewing in a formatted report by clicking the 'Select All' button, or click on single lines. Hold the Control key down and continue clicking to select more lines. Or, hold the Shift key down and click the beginning of a sequence of lines, followed by a click at the end of the sequence. In the cut out above, the records for the second week of January are selected. By clicking the Print/Preview button the formatted report is presented for viewing, printing, exporting to pdf, or emailing, the same as any other document that is displayed in Print/Preview.

110

Selected records can also be saved to an Excel spreadsheet by clicking the Excel button. The spreadsheet will be loaded and shown on screen.

The spreadsheet can also be saved in the File menu -> Saved Spreadsheets, with the name of your choice, for later viewing, or document sharing with others.

111

Tab 5: Contact Manager 1. Begin by selecting Contact type in the upper lefthand panel. 2. Select appropriate dates. In the example shown, a single day of appointments is selected so that customers can be reminded on the day before they are scheduled. You can also select a wider date range and then highlight only the appropriate records. So, you either use the Select All button, or click on a single recipient. Hold the Control key down and continue clicking to select more lines. Or, hold the Shift key down and click the beginning of a sequence of lines, followed by a click at the end of the sequence. 3. Semi-automated delivery of customer correspondence from the Contact Manager is by email, and optionally by text. With the Texting module installed, you can text appointment reminder, service reminder and other targeted messages. In addition, you can also send a general text message to a selected customer from the Schedule tab or Orders tab by first opening the gear icon (tools). 4. Often, you may simply want to view the list of recipients, but if you have a compatible spreadsheet program installed, the list can also be saved to an Excel spreadsheet by clicking the Excel button. The spreadsheet will be loaded and shown on screen. It is also saved in the File menu -> Saved Spreadsheets. The other Contact type methods are handled similarly to the only shown below by repeating steps 1-4.

112

113

CONCEPTS

114

A. The Power Grid

In AllsystemsMax Pro, on each of the tabs, most of the information is displayed in what we call 'Power Grids'. 'Power Grids', are a combination of rows and columns, as found in any spreadsheet program ...and the folder and file explorer in Windows. For example, on the Schedule tab, each row represents a single repair order or estimate. The columns represents attributes of that R.O.

115

The power of 'groupable' spreadsheets A hierarchy of groups and subgroups within a spreadsheet, increases the power to organize the information you are dealing with, so you can locate and display it in a more meaningful way. That is the power of Power Grids. For example, the Schedule tab grid can be grouped by date... but you can group by any column by simply dragging the column header and dropping it on the grouping bar, located directly above the column headers. You can also have multiple grouping levels by continuing to drag column headers to the grouping bar. So another example would be to clear the grouping bar by dragging any column headers that are already there back besides the other column headers on the grid. Then first drag and drop the Date column header followed by the Technician column. As a result, you will have a separate list of jobs for each technician for each date in the calendar.

116

Spreadsheet functions Sort any column in the grid in ascending order by clicking once on the column header. Click again to resort in descending order. Move an entire column by drag and dropping it in a new position in the column header row. Resize a column by dragging the border line between column headers. Add and remove columns entirely by first clicking on Tools (gear icon), and then clicking on the column customize dialog box. The icon for that is 3 black columns with a red x in the top left corner of the icon. Any column header in the customize box can be dragged and dropped onto the grid in the column header, and any column header on the column header row can be removed from the grid by dragging and dropping it into the customize box.

117

Saving and Restoring Custom layouts The layout of each power grid on each tab is always saved as the default, even if you turn the computer off, but you can also save five additional layouts for the Schedule grid by clicking the '+' button to the right of the 1-2-3-4-5 icons. Select a button number for your layout, and create your own fly-by hint to remind yourself what the layout is all about. The button number is linked to one of the 1-2-3-4-5 icons. Hover there to display the hint and press it to restore the saved grid layout.

118

B. Inventory Control Using the Inventory Control System in AllsystemsMax Pro you can: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Know how much money you have invested in parts sitting on your shelves. Know where every part is at any given moment. Stop spending money on parts you don't need on the shelf. Easily account for all parts purchases, either put directly onto a repair order, or else on the shelf. Track returns. Track cores. Get timely information that can be used to handle warranties. Check vendor billing. Maintain optimal shelf quantities with minimum effort.

Most independent repair shops no longer stock much inventory and instead rely on vendors for on- time delivery of parts as needed. In AllsystemsMax Pro we call such parts 'Non-Stocked', as opposed to 'Stocked' parts kept 'On Hand' because they are more frequently used. In addition to stocked items on hand, 'Inventory Value' also includes 'Allocated Parts' and 'Returns'. 'Allocated Parts' are parts assigned to a vehicle for pending work or work currently in progress. Allocated parts are either parts taken from stock on hand, or 'Non-Stocked' parts that have been purchased for work in progress. A purchase of a 'Non-Stocked' part is confirmed by entering a 'Reference Number' , that is, a vendor invoice number, packing slip, or another vendor number that can be used to trace the part back to its source vendor. Here is how the Inventory Control System manages both stocked and non-stocked parts on a repair order: You add part T022K, a timing chain kit, to a repair order. The software looks and finds T022K is not available on the shelf, so instead of leaving the reference number blank, as is done for 'Stocked Parts', it inserts the reference number '0(n)' as a placeholder. Then, when you actually get your hands on the timing chain kit, you replace this placeholder with the actual vendor invoice number, thereby confirming purchase of the part. The software then automatically creates a purchase order using the reference number, receives it into stock (on the shelf), and then takes it out of stock (off the shelf) and assigns it to the particular vehicle, replacing your temporary entry '0(n) in the repair order. All of this happens in a fraction of a second. All you do is enter the reference number. The PO is handled automatically. Note that because you have now actually purchased the part, if you delete the repair order, you will need to deal with that timing chain kit you already bought. So, in that case, the software will ask you what to do with it. You can either put it on the shelf as a 'Stocked Part' in inventory, or return it to the vendor.

119

Returns 'Returns' are parts that have placed in the virtual 'Return Bin'. Such parts are still in your possession but have yet to receive a return document number from the vendor. Note that the return bin is not necessarily a physical bin or box. It's any location set aside for placing returns until either the Vendor comes to pick them up or you ship them back for credit. Returns are the opposite of purchases, in that you are essentially selling parts back to your supplier. Therefore, for simplicity, records for returns are included together with the purchase orders for each vendor, but with negative quantities that are highlighted in red.

120

Inventory Setup and Entry of New Parts Now, let's look at the many ways parts enter parts into the system. When first starting out with AllsystemsMax Pro, tech support can import parts lists from QuickBooks or Excel, and in some cases extract your inventory and vendor list from other shop management software. A fee may be charged for this service. After you are up and running, 'Non-Stock' parts are added to the repair order, and also to the parts list, by clicking the Labor-Parts-Sublet button in the Repair Order tab, selecting the Parts radio button, and then clicking the New Item button. After a part is in the system, if you want to stock the part, you can create a purchase order, submit it to the vendor, and then receive and post the parts when they arrive at your shop. On hand quantities can also be adjusted using the Administrator Utilities, found in the File menu.

121

How Inventory onhand quantities increase and decrease Onhand quantities in PRO are a count of what is expected to be found in the parts room, shelf, or or other permanent locations where you keep stocked inventory. To keep track, AllsystemsMax Pro does NOT require that you set minimum, maximum or reorder quantities. Instead, a simpler method is used: You adjust the quantity you want to maintain each year when you do your physical inventory. Then you reorder what has been sold by using Report tab->Parts->Reorder Qty report. It's that simple.

122

Maintaining stock on hand For items that you must reorder in specific package quantities that are greater than how much you might sell on an individual invoice, you will need to make some adjustments to your order. For example, you may be purchasing oil by the 55 gallon drum but sell by the quart, so you will be waiting until you have sold about 220 quarts before reordering 1 more barrel. For items like these you may want to skip the report altogether and just check your stock on hand and then reorder appropriately. Regardless, when you receive the order and post it, you must always post the receipt in quarts, or whatever unit quantity you bill out.

How on hand quantities can change, during the course of the day Onhand 'Stocked Parts' quantity will decrease when: 1. the part is included on a repair order. The part is said to have been 'allocated' at this point, no matter where it is actually physically located, or 2. the part has first been put on an estimate, and that estimate is then upgraded to a repair order, or 3. the part is moved directly to the return bin from stock on hand by using the Returns button in Purchase Order menu. Onhand 'Stocked Parts' quantity increases when: 1. you create a purchase order to replenish sold quantities and then post it, when it arrives at your shop. The Reorder Guide found in the Reports tab in the Parts section, helps you create the purchase order, or 2. an allocated part is deleted from an R.O. and you choose to put it back on the shelf, rather than sending it to the return bin. This part is originally added either from stock on hand, or purchased on the fly, but is then deleted from the repair order, or on a repair that itself is deleted, or 3. a customer returns a part and you choose to put it back on the shelf, rather than sending it to the return bin, or 4. a part is deallocated by downgrading a Repair Order to an Estimate. If the part was allocated from inventory, it goes back to inventory. If it is a 'Non-Stock' part, whose purchase has been confirmed, then it also goes back into inventory. AllsystemsMax Pro will always first try to use up stocked quantities to fill repair orders before ordering nonstocked quantities 'on the fly'. So, you may find a part listed twice on a Repair Order, once for the quantity already available on the shelf, and then again for the additional quantity needed. Two lines are required to keep the inventory count and purchase orders accurate. The line representing a part sold from stock already on hand, will have a blank reference number. The other will initially have the vendor reference number '0(n), and then, when the part is received, it will then have the vendor reference number you enter to confirm the purchase. The n in parentheses stands for 'non-stocked purchase'.

123

Purchase Orders In order to manage the flow of parts, the purchase order system automatically combines both stocked and nonstocked purchases for managing payments in a 3-step progression of your purchases. These steps are: 1. Unposted parts. These are orders that have not yet been received. 2. Posted, not paid. These are received orders that have not been paid for. 3. Paid. This is a summary of purchase orders and payments. Purchase orders are found at the bottom of the Edit menu on the Menu bar.

124

Inventory Core Handling A core has the same item number as its parent but starts with the '&'. A core part is created automatically when a new parent is inserted into the parts list, by checking the Has A Core checkbox, and if not already existing, when adding a new item into an RO from either WorldPac or Similar Jobs. The only significant fields for the core is bill each. Cost each is assumed to be equal to bill each. The description of a core is always 'Core' . All other fields, such as vendor, group, location, taxable, onhand, last cost, last sold, etc., are null. If a value is needed, for example, vendor, then the parent value is used. When inserted into an estimate or order, the bill quantity for the core is zero. AllsystemsMax Pro assumes that the core quantity is allocated in quantity equal to the parent by calculating parent bill quantity minus core bill quantity. The core bill quantity can be changed up to the bill quantity of parent, in situations where the allocated quantity of the core 'disappears' by being unsuitable for return or by being delivered to the customer, without replacement, in an over the counter sale. If unsuitable for return, the parts manager has the option of billing the customer for the core, or setting bill each to $0.00, thus absorbing the vendor cost of the core deposit. In all cases, cores will always be accounted for by being billed to the customer (perhaps at price=$0.00) or being sent to the return bin. Core, in quantity equal to parent bill quantity minus core bill quantity, is sent to the return bin when the repair order is invoiced. Cores are never returned to the shelf as a separate entity that is not inherent in the parent. Therefore, the core quantity on hand is assumed to be the same as the parent and is not tracked or reported on, except by virtue of being seen in the return bin.

125

C. The Date Selectors

Date selector buttons are found at the top of the window, directly below three different tabs: Final Invoices Reports Contact Management. There are four buttons: Today This week- Monday through Sunday 30 Days – The past 30 days, including today. This Month – From the first day of the current month, up through today. YTD (year-to date) – From the first day of the current year, up through today. Note: Any period can be selected by first clicking YTD and then entering an end date, then a starting date. By selecting the ending date first you will limit the date range, which may speed up processing, on very large reports.

126

D. The Tech Planner

The Tech Planner is a visual representation of the Schedule. It is similar to Google Calendar but fully integrated with estimate and repair order information you have already entered.

Two ways to bring up the Tech Planner window: 1. In the Schedule tab, double click any date in the upper lefthand corner to bring up the Tech Planner window. 2. In the Repair Order tab, click the TP button found to the right of the Vehicle and History buttons near the top of the screen. The Tech Planner settings can be changed by right clicking the empty blue square in the top left corner of the planner grid, near the 6:00am time slot.

127

To start a new RO within the planner, instead of in the Schedule tab: 1. Use your mouse to drag across the desired time slot in the desired technician column or row. 2. With the slot highlighted, click the Start New RO button at the top of the Tech Planner window. 3. Follow the remaining prompts for selecting customer and vehicle. 4. In this way your new repair order is not only created but also scheduled in both the Tech Planner and Schedule tab. To reassign a repair order to a different technician within the planner simply drag and drop it where you want it. To change the time allocated to a scheduled repair order, grab the outside borders and move them in the desired direction. The size will grow or shrink. To keep the allocated time but move the entire repair order to another starting time, left click and then drag the uppermost part of the square (where the start and end time is displayed) to a new start time. The entire square will float to the new position.

128

E. Mobile App The AllsystemsMax Pro Mobile App provides not only the opportunity to scan and decode VIN's, but also the ability to: 1. search for and display ownership information for vehicles that have previously been serviced at your shop, 2. edit customer and vehicle information, 3. get a birds-eye view of your schedule for the coming week, 4. start new repair orders and estimates, scheduling them for a particular day within the coming week, 5. enter 'quick intake' and 'instructions' for the new repair order, 6. see how many customers are currently waiting in your shop, 7. see how many customers will need rides on their vehicle service date (7 days), 8. take snapshots and attach them to the vehicle history. The Mobile App is not intended to be a mobile replacement for the AllsystemsMax Pro software program. Consider it a 'front end', that performs the special features that it is well suited for such as VIN scanning and picture taking. Also, as an ultra-portable device that you can stick in your pocket, it is also convenient for starting a new repair order while walking the shop floor. For 'mobilization' of AllsystemsMax Pro software in its entirety, soon you will be able totake your Windows device anywhere and connect it to your shop database with an internet connection. How it works: Your mobile device connects to AllsystemsMax from anywhere in the world, by first locating your router's external IP address. The router directs your communication to a REST server residing on your primary PC (ASM Server PC) running AllsystemsMax in your shop . The REST Server is somewhat magical as it bridges two completely different operating systems. Beginning with version 9.0.0.3, the REST Server is opened and closed automatically whenever you open and close Allsystemsmax. The REST Server relays the data it receives directly from the router to your company dataset. In this way, the changes you make on your Android or IOS device appear immediately in AllsystemsMax Pro on all your local Windows workstations whenever you save your changes on your mobile device. SETTING UP YOUR CONNECTION (Android or iPhone device): 1/17/2017: IMPORTANT - IPHONE USERS. We need more iPhone users to complete beta testing. We will email the app to you but Apple first requires your phone UDID 40 digit ID before the beta testing app will work. Click here for instructions on how to locate it on your phone, then text the UDID to us at 541.683.4754 so that we can get you signed up as a beta test site. Then we will send MobileAllsystemMax app to you. The partner app, Barcode Scanner from zXing Team should already be freely available for iPhone. Install these two mobile apps on your mobile device by visiting Google Play (Android) 1. MobileAllsystemMax from AllsystemsMax LLC 2. Barcode Scanner from ZXing Team - Note: this app that is never opened independently. It requires no setup or configuration. Just install it once, and then forget about it. Be sure that both AllsystemsMaxPro.exe and the AllsystemMaxServer.exe (aka REST Server) are running and visible on the task bar. Here is what that looks like: Next, on any internet enabled device open a browser and visit canyouseeme.org: 1. Your Host IP address is shown and also a default port 2. Open the mobile app and enter the Host IP address and the port that you want to use. Change the port on the canyourseeme.org window to match. We recommend starting with port 8090. 129

Your router must be configured for Port Forwarding for the port you selected above. This tells the router where to send messages to the REST Server when they arrive from the world. The configuration process will look a little different for each router manufacturer and even among various routers from the same manufacturer. So, here we only provide general tips and suggestions, and do not illustrate all the specific steps you must take. For an illustrated example of one router, go here. To configure Port Forwarding, you must: a. First connect to the router by typing it's IPv4 Gateway address in your browser. One way to find your router IPv4 Gateway address is to use IPCONFIG.exe in CMD.exe window. To open a CMD window click Windows START button and search for and then run 'CMD.exe'. Another way to find and connect to your router is illustrated here with many pictures, so if what you just read is unfamiliar follow that link and skip the next steps b. through d. b. Under the wired or wireless connections listed by IPCONFIG, look for the 'Gateway' IP address. For some connections, it may be blank. If so, look under a different connection. c. Once you have connected to your router, you must enter a username and password. The default settings are usually 'admin' for username and 'password' for password. If not, do a google search for your particular router make and model to find the default username and password. d. After gaining access go to the router, locate 'Advanced' settings, and look for Port Forwarding (NOT Port Triggering). Set up your new Port Forwarding specification: 1. You will be port forwarding to the local IP address (IPv4, not IPv6) of your AllsystemsMax Server PC, which is usually something like 192.168.nnn.nnn, or 10.0,.nnn.nnn. 2. All ports available to set (begin, end, start, finish, etc) that you set in Port Forwarding need to the same port selected everywhere else in these instructions, for example 8090 (recommended). 3. Save your new Port Forwarding record and then test it using canyouseeme.org. 4. If canyouseeme.org indicates it can see the REST server, then you should be able to use the mobile app to connect. 5. If canyouseeme.org cannot 'see' the REST server, first click the REST Server icon on the task bar and make sure it is STARTed and then minimize it back down to the task bar. Be careful to minimize it, not close it. That is, it should still be visible on the task bar. Now, if you can still not connect, double check your work, especially the two IP addresses (external router and internal ASM Server PC). Still not working? Try again with another port.

If you are curious about what the mobile app looks like before installing it, screenshots can be viewed on Google Play. Search for: MobileAllsystemsMax from AllsystemsMax LLC

130