Occasionally, every distributor sells an item that requires attention long after it has left the warehouse. Tracked by a unique serial number, these items are often sold along with service contracts that include preventative maintenance schedules, warranties, etc. Keeping track of these options can make for complicated transactions, especially if you’re also monitoring factors like service technicians’ schedules and open service orders.

To help you effectively pull all of these pieces together, Activant offers service and maintenance functionality for Activant Prophet 21™. Service and maintenance streamlines the transactions of serialized items and helps you monitor them post-shipment, ensuring your customers get the service they deserve for the life of their purchase.

Service Contracts

The service and maintenance module allows you to set up service contracts as non-inventory items that, when sold on an order, automatically create a service contract record tied to a specific serial number in Prophet 21. The service contract record tracks expiration dates, contract detail, parts and labor covered, billing effects, etc.

In addition, service contracts can be attached to particular item categories so that every time a related serial number is entered on an order, Prophet 21 will automatically “suggest” the appropriate service contract. That means you’ll never miss a sales opportunity and your customers will have added security in their purchase.

Warranties and Preventative Maintenance

Prophet 21 allows you to set up warranty information and preventative maintenance schedules at the item level. If a customer brings an item in for service while it is under warranty, you can send a warranty claim to your supplier right from the solution and be reimbursed for what the warranty covers.

Similarly, if the manufacturer recommends preventative maintenance, Prophet 21 can automate the reminder process, sending email notifications to customers at specified times to make them aware of maintenance due. And, if there is a certain labor process or technician associated with the service, you can set them as defaults, so whenever a service order is processed from your preventative maintenance schedule, the solution will automatically suggest them for the job.

Prophet 21 automatically displays pertinent information at the point of sale, thus streamlining the transaction process so you can better – and more quickly – meet your customers’ needs.

Managing Service Schedules

Since you may have multiple technicians who specialize in different types of service, Prophet 21 includes functionality to help you track their schedules and preferences. You can create a business calendar that tracks typical business hours, as well as technicians’ schedules (time off, shifts scheduled, etc.) There is also a time scheduler window that allows you to view open service orders in need of scheduling.

When you view a graphical display of technicians’ availabilities in the time scheduler window, and drag and drop specific labor tasks into an open time slot, Prophet 21 automatically creates start and end times for technicians to complete the associated labor. In addition, any parts associated with the service are immediately allocated in your inventory.

Distributors who do not perform service in-house have the option of outsourcing service work to a third party by creating a service purchase order and sending to an external vendor.

Serial Number Tracking

Since Prophet 21 attaches all relevant data (i.e., warranties, service contracts, etc.) to the serial numbers of items to be serviced, when they are entered into the system, the solution will automatically populate its fields with all available information. This way, when a customer brings an item in for service, your customer service representatives know whether the item is still under warranty, or if its service contract covers the necessary parts and labor, etc.

If a customer ever brings in a serviceable item that Prophet 21 does not recognize, your employees have the option of entering customer, item and serial number information on the fly. And since serial numbers can change hands from one party to another, the solution allows you to transfer ownership to another customer.

Prophet 21’s integrated service and maintenance functionality automates and streamlines everything from tracking serial numbers to processing warranty claims, helping you simplify every step and serve your customers’ needs from point of sale to time of service and beyond.