Workflow training

Life of a work order · interactive flowcharts · contractor trial · field return

Tip: Flowchart steps with an ⓘ icon are tappable. Open a short modal for the full business story — solo operator vs firm, contractor trial, and how the phone becomes the paper trail.

Life of a work order

From schedule board to archive — one record that travels with the crew as a .msworkorder file.

Work order lifecycle

Tap any step for the expanded definition

Status path: Created (new assignment) → Pending (in progress on site) → Complete (docs satisfied) → Archived (office cleanup). Estimate-only jobs skip field completion gates; insurance and service jobs use arrival, photo, and progress requirements.

Office / manager Field / contractor Portable file handoff

Work order creation — two business stories

Same app, different scale. The work order is the story container either way.

Solo operator (you are the firm)

A customer calls about a AC that will not cool. You create a work order on the phone while still on site of the previous job: type = service call, site / property name, address / unit, appointment, problem note by dictation. You are assignee and manager. There is no handoff file — you work the job yourself: I’m here, photos, progress, parts line for the pump, Leaving, Mark complete, optional PDF for the owner. Archive when paid. One person, full paper trail, no cloud account.

Larger organization (office + field crew)

Dispatch on iPad fills Schedule: who (contractor name + phone), what (site / equipment + title), where/when (address, unit, half-hour appointment). Save with Share work order after save → Messages or AirDrop the .msworkorder package. Field tech imports on iPhone, runs the documentation workflow, then returns a field package at end of day. Office merges by job id, reviews the timeline, exports PDF for insurer or customer, archives when closed. Managers see who arrived late, who took photos, and who ghosted — without a proprietary chat network.

Delegating a ticket to a contractor (trial hire)

Marketing deep-dive: Try a contractor before you hire them — workflow enforcement as a candidate vs fail vetting process so you avoid hiring or retaining unproductive employees.

Workflow enforcement documentation gates

Treat the free tier as a vetting process, not just software. A potential contractor downloads ServiceTech for free, receives one real ticket with clear instructions, and either runs the workflow honestly — or does not. Documentation score + gates make the outcome objective: candidate or fail. You learn how they communicate before payroll — and can stop retaining people who will not follow process.

Contractor trial · free app · one ticket

Tap steps for the full story

The test is simple: Can they show up on time (or say why), clock in, follow the workflow, document with photos and spoken notes, and communicate honestly through the app as designed? If they cannot complete a phone workflow, they will not protect your firm’s reputation on site.

SignalWhat it suggests
On-time I’m here + clear photosReliable field habits; ready for more tickets
Delay / Blocked used with honest notesProfessional communication under friction
No arrival stamp, no photos, vague texts onlyHigh risk of ghosting customers — pass
Returns package same dayUnderstands the office needs a paper trail
Argues with gates / skips docsWill fight process on every insurance job
What you send with the ticket: appointment window, address / unit, site name, problem summary, your phone, and one line of expectation — e.g. “Tap I’m here when you arrive, photo the equipment, dictate what you found, Leave and complete before you text me.” The file carries structure; your short note carries culture.

Data handoff to contractors

No cloud login and no proprietary chat network — the file is the interface. Managers still text a short note if they want; the authoritative assignment is the package.

Manager ↔ contractor data handoff

Tap nodes for definitions

Manager (iPad / Mac)

same file type both ways

Contractor / employee (iPhone)

What travels in the package: work order identity and type, assignment (who/what/where/when), site / equipment fields, diagnostics (problem → identification → testing → action → handoff), progress log with timestamps and authors, photos when included, parts/labor lines, and optional linked survey snippets. Format: JSON, extension msworkorder, UTI com.grego.servicetech.workorder.

End-to-end sequence (text)

Office assignsSchedule board
Send fileText / AirDrop
Tech worksLog + photos
Return fileEnd of day
Office mergesFirm queue

Not automatic SMS parsing of free text — the attachment file is the structured interface (same idea as portable transfer records in sibling products).

1. Manager assigns work (iPad / Mac)

  1. Open Schedule (or Jobs → +).
  2. Assign → choose work order type (service, insurance, deposit, cancel, referral, handoff, abandoned, survey, …).
  3. Fill Who (employee/contractor + phone), What (boat, title), Where/When (address, unit, appointment).
  4. Save. Optionally enable Share work order after save.
  5. System share sheet: Messages (text the file), Mail, AirDrop, or Files.

Caption text explains: open the .msworkorder attachment in ServiceTech.

2. Worker receives assignment (iPhone)

This path is the core of the contractor trial marketing page — can they follow instructions on a real job?

  1. Tap the attachment in Messages / Mail / Files.
  2. Open in ServiceTech (document type registered).
  3. Or: Transfer → Import work order file.
  4. Job appears in Jobs → Created (or updates if same id).
  5. I’m here (or Start job) → logs arrival with timestamp.
  6. During the day: Progress / Photo+ / Delay / Blocked one-tap log entries (note + photo).
  7. Documentation score and blockers prevent Mark complete until minimum docs exist.
  8. Leaving → then complete; add cost lines as needed.

3. Worker returns end-of-day package

  1. Transfer tab → select completed or in-progress jobs.
  2. Enable Package as worker field return.
  3. Share field return → Messages / AirDrop / Mail to the manager.
  4. Manager imports the same way; diagnostics, status, and ledger merge into the firm queue.

4. Insurance claim job

  1. Type = Insurance claim.
  2. Enter claim #, document Problem / Identification / Testing with photos.
  3. Add Parts and Labor cost lines for estimate support.
  4. Complete + handoff notes for adjuster or yard.
  5. Optionally create linked Survey type Insurance Claim / Damage.

5. Estimate only (preliminary examination)

  1. Work order type = Estimate only.
  2. On the job: Estimate examination
    • Customer objective — what they want from the quote / visit (dictation OK).
    • Preliminary examination — record the site / equipment problem; camera required for problem photos (live field evidence).
    • Add findings: Damage, Scope creep, Should do while here (each can take a camera photo).
  3. Add labor/parts cost lines for the quote.
  4. Export PDF — estimate examination section is included.

Photo logging (Progress → Photo update) also requires the camera. Other progress notes allow one button for Take photo or Photo library.

6. Deposit / cancellation / referral / abandoned

WorkflowKey steps
DepositType Deposit/hold; record deposit amount; scope in problem statement
CancellationType Cancellation or use Cancellation workflow on job; reason required
ReferralType Referral; partner name; what was shared in handoff notes
HandoffType Yard handoff; open items in handoff notes; archive after accept
AbandonedMark abandoned or type Abandoned; last status + recovery options

7. Site survey

  1. Surveys → + → choose type and In/Out of water.
  2. Header: site / equipment, parties, insurer/claim if claim-focused.
  3. Walk subsystem steps; rate and dictate notes; mark complete.
  4. Fill findings, recommendations; keep limitations text.
  5. Progress bar shows completion fraction.

8. Field documentation (anti-ghosting)

Designed for contractors who show up late and leave no paper trail — and for the trial hire test above.

ActionWhat it records
I’m hereArrival time + optional note; starts job if needed
ProgressWhat you did + optional photo + % complete
Photo+Required photo with caption
DelayWhy late / waiting
BlockedWaiting on parts/customer/yard
LeavingDeparture stamp
Mark completeBlocked until: arrival, progress/photo, ≥1 photo, leave/complete note, problem or action taken

Managers can Force complete with confirmation (stamped in the log).

Timeline shows newest-first with author name and timestamps — travels in .msworkorder field returns.

9. Export work order PDF (customer / office)

  1. More → Firm & tech profile — set firm name, address, phone, email, tech name (letterhead).
  2. Open the job → PDF export.
  3. Optionally toggle Include photos.
  4. Export work order PDF… → share via Mail, AirDrop, Files, print.

PDF includes: company header, work order # / type, assignment (who/where/when), boat, diagnostics, cost totals, progress log (with photos if enabled).

10. Tools on the truck

  1. Tools → add locations if needed.
  2. Add tools with qty and location (van/shop).
  3. No demo data on first launch.

11. Loan / Borrow (remember handoffs)

Not a work order — a memory ledger for gear and consumables that move between people. Open the main Loan tab. Full guide: Loan / Borrow docs.

  1. Tap Record Loan / Borrow.
  2. Choose Loaned Out or Borrowed.
  3. Enter item description and person; optional notes, photo, reminder.
  4. Save. Later: swipe Mark Returned.

Example — remember the tarp

FieldValue
TypeLoaned Out
Item3 rolls of plastic tarp
Loaned toTony Soprano
NotesWinter cover staging; asked for them back after the weekend

Footnote: Probably not gonna get this back.. Record it anyway — the ledger is for your memory, even when return odds are theatrical.