An overview of the different types of instructions that can be issued through Flow360
Flow360 enables you to send out to multiple service providers, tender enquiries, works enquiries and works orders.
Works enquiries and orders can only be initiated by managers. You can start a new enquiry process either from the maintenance tab or from the full maintenance tasks list. In either case you can filter the list first using the filters at the top of the maintenance tab list or the filter settings available from the full maintenance tasks list.
When you click the button to start a new enquiry the list of tasks for selection will include only those tasks from your current list that are already for inclusion in a new enquiry - basically this means that any tasks that are currently active will not excluded from the list automatically regardless of whether they were listed before you clicked the new enquiry button or not.
Depending on your current preference settings Flow360 can also find and add to the list other tasks for the same site/s and work types that are also due for implementation now or soon.
A works tender enquiry is a list of works items sent by a manager to one or more service providers in order to discover and optionally store within Flow360 quoted rates for the listed items.
The same tender enquiry can go out to multiple service providers and each tender enquiry can contain multiple works items. Each tender enquiry can contain works items for one or more clients - organising works for multiple clients in the same region can reduce costs. Responses from multiple service providers to tenders can then be stored within Flow360 and these rates will then be used when sending works enquiries and orders to those service providers.
A works enquiry is a list of works items sent by a manager to one or more service providers when the manager wants to establish:
whether the service provider/s can undertake the work
what the cost will be (although in many cases, costs are already stored in flow360)
what time frame the service provider/s can work to
The same enquiry can go out to multiple service providers and each enquiry can contain multiple works items. Each enquiry can contain works items for one or more clients - organising works for multiple clients in the same region can reduce costs. Enquiries require responses from the service providers before the manager can convert an enquiry into a firm works order.
A works order is also a list of works items sent by a manager to a service provider.
A works order is an instruction from the manager to the service provider for work to commence. Works orders can be generated as result of service providers' responses to works enquiries, or as 'direct' works orders.
A direct works order is an instruction from a manager to a service provider for immediate work, often in the form of reactive maintenance. Direct works orders differ from normal works orders in that they are not preceded by a works enquiry or a service provider response to the enquiry - they are issued directly! Direct order are clearly marked as such with a check mark in the 'direct order' indicator on the order card.
Even though multiple works enquiries may contain the same or overlapping works items, each works item can only be included on one works order - using Flow360 it is not possible to send the same works item to more than one service provider.
Where all the works items included in an order have the same repeat interval it is possible to set the entire order to auto-repeat.
This allows highly repetitive maintenance cycles (such as daily or weekly inspections or cleaning) to automatically generate the next order each time a current order is signed-off. If any of the items have reached their end date, the option is given to abort the auto repeat or omit those items from the repeat order.
Orders that are currently set to auto-repeat are clearly marked as such with a check mark in the 'auto repeat' indicator on the order card.
A manager can allow the service provider to self sign-off works orders on completion by checking the 'self-sign' option on the works order card.
This is particularly useful for highly repetitive maintenance cycles (such as daily or weekly inspections or cleaning) where a separate inspection and sign-off from a third party is not required every time.
The self-sign option can be revoked at any time in which case a third party inspection and sign-off will be required.