Manager Forum

Is there a way to prefill the oil filter number from the vehicle history?

I'm not sure what you mean. Most people leave the lof on a revision label it then copy and paste every time.

Really, everyone is doing this? Seems like, unless I'm missing something, you would need revisions for every vehicle in the system. Would seem much easier if there was an automated method for Shopkey to read the history in the database and populate the field. If there's no history then the field it is left blank.

Using Rev9 to store repeating jobs is a no-brainer. Whether it's an oil change, air filter, cabin filter or whatever, only look up this information once and store it Rev9.

Asking the program to search history doesn't seem practical to me. How would the program identify an oil filter? the words? the part number? the line code? or maybe an added special identifier? Too many moving pieces in my opinion. Some shops may use the words OF in the description, or filter, oil or a million other possibilities that are simply impossible to anticipate.

You have 9 revisions now. Using one as we have for the last 15 years has not hampered our operation in any way. In fact, it's helped it immensely.

ricmorin wrote:
You have 9 revisions now. Using one as we have for the last 15 years has not hampered our operation in any way. In fact, it's helped it immensely.

I also use it for many things that are specific to the vehicle to keep from having to relookup items. We also use the memo field as to what the maint interval is, if it has a maint light, that it has no cabin air etc. Saves me a lot of time. Its like adding lots of standard notes to keep from having to type the same thing over and over. Id suggest going to a workshop it could help you save a lot of time.

GUTHTIRE wrote: Would seem much easier if there was an automated method for Shopkey to read the history in the database and populate the field. If there's no history then the field it is left blank.

This would be easier but I do not know of a way it would be possible for something for this.

First time customer. Needs LOF. Look up filter, oil weight and amount. Transfer to EST. Convert to RO. Copy and paste to Rev 9. Convert to inv and pay. Customer comes back in 3 months. Due for LOF again. Start EST. Open REV. Copy and paste REV 9 to EST. Easy peasy.

Jeff @ Able Auto wrote:First time customer. Needs LOF. Look up filter, oil weight and amount. Transfer to EST. Convert to RO. Copy and paste to Rev 9. Convert to inv and pay. Customer comes back in 3 months. Due for LOF again. Start EST. Open REV. Copy and paste REV 9 to EST. Easy peasy.

yep, how we do it, been doing it that way for years.

Rich wrote:

Jeff @ Able Auto wrote:First time customer. Needs LOF. Look up filter, oil weight and amount. Transfer to EST. Convert to RO. Copy and paste to Rev 9. Convert to inv and pay. Customer comes back in 3 months. Due for LOF again. Start EST. Open REV. Copy and paste REV 9 to EST. Easy peasy.

yep, how we do it, been doing it that way for years.

What they said....

Thanks for the responses. It just seems to me that there's a database storing all of this information that there could be a field for Oil Filter which could be retrieved based upon a history lookup. You would add the oil change to the RO, click a button and the field would populate from the history. Thanks again for your time in responding.

Dan,

Sorry, but this will never happen for one major reason: Some customers overwrite an existing vehicle with a new one instead of creating a truly new record. The history would see the vehicle as the same ID, and try to pull in that filter...which would almost certainly be the wrong one.

Definitely consider adapting the workflows suggested by the others. If you see a certain YMM often enough, you might want to make a canned job specifically for it that includes the filter as well.

To make a canned job viable for this, Mitchell1 would have to include engine in the identifier/sorting. Too many differences in oil filters without engine.

Right you are for most users. We do have at least one user that builds CJs with prompt on use kits for every model he sees (he's a specialty shop). But he did put a LOT of time into setting it all up.

Silky7 wrote:Dan,

Sorry, but this will never happen for one major reason: Some customers overwrite an existing vehicle with a new one instead of creating a truly new record. The history would see the vehicle as the same ID, and try to pull in that filter...which would almost certainly be the wrong one.

Definitely consider adapting the workflows suggested by the others. If you see a certain YMM often enough, you might want to make a canned job specifically for it that includes the filter as well.

While automating a lookup of an oil filter from history will or may never happen I fail to see that your reasoning is "major". I'm sure there's reasons for overwriting an existing vehicle with a new one but is that really best practice? We have workflows in place to overcome this suggestion however may main point was to eliminate or minimize workflows in favor of automating the task of having to create Revisions or other needless steps.

Oh no, it's not a good practice at all. It shouldn't be done this way ever. But if a user does it, then orders the wrong filter because Manager "Auto-selected" it for them, who do you think gets the blame for that?

Silky7 wrote:Oh no, it's not a good practice at all. It shouldn't be done this way ever. But if a user does it, then orders the wrong filter because Manager "Auto-selected" it for them, who do you think gets the blame for that?

Dependent upon how the automated lookup worked it would potentially only find a bad filter once. The RO would be manually updated with the correct filter # then next time it would be correct.

We Just Go To History For Filter Look-up, Just As Quick As Revision. Our Oil-Filter Lube Is Set Up As Canned Job With Oil Filter As Parts Kit. So When Added From Canned Job, List Of Oil Filters Pops Up, Pick The Filter You Need And Your Done. Cabin Filter Could Be Added As A note That This Vehicle Dos not Have One And Saved. Uncheck Box So Does Not Show On Customers Copy. Now You Can Search History For Cabin Filter & Invoice With Note ?Would Pop Up.

sbcauto wrote:We Just Go To History For Filter Look-up, Just As Quick As Revision. Our Oil-Filter Lube Is Set Up As Canned Job With Oil Filter As Parts Kit. So When Added From Canned Job, List Of Oil Filters Pops Up, Pick The Filter You Need And Your Done. Cabin Filter Could Be Added As A note That This Vehicle Dos not Have One And Saved. Uncheck Box So Does Not Show On Customers Copy. Now You Can Search History For Cabin Filter & Invoice With Note ?Would Pop Up.

EXACTLY. You go to history for the filter look-up. Others add it to a Revision and copy/paste. If everyone is doing this and it can be automated imagine the time savings. What if you could add the oil change to the RO, then press a button and the oil filter was filled from history. The data is there...why isn't it or couldn't it be automated. Let the software perform the workflow for you.

My question is why wouldn't you use REV 9? Easier than history. I have clients that only get an LOf 2 times a year but also come in for tires, belts, leaks, etc. If it has been 2-3 visits since the LOF then I would have to page thru hist to find it.

Yes You Could Use Rev 9. But if You Use Search oil filter then it's right there. You Don't have to Spend Time Looking Through All The Invoices.