Training Manual

TECHNOSOFT, INC.
Inquest Version 5
Training Manual
INQUEST VERSION 5
Training Manual
TECHNOSOFT, INC.
71 WENDY LN • SOUTH KINGSTOWN, RI 02879
401.284.2959 • www.technosoftinc.com
© 2002-2008 Technosoft, Inc. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents
Chapter 1 – Getting Started Service Records – Single Customer 24
Service Records – Multiple Customers 25

Sample Database 1
User Interface 1
Chapter 4 – Understanding the Service Schedule
File Menu 1
Tabbed Window Forms 2

Service Schedule 27
List Windows 2
Service Schedule – Customer by Next Service Date 28
Tree Views 3
Service Schedule – Service Due Report 29
Error Processing 3
Service Schedule – Work Order Generate 30
Customizing Group Names 4
Work Order Generate Updates the Service Schedule 31
Setting the Group Names 4
Chapter 5 – Work Orders

Chapter 2 – Adding and Opening Records
Generate Work Orders Options 32

New Employee / Technician 5
Combine services on one work order 33
New Customer / Service Location 6
Extinguishers due with Suppression System33
New Billing Address 7
Mark to be printed 33
Setting the ‘Bill to Address’ for a Customer8
Set work order start date 33
Open Service Location 8
Skip with balance due 33
Customer by Name 8
Request a Work Order Manually 34
Customer by Next Service Date 9
Open an Existing Work Order 35
Customer Search 10
Technicians and Additional Information 36
Completing a Work Order 37

Chapter 3 – Service Information
Complete the Work Order 38
Updated Service Location 39

Service Schedule 12
Fire Extinguishers 14

Chapter 6 – Work Order Assignment
Emergency and Exit Lights 19
Automatic Sprinkler System 21

Assignment Window Overview 40
Fire Alarm 22
Open the Assignment Window 40
Printing the Service Records Report 24
I N Q U E S T – T R A I N I N G M A N U A L
Display Options 41 Install HotSync Conduit 71
“Sort By” Option 41 Configuration Database 72
“Filter On” Option 41 Technician Handheld Assignment 73
“HotSync Work Orders” Option 42 Services Available on Handheld 74
Drag and Drop Assignment 43 Palm Handheld Application 75
Open a Work Order 44 Add Work Order 75
Key Concepts 45 Missed Equipment Warning 80
Assignment – Start Date 45 Limiting the Work Order List 80
Assignment - Technician 46 Open an Existing Work Order 81
Service Projections 47 Delete Record 85
Projection Dates 48
Routing with Mapping Software 49 Chapter 9 – Customizing Inquest
Chapter 7 – Windows Mobile Handheld Adding a Service Type 86
New Equipment Types 87
Install the Windows Mobile Application 50 Inspection Forms 89
Install Remote Server 51 Sales Survey 90
Configuration Database 51 More Customization 91
Windows Mobile Handheld Application 52
Add Work Order 52 Chapter 10 – Additional Inquest Programs

Missed Equipment Warning 62
Inquest – Import Utility 92
Open an Existing Work Order 63
Spreadsheet Format 93
Delete Record 69
Inquest – Move Utility 94
Easy Data 95

Chapter 8 – Palm OS Handheld Easy Data Buttons 97
Install Palm OS Application 70

1
Chapter
Getting Started
Chapter 1 will familiarize you with the Inquest user interface and
the basics of adding and opening records.
I
n order to use this training manual you must first install Inquest on your
computer. Installation instructions are located in chapter 1 of the Inquest v5
User’s Guide.
Inquest comes with a sample database to help you get the most from this training
manual. Throughout this manual are specific exercises for you to perform. Since
each exercise builds upon the previous, perform these exercises exactly as stated in
the order they are given. These exercises are annotated by the & symbol.
Sample Database
To access the sample database do the following:
& Open the Inquest software application
& When prompted by the dialog box titled “Open Company Data Source”, click
the button labeled “Open sample database”.
User Interface
Inquest has an easy to use and consistent user interface, which allows you to get up and
running quickly.
File Menu
The “File” menu is the starting point for most of the actions in Inquest.
• “New” and “Open”: are used to add new and update existing records in
your company database.
• “Reports”: is used to select any of the available reports produced by

Inquest for print or preview.
1
• “Commpany Inform mation”: is ussed to updatte your comp pany’s name and
address. The inforrmation enterred here is useed on all repo
ort headers.
• “Dataabase”: will diisplay a subm

menu that has options relatted to the Inqquest
databaase file. Theese options arre described in chapter 1 of the Inqueest 5
User’ss Guide.
Tabbed
T Window
w Forms
Inquest
I group ps related infformation byy using tabbeed windows. All the info ormation
contained
c on a tabbed win ndow is relateed to the titlee associated with
w the tab. Here is
where
w informmation is enteered relating to a service location, an employee, or o report
creation
c criterria for the dataa you are inteerested in.
Figure
F 1 is an
a example of o a tabbed window
w formm. All the customers
c wiithin the
database
d are grouped
g in alp
phabetical ordder much like a filing cabin
net of folders.
Figure
F 1 A tabbed win
ndow form. Each taab has a label and maay be selected.
List
L Windows
Windows
W thaat list inform
mation are coonsistent thro oughout the program. In I these
windows
w you can select a specific
s recordd and click an
n “Edit” buttton to open a detailed
form
f and upddate the data. An “Add” button
b will alllow you to addd new recordds, while
a “Delete” buutton allows yoou to removee records fromm the database.
Figure
F 2 show ws a typical list window. In this exaample, the fiire extinguishhers at a
customer’s
c sitte are listed. To
T add additiional extinguishers press th
he “Add” buttton. To
edit
e informatiion or delete a record, firrst select the record and press
p the app
propriate
button.
b
2
Figure
F 2 List Window
w
Tree
T Views
Tree
T views arre expandablee and collapsiible list windoows. The paarent item willl have a
box
b to the lefft of the item
m with a “+” when it is coollapsed and a ”−” in it when
w it is
expanded.
e Cliicking in the box
b will expaand or collapse the list.
Figure
F 3 Tree View
Error
E Processing
g
When
W the useer attempts to
o save the datta entered to the database, Inquest willl validate
required
r fieldss and valid data
d formats. All fields in n error will be
b highlightedd in red.
3
When a field in error is given keyboard focus the associated error message will appear
in the status bar of the program main window.
Customizing Group Names

Inquest can be customized on how you refer to the main data records “Customers”
and “Billing Addresses”.
A “Customer” refers to the actual location where the fire and life safety equipment to
be serviced is located. A “Billing Address” is used when the billing address is different
from the service location address.
Setting the Group Names
Figure 4 Group Names
& From the “Customize” menu select “Options”.
& Select the “Group Names” tab.
& Change the default group names from their current values by either selecting
an item in the dropdown list or typing a new description in the field.
Throughout the Inquest documentation the groups will be referred to as their

default values of “Billing Address” and “Customer”.
4
2
Chapter
Adding and Opening

Records
This chapter will show how to add and open different records within Inquest.
I nquest has three core record types. These record types are “Billing Address”,
“Customer”, and “Employee”. In this chapter we will examine the purpose of
these record types, how to add them to the database, and opening existing records.
New Employee / Technician

The first exercise is adding an employee record. An employee record is required to
assign and download work orders to a handheld device.
Add a new employee by doing the following:
& From the “File” menu select “New”.
& In the displayed window select “Employee” and click OK.
& Enter employee name “Andrew Jameson”, address and phone number in the
displayed form.
& Save your changes by clicking the button on the toolbar.
& Repeat the above and enter employee name “Brett Williams”.
5
Figure
F 5 New Emplo
oyee
New
N Cus
stomer / Service
e Locatiion
A service locaation is the customer
c locaation. Add a new servicee location by doing
the followingg:
& From the “Filee” menu selecct “New”.
& In
n the displayeed window sellect “Customer” and click OK.
& E
Enter a custom
mer name, adddress and ph
hone numberr in the displaayed
fo
orm as shownn in the next picture.
p
Note: Once thee customer is saved the cusstomer name will appear in
N n the
w
window title ass shown.
6
Figure
F 6 New Servicee Location
Now
N we will add a contacct name for this
t location.
& Click on the “Conttacts” tab andd then click “A

Add”.
& Enterr the appropriiate informatiion for the co

ontact and clicck “OK”.
Now
N that we have enteredd the custom
mer informatiion and a con
ntact name fo
or this
lo
ocation save the account..
& Save your

y changess by clicking the butto
on on the too
olbar.
New
N Billling Add
dress
A billing addrress is used when
w the invvoice is to be sent to an adddress separaate
from
f the custtomer’s serviice location. To add a billling address record:
& From the “Filee” menu selecct “New”.
& In
n the displayeed window sellect “Billing Address”
A and click OK.
& Enter
E a bill to name,
n addresss and phone number in th
he displayed fo
orm.
& Saave the “Billiing Address”” by clicking the butto

on on the too
olbar.
7
Setting the ‘Bill to Address’ for a Customer

After adding the billing address we can associate it with one or more customer
locations.
& Open a customer location for the bill to address.
& Select the “Billing Address” tab
& Click the “Select” button
& A tabbed form is displayed. Click the tab with the letter the billing
address name field starts with.
& Select the appropriate billing address from the list.
& Click the OK button.
& Save the changes by clicking the button on the toolbar.
Open Service Location

There are several options to open an existing service location that has been saved
to the Inquest database. Here are two common easy to use methods.
Customer by Name
& From the file menu click the “Open” option.
& Select the “Customer by Name” option and click “OK”.
& You will be presented with a tabbed window of customers in alphabetical

order.
& Clicking each tab will list those customers whose name begins with the
corresponding letter.
& Find the customer you just entered above by clicking the “M” tab and
scroll through the list. You can scroll to a specific name by
a. Highlight the first name in the list by selecting it.

b. Begin typing the name you want to find.
c. Inquest will scroll to the area of the list that matches the name you
typed.
& Open the customer information by double-clicking on the customer or

selecting the customer and clicking the “Edit” button.
8
Figure
F 7 Customer byy Name
Customer
C by Ne
ext Service Datte
Now
N we look at how to op
pen a customeer by next servvice date.
& From
m the file menuu click the “O
Open” option.
& Selectt the “Custom

mer by Next Service
S Date” option.
& You will be preseented with a tabbed

t window that show ws a list of
customers in nextt service datee order. A sp
pecial file callled “Past Duue”
contaains all the paast due accouunts.
& Clickiing each tab will list thosee customers whose next service
s occurrs in the
selectted month.
& Open n a customer by double cllicking the cuustomer in th

he list or by selecting
s
the cuustomer and clicking the “Edit” buttoon.
9
Figure
F 8 Customer byy Next Service Due
Custome
C er Searc
ch
Inquest
I offerrs many optio
ons for search
hing for a cuustomer. A search
s can bee done
on
o the compaany name, co ompany ID, street
s address, or phone number.
n Othher
criteria
c that can be entered include Teechnician, Rooute, and variious service
schedule
s info
ormation. Th he following exercise searrches for a cuustomer by a
specific
s technnician.
& From
m the file men
nu click the “Open”
“ optio
on.
& Selectt the “Custom

mer” option and click “O
OK”.
& Selectt technician “Andrew

“ Jam
meson” by sccrolling throuugh the list of
techn
nicians.
You
Y can narrrow the searcch by selectin
ng any of the options in th
he service sch
hedule
box.
b To enab
ble the search
h on the servvice schedulee information
n, check the “Search
“
on
o Schedule”” checkbox.
In
I this examp
ple, we will seearch for all accounts witth a service schedule assiggned to
“Andrew
“ Jam
meson”.
& Checkk the “Search

h on Schedulle” checkboxx.
& Selectt the name “A

Andrew Jam
meson” in the “Technician
n” dropdown
n list.
& Click the “Search”” button.
10
After click “Search”, you are automatically taken to the “Results” tab and a list of
customers assigned to “Andrew Jameson” is displayed. You can now select and
open the customer you are looking for.
Figure 9 Customer Search
Note: a second search can be conducted by simply clicking the “Criteria” tab, enter
your new search criteria, and clicking the “Search” button. There is no need to close
the window and reopen it.
Tip: When searching on customer name or address a wildcard character can be used.
The wildcard character is the % sign.
For example to search on all accounts on Main Street:
& Select “Street Address” in the first dropdown list.
& Enter %Main% in the edit field.
& Click the “Search” button.
11
3
Chapter
Service Information
This chapter will show how to add the fire and life safety equipment details to a
service location
I nquest has 5 default service types: Fire Extinguishers, Fire Suppression Systems,
Emergency and Exit Lights, Automatic Sprinkler System, Fire Alarm., Hood
Cleaning, and Fire Escapes. You may also add your own service types. Adding
service types will be covered in the chapter “Customizing Inquest”.
Each Service comes with default values for certain fields such as Type, Test and
Inspection frequencies and Size. You can enter your own values for these fields as
well. Once you enter your own value the value will be available for other service items
and customers.
Service Schedule
A service schedule is required to add the detailed service information to an account.
Details on what the schedules dates are used for and how the service schedule works is
found in the next chapter “Understanding the Service Schedule”
& To add a service schedule, open a customer account.
& Select the “Service Schedule” tab and then click the “Add” button.
& In the displayed form select the schedule name “Fire Extinguishers” as a
description of the schedule.
Note: All previously used names are listed in the drop down list. You may
also enter a name of your choice and it will be added and available for any
customer account.
& Click the “Active” checkbox to enable the remaining fields.
& Select the technician “Andrew Jameson”.
12
Note: This is an op
ptional field and
a is used when
w a particcular techniciian is
respo
onsible for ann account. When
W a work order is creaated; Inquest will
autom
matically assiggn it to the seelected techn
nician.
& A servvice frequenccy can be enttered for anyy number of days, weeks,
montths, or years. In this exam
mple enter “11” “Month(s))” is select fo
or a
montthly account.
& Checkk off the servvice “Fire Exxtinguishers””.
& Enterr a “Last Servvice” date using a date occcurring last month
m in thee format
mm/ddd/yyyy.
Note: The day of the

t month is optional; youu can enter juust the montth and
year of
o the last serrvice date.
& Noticce that the “N

Next Service”” and “Next Order” datees are calculatted
basedd upon the last service datte and frequeency entered.
& Click “OK” and the

t new serviice schedule will
w appear in
n the list.
Figure
F 10 Service Sch
hedule
13
The service schedule and how its information is used by Inquest will be covered in
detail in the chapter “Understanding the Service Schedule.”
Fire Extinguishers
A record is kept of each fire extinguishers location, size, type, its last test and inspection
dates and other details. Most fields are optional and you can track as much
information as you require. The Fire Extinguisher service is also used for fire hose and
cylinder/cartridge hydrostatic test dates. In this chapter you will be adding fire
equipment details to the customer you created in the previous chapter.
& To add Fire Extinguishers for a given customer first open the service
location to be modified.
Instructions for opening a service location were covered in chapter 2. Perform

the following instructions after opening the customer:
& Click on the “Service Items” tab. This window shows the services
associated with this account.
In the previous section we added the Fire Extinguisher service by adding

the service to a service schedule; therefore, “Fire Extinguishers” is listed.
& Select the service “Fire Extinguishers” and click the “Edit” button.
The displayed window shows the options available for the fire extinguisher service
type. The “Service” tab shows the last service date and an option “Quantity” and
“Description” field. The “Quantity” and “Description” are used to print on a
work order in the absence of a detailed extinguisher list. The “Remarks” tab
shows a free format field to keep any notes for the fire extinguisher service.
To add a fire extinguisher:
& Click on the “Fire Extinguishers” tab to display the list of extinguishers.
& Click the “Add” button to add an extinguisher.
As you can see from the form, the fire extinguisher service area is used to track
fire extinguishers, fire hoses, and cylinders for wheeled units. By changing the
equipment type, the test and inspections change to correspond to the selected
equipment.
14
Enter information for a 5 lb. ABC fire extinguisher:
& The number “1” should already be listed in the “Number” field. This
number is incremented as fire extinguishers are added.
& Enter “Front Entrance” in the “Location” field.
& In the “Size” field, scroll down to the number “5” or type “5” in the field.
& In the “Type” field, select “ABC” from the list.
& Enter a “Mfg.” date of 2008 (if there is no hydrostatic test date entered for
an extinguisher the manufacture date will be used in the calculation of the
next hydrostatic test date).
& Select “Amerex” from the “Mfg” list. A manufacture name can be typed
into the field and the information will be retained in the drop down list for
future use.
& Enter “0000012345” in the “S/N” field for the serial number of the
extinguisher.
The “Bar Code” field will get added in the field by scanning a bar code using a
handheld computer. Information on using the handheld is covered in Inquest
manual for handheld devices.
& Any comments may be entered in the “Remarks” field.
15
Figure
F 11 Fire Extingguisher Details
& Click on the “Testts/Inspection ns/Service” tab to view the

t test and
inspecctions trackeed for the exttinguisher.
After
A the fire extinguisherr details are entered:
e
& Closee the service detail

d form by
b clicking “O
OK”.
& Click the “OK” button to closse the Fire Extinguishers window.
& Save your

on on the too
olbar.
Fire
F Suppress
sion Sys
stems
To
T add a fire suppression system to th he service loccation you must
m first add the
service
s to a seervice scheduule on the acccount.
Follow
F these instructions to add a separate service schedule with a semi-ann
nual
service
s frequeency.
& Click on the “Servvice Schedulee” tab.
& Click the “Add” button.

b
16
& Select the schedule name “Fire Suppression Systems”.
& Click the “Active” checkbox to activate the schedule.
& Select “Andrew Jameson” as the “Technician”
& Set the frequency to “6” “Months”
& Check “Fire Suppression Systems” in the “Services” list box.
& Enter the last service date in the “Last Date” field. For this example enter
the month and year 6 months prior to today.
& Notice that the “Next Service” and “Next Order” dates are calculated
based upon the last service date and frequency entered.
& Click the “OK” button.
Now that the service has been placed on a service schedule, the service details can
be added.
& Click on the “Service Items” tab.
& Select the “Fire Suppression Systems” service and click the “Edit” button.
For an existing account a list of fire suppression systems will be displayed in this
window. To add an item to the list, click the “Add” button. The displayed form
shows the details for a fire suppression system.
& The installation date is the date the system was installed. Enter “3/2006”
in the “Install Date” field. This is an optional field.
& Enter “Kitchen” for location.
& In the “Type” field select “Wet Chemical Extinguishing System”.
Inquest has 4 default system types. More types may be added with the
customization feature covered in the chapter “Customizing Inquest”.
& Select “Ansul” for the “Mfg.” field.
& Select “R-102-3G” for the model.
& Enter “0000098765” in the “S/N” field.
17
Figure
F 12 Fire Suppreession System detailss
The
T “Tests/IInspections/SService” tab will list datess specific to the
t system tyype
selected.
s
The
T “Cylindeers” tab lists the
t cylinder details
d for th
he suppressio
on system.
& Click on the “Cyliinders” tab.
& Press the “Add” button.

b
A blank form
m is displayedd. Enter info
ormation for the cylinder associated with
w this
suppression
s s
system.
& Enterr “3G” for “SSize”.
& Enterr “2006” for “Mfg. Date””.
& Click “OK”.
The
T “Replaceement Parts”” tab is used to
t track the last
l time speccial parts are
periodically
p reeplaced.
& Click on the “Rep

placement Paarts” tab.

b
18
& In the displayed window, select the “Fuse Links 360” description.
& Enter the number of links in the system.
& The “Part No.” field is optional.
The “Appliance” tab is used to list the appliances being protected for a kitchen
system.
“User Defined Fields” are used to record any other required information that you
customize Inquest to track for fire suppression systems.
The “Remarks” area can keep any notes about the suppression system that need to
be recorded.
& After the suppression system details are entered close the service details
form by clicking “OK” button.
& Click “OK” to close the Fire Suppression Systems list window.
Emergency and Exit Lights

To add emergency and exit lights to the service location you must first add the
service to a service schedule on the account.
In this example we will add the service to an existing service schedule to indicate
that the lights will be serviced at the same time the fire extinguishers are serviced.
& Click on the “Service Schedule” tab.
& Select the “Fire Extinguishers” schedule in the list window.
& Click the “Edit” button.
& Check the service “Emergency and Exit Lights”.
Once the service is placed on a service schedule, the service details can be added.
19
& Selectt the “Emerggency and Exxit Lights” seervice and cliick the “Edit”
button.
& To addd a light clicck the “Add”” button.
Enter
E ormation forr the light to be added.
the info
& Enterr “Back Kitch

hen Door” in
n the “Locatiion” field.
& Selectt “Combinatiion Exit/Em

mergency in th
he “Type” fiield
Three
T types of
o lights are preset
p by Inqquest; Combiination Exit//Emergency,
Emergency
E L
Light, and Exxit Sign. Morre types may be added wiith the
customization
c n feature of Inquest.
I
& Enterr “000004567789” in the “S/N”

“ field.
& Click “OK”.
Figure
F 13 Emergencyy and Exit Light detaail
& After the light dettails are enterred close the window formm by clickingg
“OK””.
& Closee the equipmeent list by cliicking “OK”.
& Save your
y changess by clicking the buttoon on the too
olbar.
20
Automat
A tic Sprin
nkler Sys
stem
To
T add a spriinkler systemm to the servicce location you
y must firstt add the servvice to
a service scheedule on the account. Addd a service schedule
s for “Automatic
Sprinkler
S Systtem” using th
he same tech
hnician, a freqquency of 1 year
y and a last
service
s date of
o 1 year ago..
Once
O the servvice is placedd on a servicee schedule, th
he service deetails can be added.
a
& Click on the “Servvice Items” tab.

t
& Selectt the “Autom

matic Sprinkleer System” seervice and cllick the “Editt”
button.
& To addd a sprinklerr system, clicck the “Add”” button.
The
T displayedd form show ws the details for a sprinkler system. The
T pre-
programmed
p types availab
ble are delugee, dry pipe, preaction
p andd wet pipe. The
T
Test
T Inspectioon Service daates are speccific to the syystem type selected.
& Enterr an install daate of “12/20000”.
& Enterr “Rear Sprin

nkler Room” for the locattion.
& Selectt “Wet Pipe”” for the “Typ

pe”.
Figure
F 14 Automatic Sprinkler System
21
The “Sprinklers” tab can track the quantity, type, and last sample test date for the
sprinkler heads installed.
You will also find the same “User Defined Fields” and “Remarks” tabs that are
available on all service types.
& After the sprinkler system details are entered close the service details form
by clicking “OK”.
& Close the sprinkler list by clicking “OK”.
Fire Alarm
To add a fire alarm to the service location you must first add the service to a
service schedule on the account. Add a service schedule for “Fire Alarm” using
the same technician, a frequency of 1 month and a last service date of yesterday.
Once the service is placed on a service schedule, the service details can be added.
& Select the “Fire Alarm” service and click the “Edit” button.
& Detailed information for the fire alarm will be displayed. This screen
records the location, manufacture, and model for the alarm. Enter
“12/2000” for the “Install Date”.
& Enter “Kitchen” for the “Location”.
& Select “Kiddie“ for the “Mfg.”.
& Enter “MPS1” for the “Model”.
& Enter a “Last Service Date” of yesterday’s date.
& Enter “000002468” as the “S/N”.
22
Figure
F 15 Fire Alarm detail
The
T “Monito oring Agency”” tab is used to record im
mportant info ormation for the
agency
a that monitors
m the alarm. This is a free form
mat text fieldd.
The
T “Initiatin
ng Devices” tab
t will list alll initiating devices
d conneected to the alarm
a
and
a record thheir inspectio
on dates.
& Click on the “Initiiating Devicees” tab.

b
& Enterr an “Install Date”

D of “122/2000”
& Enterr “Kitchen – oven hood”” for the “Loccation”.
& Selectt “Manual Station” as thee type.
There
T are muultiple types of
o devices. The
T tests, insp
pections andd services chaange
according
a to the type selected.
& Selectt “Kiddie” fo

or the “Mfg.””
& Enterr “0000013577” for the “S/N”.
& Click “OK”.
23
Figure
F 16 Initiating Device
D details
& After the fire alarm

m details are entered closse the servicee details form
m by
clickin
ng “OK”.
& Save your

on on the too
olbar.
Printing
P the Serv
rvice Rec
cords Report
Re
There
T are 2 options
o to priint the servicce records rep port. When printing the “Service
Records”;
R Inqquest will projject the servicce due as of th
he service sch
hedule “Next Service”
date.
d For prinnting an insp
pection “Serviice History”, print the equuipment detaiils of the
completed
c woork order. Priinting work orders
o is coverred in anotherr chapter.
Service
S Records
s – Single Custo
omer
& Open
n the customeer to print.
& Selectt “Print” from

m the “File” menu.
m
& In thee displayed wiindow select the

t service reccords to printt.
& Click OK
& Selectt the printer to

o use and clicck OK
24
Figure
F 17 Service Reccords to Print
Service
S Records
s – Multiple Cus
stomers
& Selectt “Reports” frrom the “File” menu.
& Selectt “Service Reccords” from the

t “Report” window and click “OK”.
& In thee “Report Critteria” window

w enter the seearch criteria that
t will returrn the list
of cusstomers you are
a looking fo or.
You
Y may also o leave the co ompany fieldd blank and enter
e other seearch criteria to print
multiple
m custo
omers. After clicking the “Search”
“ buttton the windo ow will changge to the
“Customers
“ to
o Print” winddow.
& The “Customers

“ t Print” tab will list all the
to t customerrs to be printted. To
removve customerss from the prrint list select the customeer name and click the
“Rem
move” button.
Note: Removing cuustomers fromm the “Customers to Printt” tab does not delete
their information.
i You are onlyy removing th
hem from the list of accoun
nts to be
printeed.
& Click the “Preview

w” button to preview
p the reeport.
& In thee displayed window

w select the service reecords to prin
nt and also in
ndicate if
you would
w like thee inspection form to be printed
p alongg with the eqquipment
detailss. Inspectionn forms are coovered in morre detail in chaapter 7.
& Click the “OK” buutton.
25
4
Chapter
Understanding the
Service Schedule
Key Service Schedule Concepts
A service can only exist on 1 service schedule
Set the frequency to how often you perform maintenance/inspections for a

particular service
“Next Service” date determines the “Service Due” report
“Next Order” date determines when a work order will be created
26
S
Service Schedu
ule
F
Figure 18 Service Sch
hedule
T modify an
To n accounts serrvice schedulee, do the follo
owing:
& Open
n the accountt to modify.
& Selecct the “Servicee Schedule” taab.
& Selecct a service scchedule to modify and clicck “Edit”, orr click the “A
Add” button to add a
new service scheddule.
27
S
Service Schedu
ule – Customer by Next Servic
ce Date
F
Figure 19 Customer by Next Service Daate
T open the Customer byy Next Servicee Date:

To
& From
m the “File” menu
m select “O
Open” menu option.
& Selecct the “Custom

mer by Next Service
S Date”” option and click “OK”.
28
S
Service Schedu
ule – Service Du
ue Report
F
Figure 20 Service Duue Report
P
Printing the Service Due Report:
& Fromm the “File” menu,

m select the “Reportt” option.
& In th
he displayed window
w selecct “Service Due”
D and clicck “OK”.
The report can

T c be sortedd by the postaal or route co
ode, and can also be grouuped by service
t
technician.
T only reqquired inform

The mation is the month to priint the reporrt for.
Other optionns are, activee schedules only, includingg past due acccounts, and limiting the report
t a specific technician, service
to s type, or
o route code.
& For this

t example enter the neext month fro om the current month an
nd year (mm//yyyy).
& Clickk the “Preview
w” button to
o look at the report.
29
S
Service Schedu
ule – Work Orde
er Generate
F
Figure 21 Work Ord
der Generate
T create all work orderss for a month

To h:
m the “Handh
& From helds” menuu, select the “Work
“ Orderrs” submenu.
& From
m the “Work Orders” sub
bmenu, selectt the “Generrate” menu option.
o
& Enteer the month and year to create work orders

o for.
& Set any

a of the options.
(The options are covered in detail
d later in this manual in the chapteer “Work Orrders”)
& Clickk the “Start” button to creeate the workk orders.
30
Work Order Generate Updates

s the Service Schedule
F
Figure 22 Auto Upd
date of Next Order Date
D
The work orrder generate process willl update the “Next

T “ Orderr” date on thee service sch
hedule.
B having bo
By oth a “Next Order”
O and “Next
“ Servicce” date:
• Dupllicate work orders

o ot be created for the samee month if th
will no he process is started
again
n.
• The “Service Duee” report willl still list all accounts
a duee until the “N
Next Service”” date is
updaated by comp pleting the wo
ork order.
• If yo
ou have a monthly accoun nt, you can crreate the worrk orders forr the next mo onth
beforre the outstanding work order
o is commpleted.
31
5
Chap
pter
Work
W O rs
Order
This
T chapter tak
kes a comprehenssive look at howw work orders are
re created and
show
sh how to comp
mplete work ordeers once a job is complete.
co
I n the chaapter “Underrstanding the Service Scheedule” we saw

work ordders for a giveen month. We
the work order generaate process.
W will now cover the op
w how to generate
ptional settingg for
Generat
G te Work Orders Options
s
Figure
F 23 Work Ordeer Generate Optionss
32
Combine services on one work order

The default behavior of the work order generate process is to create a work order for
each service schedule that is due. By checking the “Combine services on one work
order” option, you are directing Inquest to put all services schedules due for onto one
work order for a particular services location.
The “Exceptions” button will allow you to specify a particular service as being due to
be placed on its own work order regardless of any other services due at the same time.
An example of this would be an account that has fire extinguishers, suppression
system, and hood cleaning due this month. If you want the fire extinguishers and
suppression systems placed on the same work order and the hood cleaning on a
separate work order; you would set the combine services option and an exception for
the hood cleaning service.
Extinguishers due with Suppression System

This option is not used by very many users of the Inquest software product. The
purpose of this option is to have fire extinguishers that are due annually always fall on
one of the suppression system semi-annual service dates.
If an account is due for fire extinguisher service and has a suppression system that is
not currently due, Inquest will determine if the suppression system will be due within
the next few months. If the suppression system will be due within the next few
months, the fire extinguisher service will be delayed until the suppression system is due.
Mark to be printed
Setting the “Mark to be printed” option will set a flag that can be used to print the
entire batch of work orders for a given month. This feature is not common when
using handheld devices for work orders.
Set work order start date

This option is used to easily download an entire months worth of work orders to a
handheld device. For this option to work properly you must have a technician name
on each service schedule. When the work orders are created they will be assigned to
the technician on the service schedule and given a start date as entered. This will allow
the work orders to be downloaded to the handheld devices without doing the work
order assignment step.
Skip with balance due

This option is only available when using the QuickBooks connectivity feature of
Inquest. Setting this option will skip the work order creation process for accounts that
owe money from previous jobs. You can set the criteria for any balance or an aged
balance due. If any accounts are skipped from the work order generate process, you
will be notified and a report on those accounts will be produced. Note: using this
option can add significant processing time to the work order creation process.
33
Request
R t a Work
k Order Manually
M y
This
T exercise will
w show how
w to manuallyy create a worrk order for a specific acco
ount:
& Open
n the customeer account named “Mercy Hospital”.
& Click on the “Worrk Orders” tab.

b
Figure
F 24 New Workk Order
& Selectt the work orrder type “Sccheduled Maiintenance”.
Note:: “Scheduledd Maintenancce” work ordeers will updaate the servicee

scheddule and all eqquipment tesst dates whenn completed.. “Service Caall”
work order will no ot update thee service scheedule or equiipment test dates.
d
34
& The “Technician”

“ ” and “Start Date”
D are optional. Enter values heree to
immeediately assign
n the work order
o and havve it downloaaded on the next
n
synch
hronization.
& Checkk the type off service to be performed.
& The “Notes”

“ fieldd is optional and
a will print on the worrk order or bee
downnloaded to the handheld device.
d
& “To be
b printed” iss optional an
nd will set thee print flag of the work order.
& “Balaance Due” is only availablle with the QuickBooks

Q c
connectivity. This is
an inddicator if the customer haas an outstan
nding accoun
nt or not.
& “PO Number”

N is optional andd will carry fo
orward to thee invoice.
& Click “OK”.
& The newly

n createdd work orderr will appear in
i on the “W
Work Orders”” tab.
Figure
F 25 Work Ordeers tab.
You
Y can open n a work ordeer by selectingg the work ordder and clickiing the “Edit”” button.
In
I the next secction we will open a work order by doinng a work ordder search.
Open
O an
n Existin
ng Work Order
In
I this exercise we open a work
w order ussing the searcch method.
m the “File” menu

& From m click th
he “Open” op
ption.
& Selectt “Work Ordder” and clickk “OK”.
A work orderr search winddow will appeear. A search

h can be don
ne on any of the
following:
f
o Workk Order Nummber

o Workk Order Datees: Order date, start date, end date
o Comppany informaation, name, phone numb ber, street address, ID
35
Other
O criteriaa that can be entered incluude assignedd technician, route,
r and work
w
order
o status.
Figure
F 26 Work Ordder Search
& Click the “Search”” button with

h no search criteria
c entereed.
A results list is
i displayed showing
s all work
w orders where
w you caan select and open
th
he work ordeer you are looking for.
Figure
F 27 Available Work
W Orders
Technic
T cians and
d Additio
onal Info
ormation
n
This
T exercise will give an overview
o of assigning
a a work
w order andd typing in addditional
notes
n to appeaar on the paper work orderr.
& Selectt the work orrder for “Meercy Hospital” and click th
he “Edit” buutton.
& Click the “Technicians” tab.
36
The
T “Techniccians” tab wiill list the tech
hnicians thatt have been assigned
a to co
omplete
th
he service wo
ork.
& Add a technician by

b clicking th
he “Add” buutton.
w Jameson” and click “OK

& Selectt the techniciian “Andrew K”.
Figure
F 28 Technician list window
& Noticce the techniccian name no

ow appears in
n the list.
& Click the “Work Order”

O tab. Notice
N the work
w order sttatus is now
“Assigned”.
The
T “Notes” tab records any special notes
n for the work order. These notess will
appear
a on thee work orderr cover sheet or on the “A
Additional In
nformation” tab
t of
th
he handheld device.
Complet
C ting a Work
W Ord
der
In
I this exercise we will coomplete a work order. Th his example will
w not cover the
in
nvoicing porrtion of Inquuest. Invoicin
ng will be covvered in detaail in the chap
pter
“Accounting
“ Program Intterface”.
& Selectt the work orrder for “Meercy Hospital” and click th
he “Edit” buutton.
To
T see what inspection
i daates will be updated
u for a particular firre extinguish
her:
& Click the “Servicee Details” tabb.

& Click on the “¨” to the left off the “Fire Extinguishers
E ” service item
m. The
list wiill expand to show all thee fire extinguiishers at this location.
Figure
F 29 Service Dettails
37
& Click on the “¨” to the left off fire extinguuisher numbeer 1.
An
A item called “Tests/Insspections/Seervices” will appear.
a
& Doub
ble click on “Tests/Inspe
“ ctions/Services”.
You
Y will see an a Action Co ompleted listt box that hass a “3” to th
he left of the action
Inquest
I projeected the servvice required based upon the dates reccorded for th he fire
extinguisher.
e These actions may be ch hanged basedd upon the work
w that wass
actually
a comp pleted. Upon n completionn of the workk order all thee equipment dates
will
w be autom matically updaated accordin ng to the indiicated servicee work perfoormed.
Figure
F 30 Action Com
mpleted
& Changge the “Actio

on Completeed” from “An
nnual” to “R
Recharge”.
& Click “OK”.
Complete
C the Work
W Order
& Click the “Work Order”
O tab.
& Enterr the date thee work order was completed into the “End
“ Date” field
and click the “Com mplete Workk Order” buttton. Note: if a date is no
ot
entereed the currennt date will be used.
& A connfirmation message

m will display
d beforee the work order is finalizzed.
Click the “Yes” buutton.
38
Figure
F 31 Complete Work
W Oder Confirm
mation
The
T “End Daate” will conttain the last service
s date and
a the “Stattus” will be updated
u
to “Completee”.
Figure
F 32Completed Work
W Order
& Click the “Preview w” button to view the wo ork order. Cllicking the “VView”
menuu and selectinng the “Repoort” option will
w allow you to change th he
reporrt section to preview
p the service
s historry reports forr this work order.
o
Updated
U d Service
e Locatiion
In
I this exercisse we review
w the service information that was upddated when the
t work
order
o was com
mpleted.
& Openn the customeer record forr the work orrder just com mpleted.
& Click the “Servicee Schedule” tab. Notice the t last servicce date has been
updatted and the next
n service date
d was calcuulated and up pdated.
& Click the “Servicee Items” tab. The last serrvice date forr fire extinguiishers
has beeen updated with the worrk order endd date.
& Openn the fire extiinguisher dettails to see ho
ow the work order complletion
updatted the approopriate servicce dates as inndicated on th
he work ordeer.
39
6
Chapter
Work Order Assignment

This chapter will show how to quickly assign work orders to a technician.
I n the previous chapter we saw how to assign a work order by editing the work
order itself. Here we will see how to quickly assign work orders without
opening and editing each one.
Assignment Window Overview

Open the Assignment Window
& From the “Handhelds” menu select “Work Orders and click on
“Assignment”.
The assignment window is divided into three sections.

• The right-hand section shows the current technician.
• The middle section lists the work orders assigned to the current technician.
• The left section lists the open work orders that can be assigned.
The current technician can be changed by selecting a different technician from the
drop down list. The calendar is used to show what the work order “Start Date”
will be when a work order is assigned. The “Show All Work Orders” checkbox
will allow the middle section to list all work orders that have been assigned
regardless of the start date. If it is unchecked only the work orders with a start
date that correspond to the date selected in the calendar will be displayed.
The “Services Available on Handheld” is used to specify which service types a

technician performs and will appear on his handheld. This only applies to Palm
handheld devices. Windows Mobile devices will have all service types available.
40
Figure
F 33 Work Ordeer Assignment
Notice
N the picctures next to the companyy names for th
he available work
w orders:
o “Scheeduled Mainteenance” workk orders are denoted

d by th
he picture of the
t filing
card.
o “Serviice Call” workk orders are denoted
d by th
he telephone picture.
p
Display
D O
Options
s
By
B right mouuse clicking in n the availablle work orderrs portion, a pop up men nu is
displayed
d thatt will allow you
y to changee the display options of th he available work
w
orders
o section
n.
& Rightt click in the “Available Work

W Orders”” area.
& Click on “Optionss”.
“Sort
“ By” Option
n
The
T available work orderss can be sorteed by Name,, Route Codee, or Postal Code.
C
“Filter
“ On” Optio
on
The
T filter on options will allow you to o limit the wo
ork orders dissplayed in th
he
available
a work orders list. You can limmit the work orders basedd upon the sttart
date,
d the assiggned techniciian, and/or the
t type of seervice the wo
ork order is for.
f
41
The
T defaults to display alll available wo ork orders are nothing in the “Start Date”
D
field
f and “Alll” in both thee “Techniciaan” and “Servvice” dropdo
own lists.
“HotSync
“ Work Orders” Option
n
The
T number of days before the start date
d to downlload assignedd work orderrs to the
technicians handheld is sp
pecified here. For examp
ple, if the num
mber is set to
o 4 and
today is Monday all work assigned through Friday will be down nloaded to thhe
technician’s handheld.
h
& Selectt the “Sort By”

B “Name” option
o and click
c OK.
Figure
F 34 Work Ordeer Assignment Optio
ons
The
T available work orderss are now gro
ouped in alph
habetical ordder.
Figure
F 35 Work Ordeers sorted alphabeticaally
42
Drag and Drop Assignment

The following exercise will show how to assign work orders to technician “Brett
Williams”. This particular technician is only trained in servicing fire extinguishers.
We will now change the filter options to limit the accounts to those with fire
extinguishers. We will also change the work order list to sort by postal code for
more efficient routing of our technicians on a given day.
& Right click in the “Available Work Orders” area.
& Click on “Options”.
& Select “Postal Code” for the “Sort By” option.
& “Technician” should be equal to “All”.
& Select “Fire Extinguishers” in the “Service” field of the “Filter On” area.
& Click “OK”.
To assign work orders to a technician, select the company name on the available
work orders side and drag it to the middle section by holding the mouse button
down. Release the mouse button and the work order will now appear in the
assigned work order section.
& Expand “Available Work Orders” by clicking on the “¨”.
& Expand postal code “45403 - Dayton” by clicking on the “¨”.
& In the calendar, click on the next Monday for a start date.
& Assign the first 5 work orders in “45403 – Dayton”, by selecting and
dragging each work order to the middle section as explained above.
& Click the button on the toolbar to save our changes.
43
Figure
F 36 Work Ordeer Assignment
Now
N we will assign work for the next day.
& Click on the next day in the Caalendar. In the

t example shown it is March
M
th
6 .
& Assiggn the remain

ning work ordders in “454003 – Dayton””.
& Click the butto

on on the too
olbar to savee our changess.
You
Y can view w the differen
nt work orderr assignmentts for a given
n day by clickking on
th
he date in th
he calendar.
& Click Monday, theen Tuesday in

n the calendaar to show th
he work ordeers
ned for each day.
assign
By
B clicking th
he show all work
w orders checkbox
c thee middle sectiion displays all work
orders
o assigneed to the technician regarrdless of starrt date.
Open
O a Work
W Orrder
ned from thee work order assignment window.
A work orderr can be open
& Doub ble click on one

o of work orders
o in the middle sectiion. Notice the
t
statuss is assigned and
a the startt date has beeen updated.
A work orderr can also be opened from

m the “Availaable Work Orders”
O list byy
double
d clickin
ng on the wo
ork order.
44
Key Con
ncepts
A
Assignment – Start
S Date
F
Figure 37 Assignmen
nt Updates the Start Date
When the wo
W ork order is assigned
a to a technician, the work order start date is updated to
o the
d selected in the calendaar.
date
45
A
Assignment - Technician
T
F
Figure 38 Assignmen
nt Update the Techn
nician
When the wo
W ork order is asssigned to a teechnician, thee work order technicians
t taab is updated with
t technician
the n who is curreently selectedd in the work order
o assignm
ment dropdow wn list.
The techniciaan name and start date are the keys to

T o downloadingg a work ordder to a handdheld
d
device.
46
S
Service Projecttions
F
Figure 39 Work Ord
der Service Projection
ns
When a sched
W duled maintennance work order
o is createed, the servicee projections for each item
m are
d
determined. These will bee the dates up
pdated autommatically when n the work orrder is compleeted.
T
These items will also drivve what itemss are billed using
u the “Priice List” and the QuickBo ooks
c
connectivity.
Note: changi
N ging dates orr adding item
ms after a work
w order iss created wiill not affect the
p
projections on
o an open work
w order. To
T redo the projections,
p o
open the workk order and press
p
t “Reset service projections” button on
the o the “Service Details” taab.
47
Projection Date
es
F
Figure 40 Equipmen
nt Dates Used/Updaated
This graphicc shows the corresponding dates thaat will be up

T pdated when
n the work order is
c
completed.
48
Routing
g with Ma
apping Softwar
S re
I you have Microsoft
If M Map
pPoint installeed, the work orders assigned can be auttomatically ro
outed.
IIf you do not have Microsoft MapPoin nt, the addresss can be exp
ported for a given
gi assignment date.
T file can be importedd into other mapping
This m softw
ware applicattions. See yo
our mapping software
d
documentatioon on importiing address lissts.
T
These steps cover
c the expo
orting of addrresses to a co
omma separated values file..
& Selecct an assignm

ment date in the
t calendar. Make sure the
t “Show alll work orderrs”
checkkbox is not checked.
c
& Right click in the middle sectiion of the wiindow.
& Selecct the “Routee” option in the

t popup menu.
m
& Specify a file nam

me to save thee address to.
F
Figure 41 Export Ad
ddresses
By importingg the file justt created into

B o a mapping software
s pro
ogram; a routte can be optiimized
a travel dirrections and times can bee created.
and
49
7
Chapter
Windows Mobile Handheld

This chapter will show how to install and use Inquest on a Windows Mobile
handheld device.
B efore beginning this chapter users should have basic knowledge of the handheld
computer.
Install the Windows Mobile Application

To install the Inquest handheld application on your Windows Mobile handheld:
& Open Inquest.
& Connect your handheld device to your computer using Microsoft ActiveSync
& From the “Handhelds” menu, select the “Install” menu option.
& Select the “Windows Mobile 5.0” or “Pocket PC 2003” radio button,
depending on your handheld device, and click “Install”
Figure 42 Windows Handheld Software Install
50
Install Remote Server

The Inquest synchronization for Windows Mobile devices requires the Inquest
Remote Server program. See Chapter 13 of the Inquest User’s Guide for information
on installing and configuring the Inquest Remote Server.
Configuration Database
The handheld configuration database is used to update the handhelds with all the
services, equipment types, inspection frequencies and other values that are modified
within the Inquest desktop application.
& To create/update the configuration database select “Configure” from the

“Handhelds” menu. All the checkboxes in the “UPDATES” column should
have a 3. The “LAST UPDATED” column should have the value “Never
Updated”.
& Click the “Update” button to create the configuration database with the
latest information. The “LAST UPDATED” column should now be
updated with a current date and timestamp.
Figure 43 Handheld Configuration Database
& Click “OK”.
If you customize Inquest you must update the configuration database to have the
customized information available on the handheld computer.
51
W
Window
ws Mob
bile Han
ndheld Applic
cation
T followingg exercises arre to be perforrmed on the handheld.
The h
A
Add Wo
ork Ord
der
& From
F the “SStart” menu,, select the
“Program
ms” menu opttion.
& In
I “Programss”, tap on th
he “Inquest”
icon.
& To T add a neew work order on the

handheldd tap and holld on the worrk order list
to displayy a popup meenu.
& Tap
T the “Addd” menu optio
on.
& A list of existin

ng accounts will
w display.
& Tap
T the “New
w” button to
o add a new
account.
Note: byy selecting an n existing cuustomer and

clicking th
he “OK” buttton, you can add a work
order for an existing cllient.
52
& A blank form m will displayy. Enter the

new customer’s
c naame, address, and phone
numbeer
& Tap Back to t take you back

b to the
main sttarting screen for the workk order.
& Tap the “Contacts” tab to take you

to the contacts
c list.
& Add a co ontact by taapping and

holdingg the list an
nd selecting the “New”
menu option.
o
& Enter the contact nam

me in the
displayeed form.
53
& Tap
T Back to take you back b to the
Contacts list where thhe contact th
hat was just
added willl now be disp
played.
& Tap
T the “Servi
vices” tab.
& Tab T and ho old the serviice list and

select thee “New” men
nu option.
& Select
S “Fire Extinguishers
E s” from the
displayedd list of servicees.
54
& Fire
F Extinguisshers will now
w display on
the “Servvices” tab.
& TapT on “Fire Extinguisehrrs” to access

the extinggusiher list.
& Tap
T and holdd on the extin
ngusiher list
to add a fire
f extinguish
her.
& Enter
E the fire extinguisher information
i
into the displayed
d formm.
& A bar code caan be enteredd by

selecting the bar codee field and sccanning the
fire extin
nguisher bar code.
c
& Enter
E the othher informatio on for the
extinguissher by selectting the apprropriate
field and entering texxt.
& ToT enter test dates for thee

extinguissher click on the “Dates” tab.
55
& Set
S the servicce performedd by
checkingg the box nexxt to the appropriate
date.
Note: th
he date checkked will be up
pdated
once thee inspection is
i marked “C Complete”.
& A service datte can be upddated by

taping th
he date to be updated.
& Mark
M the insp pection as coomplete by
switchingg back to thee “Extinguishher” tab
and settin
ng the “Statuus” field to
“Compleete”.
56
& TapT “Back” menum option to return

us to the fire extinguiisher list. Wee can now
see the exxtinguisher that
t was addeed. A
status off “Complete”” to the right of the
extinguissher indicatess we have com mpleted
our inspeection.
& Tap
T Back to gog to the maiin screen
for the work
w order.
& Tap
T and holdd the servicess list to add
an additiional service..
& Select
S Emerggency and Exxit Lights
from thee list of servicces.
57
& Tap
T on the newly
n added
“Emergeency and Exiit Lights” serrvice.
& Add
A two ligh hts to this acccount using
the samee methods deescribed prevviously for
adding a fire extinguiisher.
& Mark
M each “A Annual” lightt
inspectio
on complete.
& TapT “Back” to t return to the

t main
starting screen
s for th
he work orderr.
58
& Tap
T on the “IInvoice” tab.
& Now,
N tap thee “Invoice” menu
m and
select thee “Billing Infformation” menu
m item.
& Verify/set
V the billing info
ormation.
& Click
C “ok” in
n the top righ
ht.
59
& From
F the “In
nvoice” menuu, select
the “Calcculate” menuu option.
& A confirmatio on message isi displayed

to only in
nvoice inspections that arre marked
“Compleete”. Tap the “Yes” buttton.
60
& A summary of o the work performed

p
will be displayed
d on the
t “Invoice”” tab.
& Mark
M the worrk order com mplete by
going baack to the “C
Customer” tab b and
selectingg “Complete”” in the “Stattus”
dropdow wn list.
& Tap
T “Back” to t go back to
o the list of
work ordders on the handheld.
h
61
Missed Equipm
ment Warrning
& Iff a technician n has missed any

equipmen nt to be serviiced a warnin
ng will
display iff they attemppt to mark thee work
order as complete.
c
& Byy tapping the “Yes” butto on, the

informatio
on for the first missed item
m will be
displayed.
62
Open an
n Existin
ng Work
k Order
& TapT on a worrk order in th he list to

open thee main screen
n for the giveen work
order.
& From
F ou can access and
here yo
update the
t informatiion for the op
pened
work ordder.
63
& To T get a sum

mmary of whaat work is
to be peerformed:
& Tap
T the “Invvoice” tab.
& From
F the “In
nvoice” menu, select
the calcuulate menu option.
o
& InI the displayyed confirmaation, tap

the “Noo” button to include
i all seervice items
regardless of their in
nspection stattus.
& InI this exampple we have 4 hydro

and rech
harges and 1 annual main
ntenance
due.
& Tap
T the “Con ntacts” tab to
o
view/up
pdate the con
ntact names for
f this
account..
64
& Tap the “Serrvices” tab an

nd then the
“Fire Exxtinguisher” service
& A list of the fire extinguishers at

this servvice location is displayed.
& Tap
T on a firee extinguisherr to display
the detaiil information for the exttinguisher.
& ToT bar code the extinguissher select

the bar code
c field.
& Sccan the bar code

c label byy clicking
the scan button
b on the handheld.
65
& To T display an nd update the test dates

for the extinguisher,
e tap on the “Dates”
“
tab. Thee checkmarkk next to Hyddro Test
indicatess that the exttinguisher is due for
Hydro Test.
T
& The
T Hydro Test T date willl be
updated automaticallly by setting the fire
extinguisher status to
o Complete.
& Other
O inspecction and testt dates can
be updatted by tappinng on the insspection
name in the list.
66
& ByB tapping an nd holding on

o a date
field, youu can bring up
u a calendarr to select a
specific date.
& Or,
O you can enter
e any vallid date.
& Tap
T “Back” and a then thee
“Extinguuisher” tab to
o set the insp
pection
status.
& Updating
U thee extinguisheer status
marks thhe record commplete and updates
u the
test and inspection dates.
d
67
& A signature can

c be capturred by the
handheldd computer. Tap the “In nvoice” tab
and thenn from the “IInvoice” men
nu select
the “Sign
nature” mennu option.
& Indicate
I if yo
ou want to caapture the
“Custom
mer” signaturre or the “Teechnician”.
& Capture
C the signature
s by signing
with thee stylus.
& Once
O the siggnature is cap
ptured, tap
the “OK
K” button to save the sign nature
informattion.
& ToT completee the work orrder and

signal In
nquest to upload the workk order to
the mainn office; markk the work order
o with a
complette status by taapping the “CCustomer”
tab and updating thee “Status” fieeld.
68
Delete Record
& To T delete a record from the

t
handheldd, tap and ho
old the recorrd to be
deleted.
& Select
S the “D
Delete” optio
on from the
popup menu.
m
& A confirmatiion message will w be

displayedd before the record is acttually
deleted.
69
8
Chapter
Palm OS Handheld
This chapter will show how to install and use Inquest on a Palm OS handheld
device.
*** TECHNOSOFT HIGHLY RECOMMENDS THAT ALL CUSTOMERS

UPGRADE TO WINDOWS MOBILE HANDHELD DEVICES. ***
*** TECHNOSOFT DOES NOT SUPPORT PALM DEVICES ON WINDOWS

VISTA. ***
B efore beginning this chapter users should have basic knowledge of the
handheld computer.
Install Palm OS Application

To install the Inquest handheld application on your Palm:
& Open Inquest.
& From the “Handhelds” menu, select the “Install” menu option.
& Select the “Palm OS” radio button and click “Install”
70
Figure 44 Palm Handheld Software Install
& Select the Palm Desktop username for the handheld and click “OK”.
Figure 45 Palm Desktop Install
& A window will display showing the program to be installed, click the
“Done” button.
& A message will display indicating that the application will be installed
during the next HotSync operation. Click “OK”.
& Click “Close” in the Inquest install dialog.
& HotSync your handheld to complete the program install.
Install HotSync Conduit

The Inquest conduit install is only required 1 time. It is installed from the Inquest
desktop application.
& From the “Customize” menu select “Options”.
& Click on the “Synchronization” tab.
& Click the “Add/Remove” button.
71
& A message will display indicating that the HotSync Manager must be
restarted for the changes to take effect. Click “OK”. The “Conduit
Status” field should be updated to “Installed”.
Note: See Chapter 1 of the Inquest User’s Guide for further details if your
“Palm OS” status is anything other the “Installed” or “Not Installed”.
Figure 46 Palm Desktop Conduit
Configuration Database
The handheld configuration database is used to update the handhelds with all the
services, equipment types, inspection frequencies and other values that are
modified within the Inquest desktop application.
& To create/update the configuration database select “Configure” from the

“Handhelds” menu. All the checkboxes in the “UPDATES” column
should have a 3. The “LAST UPDATED” column should have the value
“Never Updated”.
& Click the “Update” button to create the configuration database with the
latest information. The “LAST UPDATED” column should now be
updated with a current date and timestamp.
72
Figure 47 Handheld Configuration Database
& Click “OK”.
If you customize Inquest you must update the configuration database to have the
customized information available on the handheld computer.
Technician Handheld Assignment

For the handheld to communicate with Inquest you must create or update an
employee record for each handheld computer.
& Open the employee record for Andrew Jameson, by selecting “File”
“Open” “Employee”.
& Enter the criteria or click the “Search” button. Double-click on the
employee record.
& In the “Handheld” area of the Employee record select the “Palm OS”
radio button.
& In the dropdown list, select the “Palm Desktop Username” for the
Handheld being setup.
73
Figure 48 Palm Desktop User Name update
& Save the information by clicking the button on the toolbar.
Services Available on Handheld

The final step is to indicate which services a technician will have available on their
handheld.
& Open the work order assignment

window from the Handhelds menu by
selecting “Assignment” from the
“Work Order” submenu.
& Select the technician “Andrew

Jameson” from the list box on the
right side of screen.
& Check off all services to be available

on the handheld.
& Save the information by clicking the

button on the toolbar.
& Select technician “Brett Williams”
74
& Only select “Fire Extinguishers” for this technician.

Palm Handheld Application

The following exercises are to be performed on the handheld.
Add Work Order

& Open Inquest on the handheld by tapping
the “Inquest” icon on the main application screen.
& To add a new work order on the handheld

tap “New”.
& A confirmation message will display. Tap

“Yes”.
& A blank form will display where the service

location information can be entered.
& Enter information for a service location.
& Tap “Back” to take you to the main starting

screen for the work order where you can select
detailed information for the work order.
75
& Tap Work Order to show the work order

number and dates.
& Tap Back to take you back to the main

starting screen for the work order.
& Tap Contacts to take you to the contacts

list.
& Add a contact by tapping the New button

and entering the contact information in the
displayed form.
& Tap Back to take you back to the Contacts

list where the contact that was just added will now
be displayed.
& Tap Back to take you back to the main

starting screen for the work order.
& Tap New and select the Fire Extinguishers

service to be added to the work order. Tap OK. It
will now display the service on our work order main
screen.
& Tap the Fire Extinguishers service to display

our fire extinguisher list. To add an extinguisher, tap
“New”.
76
& Enter the fire extinguisher information

into the displayed form.
& A bar code can be entered by selecting

the bar code field and scanning the fire
extinguisher bar code.
& Enter the other information for the

extinguisher by selecting the appropriate field
and entering text.
& To enter test dates for the extinguisher

click on the list arrow at the bottom of the
screen and select the “Dates” option from the
displayed list.
& Mark the extinguisher as complete.
& We are prompted to indicate what type

of inspection was performed, choose Annual.
77
& The annual service date is automatically

updated with the current date.
& Tap Back to return us to the fire

extinguisher list. We can now see the
extinguisher that was added. A 3 to the right of
the extinguisher indicates we have completed our
inspection.
& Tap Back to go to the main screen for the

work order.
& Tap the New button to add additional

services
& Select Emergency and Exit Lights and tap
OK.
& Add Emergency and Exit Lights service

with two lights.
& Mark each complete.
& Tap Back to return to the main starting

screen for the work order.
78
& Select the Work Order line to open the

work order information.
& Tap the “Summary”
& Tap “Calc” to get a summary of the work

completed.
& Select the option to only include

equipment that has been checked off as complete.
& A summary of the complete work on this

work order will then be displayed. Tap “Back” to
take us back to the work order dates screen.
& Mark the work order complete by clicking

the list arrow at the top of the screen and
selecting Complete.
& Tap “Back” to go back to the main work

order screen.
& Tap “Back” to go back to the list of work

orders on the handheld.
79
Missed Equipment Warning
o If a technician has missed any equipment

to be serviced a warning will display if they
attempt to mark the work order as complete.
o By clicking the “Continue” button

Inquest will go to and display the information for
the missed equipment.
Limiting the Work Order List
o The main list of work orders can be

limited to show the work assigned for a specific
day.
o By tapping the list arrow at the top of the

screen the available work order a list of
assignment days is displayed.
o Selecting a specific date limits the list to

the jobs for that day.
80
Open an Existing Work Order
& Tap on a work order in the list will to

open the main screen for the given work order.
& Tap the Location line to take us to

detailed information on this service location.
& Tap “Back” to return to the main screen

for the work order.
& Tap the “Work Order” line to show the

work order number and its dates.
& Tapping the “Summary” button will allow

us to calculate and display a summary of the work
required for the current work order.
& Tap “Back” to return to the work order

details.
& Tap “Back” to return to the main screen

for the work order.
81
& Click the Contacts line to display a list of

contacts for this service location.
& Tap Back.
& Click Fire Extinguishers to display a list of

fire extinguishers for this service location.
& Tap on a fire extinguisher to display the

detail information for the extinguisher.
& To bar code the extinguisher select the

bar code field
& Scan the bar code label by clicking the

scan button on the handheld.
82
& To display and update the test dates for

the extinguisher tap on the list arrow at the
bottom of the screen and select the “Dates” value
in the list. The checkmark next to the Hydro
Date indicates that the extinguisher is due for
Hydro Test.
& The Hydro Test date will be updated

automatically by setting the fire extinguisher
status to Complete.
& Other inspection and test dates can be

updated by tapping on the date field and selecting
the appropriate date in the displayed calendar.
83
& The checkmark that displays next to the

extinguisher in the fire extinguisher list is a visual
indication that the extinguisher has been serviced.
& Tap “Back” to return to the main work

order screen.
& A signature can be captured by the

handheld computer. Tap the work order line.
& Tap the Summary button to display a

summary of the completed work.
& Tap the Sign button to go to the signature

capture screen. Enter the signature by signing
with the stylus.
& Once the signature is captured, tap the

“Submit” button to save the signature
information.
& The summary information is displayed

again. Tap “Back” to show the work order status.
& To complete the work order and signal

the Inquest HotSync conduit to upload the work
order to the PC; mark the work order with a
complete status. Tap the list arrow at the top of
the screen and select the complete option.
& Going back to the main work order list

we can see that the work order is now displayed
with the complete status.
84
Delete Record
& To delete a record from the handheld,

select the record by tapping on the line.
& Then tap the menu icon in the lower left

hand corner of the handheld. On the displayed
menu, select Edit, and then tap on “Delete
Record”.
& A confirmation message will be displayed

before the record is actually deleted.
85
9
Chapter
Chapter
Customizing Inquest
This chapter will show you the customization features of Inquest.
I nquest can be customized to perform other services and inspections. In this

chapter we will see how to add services, equipment types, user defined fields and
inspection forms.
Adding a Service Type

We will begin by adding a new service for SCBA.
& Select the “Services” option on the “Customize” menu.
& A window will open listing the available services. Click the “Add” button.
& In the displayed form enter the service name “SCBA” and “SCBA” for the
abbreviation (the abbreviation is used on the “Service Due” report).
86
Figure 49 Adding SCBA Service Type
New Equipment Types
& Next, specify the equipment types for the new service. Click the
“Equipment Types” tab and click the “Add” button to add a new
equipment type. Enter “Kevlar” for a new SCBA equipment type.
Figure 50 Custom Equipment Type
87
& Next, specify test and inspections for the equipment by clicking the
“Test/Inspection/Service” tab and clicking the “Add” button.
& Enter the description “Check levels” and a frequency of “1” “Month”.
& Click “OK”.
Figure 51 Adding a Test/Inspection/Service
& Add another “Test/Inspection/Service” called “Service Life” and give it a

Frequency of 15 years.
Figure 52 Kevlar Cylinder Dates
& Repeat this procedure for adding the other SCBA cylinder types.
88
Inspection Forms
Inspection forms are where specific questions can be added to a report that shows
requirements are met. This is useful for showing NFPA, OSHA and JHACO
compliance.
Inquest comes with a set of default inspection forms. These inspection forms can
be completed using a Windows Mobile handheld device. Completed forms are
printed from the closed work order as the service history.
Figure 53 Inspection Form Editor
To modify an inspection form:
& From the “Customize” menu select “Inspection Form”.
89
& Expand the tree to view the existing inspection form.
& Right clicking on items within the tree will display a context menu that will
allow you modify or insert items.
& Save your changes by clicking the “Save” button on the tool bar.
Sales Survey
Using a Windows Mobile device, your technicians can complete a sales survey on
services at your customer locations giving your sales department crucial leads.
& Using a Windows Mobile handheld, open a work order.
& From the “Options” menu select the “Sales Survey” menu option.
& The technician is prompted for information on services your company

performs that is needed at this location.
& After the work order is completed, you can print custom sales letters for
your sales department and sales leads for follow up.
Figure 54 Sample Sales Letter
90
More Customization
Figure 55 Fire Extinguisher Service Options
Figure 56 Suppression System Parts
91
10
Chapter
Additional Inquest
Programs
This chapter will show you additional Inquest programs that perform specialized
tasks
I n addition to the main Inquest program, several specialize programs are installed as
part of the software.
Inquest – Import Utility

The import utility can import a list of fire extinguishers from an Excel
spreadsheet.
To start the program:
& From the “Start” menu select “All Programs”.
& Within the “Technosoft” program folder, select the “Inquest – Import
Utility” option.
92
Figure 57 Import Utility
& Select the customer whose fire extinguisher list you are going to import.
& If the customer has an existing fire extinguisher service schedule, the “Last
Service” and “Frequency” from the schedule will be displayed.
& If the customer does not have an existing fire extinguisher service
schedule, one can be added by entering a “Last Service” date and selecting
a “Frequency” from the dropdown list.
& Click the “Browse” button to open the Excel spreadsheet to import.
& The correct worksheet name must be entered into the “Sheet Name” field.
& Click the “Import” button.
When importing has completed a results window will display.
Spreadsheet Format
The first row of the spreadsheet is the column header. Columns can appear in any
order and are optional.
The column names available for use are:
93
• Number
• Location
• Size
• Type
• Cartridge
• Mfg
• Mfg Date
• Serial No
• Bar Code
• Length
• Annual
• Hydro Test
• 6 Year
• Monthly
• Recharge
• Remarks
• Model
Inquest – Move Utility

The move utility can be used to combine or split a customer service location.
& From the “Start” menu select “All Programs”.
& Within the “Technosoft” program folder, select the “Inquest – Move
Utility” option.
94
Figure 58 Move Utility
The displayed window is divided into two sections. By dragging dropping equipment
between two customer records you are moving the equipment from one account to the
other.
To open the two accounts to use:
& From the “File” menu select “Open”.
& In the displayed dialog, select the two accounts in the dropdown list
& Click OK
To change the equipment types to move:
& From the “View” menu select “Service”.
& In the displayed dialog, select the service type in the dropdown list
& Click OK
You can also move work orders between accounts by select “Work Order” from
the “View” menu.
Easy Data
The easy data program can be used to add fire extinguisher accounts with a list of
extinguishers. It can also update existing extinguisher account information.
95
& Open Inquest.
& From the “Tools” menu, select “Easy Data” and then “Fire
Extinguishers”.
Figure 59 Easy Data
To edit an existing customer, simply select the customer name in the drop down
list.
To add a new customer account, simply type a new customer name into the
dropdown list on the blank easy data form.
The following items can be added/updated using the Easy Data program.
• Customer address
• Billing Address
• ID
• Contact Name
• Phone
• Fire Extinguisher service schedule information
• Fire Extinguisher list
96
• Fire Extinguisher service notes
The data grid used to add/update fire extinguishers can be modified to display
only the columns you want to update. Click the “Options” button to change the
columns displayed.
Easy Data Buttons

“Save & Close” will save any changes made and close the easy data program.
“Save & New” will save any changes made and clear the form so a new account
can be added or an existing account selected from the dropdown list.
“Clear” will cancel any changes and clear the form so a new account can be added
or an existing account can be selected from the dropdown list.
97

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TECHNOSOFT, INC.

© 2002-2008 Technosoft, Inc. All rights reserved.

Service Records – Multiple Customers 25

Tabbed Window Forms 2

Chapter 5 – Work Orders

Generate Work Orders Options 32

Completing a Work Order 37

Updated Service Location 39

Fire Extinguishers 14

Automatic Sprinkler System 21

Display Options 41 Install HotSync Conduit 71

“Sort By” Option 41 Configuration Database 72

“Filter On” Option 41 Technician Handheld Assignment 73

“HotSync Work Orders” Option 42 Services Available on Handheld 74

Drag and Drop Assignment 43 Palm Handheld Application 75

Open a Work Order 44 Add Work Order 75

Key Concepts 45 Missed Equipment Warning 80

Assignment - Technician 46 Open an Existing Work Order 81

Service Projections 47 Delete Record 85

Projection Dates 48

Routing with Mapping Software 49 Chapter 9 – Customizing Inquest

Chapter 7 – Windows Mobile Handheld Adding a Service Type 86

New Equipment Types 87

Install the Windows Mobile Application 50 Inspection Forms 89

Install Remote Server 51 Sales Survey 90

Configuration Database 51 More Customization 91

Windows Mobile Handheld Application 52

Add Work Order 52 Chapter 10 – Additional Inquest Programs

Easy Data 95

Install Palm OS Application 70

& Open the Inquest software application

• “Reports”: is used to select any of the available reports produced by

• “Dataabase”: will diisplay a subm

Customizing Group Names

Setting the Group Names

Figure 4 Group Names

& From the “Customize” menu select “Options”.

& Select the “Group Names” tab.

Throughout the Inquest documentation the groups will be referred to as their

Adding and Opening

New Employee / Technician

Add a new employee by doing the following:

& From the “File” menu select “New”.

& In the displayed window select “Employee” and click OK.

& Save your changes by clicking the button on the toolbar.

& From the “Filee” menu selecct “New”.

& Click on the “Conttacts” tab andd then click “A

& Enterr the appropriiate informatiion for the co

& Save your

& From the “Filee” menu selecct “New”.

& Saave the “Billiing Address”” by clicking the butto

Setting the ‘Bill to Address’ for a Customer

& Open a customer location for the bill to address.

& Select the “Billing Address” tab

& Click the “Select” button

& Select the appropriate billing address from the list.

& Click the OK button.

& Save the changes by clicking the button on the toolbar.

Open Service Location

& Select the “Customer by Name” option and click “OK”.

& You will be presented with a tabbed window of customers in alphabetical

a. Highlight the first name in the list by selecting it.

& Open the customer information by double-clicking on the customer or