Descriptions of Online Courses

The following list describes modular courses available online.

Installing MainBoss CMMS

This course provides you with all the details you need to successfully install MainBoss at your company. You will learn how to install MainBoss by downloading from our website. The instructor will demonstrate how to install MainBoss on a network vs. a standalone machine and how the installation differs when you have an existing database vs. creating a blank database. We will talk about installing software updates, how to move a database from one location to another and what network permissions are necessary for successful operation of the program. Finally, we will show you how to uninstall MainBoss.

Corrective Maintenance

This course describes in detail the typical cycle of a corrective work order. You will learn which tables are required for creating work requests and work orders. After a work request is submitted into MainBoss, you will be led through the steps of turning that request into a work order and how the work order form is filled out...including properties, labor and material information.

Next, you will learn how to print work orders and how to navigate MainBoss to find your open, closed and voided work orders. We will discuss in detail how to close out a work order once the job is completed...including labor/material information, charge backs, meter readings and closing comments. You will even learn how to create reports showing historical information for both work requests and work orders.

Preventive Maintenance

This course describes in detail the typical cycle of preventive maintenance. After seeing which tables are required to be populated, you will learn how to create a task—the template for a preventive work order.

First we will set up a task description, including labor and material information. Next you will be shown how to assign either equipment or spaces to your task and how to create a schedule for each of those assigned units. Once your task is set up, you will learn how to generate and print your preventive maintenance work orders.

After a job is completed, we will show you where to find your preventive maintenance work orders in MainBoss and how to close them out, recording all the necessary details such as labor, material and closing comments.

Units (Equipment and Spaces)

Tracking your company's units is a key function of MainBoss. The course starts off by discussing how MainBoss differentiates between equipment and spaces. You will learn which tables are required to set up a unit and will then receive detailed instructions on how to create both an equipment and a space record. You will also learn about service contracts, declaring equipment as obsolete, and how to work with equipment meters in MainBoss.

Inventory

This session shows you how to deal with inventory records in MainBoss. You will learn which tables are required to set-up your inventory. Next, you will find out how to create a new inventory item including defining the item itself and how to specify where it is stored, how much you have on hand right now and what the inventory value is. You will also learn how a non-inventory item differs and how to create one in MainBoss.

Next we will discuss how to manage your inventory by looking at the various adjustments you can make, including issuing an item, doing a physical count and making a storeroom transfer.

Purchasing and Receiving

This course provides detailed instructions on the typical cycle of a purchase order. First, you will see which tables are required for working with the purchasing function. The instructor will give you step by step instructions on how to create a purchase order, including entering the vendor details, adding material to the purchase order and entering any extra costs. You will learn the difference between an open vs. an issued vs. a closed purchase order.

Next, you will be taken through the receiving process including partial receipts of items and receiving extras. As a final step, you will learn how to close a purchase order.

Reporting

This course gives you an overview of what reports are available to you in Mainboss and will also guide you through exporting report information into Excel so that you can create your own custom reports. You will learn about setting your report preferences in MainBoss to make report writing as efficient as possible.

The overview of the reports will be broken down by section: we will discuss reports related to work orders, units, inventory and purchasing.

Administration - IT

This course is designed for IT professionals within your company to help them keep MainBoss running smoothly. You will be guided through the various administrative functions in MainBoss: how to reindex, backup, restore, run an audit report and how to work with the archiving function. You will also be shown how to enter any new license keys you receive for MainBoss.

The second part of this course deals with the Mainboss installation itself: how and why to keep the program files separate from the database files, why to avoid adding any files to the database folder and how to deal with desktop shortcut icons.

Administration: Functional

This course covers how to customize the MainBoss database to suit your specific needs. In the first half of the course, you will learn how to set preferences with respect to your company information and how to make custom text changes. We will show you where and how to set predefined fields for your work orders, units and purchase orders. In addition, you will learn how to set preferences for creating reports and printing work orders. You will also be able to customize your date and time settings.

The second half of the course deals with MainBoss security: how to set up new users and determine their access to various menus. You will also find out how to change passwords and we will talk about the importance of the administrator login. Finally, we will discuss the Help menu with you and what kind of information you can expect to find there.

Administering MainBoss @Requests or MainBoss Service

This course is designed for the administrator of @Requests in MainBoss Basic or MainBoss Service in MainBoss Advanced. It provides a brief description of how the service works and how it is installed. We will show you how to configure the various options of the software, and discuss the recommended settings.

Accounting in MainBoss Advanced

This course discusses the facilities for accounting in MainBoss Advanced, including the concepts of expense models, expense categories and cost centers. It shows how these concepts can be used in work orders and purchase orders to provide a detailed understanding of your maintenance department's costs.