Outside Vendor Cooperation
When it comes to maintenance, not all work orders are created equal. There are simple tasks, like oil changes or cleaning that take little technical knowledge to accomplish. Then, there are more complex tasks, like configuring a new asset or replacing a transmission. Occasionally though, there are tasks that require very specialized knowledge and skills. In these cases, you need an asset management platform that can assist you in getting the right professionals to help you take care of your maintenance. Today, we want to showcase the ability of ManagerPlus to help you track labor performed by, and inventory purchased from outside vendors.
The ManagerPlus vendors and invoicing tools will help you to incorporate your business relationships into your asset management platform. This starts with the vendors themselves.
Vendors
Your organization does not operate in a vacuum. You have relationships with other businesses. ManagerPlus is able to track those companies to help you automate and track your purchases from those companies, whether that be inventory parts or services. We also help you organize them by types of vendors (i.e. services, safety, supplies, etc.) and by status.
ManagerPlus also has the power and flexibility to help you manage every detail about those vendors. You can assign a name, a vendor ID, email, website, and even the type of sales tax they charge. ManagerPlus can also track important phone numbers, address, and notes. Recording the parts that a vendor sells (their catalog) can help you keep your inventory in stock for your maintenance needs. It is also possible to record credit memos, your purchase history, and associated entities for each vendor. If you have documents associated with the vendor, like part catalogs or service lists, the attachment tab allows you to keep those with the vendor.
All of this allows for comprehensive management for those relationships. The other side of vendor management is in Purchase Orders.
Purchase Orders
Purchase orders are the actual money spent on the vendors. There are three cases where you will use these. They are inventory or equipment purchases, In-house contract work, and out of house services.
Inventory Purchases
These are by far the most common purchase orders that you will be using. This is where you send a purchase order to a vendor to buy parts or components for maintenance inventory. ManagerPlus allows you to populate an order with line items and then print and send those orders to the vendor.
You can track purchase orders in general with a PO#, Vendor, and even assign a budget that the funds will come from. In addition to Line Items, you can track Shipments, Returns, and the History of those orders.
In-House Contract Work
You have areas of expertise in your organization and within your department. However, that doesn’t mean you are an expert in everything. Sometimes, you need to call in outside help. This could be an elevator technician, an IT specialist, a building construction contractor, or another type of maintenance specialist. These people come in to help you make sure that your assets are in top shape.
When you need to call in an outside specialist, ManagerPlus can connect the work from those specialists to Work Orders and Purchase Orders. You can assign a vendor to work orders and record their costs in your budgets.
Out-of-House Services
The other time you might need a vendor is when an asset is far from your own maintenance department, but still needs work to be done. This can occur when you have vehicles or other types of assets that need maintenance on the road. If a semi-truck needs its brake pads replaced, and they’re three states away, it’s not a good idea to drive another few thousand miles before getting it taken care of. With ManagerPlus, your drivers can stop anywhere, and get the work done. When that vendor submits a PO, you can then record the service and track it in ManagerPlus, the same as if it had been done in your own maintenance bay.
Getting it Done Right
In the end, ManagerPlus is designed to help you get your maintenance done right and track it all. Whether it’s parts for completing work orders yourself, bringing in extra help, or getting service in the field, you have the freedom to do the work the right way and have your system work with you.
Don’t settle for a work order software that makes you jump through hoops to track everything else. Give us a call today and let us show you how ManagerPlus, the #1 Asset Management Solution, can make all the difference in your organization. If you’re already using our ManagerPlus cloud-based platform, please reach out and let us know about your experiences. We’d love to hear from you.
