The service module is has 2 main components, Estimates and Work Orders. You can also edit job templates and view the calendar from the main screen.
- Estimates - Planned work that is estimated and sent to the customer for approval before work begins. Estimates can contain Job Templates and can be converted to Work Orders upon customer's approval of the estimate.
- Work Order - Work (we call them Jobs in Molo) that has been approved and is ready for completion. Work Orders can be printed and handed to technicians for reference while on the job.
Estimate Overview - Create an Estimate or Work Order
To create an estimate, you must first add a title and contact and click the "Create Estimate" button in the top right. Once created, you will be able to edit all other sections of the page.
After you create the estimate and add the Jobs to be completed in that estimate, you can Email or Print the estimate to the customer for review and approval.
When there is at least one job with a status of "Approved", that job can be converted to a work order by selecting the "Create Work Order" in the top right corner of the estimates screen.
NOTE! You do not have to create an estimate first - if you've already gotten approval to begin work, you can skip straight to the Work Orders tab and create a work order straight away, in a similar fashion to creating an estimate as illustrated here.
Work Order Jobs Overview - Create and Manage Jobs in a Work Order
The top half of a work order sections of Name, Overview, Details, Dates, and Comments function very similarly as they do in an estimate. A Job is the "meat and potatoes" part of a work order. This is where you add Labor, Parts, and Charges to bill for work done. These three designations are very important, and are set in the "Parts and Service Information" section of an item, which all live in Inventory & Charges tab of Molo.
NOTE! After setting the Job Category in Inventory & Charges tab, you cannot change it. If you incorrectly set the job category when creating an item, you will need to delete the item and re-create it with the proper Job Category
- Labor - Anything that involves a person doing something, e.g. "Hourly Labor", "Oil Change", "Paint Bottom", etc.
- Parts - Any part that is used on the job, e.g. "Impeller", "Exhaust Elbow", "Oil - Quart", etc.
- Charges - Typically fees charged such as "Recycling Fee", "Shop Fee", Environmental Fee", etc.
Invoicing a Work Order
After adding Labor, Parts, and Charges to your work order, and performing work and adding hours, a job can be marked as "Ready to Invoice". When at least one job is marked as "Ready to Invoice", you can generate an invoice. Generate an invoice by clicking the check icon in the top right corner of your work orders screen. You can then select the Ready to Invoice jobs (in process, on-hold jobs and complete will not show as available for invoicing) within that work order to add to a new invoice.
