MainBoss Newswire

June 2006

 

Topics:

  1. MainBoss Tip: Changing Work Numbers
  2. Keeping your MainBoss data safe from summer storms
  3. Upcoming Tradeshow in Halifax

 

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1. MainBoss Tip: Changing Work Order Numbers

Whenever you create and save a new work order, MainBoss will assign a number to be used as reference – as long as you don’t enter one manually first. This work order number is based on the settings in the Administration menu and will increase by the count of 1 whenever a new work order is created. The MainBoss Administrator can change the work order number format or sequence at any time. The number format refers to how the number looks (For example, adding WO before the number and allowing for 5 digits, such as WO 00122) whereas the sequence refers to the actual work order number, such as 65 or 1290. The number format and the sequence are independent and changing one or the other will impact the MainBoss program differently. Here are a few things to remember about the work order numbers before you decide whether or not to make any adjustments:

 

·         When you manually assign a work order number, you may be taking numbers off a list or from a set of pre-numbered work order forms. If several people enter work orders at the same time, you could run the risk of duplicating numbers. MainBoss does not prevent duplicate work orders.  In addition, the numbers may not necessarily reflect a timeline in which the work orders were created. For example, data entry clerk A has access to pre-printed work order forms numbered 101 – 200 and date entry clerk B has access to forms numbered 201 – 300. In a day, clerk A may create 3 work orders and manually number those 103, 104 and 105. Clerk B may also create 3 work orders and number these 220, 221 and 222. Even though these six work orders were created in the same day, one would not be able to tell that just from looking at the manually entered work order numbers. Another scenario would be when two clerks work with the same list of numbers. If they both create work orders at the same time and manually enter 223 as the next work order number, then two different work orders will contain the same number, which will make it very confusing when it comes time to close the work order or report on the history.

·         When setting up a format for your work order numbers, you need to ensure that you leave enough space for the numbers to get larger. For example, if you set up the format so that a work order number can contain 3 digits (such as WO 101), then the highest possible work order number MainBoss can create is WO 999. After that, the number will roll over and start at WO 000. Therefore, if you are planning on creating more than 999 work orders, you need to allow for an appropriate number of digits. It is also not a good idea to make the number too long, since it will then be harder to search for a particular work order. For example, using WO 0000000023 will give you lots of room for large numbers, but typing that number into the work order browser can be quite tedious.

·         The work order number can be formatted in several different ways. Some companies prefer to start the work order number with the current year, so that they can easily distinguish in which year the work order was created. In this case, they would format the work order sequence number to be something like WO 2006-0023, where 2006 represents the current year and 0023 the current work order number. At the end of every year, a company following this type of formatting would have to change the sequence to include the new year. You can also omit the ‘WO’ portion of the number or substitute a different word or combination of letter/numbers.

·         It is important to remember that changing the number format will cause the work order listing to be affected. This may make it very hard to search work orders or report on them. For example, if you have always used the format WO 000298, then suddenly switching the format to WO 10000299 will cause any newly created work orders to be grouped differently.  

·         The number format can be changed without changing the sequence and vice versa. The sequence allows the work orders to be listed in sequence order. If you decide to change the sequence you have to be aware of two possible outcomes:

1. If you change the sequence to a larger number, it will create the appearance that work orders are missing. For example, the last work order created was WO 01189. You now decide to change the sequence so that the next created work order will be WO 01200. To anyone browsing the list of work orders, it may look as if you are missing WO 01190 to WO 01199.

2. Changing the sequence to a lower number can cause duplicate work order numbers. For example, the last created work order was WO 01189. You now decide to change the sequence so that the next created work order will be WO 01100. MainBoss will not warn you that WO 01100 to WO 01189 already exist in the system and you will cause many problems when searching for and reporting on work orders when duplicate numbers are present.

 

How to change the work order number (format and/or sequence):

  1. The work order number can be set in the MainBoss Administration menu, under Preferences -> Work Orders. The top of the ‘Prototype Work Order’ window will display the fields for changing the sequence number.
  2. The ‘Number Format’ field will allow you to edit the format of the work order number. The % sign represents the number of digits. So %%% means that a work order number can go up to 999, %%%% means the number can go up to 9999 and so on. Any fixed numbers or characters are usually entered before the % signs. For example, WO %%%% represents a work order number such as WO 3410 or WO2006-%%%%% represents WO2006-00291. Remember that the % portion changes with each work order whereas any actual letters or numbers you type in prior to the %’s remain fixed.
  3. Once you have entered the Number Format, checkmark the box beside ‘Change Sequence Number (if you would like to also change the sequence)
  4. You will now notice that the ‘Sequence’ field has become available for editing.
  5. Enter the next work order number that should be created. Just enter the number, without any formatting. For example, if the next work order number should be 273, then enter just 273 and not WO 000273.
  6. The ‘Example’ field will show you how the next work order number will look. If you are finished making your changes, simply remove the checkmark from the ‘Change Sequence Number’ field and click Save and Close to exit the window.

 

Properly formatted and numbered work orders make searching, reporting and editing much more efficient and user-friendly. Before making any changes, please think about what you would like to change and how this will affect your work with the system.

For more information on work order numbering and if you are a MainBoss Support Plan subscriber, please feel free to contact us at 1-800-563-0894 or support@mainboss.com!

 

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2. Keeping your MainBoss data safe from summer storms

During the hot summer months, electrical storms and power shortages are more common and can have serious effects on your MainBoss data if the files are active while your computer goes down. Here are a few tips to help you minimize your chance of losing data due to power outages:

  1. The computer containing the MainBoss database files should operate on an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to ensure that the computer doesn’t shut off in a power failure
  2. Don’t leave MainBoss running at night or when you will be away from your computer for a significant amount of time
  3. Make regular backups of your MainBoss data and save those backups on an external device such as memory stick or CD-ROM. Remember to shut down any add-on program such as @Requests and to log off any users before creating a backup.
  4. Always shut down your computer using your Start menu and shut down only after all programs have been closed

Should you find your database files corrupted after your computer was subjected to a power outage and you are a subscriber of the Support Plan, it is best to contact MainBoss customer service immediately. Our service team will do their best to recover your damaged files. However, having a recent backup is vital since data can sometimes be too corrupt for recovery. Remember, prevention is key!

 

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3. Upcoming Tradeshows

Thinkage will be attending the following tradeshow to demonstrate MainBoss:

·        CHES 2006 at the World Trade & Convention Centre in Halifax, NS from September 17-19, 2006.