TIP: Naming Canned Jobs

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tlautomotive
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TIP: Naming Canned Jobs

Post by tlautomotive »

I have been reading just about every post on this forum with regard to using Canned Jobs. I have been using CJ for non-vehicle specific services like LOF's and Trans Flushes/Services since the beginning. I however have not been using CJ for things like Timing Belts and CV Shafts cause I didn't see the benefit. But if there is one thing I have learned over the years it is to take the advice of those more experienced than myself. With that said, I am now planning on creating CJ for lots of things. But I don't think that I fully understand how to name and catagorize the jobs.

Here is my dilema...

What kind of naming conventions are being used out there to make CJ as organized as possible?

Stay tuned for MORE questons on this subject...
"Every Monday I start digging a hole, and by Friday I have a pretty big hole that I throw all the bodies in"

Thanks
Lee I Chrastil
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Corvallis Oregon
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ricmorin
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Re: Naming Canned Jobs

Post by ricmorin »

Lee,

One thing I have been using canned jobs for is service bulletin repairs. If there is a service bulletin that requires parts and labor and we perform it once, I make it into a canned job. I label that job with the TSB number. Now if we are to do a TSB, I type the TSB number into my canned jobs to see if we have done it before. 8) Saves time.
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Re: Naming Canned Jobs

Post by tlautomotive »

Ok, well this question has received far less than overhelming responce.... hahaha. SO, I think that I will modify my query a bit.

EXAMPLE

Lets say that I want to do CJ for timing belts on Toyota Camrys. Lets assume that we are talking about 1989-95 and also 4 & 6 cyl cars (and for this example we will not address trim levels) Lets also assume that the timing belt job for the 4cyl cars in that era are all the same, but there is a split on the 6cly cars. This would give us basically 3 CJ that need to saved. And we are talking about 14 variations of the vehicle (7 years and 2 engines).

Observation... When I go to select a CJ I have only YMM to be as my criteria (yes I know about Category and Job# and Description, but they are basically irrelevant in this example) I DO NOT have the choice of engine. SO, when I go to a 1998 Toyota Camry (and yes I will select the appropriate category to narrow the search) I think that I should find 2 timing belt CJ. One for a 4cyl and one for a 6 cyl.

Is everyone following along so far?... I sure hope so.

In this scenario... What Should The Jobs Be Named?

Should the naming be intuitive... such as 89ToyCam4clyTimBlt... Or should the names be more numeric... TB0001-4 and TB0002-6 (Timing Belt CJ # 0001 for a 4 cyl and Timing Belt CJ # 0002 for a 6cyl)

I think the first way won't work cause wouldn't the same CJ be used for 89/90/91/92/93//94/95 in this scenario and I don't see a reason for different names for the same job.. just feels sloppy and very hard to update later on. The second way allows for 9999 timing belt jobs and the -X makes them easy to identify engine size when both CJ come up for that vehicle. (Now that I think about it.. perhaps engine size such as 2.4 and 3.0 is better than 4 and 6 cyl cause of other manufacturers that have more than one 4 cyl size... none-the-less the point is still valid)

Is this making sense now? Cause even I am confused and its my question...

I really want to know what other people are doing when they create these canned jobs. How do you organize them? I think CJ are a great idea and I want to make extensive use of them, but I refuse to embark on this plan without some idea of where I am headed.

Any input is greatly appreciated.
"Every Monday I start digging a hole, and by Friday I have a pretty big hole that I throw all the bodies in"

Thanks
Lee I Chrastil
Owner/Service Writer
T&L Automotive
Corvallis Oregon
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Rich
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Re: Naming Canned Jobs

Post by Rich »

Since your jamming the system with responces here is what i did. I have one for 3.4 and 3.1 intake gaskets. I try the KISS way. simply i named them "3134, intake gaskets - 2000 newer"

I try to make it so i can look and see what it is. But I don't use many CJ other than FBJ, RBJ, RDBJ, LOF4, LOF5, things like that. it is easier for my pee sized brain to look it all up.
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Re: Naming Canned Jobs

Post by Pauls Automotive »

This has always been a problem for me as well. I basically do a couple of things. One is I created a basic canned job for timing belt replacement. Since for the most part we all will reccomend doing the seals, tensioner, waterpump etc. I made the labor rate to reflect that kinda of job. I call it "Timng belt Complete". Now if I need to modify the labor because the customer doesnt want to replace the water part or other related parts I just tweek it. I do this for other type jobs as well. It just seems simpler to me overall. I tried the way of making everything as specific as possible and assigning to particular YYM but in the end part number get updated and the sub model for a particular year may have different parts then the other sub model (Example EX versus DX). It just got to be too much to deal with so I went as genertic as possible and with the electronic odering I deleted all parts from canned jobs and it works for me.
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Re: Naming Canned Jobs

Post by ricmorin »

I agree with Paul. Because there is no engine identifier, I do not make canned jobs specific like this. I use canned jobs for generic work only. It's just my personal preference. If I didn't have all these quick electronic catalogs I might change, but it's so easy to look up parts that it just doesn't make sense to me. Besides, I work on so many different cars and trucks that canned jobs at this level doesn't work for me. That doesn't mean it won't work for you. There is another member of our forum that has thousands of canned jobs. I believe it is Tom Ham. He is probably the best at naming them since he has so many.
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Re: Naming Canned Jobs

Post by Tom Gebbie »

Tom here, (Gebbie, that is) with a late response.

We've been using Tom H's naming method for years and it works well. I'm much lazier at creating them, though; we have about 500. Keep in mind that you can look the job up by number or description. Descriptions are the key!

My canned job numbers are essentially sequential, like Timing Belt 102. The description is a formula:

Job Type, Manufacturer, Engine Size, Model, Year, miscellaneous info

Here are some examples of job description:

Timing Belt Honda 2.3 VTEC Accord 98

Intake Gasket GM 3.1 96-97

Rear Brakes Mercury Sable 97-02 Drum

30K Subaru 2.5 Outback/Forester 00-02

60K Ford 4.0 Explorer 97-98 4WD OHV

Ball Joints Mercury Sable 96-03

Now, keep in mind that you can create multiple "scenarios" within the estimate, if desired. For example, "Four Tires" is not vehicle specific, but I have two separate "routines" within that job. The first one is the complete description for non-TPMS vehicles with two labor ops (mount/balance... and 4WA). I added a note line in front of it that says, "NOTE: NON-TPMS tires. Delete everything below 4WA." The very next line below the 4WA says, "NOTE: TPMS tire description. Delete ALL above lines." Below that line are the labor ops with the proper descriptions for TPMs-equipped vehicles. If you don't want multiple scenarios, you could create a canned job for each one. In fact, now that TPMS is so prevalent, I'm about to separate them out. So I'll have, "Four Tires-Non TPMS", and "Four Tires-TPMS". I hope this helps you get started.

Regards,
Tom Gebbie, Manager
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Re: Naming Canned Jobs

Post by tlautomotive »

Tom Gebbie wrote: My canned job numbers are essentially sequential, like Timing Belt 102. The description is a formula:

Job Type, Manufacturer, Engine Size, Model, Year, miscellaneous info

Here are some examples of job description:

Intake Gasket GM 3.1 96-97

30K Subaru 2.5 Outback/Forester 00-02
In the two examples that I left in the quote I see that you will cover multiple years and multiple models and such. So I have to assume that you do not use the YMM drop down menus when catagorizing these jobs. Other wise you would need to have a 30K for Outback 00, Outback 01, Outback 02, Forester 00, Forester 01 and Forester 02.

Is that correct?
"Every Monday I start digging a hole, and by Friday I have a pretty big hole that I throw all the bodies in"

Thanks
Lee I Chrastil
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T&L Automotive
Corvallis Oregon
541.745.5500
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Re: Naming Canned Jobs

Post by Tom Gebbie »

Paul and Lee,

Paul-correct. YMM drop downs would require making many, many more identical canned jobs just to cover a different year or make. For jobs that apply to only one make, I may pre-select the make just to clean up the list a bit.

Lee-A few years back, I requested that the canned job routine should allow a user to select multiple everything; multiple years, multiple makes, and multiple models.

Regards,
Tom Gebbie, Manager
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