Internal repair orders and sublet work

Two kinds of work do not fit a normal customer job. Internal repair orders are for your own inventory, such as getting a trade-in ready for sale; their cost is added to the unit so your profit numbers are true. Sublet work is work you send to an outside shop, such as paint or machining, which you pay for and charge on to the customer.

Internal repair orders #

Open an internal RO #

1. Open Service & parts › Repair orders and select Internal (inventory) RO.
2. Choose the Inventory vehicle, then fill in mileage, promised time and the work requested.
3. Select Open repair order. The RO is marked internal, has no customer ("Dealership"), and new lines default to the Internal pay type.
4. Add labor, parts and sublet work as on any RO, and clock time as usual.

What happens when it closes #

When you close an internal RO with a vehicle, its approved work is added to the vehicle's costs:

The RO page shows a Vehicle cost (internal RO) section with this breakdown and when it was posted. If you reopen the RO and close it again, the amounts are replaced, not added twice. Profitability, cost basis and gross on the unit then use the adjusted cost. See costs and holding.

Choose how internal labor is costed under Service settings › Internal labor is costed at: the internal labor rate or the technician's labor cost. You can also turn posting off with Closing an internal RO adds its cost to the vehicle.

Sublet work #

Set up your vendors #

1. Open Service & parts › Sublet vendors.
2. Under Add a vendor, enter the name, specialty (paint, bodywork, machine shop, upholstery, towing, wheel repair, detail, glass, electrical or other), contact, phone, email and Default markup %.
3. Select Add vendor. Open a vendor later to change it or mark it inactive.

(open full size)

1. Vendors, with specialty and default markup.
2. Add a vendor.

Add sublet work to an RO #

1. On the RO, open Sublet work › Add sublet work.
2. Choose the Vendor and describe the Work, for example "Bore cylinders".
3. Enter the Vendor cost. The customer charge is the cost plus the markup (the vendor's default unless you type a Markup %), or type a customer charge yourself.
4. Add your PO # and select Add sublet.
5. As the job moves, open Update and set the status: Requested, Sent to vendor, In progress, Returned, Vendor invoiced or Cancelled. Add the vendor's invoice number when it arrives.

(open full size)

1. Vendor.
2. Sublet status.
3. Charge to the customer.
4. Add sublet work.

The charge appears under Sublet in the RO totals. The Sublet profitability report shows cost, charge, gross and markup by vendor.

Tips #

• Open the internal RO as soon as a trade-in arrives, so all reconditioning lands on the unit.
• Name detailing work "Detail" (or use a vendor with the Detail specialty) so it is posted as detailing.
• Set a default markup per vendor so advisors do not have to work it out.

Permissions #

Limitations #