Recurring orders can be a helpful way to setup, manage, and automate recurring job opportunities for your clients.
Where can I find and create my recurring orders?
Recurring jobs get created from 'parent' templates. 'Parent' recurring order templates can be found under the Home> Recurring Orders menu.
Here, all existing recurring series templates are listed and editable. You can also create new recurring orders from this page.
How to create a recurring order template that will generate future Jobs?
1. Duplicate existing Jobs into a Recurring Template:
We have created the ability to clone/duplicate the information from any job order, into a new recurring order template. This enhancement was aimed to make it easier to recreate the details of a job order into your recurring jobs. This saves time, clicks and potential copying/pasting, and also ensures that your recurring template is set up with the detailed consistency of the job that it was created from.
When choosing to duplicate a job into a recurring template, right away you will be prompted to set the recurring job’s frequency settings. Select the first job’s date, choose your schedule type (job frequency, ie. weekly, monthly), and then set either your lead time, an end date, or a certain number of jobs to create.
After clicking ‘Duplicate’ a new recurring template# will be generated using all of the information that was included on the original job. The customer’s info, line items, prices, notes, discounts, taxes, appointment details, job notes - it ALL copies into the recurring template for consistency. It also provides an improved process and flow to generating a recurring series from a past job. Even the appointment details get copied into the recurring template and the appointment’s date is pre-set to reflect the ‘first job date’ you selected in the settings.
NOTE: The only thing that doesn’t copy into the recurring template, is the appointment’s assigned resource and employees. Typically, these assignments may change regularly and many of our users prefer recurring appointments to show on the calendar as ‘unassigned’. Often such assignments are made in the future, when the job shows up on the calendar and scheduling details are later confirmed with the client. If you do want the resource and employees to be included on the sub-job’s appointments, simply edit the appointment and make the necessary assignments.
Last - Click the ‘Generate Jobs’ button and the jobs will be generated with all of the information at the frequency setting you have selected. In many cases, clicking generate jobs will be the only thing you need to do after duplicating the job details into your recurring template. Simple! We hope you like this new convenient option and that it saves you time by offering a simpler process in leveraging and creating recurring job opportunities.
2. Create a Recurring Order template from scratch:
Start by clicking the new recurring job button (pictured above).
Attach an existing customer or create a new customer to link to the recurring jobs.
Create the recurring order template. This is where we set the copy frequency of the jobs we wish to create.
Set the 'first job date'. Pick a future date that you would like the first recurring job to be generated for. (Note: The 'first job date' is the intended date for initial job creation only! It is the date that your frequency will count from (ie. monthly, weekly). This will not automatically add it to your calendar. To ensure your recurring jobs end up on your calendar, add an appointment event to your recurring template - see step 7).
Select the 'schedule type' (frequency between jobs, ie. weekly, every 13 weeks).
Select the day of the week that the jobs are intended to be generated for, ie Sundays.
Set the end parameter. Lead time is most often selected here. Lead time is how far in advance of the present date should the system generate the jobs. Selecting 60 days lead time means the system will create the job 60 days in advance of its planned/intended date.
Next, once the frequency template is set, we can then start adding line items to be copied onto the jobs that will be generated. Add the line items you need and set the prices and notes accordingly if you want them to display on the jobs that will be generated. You can also apply discounts and the proper tax rate in this section.
9. Next - Scroll down to the 'Apointment section' and click 'create appointment' to add an appointment event to your recurring order template. An appointment event will ensure that your future jobs are created with calendar appointment on them. This ensures that you can easily spot the future recurring job right on your calendar. (NOTE: If you want your future recurring jobs on the calendar, setting up the appointment details in the recurring template is essential!).
10. When creating the appointment, set the appointment details that you want included on the future jobs. Select an appointment start date that coincides with the 'first job date'. This ensures your first job is on the calendar for the date you want and will also allow your future jobs to follow the . Ex. My first job date is Sunday, July 3rd, and I want all of the future jobs to also land on a 'Sunday' (in the calendar) when they are generated at their 13 week frequency.
(Note: When setting up the appointment details to copy in the recurring template, be sure to add any notes, truck/staff assignments that you also want to copy forward on future jobs).
11. Job notes can also be added at the bottom of the recurring template page. Feel free to add any important notes that need to be included on future jobs.
12. Last Step - (Once all of the details to be copied onto generated/future jobs are setup). Back in the recurring frequency template, click the 'Generate Jobs' button. This will generate any present jobs that fit within the frequency vs lead-time.
(Note - once you click generate jobs, the recurring template is in motion and will generate future jobs, following the lead-time, automatically).
Ex. Start date - July 3, Frequency - every 13 weeks, Lead time - 120 days. Using this example, the generate jobs button will create 2 jobs initially: One job for Sunday, July 3rd, and another job 13 weeks out, on Sunday, October 2nd.
View Jobs: To view any jobs that have been generated or associated to your 'parent' recurring template, scroll to the bottom of the recurring order page and view the 'Jobs' section. This lists out all past/present/future recurring jobs that are linked to your recurring template/series. Open the recurring orders page from the home menu anytime to click into any parent template, to efficiently view all of the associated jobs in one easy place. You can click into any of the jobs cy clicking their listed order numbers. Tip: Hold CTRL/CMD + mouse click to open the job(s) in a new browser tab.
For more information on managing, editing, or making adjustments to your recurring jobs, please see these related articles below: