Work Orders and Invoices

This help topic is applicable to the following TireMaster applications:

TireMaster Point of Sale

TireMaster Plus

TireMaster Corporate

When a customer needs to purchase items and services, you’ll usually start a work order, which will be turned into an invoice upon completion of the sale.

Note: If you’ve created a quote for a customer, you can turn that quote into a work order. You can also use information from a scheduled appointment to a create work order. For more information, see Turn an Appointment into a Work Order or Turn a Quote into a Work Order.

When a sale requires little or no special handling, create a regular work order. Creating a work order includes gathering customer and vehicle information and defining which items to sell.

In TireMaster Corporate, work orders can be created at stores only. However, invoices for completed sales can be viewed by users at the corporate site.

To create a regular work order

1. Click Invoicing. The Open Work Order List opens.
2. Click New Work Order. TireMaster prompts you for the customer's name.
3. Enter the customer information:

For a returning customer, look up the customer. For more information, see Customer Searches.

For a new customer, click Cancel and add the customer. For more information, see Add a Cash Customer or Add an AR Customer.

4. Click OK to close the Customer Maintenance screen. If TireMaster prompts you for a vehicle, go to step 5. If the Work Order screen opens instead, go to step 6.
Note: If there is already at least one open work order for the customer, TireMaster prompts you to select an existing work order or to create a new work order.
5. Enter vehicle information if needed:

For an existing vehicle, select it from the list and click OK.

For a new customer, click Add and set up the vehicle. Then click OK to continue. For more information, see .

If there is no vehicle, click OK to continue.

Note: Whether the Vehicle List appears at point of sale depends on the customer type assigned to the customer. For more information, see Add a Customer Type and Customer Type Edit Screen.
6. Do the following on the Work Order screen as needed. Then click OK.

Enter your user ID (in the Starting Salesperson) field. To enter this information, press and select a name from the list.

Type the customer’s PO number, reference number, the vehicle’s mileage, and comments or notes about the job. (Up to four thousand characters are allowed.)

Note: Depending on how the system controls are set, you might be required to enter the mileage. For more information, see Force in Mileage.

Select the Print Vehicle Spec check box if you want a hard copy of Epicor‘s specifications for the vehicle. The specs will print on a separate sheet of paper.

Note: Epicor‘s vehicle specs can be printed if they’ve already been retrieved and saved with the vehicle’s information in TireMaster. Specifications are available for retrieval if your TireMaster system is integrated with the Epicor Integrated Service Estimator.
7. If you need to change the contact information, type the customer’s phone number in the Contact field or click Contact and make a selection from the list that appears.
8. Add one or more items to the work order, using the following methods as needed:

Click Add and look up an item or scan its bar code. For more information, see Inventory Searches, or Enter Bar Codes on Work Orders .

Click the Size field and type the item’s quick look (or another) code or scan its bar code.

Note: To put additional items on the work order using this method, press to add a new line. For more information, see Down Arrow Lookup Method.

Click Fitment to look up tires for the vehicle (if you have a subscription to Tire Guide Pro Plus). For more information, see Look Up Tire Sizes at Point of Sale.

9. For each item, type the quantity and press Enter. If add-ons are assigned to an item, they appear below the parent item. For more information, see Add-On Packages.
Note: If you decide to remove an item from the work order, select the item and press the Delete key.
10. Change the parts price, labor price, and FET for the items if needed.
Note: Depending on how the system controls are set, an item’s FET is either the average cost of its federal excise tax or the FET used on its last receiving. For more information, see Use Next FET for POS/Receivings.
11. Assign salespeople and mechanics to the items if needed, using one or both of the following methods.

Type the employee’s user ID in the top row for the Sales, Mech 1, or Mech 2 column and press Enter or press and make a selection from the list that appears. Depending on how a system control setting, the user ID will be entered for additional rows. For more information, see Work Orders - Mechanic Autofill.

Type the employee’s user ID in the Sales, Mech 1, or Mech 2 field for the applicable row or press and make a selection from the list that appears.

12. Set the promised time and job status if needed. For more information, see Set the Promised Time and Change a Vehicle’s Job Status.
13. Follow the steps below to print a copy of the work order, or click Quit:
a. Click Work Order. The Work Order screen opens.
b. Make sure the Print check box is selected and type the number of copies you need.
Note: If the number of copies is set to 0, TireMaster displays the work order on the screen.
c. Update the remaining information on the screen if needed.
d. Click OK.

When you need to add an oil change to a customer’s work order, you can copy oil change items from one of the customer’s historical invoices to the new work order. Reusing oil change information from a previously-completed invoice helps to ensure that you consistently use the same oil filter, the same type of oil, and the correct amount of oil every time a customer comes in for oil changes.

Note: If you’ve never performed an oil change for the customer’s vehicle, you need to add the oil change via an inventory search. Once the first oil change is sold, you’ll be able to create subsequent work orders by copying items from the first oil change invoice.

To reuse oil change work order information

1. Start a work order. For more information, see Create a Regular Work Order.
2. On the Invoice Entry screen, click Oil History. The Oil History Invoices screen opens. It lists oil change items that were sold during the past two years.
Note: To be included on the Oil History Invoices screen, an item’s product code, description, or both must include the word oil. For more information, see Oil Change Items.
3. To see additional items sold on an invoice with an oil change, select the Show Invoice check box.
Example: If you sold a set of wiper blades on the same invoice as an oil change, selecting the check box would allow you to see the wiper blades along with the oil-change items.
4. Make sure the Add check boxes for the oil change items you want to copy to the work order are selected, and the check boxes for the items you want to exclude are clear. By default, the check boxes for only a single invoice are selected.
5. Click Add to WO. TireMaster adds the selected items to the work order.
Note: The items are all added to the work order as parent items, regardless of whether they were originally part of an oil change package with a single parent item and one or more add-on items.
Note: If your TireMaster system is integrated with the Epicor Integrated Service Estimator, the Epicor ordering screen opens instead. If the vehicle uses a part (such as a filter) that is not stocked, you can check to see if a vendor has the item and order it.
6. Update quantities, descriptions, and prices for the items you just added, if needed.
7. Do the following as needed:

Add other items to the work order.

Click Quit to close the work order.

Complete the invoice. For more information, see Complete an Invoice.

The following video shows how to create an oil change work order in TireMaster. To play the video, click the image.

Oil Change Work Orders (2:15)

Creating work orders for service calls differs from creating work orders in a store, because you need to record the address where the service call occurred. Including that address on the final invoice creates a paper trail that you can use for a tax audit. Depending on the service call location, you might also need to change the tax level to ensure the proper amount of sales tax is collected.

Note: On the completed invoice, the service call address is listed to the right of the customer’s regular address.

To create a service call work order

1. Start a work order and add items to it. For more information, see Create a Regular Work Order.
2. Record the address of the service call location:
a. Click Ship To. The Ship-To Type Selection screen opens.
b. Select one of the following:

If the service call occurred at a location that’s on the customer’s Ship‑To List, such as a fleet warehouse or branch office, select Reusable Address and click OK. Then select the appropriate address from the list.

If the service call occurred at a location that’s not on the customer’s Ship-To List, select One-Time Address and click OK. Then type the temporary address on the Ship-To Maintenance screen, and click OK.

3. Change the tax level if needed:
a. Click Tax Level. The Invoice Tax Level Selection screen opens.
b. For both the parts and labor levels, click Lookup and make a selection from the list.
Note: If the tax level for the service call location is different than the one assigned to the customer, you need to change the tax level. Selecting a different tax level for the work order does not affect the settings in the customer’s record. To change tax levels, users need to be assigned the Customer Edit permission.
c. Click OK. TireMaster recalculates the sales tax.
4. Make additional changes to the work order if needed, print it, or complete the invoice. For more information, see Complete an Invoice.

If you want to know the profit a sale will generate, you can view the gross profit margin for the corresponding work order.

Note: By setting a system control, you can define whether the viewer displays an item’s last cost or next cost and whether that value includes FET. For more information, see GM Viewer Cost Options.

To view a work order’s gross profit margin

1. If the Invoice Entry screen isn’t already open, click Invoices. Then select the work order whose gross profit margin you want to view and click Select.
2. On the Invoice Entry screen, click GM. The GM Viewer opens and provides the following information:

The GM$ and GM% columns display the gross margin for each item.

The GM$ and GM% fields at the bottom of the screen display the total gross margin amount and percentage.

Note: The cost displayed on the viewer is the cost of the item at the time it was added to the work order. Therefore, the cost displayed on an older work order might differ from the cost for that same item if you just added it to a new work order.
3. To close the viewer, click Cancel.

When you need to print or make changes to an existing work order, you can retrieve it from the Open Work List.

To retrieve a customer's work order

1. If the Open Work Order List isn't already open, click Invoicing.
2. Select the work order, you want to update or print and click Select.

Once a work order is started, you will likely to need to make changes to it before turning it into a sale invoice or you might find that it's not longer needed.

When you need to sell additional products or services, you can add those items to a work order. Likewise, when items aren't needed, you can delete them. You can also update a work order by making additional changes, such as changing the customer's tax level or changing the job status.

To update the work order

1. If the Open Work Order List isn't open, click Invoicing.
2. Select the work order, and click Select.
3. Add an item to the work order, if needed, using one of the following methods. Then enter the quantity.

Click Add and look up an item or scan its bar code. For more information, see Inventory Searches, or Enter Bar Codes on Work Orders .

Press , and type an item’s quick look (or another) code in the Size field or scan its bar code. For more information, see Down Arrow Lookup Method.

Click Fitment to look up tires for the vehicle (if you have a subscription to Tire Guide Pro Plus). For more information, see Look Up Tire Sizes at Point of Sale.

4. To delete an item select it and click Delete. Then click Yes when confirmation message appears.
5. Make additional changes to the work order if needed. For information about the options available, see Invoice Entry Screen.
6. To close the Invoice Entry screen, click Quit.

If your state’s Bureau of Automotive Repair requires you to notify customers of changes to their work orders, you can remind your employees to gather the information at point of sale.

Note: This feature is activated with a system control. For more information, see Enforce BAR for Work Orders.

To complete a BAR change entry

1. After making a change to a work order, click Quit or Complete. The BAR Change Entry screen opens and displays the work order’s original and updated prices.
2. Type an explanation for the change in the Reason field.
3. Type the name and phone number for the person who authorized the change.
4. To verify that the customer approved the change, select the Signature Acquired check box.
5. To save the BAR change entry, click OK.

If you have a work order for a sale that will not be completed, you can delete the work order.

Note: With system controls settings, you can require employees to document their reasons for deleting work orders, and you can specify whether to print deleted work orders automatically. For more information, see Work Orders - Require Comments When Deleting and Work Orders - Print When Deleting.

To delete a work order

1. If the Open Work Order List isn’t already open, click Invoicing
2. Select the work order you want to delete and click Delete.
3. If the Deleted Work Order Comment screen opens, type the reason for deleting the work order and click OK. If the confirmation message appears instead, click Yes. The deleted work order prints automatically or is displayed in the Report Window.
4. If the Report Window is open, close it.
Tip: For additional copies of the deleted work order, click Print again before closing the Report Window.

By pressing a single key, you view a customer’s sales history at point of sale. Having quick access to this information makes it easy to track down the date of the customer’s last visit, along with a list of items the customer has already bought, returned, or traded-in.

Note: At-a-glance customer sales history is displayed on the same screen that’s used for tracking returns and trade-ins.

To view at-a-glance sales history

1. If the customer's work order isn't open, click Invoicing. Then select the work order and click Select. The Invoice Entry screen opens.
2. Press F8. The Customer Sales History screen opens.
3. To define which items are displayed, select the following as needed:

Match Inventory to display only the item selected on the Invoice Entry screen (if the customer previously bought, returned, or traded-in that item)

Match Vehicle to display only the vehicle selected for the current work order

Under 90 Days to display only invoices that are less than 90 days old

Under 180 Days to display only invoices that are less than 180 days old

All to displays all invoices

4. To exit the customer’s history, click Cancel.

In most cases, you create a work order when a customer arrives and leave it open while the work is performed. When the work is finished, you need to complete the work order to create the final invoice.

To complete an invoice

1. Select the work order that you want to complete:
a. If the Open Work Order List is not already open, click Invoicing.
b. Select the work order and click Select. The Invoice Entry screen opens.
Tip: To narrow your search for a work order, select Name, License #, or Make. Then type the customer’s name, vehicle license plate number, or the manufacturer in the Find field.
2. Update the work order if needed. This can include adding or removing items, making sure that quantities have been entered, assigning mechanics and salespeople for each item, updating the comments in the WO Notes tab, or updating the amount in the Flat Rate column. For more information, see Calculate Mechanic Productivity.
3. Click Complete. The Invoice Completion screen opens.
Note: If you use the DOT Interface, you’ll be prompted to enter tire identification numbers for tire sales. For more information, see Record Tire Identification Numbers.
4. Enter the payment information:
a. Click the field for the type of payment the customer is using.
b. Type the payment amount or press  to enter the invoice total.
Note: If the customer is paying with a debit or credit card, see Complete a Credit or Debit Card Sale for more information.
5. Make sure the Print check box is selected and the number of copies is set.
6. Enter the following information as needed:

The vehicle’s license plate number

The ending salesperson’s user ID (type it or press and select it from a list)

The vehicle’s beginning and ending mileage

Note: Entering the ending mileage is required if Force in Mileage is set to Yes. This setting is on the Other tab of the System Controls screen.

A PO or reference number

A message for the customer

7. If you need to include a tax exemption certificate on the invoice, select the Tax Exempt Cert check box. Otherwise, leave it blank.
8. If you want to associate the invoice with up to three postcards, click Marketing. For more information, see Associate an Invoice with a Postcard.
Note: The Marketing Module is an optional program that can be used with TireMaster Point of Sale.
9. Click OK. TireMaster prompts you to complete and print the invoice.
10. Click Yes.

If you make an error on a customer’s invoice, you can reverse it. Then you can automatically create a new work order with the same items and quantities if needed.

Note: Invoices that included deposits need to reversed manually with a return. Invoices for transfer and interstore transfer sales cannot be reversed. For more information, see Deposits, Transfers, or Create an Interstore Transfer Invoice.

To reverse an invoice

1. Click Invoicing. The Open Work Order List opens.
2. Click Rev. Invoice. TireMaster prompts you to look up an invoice to reverse.
3. Click Yes. The Name Lookup/Entry screen opens.
4. Search for the customer whose invoice you want to reverse. The Customer Maintenance screen opens. For more information, see Customer Searches.
5. Click the Ledger/History tab.
Note: If the AR Ledger view is selected, the invoice you need to reverse might not be visible. Select the History view instead.
6. Select the invoice you want to reverse and click Reverse. A confirmation message appears.
7. Click Yes. TireMaster prompts you to create a new work order that is a duplicate of the reversed invoice.
Note: If any sales tax rates affecting the invoice have changed in the time since the original sale, you will not be allowed to reverse the invoice. In this scenario, create an invoice with negative quantities. Then make journal entries to account for the difference in the amount of sales tax collected.
8. If you want to create a duplicate work order, click Yes. TireMaster reverses the current invoice and creates a work order with the same items and quantities. If you don’t want to duplicate the work order, click No instead. Regardless of whether you click Yes or No, all previous charges are reversed.
Note: Reversed invoices remain in the customer’s historical subledger.

You can reuse the contents of previously-completed sale invoices to create new quotes and work orders. Reusing invoices helps you save time and helps to ensure consistency when you need to work on a vehicle that's similar to a previously-repaired vehicle with a comparable problem. In other words, reusing an invoice ensures that the current job is handled in the same manner as the prior job.

Note: Items on the newly-created quotes and work orders will be added at their current prices instead of the prices charged on the original work order.

To reuse an invoice

1. Click Invoicing. The Open Work Order List opens.
2. Click Reuse Invoice.
3. Search for the invoice using one or more of the following criteria:

Invoice date or date range. For a single day, use the same date in both the starting and ending date fields.

Vehicle year or a range of vehicle years. For a single year, use the same year in both the starting and ending year fields.

Vehicle make

Vehicle model

Customer name

Customer purchase order number

Note: Full and partial entries are accepted for year, make, model, name, and PO#.
4. Click Search Invoices. TireMaster retrieves invoices that match the search criteria.
5. Select the invoice you want to reuse, and click one of the following:

Create WO

Create Quote

TireMaster prompts you to search for the customer and choose a vehicle. For more information, see Customer Searches.

6. When the confirmation message appears, click OK.
7. Close the Reuse Invoice screen. New quotes are added to the Quote and Estimate List and new work orders are added to the Open Work Order List.