Track Outside Repairs

Updated by Cheryl Wallace

Use these customizations and process workflow to easily keep track of tools and equipment when they are sent off site to a third party vendor for maintenance or repairs. This can also be used for internal maintenance shops. Stay on top of these items with reports and follow up by email.

This is separate from using the Service module to track required service, due dates, and any charges.

Setup

  1. Create an employer called Repairs or something similar that will group all the different places where the inventory will be sent.
  2. Create a personnel record for each company or service center where the items will be sent linked to the Repairs employer. These can be the same as any vendors used on work orders. Be sure to enter an email address to make follow up easier.
  3. Create a duplicate of the Issued inventory status called Out for Repair. Contact Support for assistance with this step.
  4. Create a duplicate of the Issue transaction type called Out for Repair using the newly-created inventory status. Contact Support for assistance with this step.
  • Set the Order to 8 so that it appears at the bottom of the Transaction Type list when creating transactions. This helps avoid using the incorrect transaction type for normal day-to-day transactions.
  1. Create a duplicate of the Return transaction type called Returned from Repair. Contact Support for assistance with this step.
  • Set the Order to 9 so that it appears at the bottom of the Transaction Type list when creating transactions. This helps avoid using the incorrect transaction type for normal day-to-day transactions.
Custom transaction types will be available for both the browser and the Mobile app. You can choose to use the standard Issue and Return transaction types and not create custom transaction types. However this is less obvious since the Out for Repair inventory status will not be automatically assigned and your reporting options could be limited later on.

Workflow

When items are sent for repair,

  • Issue them to the appropriate personnel ID using the Out for Repair transaction type.
  • If you have an estimated completion date or standard time to repair the item, enter this as the Due Date.
  • If you are using the Service module and have a work order prepared,
    • Print the work order(s) to send along with the item(s).
    • If a single item is on the transaction, enter the work order.
    The work order must be approved and Charge Issues to Work Order must be enabled in the Settings for this stocking location.
  • If you are not using the Service module,
    • Check Print after saving? to print and send the Transaction Receipt with the shipment. For internal maintenance shops, Email after saving? could be more efficient.
    • Enter the problem or reason for the repair in the Notes of the transaction. For a batch of items being sent out for the same service (calibration, load testing, hydrostatic testing, etc.), you can create a single issue transaction. If you have multiple items going to the same place with different reasons for repair, consider separate transactions.

Once issued, all serialized items will show the Out for Repair inventory status. The Transaction History tab will show the transactions to the special personnel entities using the custom transaction type and inventory status.

When items come back, return them using the Returned from Repair transaction type.

Follow up using Reports & Email

To report on ALL tools and equipment off site for service, select the Issued Assets report and use the Advanced Filter by Employer CONTAINS Repair.

To report on tools and equipment off site at a particular service center or vendor, select the Issued Assets report and use the Quick Filter for the correct Entity.

To report on tools and equipment off site for service past the expected return date, select the Issued Assets report and enter the the expected return date as the Due Date. This can be combined with either of the two above filters.

Schedule any of these reports to appear in your inbox regularly.

To send an email to the vendors or service centers, select the Issued Assets Email. Use the filters to narrow down the recipients. Enter a custom message to appear in the body of each email above the list of outstanding items before sending.

To get an idea how often a tool has been out for repair, the Transaction History tab for the serialized item or part number can be filtered using the Search box for only the custom transaction type or inventory status.

To report on the history of these repairs, use the Transaction History report and use filters for the employer, entity (personnel), or transaction type.

See also:

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