need help with creating

[Scott Eschenburg]

Hello,

I am in a business where I get work orders that I can easily make a layout to accommodate all the needed information of the work order, but an having problem with parts that are associated with each work order.
each work order can have multiple parts involved with it that I must track through the whole process. I need to keep info on part # po# invoice#,tracking #’s and photos of the parts. I got the photos part down but am having issues with the parts. I tried making another form just for the parts and making a one to many link to the parts form but that causes some confusion when I use the same parts on multiple work orders.

I took a screen shot of the work order where I want the parts info to show up.
this works great for only one work order that has the parts listed. but when i create a new work order and am shipped the same parts I can not make new entries.

Anyone have any ideas how to tackle this?
My first attempt at this so be gentle.

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[Brendan]

Hi Scott,

You should use a many-to-many link type for your Parts if they’re able to be connected to multiple work orders. With a one-to-many Link Type you’ll only be able to have a part be associated with a single work order.

With a many-to-many Link Type you’ll see a checkmark button you can click on which will bring up a list of parts that have not yet been associated with your work order. You can search and select the parts to associate with that order.

Thanks!

Brendan

[Scott Eschenburg]

Brendan thanks for the help,
so far this works except when in the parts layout and you are done working with the parts and you click on the ling to return to parent form you get presented with 0 records available. the only way to get out of that is to recheck on the work orders form and reselect the work order you were working on.

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[Scott Eschenburg]

Also,
what will happen when I use the same part on multiple work orders that will end up having different return tracking #’s, PO’s, invoice#’s?

I hope I’m not being a pain. Just learning, and these are the last few items to complete my project.

[Brendan]

Hi Scott,

BTW, your images don’t show up because you’re uploading tiff images. If you can upload PNG or JPEGs then that will work better in the forum.

With a many-to-many there’s only one instance of the record you’re linking to, even if you’re linking to it from multiple work orders. So if you change anything on the part record, then it affects every record.

As for the returning to the parent issue, I think that’s a bug which I think I have corrected for the next update.

Thanks,

Brendan

[Scott Eschenburg]

ok so how would I go about going about this.

each work order I create will have parts attached that are sent to me from the vendor. I need to track the parts through the repair and return phase from the work order.
is there a way to add each part to a virtual stock list that will have all the items I need to track. kinda like stock from a shelf that I will change the items like Purchase order, tracking #, invoice, used and disposed status.

attached are the 2 layouts I created.
Also is there a way to stop from deleting the layouts that I created.

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[Brendan]

Hi Scott,

So I guess the real issue is that you have multiple instances of the same part that are essentially distinct from each other? That is, you can have two identical parts, but one is out for repair and the other isn’t? The trouble with many-to-many links is that every reference to a part is a reference to the exact same part. Like if you had only one of these parts on the shelf. Everyone shares the same part.

What is needed probably is the ability to link to a part, but make a copy of that part so that if you make changes to that part, it doesn’t change all references to that part. Almost like a hybrid between one-to-many and a many-to-many. A many-to-many lets you pick from a previously created set of records, but a one-to-many’s child record can only link back to one parent record.

I’m not entirely sure how to solve this problem because you wouldn’t want multiple copies of the parts to show up in your Parts form every time you selected a part to link to a parent record.

You almost need to be able to keep track of meta data associated with a linked record. So if there was this ability to select a part, then be able to enter specific information related to just that part selection, then that might do it.

But right now the only thing I can think of is that you have your parts in one form, maintain the meta data in a different form, then you would link from your work order form to a parts meta data form which in turn would link to the parts form. But that wouldn’t display right I don’t think. Perhaps your parts would need to be in a simple pick list.

I wish I had a better idea for you. I haven’t really thought hard enough I guess about how to turn Tap Forms into a proper inventory management system with a designated work flow.

Also, there’s no way to prevent someone from deleting a layout. What you could and should do then is to export your form template and keep it in a safe place just in case. Then you could re-import the form template and it will re-create the layout for you if someone were to delete a layout. There is a warning when a layout is about to be deleted.

Thanks,

Brendan

[Scott Eschenburg]

Brendan,

I appreciate all the thought into this. you are almost correct in the thinking.

I run a TV repair warranty service.
my provider sends me a work order and then sends me part(s) associated with that work order. When I complete the repair the part(s) must be sent back and tracked via UPS.

My thought was make a work order form (completed) then add some type of link to the part(s) that were shipped to me so I can track the info on the part(s) status e.g. used unused, PO#, RA#, and tracking #.

After thinking about this for a while my only thought that would link these parts is this. each work order has an associated PO# that the parts are ordered under. this PO is unique to each work order.

Instead of listing parts, what about making a list of PO’s and the parts ordered are connected to the PO.
This should give the ability to have multiple work orders contain a link to the specific PO for that WO.
The PO then will show the parts that were ordered under it.

When I receive the parts I make a new PO and add the parts to it.
When I get the Work Order I link the PO to the Work Order.

[Brendan]

Hi Scott,

I think your idea of the PO makes sense. It’s like the concept of the meta data form that I mentioned above.

So I think your PO form would be a one-to-many link from your Work Order form. Then your Parts form would be a many-to-many link from your PO form. For each Work Order you would create a new linked PO record. From that PO you would select one or more parts from the Parts form.

Thanks!

Brendan

[Scott Eschenburg]

That Idea works perfectly !!!! I appreciate all the help, the only suggestion I have is to be able to link fields between forms, and automatically sum up 2 or more fields to put an answer in the selected field and finally make a clickable image to open a weblink.

[Brendan]

Hi Scott,

Well you can have a Photo field and then a separate Website field placed underneath it in order to open up the website associated with the photo.

Thanks!

Brendan

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