Business Activities
Business Activities provides users with the ability to manage and track information relating to an activity within your business. The Business Activity module allows for different configuration options making it extremely flexible for tracking a variety of activities, such as RMA's (Return Merchandise Authorization), service work, sales opportunities and anything else which may have multiple steps and related information.
Before starting, be sure to review the Business Activity Configuration information.
Activities List
The Activities List can be found by clicking Activities in the left menu of Acctivate. The Activities List window is made up of four primary sections:
- Search Bar, Sort and Filters
- List of Activities
- Activity Attributes
- Activity information
Tip
When viewing the list of activities, this window is commonly referred to as the Activities list. It's also acceptable to refer to a this window as the Activity window when viewing a single Business Activity. The Enter Activities window, previously mentioned, is a separate window that is used when entering a new Business Activity or editing an existing Activity. In order to eliminate any confusion, it's best to use the appropriate name when referencing either of these windows.
Search Bar and Sort
The upper left-hand corner of the Activities list contains a Search bar which will filter down the Activities list as you type. The following fields are searched:
- Activity ID
- Activity Status
- Activity Description
- Primary Related Item
- Primary Related Item description
- Primary Related Item contact name
- Primary Related Item contact phone
- Primary Related Item contact email address
- Activity Reference
- Activity Reference 2
- Status ("Overdue", based on the Activity's due date)
You can also sort the Activities list by clicking the "Sort" text. The arrow next to the text will point up or down to indicate whether the list is sorting ascending or descending.
Filters
Above the search bar is a drop down menu allowing you to select standard or custom filters. The Activities list has two standard filters which are visible to all users:
- Open Only: Displays all the open Business Activities.
- All Activities: Displays all open and closed Business Activities.
You can also create custom filters:
- Click the Filter button.
- In the Filter Editor window, click the + symbol to add filter expressions.
- Once you've added all the filter expressions, click one of the buttons:
- OK: This will apply your filters and close the Filter Editor. This filter will not be saved, but it will remain in place until you select another standard or custom filter. The filter menu will display "Custom Filter..." to indicate a custom filter is applied.
- Apply: This will apply your filters, but it keeps the Filter Editor open so you can further adjust the filters.
- Save As: This allows you to save this filter for use again in the future. When you choose this option, you must enter a Filter Name and you have the option to select the Available for all users checkbox. If left unchecked, this filter will only be available for the user who created it.
Edit, delete, or share an existing filter
Once you've created a filter, you can edit, delete or make the filter shared with everyone.
- In the saved filter drop down list, select your filter.
- Click the Filter button to open the Filter Editor.
- Click the downward arrow next to the Save button to see a list of options:
- Save as New Filter...: Use this to copy this filter as a new filter. You can add additional filter expressions before or after this step.
- Share filter with everyone: This option is available if the filter is not already shared with everyone. If a filter is shared with everyone, the text Shared will appear next to the Save button.
- Rename Filter...: If this option is selected, you will be prompted to enter the new filter name.
- Delete Filter: This will delete the saved filter.
Note
Once a filter is shared with everyone, it cannot be un-shared. However, you can copy the shared filter as a new filter that is not shared, then delete the original shared filter.
List of Activities
There are four key pieces of information on display in the list of Activities.
- Activity ID
- Activity description
- Activity status
- Activities that are overdue will display "Overdue"
Activities Attributes
The right pane of the Activities window includes primary attributes for the Activity, including the user the Activity is assigned to, the Activity Type, Code, Priority, and when it is due.
The Status of the Activity
Activity
The Activity tab includes the Activity Description, Discussion, Resolution, and Related Items.
Timeline
The Timeline tab gives a list of all activity for the Activity, sequenced by date. You can use the Type list and Look for search box to filter the list of activity.
Time
The Time tab gives a list of all time entries on the Business Activity.
Material
The Material tab gives a list of all material (product) entries on the Business Activity.
Business Activity Entry
A Business Activity can be created in a few different ways:
Start with the Activities List:
- Open the Activities List in the left menu.
- Click the +New Business Activity button in the bottom of the list.
Start in the Enter Business Activity window:
- Select Enter Business Activities from the Activities menu at the top of Acctivate.
- Click New in the window that appears.
Create a Business Activity from a related record:
Most windows in Acctivate will have a New Activity button at the top of the window or in the +Create... menu (for example on the Sales List or Edit Customer window). This will create a Business Activity with the related item automatically linked in the Related Items section of the Enter Business Activity window.
Business Activity Fields
Header Section
The Business Activity header section is always visible and includes information such as the Activity ID, Type, Code, Status, Priority, Resolution and which user the activity is assigned to.
| Field | Field Type/ Length | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Activity ID | Text / 40 Characters | Required. The Activity ID field will automatically assign the next Activity ID when you create the Business Activity. The Activity ID assigned will be based on the Issue sequence in the Company Numbers section of the Configuration Manager. You can enter your own Activity ID before or after saving as long as it isn't a duplicate. |
| Type | List | The Type selected will determine which values are available to select for the Code, Resolution, Status, Priority and custom fields. |
| Code | List | The Code allows for a more specific classification of the Business Activity in relation to the Type. For example, if the Type is "RMA" the Code options may be something like "Quality Issue", "Wrong Item", etc. |
| Resolution | List | The Resolution is used to indicate the final resolution/outcome of the Business Activity. |
| Status | List | The Status is used to indicate the current status of the Business Activity. A status can be configured to mark the Business Activity completed. |
| Priority | List | The Priority can be used to prioritize the Business Activity. A Priority can be configured to default the due date to a certain number of hours in the future. |
| Assigned to | List | The Assigned to field will display all the Acctivate users. This will either default to Unassigned or it will default to the user who created the Activity based on your Business Activity Configuration. |
| Est Time | Numeric | This field is used to track the estimated amount of time the Business Activity will take. Visible in the Service Scheduling window. |
| Est Amt | Numeric | The estimated amount of Time and Materials required to complete the Business Activity. |
| Reference | Text / 20 Characters | Allows for entering reference text. |
| Reference 2 | Text / 20 Characters | Allows for entering additional reference text. |
| Opened / by | Date | The Date in which this Business Activity was created. The "by" field indicates the user who created the Activity. |
| Due | Date | The due date for the Business Activity. This can default based on the Priority configuration. |
| Promised / by | Date | The Promised date represents the date that you promise the Business Activity will completed (or the current step will be completed). Setting the Promised date will update when the Activity is due. The "by" field indicates the user who set the Promised date. |
| Appointment / by | Date | The Appointment date can be used to manage the next appointment related with this Business Activity. The "by" field indicates the user who set the Appointment date. |
| Closed / by | Date | The Closed field will display the date the Business Activity was closed (Statuses can be configured to close a Business Activity). The user who closed the Business Activity will have their user ID filled in the "by" field. |
Discussion
The Discussion tab allows for enter in a brief Description of the Activity, a lengthier Discussion and a Resolution.
| Field | Field Type/ Length | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Text / 255 Characters | The Description field is used to record a brief description of what the Business Activity is tracking or being used for. |
| Discussion | Text | The Discussion field is a lengthy text field used to outline the full scope and details of the Business Activity. |
| Resolution | Text | The Resolution field is a lengthy text field used to write up the final resolution/outcome of the Business Activity. |
Discussion Related Items
The Related Items section of the Discussion tab allows you to link related items, whether other Acctivate windows/documents or External Links. You can have multiple related items linked to a Business Activity, with one being marked as the Primary related item. The first Related Item added will be the Primary related item (indicated by being bold), however you can change the Primary Related Item by doing the following:
- Click Edit.
- Click on the Related Item that you would like to become the Primary Related Item.
- Check the Primary checkbox on the right side of the Business Activity window.
Tip
In order to use the Activity Billing Wizard module (Activities→ Activity Billing Wizard) or create a related sales transaction (using the +Create... button at the top of the Enter Business Activity window), the Primary Related Item must be a Customer or Customer Location.
When adding or changing a customer as the Primary Related Item, the tax code of any un-billed time and material entries will be updated to match the customer's tax code, if necessary. If changing the customer requires updating the tax code you will be asked if you wish to proceed with the change.
Each Related Item can also have its own Contact, Address and Note.
| Field | Field Type/ Length | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Contact Name | Text / 120 Characters | The name of the contact for this related item. |
| Contact Phone | Text / 50 Characters | The contact phone number for the related item. |
| Contact Fax | Text / 50 Characters | The contact fax number for the related item. |
| Contact Email | Text / 253 Characters (100 for QuickBooks Online) | The contact email for the related item. |
| Address | Text / Up to 5 lines, 41 Characters per line (500 for QuickBooks Online) | The Address comes from the Related Item if applicable (e.g. if you add a Customer, it will use the customer's billing. If you add a Customer Ship To Location it will default to the Ship to Location. If you add a sales transaction it will use the billing address of the related transaction). This field can be manually overridden. |
| Note | Text | The Note field can be used to record a note for this Related Item. |
Notes
The Notes tab allows saving Business Activity specific notes. These notes can be used to document something, or a note can be assigned to a user for follow-up.
The Email tab of the Business Activity will show all emails sent from this Business Activity.
Time
The Time tab of the Business Activity allows you to log time for an Employee. To add Time to a Business Activity, click Edit and then click the Time button. Time entered can be included on a Sales or Service order created from the Business Activity window.
| Field | Field Type/ Length | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Billed | Checkbox | Lines that are checked have been included on a Sales/Service Order. |
| Date | Date | The date in which the labor/service occurred. If a Business Activity has been copied and you choose to also copy Time and Materials, the Time entries will be copied with today's date. |
| Employee | List | The Employee who performed the Labor. Employees are setup and configured in QuickBooks. |
| Labor Item | List | This list will display all the Products with the Item Type of Labor. |
| Time | Numeric | The time/quantity of labor. |
| Unit | List | The unit of the Time. You can choose from a list of units related to the Labor Item. |
| Billing | List | There are three types of Billing options:
|
| Tax | List | The Tax Code for the labor. |
| Reference | Text / 30 Characters | The Reference field allows entering reference information per line. Carries over to the Service Order line as well. |
| Work Description | Text | The Work Description field is a lengthy text field allows a description of the labor performed to be recorded. Use the button in the right side of the field to 'pop out' the window for easier authoring and viewing of the Work Description. The text entered here will carry over to the Special Instructions field of the Sales/Service Order. |
Material
The Material tab of the Business Activity allows you to log Products/Materials used when performing service. To add Material to a Business Activity, click Edit and then click the Material button. Materials entered can be included on a Sales or Service order created from the Business Activity window.
| Field | Field Type/ Length | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Billed | Checkbox | Lines that are checked have been included on a Sales/Service Order. |
| Product ID | Text / 159 Characters | Use the lookup button in the field to find and select a Product, or type in the Product ID. |
| W/H | List | The warehouse the product was removed from. |
| QtyOrdered | Numeric | The quantity used to perform the service. |
| Unit | List | The Sales Unit of Measure. Will default to the Sales Unit of measure defined in the Edit Product window, but can be overridden per order. |
| Reference | Text / 30 Characters | The Reference field allows entering reference information per line. |
| Pr Cd | List | The Price Code field will default to a price code if the customer is eligible for a price code assigned to the product. Use the lookup button to view all the price codes available for the product and make a selection. |
| Pr Unit | List | The unit relating to the product sales price. |
| Price | Numeric | The price to be charge for this product. |
| Tax | List | The tax code determines if tax will be charged for this line or not. |
| Amount | Numeric | The total line amount. |
Log
The Log tab of the Business Activity window displays a log of changes to the Business Activity. Which activities are logged depends on the "Log Change To" Business Activity configuration settings. The Note field allows you to enter notes for each logged change.
Business Activity Review
Note
The Business Activity Review has been deprecated in favor of the Business Activity Manager.
The Business Activity Review will be removed in a future version of Acctivate.
The Business Activity Review allows you to filter and organize a list of Business Activities. Users can define which columns are displayed and how the Business Activities are grouped.
The Business Activity Review window can be opened from the Activities menu at the top of Acctivate.
You can use the Filters at the top of the Business Activity to filter the list of Business Activities down. Columns can be added by clicking the Columns button and dragging columns into the grid. Additionally, you can rearrange columns by dragging them to a new position or you can remove a column by dragging it out of the window until it the cursor turns into an "X" and releasing. To Group the Business Activities, you can drag a column header up into the area that reads "Drag a column header here to group by that column." Multiple fields can be grouped on.
Business Activity Scheduling
The Business Activity Scheduling window (Service Scheduling) gives you an interface to see unassigned Activities, assign them to users, see the expected time a user has committed to Activities and perform other actions on a Business Activity.
The Business Activity Scheduling window can be opened from the Activities menu at the top of Acctivate.
Unassigned Tasks
The Unassigned Tasks pane of the Service Scheduling window will only show Business Activities that have a Related Item linked. They are placed into three different categories based on the Due Date (the due date is based on the Promised date, if supplied, otherwise the Due Date is used): Overdue, Due today and Due in the future.
You can assign a Business Activity to a user by dragging the Activity from the Unassigned Task pane and placing it under the users' column. Business Activities can be arranged by dragging them up or down.
Filter Scheduled Activities
The Service Scheduling window includes various filters at the top of the window.
- Scheduling Classes
Business Activity Types can be Configured to be associated with a Scheduling Class. This allows for easier filtering and scheduling of Business Activities. - Due by/on
You can filter by a Due by date, which includes every Activity with a due date up to that date, or a Due on date, which only shows Activities due that date. - Task filter
The Task filter allows you to filter on the following options:- No Filter: All Activities that meet the other filter criteria are included.
- Only completed tasks: Only completed Activities are displayed.
- Only incomplete tasks: Only open Activities are displayed.
- Only overdue tasks: Only open and overdue Activities are included.
- Activity Sort
There are three sort options:- Assigned Order: The Business Activities are listed below the user's name in the sequence you have arranged them (by dragging and dropping them).
- Order by due date: The Activities are listed below the user's name by due date ascending.
- Order by last status change: The Activities are listed below the user's name with the Activity having the most recent status change at the top.
Service Scheduling Info
The Service Scheduling window gives a wealth of visual information to give you the information you need immediately.
- Toolbar Icons
When Configuring Statuses, you can associate an icon with a status and have these icons appear on the Service Scheduling toolbar. This allows for quickly changing the status of an Activity you are viewing with the click of a button. - Pin Icon
The pin icon next to a users name allows you to "pin" them in place so they are visible while scrolling left and right through the other users. - User Time
Next to a users name will display the total amount of Estimated Hours for the Activities assigned to the user. This comes from the Est Time field on the Business Activity. If Activities total more than 8 estimated hours are assigned to the user then the text Overcommitted will appear below the user's name. - Activity Card Title Bar
If an Activity is overdue it will appear with a red title bar. The title bar displays the Business Activity Description and will display the icon associated with the Business Activity's priority - Activity Card Body
The body of the Activity card includes some primary information, such as the promised date, primary contact info, status and the date the status was changed. The icon corresponding to the status will also appear here. You can right click on a card and choose from various display options:- Expand/Collapse All Cells: If you select one of these, all the cards will be expanded or collapsed to show or hide the Activities Address, Status information, Event Log and Comment.
- Expand/Collapse All Sections: If you select one of these, the selected card will be expanded or collapsed to show or hide the Activities Address, Status information, Event Log and Comment.
- Address, Status information, Event Log and Comment: You can choose to show a combination of specific information per card.
Activity Billing Wizard
The Business Activity Billing Wizard allows you to create service orders for a group of Business Activities that have a Primary Related Item of a Customer or Customer Location. Typically, the Business Activity is used to track time and materials and then at the end of predetermined period, for example at the end of the month, service orders are created and invoiced.
To use the Activity Billing Wizard:
- Select Activity Billing Wizard from the Activities menu at the top of Acctivate.
- Select the customers you are billing by using the Select All checkbox or check each customer you want to include. You will see a row for each Customer and Location ID combination. If the primary related item is a customer, then the customer's default location is used. If the primary related item is a Customer Location, then that location is used. You can use the + icon to expand the tree next to the customer's name to see the Activities related to them and choose to select or unselect specific activities, time, and materials.
- You can assign a QuickBooks Class to the Service Orders you are about to create by choosing a Class at the top of the window.
- Select the Bill date. All Time and Materials with a date up to and including this date will be included. When entering time on a Business Activity you can specify the date, but the date for Material is based on when it was added to the Activity.
- Once you've made your selections, click Create Orders. You will receive a message that Service Orders were successfully created, and the billing wizard will close.
Service Orders
When Service Orders are created using the Activity Billing Wizard, all the Time and Materials for the customer and location ID will be consolidated into a single Service Order. The Time and Materials on the Activity are marked as Billed. The Service Order that is created will automatically be linked in the Related Items section of the Business Activity.
When Materials are added to a Business Activity, it's assumed that they were used as part of the service performed and therefore the full QtyOrdered from the Activity is Scheduled on the sales order, even if Acctivate doesn't have enough availability.
Typically, these Service Orders can be invoiced immediately. Other than the above mentioned behavior, Service Orders have the same attributes and functionality as Sales Orders and can be Invoiced the same way, however there are two Invoice Formats available:
- Service Invoice
This lists the Time and Materials in the sequence they are listed on the Service Order with a single Total at the bottom. - Service Invoice (Time and Materials split)
This format lists and totals the labor charges, then lists and totals the material charges, then gives a grand total at the bottom.