Work Order Management

From your Admin Portal, it’s easy to view, edit, create, and assign Work Orders. In this article, you will learn how to manage all facets of Work Orders within VTS Activate for Multifamily.

Approving Work Orders
Accept, Complete, Close, or Reopen a Work Order
Adding Work Order Charge to Ledger
Marking Work Order as Billed
Work Order Invoice PDFs
Create a Work Order on Behalf of a Resident
Running a Work Order Report
Auto-Assigning Work Orders
- Auto-Assignment Groups
- Assigning Work Order Groups or Individuals to a Category
Adding Staff Vacations
Work Order Configuration
Custom Questions
Work Order Equipment
Work Order Labor
Work Order Materials
- Viewing Material Quantity
Adding Option for Residents to Request a Quote
Enhanced Billing for Work Orders
Reversing Work Order Charges
Work Order Comments

Approving Work Orders

If Property Admin/ Staff approval is configured at your property, Work Orders must be approved before being worked on by your staff.

Step 1

From the Admin Portal, select Operations from the side menu, then select Work Orders.

Step 2

This view will show all current and past work orders. Select the three action dots next to the work order you wish to either Approve or Decline.

Step 3

If approved, this will change the status from Pending Approval to To be Started. If declined, the status will become Closed.

To learn how staff can manage work orders, check out this article!

Accept, Complete, Close, or Reopen a Work Order

As a Property Admin, you have the ability to Accept, Complete, Close, or Reopen work orders.

Accept: This will assign the work order to you, as the Property Admin. This is available when a work order is in the status of To be Started.
Complete: If Complete (an additional status step between In Progress and Closed) is part of your property's workflow, this will be an option when a work order is in the status of In Progress.
Close: This will close the work order. This is available when a work order is in the status of In Progress or Complete.
Reopen: If the work order is in the status of Closed, but needs to be reopened, select Reopen in the drop-down.

Step 1

Select Operations from the side menu, then select Work Orders.

Step 2

There are two ways to accept, complete, close, or reopen a work order.

Select the service number of the work order you wish to edit; this will provide more details about that specific work order. Once open, select Accept, Complete, Close, or Reopen.

Select the three dots to the far right of the work order you wish to change the status of. Select Accept, Complete, Close, or Reopen in the drop-down.

Adding Work Order Charge to Ledger

After a work order has been closed, Property Admins can add the charge to the ledger if they are utilizing Activate Multifamily's payment feature.

Step 1

Select the work order you wish to add to the ledger. Select More in the upper corner, then Add To Ledger in the drop-down.

Step 2

This will change the status from Unbilled to Billed and will add the charge to the ledger. The charge can be located under Advanced > Charges.

Marking Work Order as Billed

If a property has elected to not track work orders on the ledger using Activate Multifamily, they will have the option of marking the work order as billed manually.

Note: If Do you want to track charges for Work Orders on Ledger? is enabled, this option will not be possible.

Step 1

Select the work order you wish to mark as billed. Select More in the upper corner, then Mark as Billed in the drop-down.

Step 2

This will change the status from Unbilled to Billed.

Work Order Invoice PDFs

After Work Orders are completed, there is a permanent record within Activate Multifamily that can always be accessed. This article will go through how to download that permanent record in the form of a PDF.

Step 1

Select Operations from the side menu and select Work Orders.

Step 2

From the table of submitted Work Orders, filter or search for the Work Order you are looking for, then select the Service Number next to the Work Order.

Step 3

With the Work Order Selected, select More in the upper right corner, then select Download as PDF.

Step 4

The PDF will now automatically download. Here is preview of what that PDF looks like:

Create a Work Order on Behalf of a Resident

Step 1

Select Operations located in the side menu. Select Work Orders.

Step 2

Select Create Work Order. Select the type of work order you would like to create: Normal or Emergency.

Step 3

Below is the workflow for creating a Normal work order. Follow the prompts to enter the work order details. Select Submit when complete.

Unit: Unit requesting work order.
Category: Select the category of the work order.
Problem: Problems under the selected category will appear. Select the applicable problem.
Location: Enter the location of the work order.
Equipment Category: Select the applicable equipment category if utilizing equipment in the work order.
Equipment: Based on the selected Equipment Category, select relevant equipment.
Assigned To: If you are preemptively assigning the work order, select the Assignment Group or Individual Staff to assign out.
Charge Code: Select charge code if applicable.
Is Resident facing?: If Yes, it will alert the selected resident of status changes and appear in both their app and web portal. If No, it will be only visible to admins and staff.
Select Resident to Notify: If selected Yes above, select the resident you wish to create on behalf of.
Does Resident need quote?: Select the checkbox if the resident requires a quote.
Does Staff have permission to enter?: Select the checkbox if staff has permission to enter the unit.
Entry Note: Any notes about staff entry if applicable.
Description: Describe the issue and what needs to be fixed for the work order.
Upload attachments: Optional to upload images of the work order for added context to staff.

Running a Work Order Report

Step 1

Select Operations from the side menu, then select Work Orders.

Step 2

To add additional data to the table, such as Created By or Closed Date, select the gear icon to the side.

Select all the additional table data you would like in the report and select Submit.

Step 3

Filter your report using the Filters button at the top of the screen.

Step 4

Add your custom filters and select Apply Filters.

Unit: If you are pulling a report on a specific unit, you can select the unit here.
Status: Statuses include Pending Approval, To Be Started, In Progress, Closed, or Completed.
Billing: Options include Billed or Unbilled.
Type: Select if you are pulling a report for Normal work orders, Emergency work orders, or Preventive Maintenance.
Category: If you wish to pull a report on a specific category, this can be filtered.
Assigned To: Selecting an Assignment Group or Individual Staff will filter work orders assigned to them.
Date Range: This will filter the report to the specified date range.

Step 4

Export your report by selecting More and then selecting Export as CSV or Export as PDF.

Auto-Assigning Work Orders

Auto-assigning work orders to specific people or groups of people allows you to configure who is assigned a work order.

Auto-Assignment Groups

Step 1

Select Operations from the side menu. Under Property Operations select Staff Assignments. Select Assignment Groups in the top navigation.

Step 2

Select Add Assignment Group from the top of the screen. Create the group name and select the staff you would like to add to the group. Select Submit.

Groups can be names of specialties such as plumbers, staff members by shift, or any other groupings of staff members you would like to assign work orders to.

Assigning Work Order Group or Individuals to a Category

Step 1

Select Operations from the side menu and select Work Order Configuration. Select Categories from the drop-down.

Step 2

To edit an existing category: Select the three dots to the side of the category and select Edit Category. Under Assigned To, select the Assignment Group or Individual Staff member you would like to assign that category to.

Step 3

To add an assignment when creating a new category, select Add Category at the top of the screen. Select the Assignment Group or Individual Staff you would like to assign to the new category and Submit.

Adding Staff Vacations

When you add staff vacations, work orders are re-assigned to a different staff member during that time frame.

Step 1

Select Operations located in the side menu and then select Staff Management.

Step 2

Locate the staff member for whom you would like to add vacation time and select the three dots to the far right of their name. Select Details.

Step 3

Scroll down and select Vacations. Here you will be able to review upcoming and past vacations, as well as Add Vacation.

Step 4

Enter the vacation time frame, select the backup staff member to have work orders re-routed to during the vacation time frame, and select Submit.

Work Order Configuration

Under Work Order Configuration, Property Admins can configure Custom Questions, Locations, Categories, Problems, Exceptions, and Escalation rules.

From the Admin Portal, select Operations then Work Order Configuration from the side menu. Select the drop-down to locate the feature you are looking to update.

Custom Questions

Custom Questions can be added to collect more information on Work Orders.

Step 1

To add a new Custom Question, select Custom Questions from the drop-down and then select Add Custom Questions in the upper corner.

Step 2

Fill out the information about the Custom Question.

Title: Name used for organization of custom questions.
Categories: Select the Category or Categories the custom question will be applied to. Every time a work order is created under that category, the custom question will appear.
Questions: Include any questions to be asked in work order creation.
Add Question: Select if you need to add multiple questions to the selected category/categories.
Question Text: Include the question to be asked in the work order.
Select Type: Options for response type include Multiple Choice, Check Box, Paragraph (Text Area), Short Answer (Input), and Drop Down.
Is Required: If this is a required question in order to create a work order, select Yes, otherwise No.
Option Text: If the question is Multiple Choice, Check Box, or Drop Down, include options for selection. To add additional options, select the + sign under Option Text.

Step 3

Select Submit when finished with the Custom Questions.

Locations

Locations help your staff get a better understanding of where work orders need to take place.

Step 1

To view locations, select the drop-down from the top of the screen, and select Locations.

Step 2

Select Add Location in the upper corner. Multiple locations can be added by selecting More and then Import from CSV.

💡 Tip: Download CSV Sample before importing the Location data.

Step 3

Selecting Add Location will open a pop-up for you to set up the location. Name the Location. Locations can be configured to be visible to selected tags.

Step 4

Select Submit when complete.

Problems

Step 1

To view Problems, select the drop-down from the top of the screen, and select Problems. All existing problems are viewable from this screen.

Step 2

To add a single problem, select Add Problem. Multiple problems can be added by selecting More and then Import from CSV.

💡 Tip: Download CSV Sample before importing the Problem data.

Step 3

This will open a pop-up for you to complete the Problem information.

Name: Name of Problem. This will be visible to residents and allow them to select their issue when creating a work order.
Category: Problems must belong to a Category. Be sure the Category exists prior to creating a Problem.
Hide for Residents: If the Problem should be hidden from residents when creating a work order. If selected it will still be visible for admins and staff.

Step 4

Select Submit when complete.

Exceptions

Any preferential pricing for materials and labor that have been agreed upon per contract, can be set up by adding a new Exception in Work Order Configuration.

Step 1

Select Exceptions in the drop-down menu.

Step 2

Select Add Exception in the top right corner.

Step 3

Next, select the Unit, Exception Type, Rate, Tax, and Markup for the exception.

Unit: The unit for which the exception applies.
Exception Type: The exception type can be for either Materials or Labor.
Rate: The new cost for either Materials or Labor.
Tax: Any applicable Tax percentage.
Markup: Any applicable Markup percentage.

Step 4

Once the Exception Type is selected, select a Category and then the specific Material or Labor that you're applying the exception to. Enter the new rate. Finally, select Submit to save the Exception.

To reset the rate to the original cost, select Refresh Rate.

Step 5

The exception pricing will be reflected when adding material to the work orders. Costs are automatically adjusted based on the exception price.

Exceptions for Categories

You can allow specific work order categories to be exempt from a tax or markup rate by applying an exception to the Category.

Step 1

Select Categories from the dropdown menu.

Step 2

Select Add Category in the top right corner.

Step 3

Name your category and select the boxes for Sales tax exempt or Markup tax exempt or both, depending on which you'd like to make exempt. Finally, select Submit to apply the exception.

Work orders created in the designated category will not be charged a Sales or Markup tax once the exception is created.

Escalation Rules

Work Order Escalation Rules help prevent Work Orders from slipping through the cracks at a property. With Escalation Rules, you can set up notifications to notify Property Admins and Staff when a Work Order sits in a particular status for too long.

Step 1

To view Escalation Rules, select the drop-down from the top of the screen, and select Escalation Rules. All existing Escalation Rules are viewable from this screen.

Step 2

Select Add New Rule in the right corner.

Step 3

Create the Escalation Rule. Select Submit when complete.

Unit: An escalation will be created for any work orders created by the selected unit.
Work Order Category: An escalation will be created for any work orders created for a specific work order category or group of categories.
When a Work Order status is: The rule will apply to the status selected: Pending Approval, To be Started, or In Progress.
For a duration of: The time at which the escalation will happen. This can be set by days or hours.
Send an email notification to: Select who should be notified for escalation. Options include Property Managers, Individual Staff Users, Assignment Groups, and External Email Addresses.
Send a push notification to: Push notifications can be sent to Individual Staff Users or Assignment Groups.

Work Order Equipment

Adding Work Order Equipment will be necessary for Preventive Maintenance, but can also be assigned by staff members to existing work orders.

Step 1

Select Operations, then Equipment, followed by Equipment Categories.

Step 2

Select Add Category from the top of the screen to add a new equipment category. (i.e HVAC)

Step 3

If creating a new category, name the category and select Submit.

Step 4

Add equipment to the category by selecting the three dots next to the work order category, and selecting Add Equipment. Enter the equipment information and select Submit to complete the action.

Step 5

You can also add equipment by selecting Equipment from the top navigation, followed by Add Equipment. Enter the equipment information and select Submit to complete the action.

Work Order Labor

Step 1

Select Operations, then select Staff Assignments and Labor Rates at the top of the screen.

Step 2

Add new labor rates by selecting Add Labor Rate and entering the labor rate information. Select Submit to complete the action.

Step 3

Edit an existing labor rate by selecting the three dots next to an existing labor rate and selecting Edit Labor.

Work Order Materials

If you are charging for parts and materials you will want to maintain an accurate parts and materials list for your staff to add to work orders. This also helps with keeping inventory. Once a Material is added to a work order, it will update the payment report for the work order to include the material cost.

You can review these work orders using the Chargeable Work Orders Report under Advanced > Reports.

Step 1

Select Operations, then Materials, followed by Material Categories.

Step 2

Add the material category by selecting Add Category from the top of the screen, entering the category name (i.e. Electrical), and select Submit to complete the action.

Step 3

Edit an existing category by selecting the three dots next to the material category name and selecting Edit Category. This allows you to rename the category.

Step 4

Add materials by selecting the three dots next to the category name and selecting Add Material. Enter the material information and select Submit to complete the action.

Step 5

Materials can also be added to Material Categories by selecting Materials from the top column (next to Material Categories), followed by Add Material. Enter the material information and select Submit to complete the action.

Category: Select the category of the material. The category must exist prior to adding new material.
Name: Enter the name of the material.
Unit Cost: If you are charging for material use in work orders, enter the cost per unit.
Part Number: Include the part number for your records and inventory management.
Manufacturer: Include the manufacturer of the material.
Is Basic Tax Applicable?: Select Yes if basic tax is applicable. The percentage entered will be applied to the Material cost + the Markup amount.
Is Mark Up Rate Applicable?: Select Yes if markup rate is applicable. The percentage entered will be applied to the Material cost.
Track Inventory: If you are tracking inventory, select Yes.
Notes: Include any additional notes about the material.

Viewing Material Quantity

If you are utilizing the Track Inventory feature in Materials to keep track of material quantity, you are able to view remaining materials by selecting the three dots next to the tracked material, then selecting Open Material.

From the Material's details page, you are able to view the Inventory Quantity.

Once a material gets low (ex. only 2 lightbulbs left and a staff member tries to add 5 lightbulbs to a work order), anyone with a Property Admin account receives an email notification that the material inventory is low or 0.

Adding Option for Residents to Request a Quote

With Activate Multifamily, you are able to add a field to ask if Residents need a quote. This is then shown to Staff and Admins, allowing them to update the Estimate Report of the Work Order.

Step 1

In the left navigation menu select Settings, then Work Orders.

Step 2

Locate the setting, Quote Request and select the checkbox next to it. This will show a field to Residents allowing them to select if they would like a quote for their work order. Select Save Changes when you are finished.

Step 3

After a Resident submits a work order requesting a quote, once accepted by the Property Admin or Staff, the Estimate Report will allow for the input of Labor and Materials.

Step 4

The amounts will pull from preset pricing determined for both Labor and Material. Enter the applicable fields and select Save changes.

Step 5

This will populate the Estimate Report and send the estimate to the resident that requested the work order, allowing them to Approve or Reject the estimate.

Step 6 (Resident approves)

If the resident approves, the Estimate Report will be marked as Approved and you can continue with the Work Order.

Step 6 (Resident rejects)

If the resident rejects the Estimate Report, it will prompt you to edit and resend it for approval before continuing work.

When using the quote workflow, a property will be unable to close a work order until the quote is approved. Property Admins and Staff can edit the work order to remove the quote and close the work order.

Note: There is the ability to take Estimate Reports offline and import signed copies of the report to the work order. If you are interested in this workflow for your property, please reach out to your contact at VTS Activate for Multifamily.

Enhanced Billing for Work Orders

With an enhanced view of billing for work orders, you can have insight into the total amount due for Work Orders.

Step 1

In the navigation menu select Settings, then Work Orders.

Step 2

Under Configuration, located Enable enhanced billing workflow. Select the checkbox next to this setting.

Adding Labor and Materials will add their costs, related taxes, and applicable markup to the Payment Report of the Work Order. This totals all the costs and locks in the Amount Due, making that number trustworthy and removing the human error of manually creating the Amount Due. The breakdown of the payment report is also in the downloadable PDF that can be shared with the person creating the Work Order.

Screenshot

The Payment Report Breakdown will also be visible in the Chargeable Work Orders Report.

Reversing Work Order Charges

Once a work order is added to the ledger, Property Admins will be presented with the option to initiate a credit reversal.

This will insert a reverse of the original charge into the ledger to offset it. After a work order has been credited, it will be marked as Unbilled and can be reopened.

VTS Activate for Multifamily does not handle the refund process.

Step 1

Select the closed work order you wish to reverse the charge on. Select More in the upper corner to open the drop-down. From the drop-down, select Reverse charge.

Step 2

The work order is now marked as Unbilled and can be reopened.

Step 3

The Credit Reversal can be seen under Advanced > Charges.

Work Order Comments

You can allow/disallow Users, Staff, and Property Managers to comment on work orders. Work Order Comments are public-facing, so all three parties can view comments and are notified when they are created.

Step 1

To change if Work Order Comments are enabled, select Settings, then select Work Orders.

Step 2

Locate Turn on comments under Configuration to find the corresponding checkbox. By having this enabled or disabled, properties are able to control if comments can be made by Staff, End Users, and Property Managers, or not.