Frontline Education introduces Help Desk 8.2, a release that enhances inventory management by streamlining the process of tracking, adding, and editing parts on Help Desk tickets. The "Parts Usage" feature provides technicians and administrators with complete visibility over part details, helping to reduce manual tracking, ensure inventory accuracy, and control costs.

The latest enhancements include the following: 

• Parts Usage
  • Add Part(s) to Ticket
  • Add New Part
  • View Part(s) on Ticket
  • Edit Part(s) on Ticket

Parts Usage

The Parts Usage feature in Help Desk Management is designed to help admins and technicians manage parts needed for ticket resolutions. Parts Usage enables you to add, view, edit, and manage parts on Help Desk tickets, ensuring streamlined inventory control, accurate cost tracking, and multi-site access to parts.

Whether you are working within a single location or need parts from various sites, Parts Usage simplifies the process, so you always have the correct parts available to resolve your tickets. These release notes will walk you through each primary function of Parts Usage, covering Adding Parts, Adding New Parts, Viewing Parts on a Ticket, and Editing Parts on a Ticket. It also includes validation rules to help you avoid errors and successfully track parts usage.

Key Benefits of Parts Usage: 

• Streamlined Efficiency: All parts management happens within the Help Desk ticket, reducing the need to toggle between systems.
• Improved Cost Control: Track real-time part costs on each ticket, allowing for better budget management and reporting.
• Multi-Site Flexibility: Access inventory across multiple sites, ensuring the right parts are available even if located at a different site.
• Enhanced Inventory Accuracy: Keep precise records of parts usage across tickets, helping to reduce stock discrepancies and ensure parts availability.

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Add Part(s) to Ticket

The Add Part(s) to Ticket feature allows you to select and add existing parts from the catalog directly to a ticket. You can choose parts available at the current site or switch sites to pull parts from other locations.

1. Open Parts Usage on the Ticket:

• • Navigate to Parts Usage within the ticket and click the Edit icon. This opens the Parts Usage modal, which displays two tabs: Parts on Ticket (parts already added) and Add Parts to Ticket (for adding new parts).

2. Choosing Parts from the Catalog:

• • Associated Parts and Full Catalog Views:
    • By default, the system shows Associated Parts for parts linked to the ticket’s tag or product.
    • You can toggle to Full Catalog to access all available parts.
  • Filtering by Site:
    • The Site dropdown is located at the top right of the modal. It defaults to the ticket’s site but allows you to switch to other sites to view different inventory levels. To select a new site, start typing the site name, it will populate below with sites for you to choose.
      Important: Changing the site without saving changes will trigger a warning: “Updating the Site will lose changes. Please save changes before updating Site.” (Options: Confirm or Cancel)

3. Selecting Parts to Add:

• • Check the box next to each part you wish to add. When you check the box, the Ticket Quantity field automatically highlights and enters edit mode.
  • Ticket Quantity Entry: Type the desired quantity directly into the highlighted Ticket Quantity field without additional clicks.

4. Saving Changes: 

• • Once all parts and quantities are selected, click Save. This saves changes on the tab you are currently on, closing the modal and updating the ticket record. Users will need to save changes on each tabs before navigating away.
  • Concurrency Control: If another user is editing parts on the same ticket simultaneously, a notification will alert you: “Update! Parts were recently updated by a different user. Click Refresh to see the latest updates.”

Validation Rules

• Numeric Values Only: Ticket Quantity accepts only numbers.
• Range Limits:
  • Ticket Quantity must be between 1 and 5,000,000.
  • Ticket Quantity cannot exceed Part Quantity
  • Part Cost is capped at 100,000.00.
• Non-Duplicable Parts: Parts already on the ticket won’t appear in the catalog view to prevent duplication.
• Zero Quantity Prohibition: Ticket Quantity cannot be zero.

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Add New Part

The Add New Part function allows users to create a part that doesn’t yet exist in the catalog. New parts can be added to a ticket directly and, if desired, saved to the catalog for future availability.

1. Selecting Add New Part:

• Within Edit Parts Usage, click Add New Part to open fields for adding a new part. The available fields include:
  • Part Number, Part Name, Part Area, Part Type, Part Quantity (at site), Ticket Quantity, and Part Cost (not-required).

2. Automatic Selection and Catalog Save Option:

• • When a new part is added, the checkbox is automatically selected to track the part’s addition to the ticket.
  • Add to Catalog: Choose this option if you want the part to be available for future use across all tickets.

3. Bulk Add:

• • Supports saving multiple rows at once, if there is a blank row, the user will need to delete the row before saving.

Validation Rules

• Numeric Entries Only: Part Quantity & Ticket Quantity fields reject negative numbers, alphabet characters, and decimals.
• Range Limits: Part Quantity & Ticket Quantity max out at 5,000,000; Part Cost is limited to 100,000.00.
• Duplicate Prevention: Duplicate parts with identical Part Name and Part Number are not allowed.
• Zero Quantity Prohibition: Ticket Quantity cannot be zero.
• Bulk Add Empty Row Handling: Empty rows are ignored upon saving. 

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View Part(s) on Ticket

The View Part(s) on Ticket feature offers a structured view of all parts associated with a ticket, including quantity and cost information. This section helps users quickly verify which parts are being used, their quantities, and the total cost.

User Experience & Details

• Accessing Parts Usage on the Ticket:
  • Navigate to the Custom Fields section in the ticket. Here you will find a section called Parts Usage, which you can expand or collapse.
• Display Fields:
  • Fields Displayed: Each entry shows Part Name, Quantity, Cost, and Total Cost (aggregated for all parts).
  • Pagination and Sorting: Up to 10 parts display by default, with options to expand and view additional parts. Sorting defaults by Part Name.

Benefits

• Enhanced Tracking: Instantly see all parts, costs, and quantities associated with the ticket.
• Cost Visibility: Quickly assess the total cost of parts used on a ticket, making budget tracking straightforward.

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Edit Part(s) on Ticket

The Edit Part(s) on Ticket feature enables you to adjust quantities, update costs, or remove parts from the ticket entirely. This feature is essential for maintaining accurate inventory and cost records.

1. Opening Edit Modal:

• • Go to Edit Parts Usage and select the Parts on Ticket tab to access parts already added to the ticket.
  • All editable fields, including Part Available, Ticket Quantity, and Part Cost, will display here.

2. Editing Existing Parts:

• • You can adjust quantities and costs directly within the modal.
  • Deleting Parts: To remove a part, click on the remove icon on the far right side. If there are unsaved changes, you will receive a reminder: “You have unsaved changes. Any unsaved changes will be lost.”

3. Saving Changes:

• • Click Save to apply all updates the current tab the user is on. The modal closes, and changes will appear in the ticket record. Changes will need to be saved on each tab before navigating.
  • Audit Trail: Each modification records who updated or added the part, storing the data for future reporting.

4. Tab Navigation:

• • Navigate through fields using the Tab key. Dropdowns expand automatically when in focus, allowing selection without additional clicks.

Validation Rules

• Single Entry per Part per Site: Only one entry per part per site is allowed, unless parts are from different sites.
• Real-Time Concurrency Control:
  • If two users edit parts on the same ticket, the second user receives a notification to refresh their page. When refreshing the page, that users changes will be dismissed.
• Error Handling and Reminders:
  • Non-numeric data is not permitted in numeric fields. Attempting to save with invalid data will block the action, but no error message will show for non-numeric entries.

Parts Usage Summary & Validation Controls

1. User Permissions and Access:

• • Permissions Required: Specific permissions are required to add parts to tickets. Admins must grant these permissions, such as Associate Parts to Ticket and Add/Edit Parts.
  • Concurrency Notifications: If another user is editing the same ticket, a prompt will appear to refresh the page and ensure changes are updated. When user refreshes, the current changes will be dismissed.

2. Field Validation Checks:

• • Numeric Entries Only: All quantity and cost fields accept only numeric values.
  • Range Limits and Maximum Values:
    • Ticket Quantity and Part Quantity have a max of 5,000,000.
    • Part Cost is capped at 100,000.00.
  • Zero and Negative Value Restrictions: Quantities must be greater than zero, and negative values are not allowed.

3. Duplicate Control and Catalog Integrity:

• • No Duplicates: Identical Part Name and Number entries are restricted within the catalog.
  • Exclusion of Existing Parts: Parts already on the ticket are hidden from the catalog to prevent accidental duplication.

Summary of Parts Usage Functions

The Parts Usage feature within Help Desk Management provides an end-to-end solution for managing parts needed for ticket resolutions. This guide covers each part of the feature, providing users with detailed instructions and a clear understanding of the functionality. By following this guide, users can confidently use Parts Usage to manage inventory effectively, maintain cost control, and ensure accurate, up-to-date part usage records across all tickets.