Once a call exists, you use other functions to manage and direct it through the system. Again, these functions are optional, since a call can simply be opened and closed. However, to meet the need captured by the call record, most organizations require a call management process that incorporates some or all of the features provided by the system.

Since call management covers a broad scope, different chapters cover different functions. This chapter covers the following main functions.

Call Setup (11.1.21). Definition of call codes, including statuses, types, and queues, and creation of call defaults.

Call Maintenance (11.1.1.1). Records calls and assigns service engineers. Records call information such as queue, status, date and time stamp, comments, and any other categorization of the call as it moves toward resolution.

Call Queue Manager (11.1.6). A call monitoring tool that sorts calls by attributes such as status, assigned-to, and priority. It also enables you to find a call and edit it directly in Call Maintenance.

Call Generator (11.1.8). This utility enables you to create a number of calls at once for a range of PM schedules or a range of installed base items and end users. If you use preventive maintenance scheduling but choose not to create calls directly from Contract Maintenance, use the Call Generator to create them later. Generating calls for installed base items can be useful in case of a product recall or general upgrade.

The remaining call and call-related functions are covered in other chapters.

Pending Calls (11.3). Some service organizations want to capture a minimal amount of data about contact with an end user and then determine later if the contact needs to managed in Call Maintenance. Pending call features let you design your own data entry system and then close the pending call or transfer it to Call Maintenance. See Using Pending Calls.

Call Quotes (11.1.1.7). Some service organizations, especially those that repair large and expensive items, go through a preview process before creating calls. The call quote functionality supports the creation of quotes for one or more line items with estimated labor, expenses, and items to be consumed. When the quote is accepted, you can turn it into a call. See Call Quotes.

Escalation Monitor (11.1.13.13). Call escalation is an automated process that helps ensure calls are resolved. When enabled, the Escalation Monitor examines every call in the system and escalates each according to the set of escalation instructions you attach to the call. See Call Escalation.

Call Activity Recording (11.1.1.13). Supports recording and tracking the items, labor, and expenses used in servicing a call. This data forms the basis for generating a call invoice. See Call Activity Recording.

Call Invoice Recording (11.1.1.15). Call Invoice Recording gives supervisory personnel a tool for reviewing call activity call-by-call and generating and correcting a pending invoice for the activity. See Call Invoice Recording.

Service Requests (11.1.15). You can link calls to service requests, which require longer-term changes to the product design, rather than to an individual item. Use service requests to relay information from the support staff to engineering. Repeated calls concerning the same problem can be handled by a single service request. See Service Requests.

Return Material Authorization (11.7.1). A call can be linked for reference to a return material authorization (RMA). This is typically the case for items that require a simple replacement. This may occur when the item arrives in an unusable condition or the wrong item is ordered. If your organization does not do call billing, you can handle all repairs with work orders generated from RMAs. See Return Material Authorizations.

Material Orders (11.11). You can use a material order (MO) to order items required to complete the activity for a call. The MO is then linked to the call and the items ordered on it must be consumed in Call Activity Recording or returned to stock. See Material Orders.

Service Engineers and Schedules (11.13). The individuals in the service organization who are responsible for resolving calls are normally set up as engineers. Use engineer scheduling functionality to streamline the assignment of engineers to calls in Call Maintenance. Engineer paging functionality enables an engineer to be paged when a new call is assigned. See Engineers and Scheduling.

Area Management (11.15). Set up and associate service areas with end users and engineers to assist in the call scheduling process. You can also set up default sites by area. See Area Maintenance.

Service Structures and Routings (11.19). Service structures (BOMs) list the items normally required to complete a service activity, and service routings define the steps or operations that must be taken. If these are defined, you can specify them on a call and print them on the call as instructions to the engineer. You can also load them automatically into Call Activity Recording, greatly streamlining the data entry process. See Service Structures and Routings.