User at 03:58, 2 May 2024

2024-05-02T03:58:49Z

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	This guide is the recommended approach to make the transition as smooth as we can for your company, and is based on prior experience. These steps have been road-tested in real-world TTM companies, so we've learnt the hard lessons for you. We've found that successfully learning and adopting this system is best done in steps. We realise there are a lot of steps involved in the process we've outlined, but this is an extremely comprehensive system (essentially an operating system for your company), so no need to rush things.		This guide is the recommended approach to make the transition as smooth as we can for your company, and is based on prior experience. These steps have been road-tested in real-world TTM companies, so we've learnt the hard lessons for you. We've found that successfully learning and adopting this system is best done in steps. We realise there are a lot of steps involved in the process we've outlined, but this is an extremely comprehensive system (essentially an operating system for your company), so no need to rush things.

	To provide help, we have created this Wiki, which explains most of the major functions and how they work. Also, throughout the system there are green guide buttons ([[File:Help.png\|green question mark]]) located on most pages which provide more contextual help.		To provide help, we have created this Wiki, which explains most of the major functions and how they work. Also, throughout the system there are green guide buttons ([[File:Help.png\|green question mark\|20x20px]]) located on most pages which provide more contextual help.

	At any time, you can make [mailto:~~info~~@roaddirect contact] with us and we can provide tutorial videos and guidance to your team leaders via phone, email and/or virtual meeting sessions (e.g. via TeamViewer).		At any time, you can make [mailto:help@roaddirect.co.nz contact] with us and we can provide tutorial videos and guidance to your team leaders via phone, email and/or virtual meeting sessions (e.g. via TeamViewer).

	The [[eBoard]] and [[Tracking]] systems are completely web-based, so there is nothing to install. All you need is an up-to-date browser, Chrome is preferred.		The [[eBoard]] and [[Tracking]] systems are completely web-based, so there is nothing to install. All you need is an up-to-date browser, Chrome is preferred.
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	Example 1		Example 1
	* TMA (ABC ~~Ltc~~) Mitsubishi Fuso		* TMA (ABC Ltd) Mitsubishi Fuso
	* This shows what type of TTM role the vehicle is doing (TMA), who it is used for or the type type job (ABC Ltd) and the name of the vehicle.		* This shows what type of TTM role the vehicle is doing (TMA), who it is used for or the type type job (ABC Ltd) and the name of the vehicle.

User at 03:53, 2 May 2024

2024-05-02T03:53:57Z

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	'''Log in via:''' [https://eboard.roaddirect.co.nz eboard.roaddirect.co.nz]		'''Log in via:''' [https://eboard.roaddirect.co.nz eboard.roaddirect.co.nz]
	Once logged in:		Once logged in:
	* Go to Resources ([[File:Toolbox.png\|toolbox]] icon in the navigation header )		* Go to Resources ([[File:Toolbox.png\|toolbox\|33x33px]] icon in the navigation header )
	* Load in your [https://eboard.roaddirect.co.nz/resources/users Users]		* Load in your [https://eboard.roaddirect.co.nz/resources/users Users]
	** This includes Access Level (permissions), Qualifications etc		** This includes Access Level (permissions), Qualifications etc

User: 1 revision imported

2024-04-28T23:57:57Z

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← Older revision	Revision as of 11:57, 29 April 2024
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roaddirect>Development: /* Transition Process Recommendations - On-site Record Mobile App */

2021-01-29T01:51:36Z

Transition Process Recommendations - On-site Record Mobile App

New page

__TOC__
== Transition Process Recommendations ==
As we know, change is a great thing, especially when going from paper-based systems to electronic. The [[eBoard]] and [[Tracking]] systems allow you to do that and offer a lot of advantages to all roles within your company.

We’ve found that throwing it all out there and trying to transition everything at the same time isn’t usually the most prudent move. This guide provides a more detailed approach to your transition and is broken down into easy steps. Take as much or as little from this information as suits your company.

This guide is the recommended approach to make the transition as smooth as we can for your company, and is based on prior experience. These steps have been road-tested in real-world TTM companies, so we've learnt the hard lessons for you. We've found that successfully learning and adopting this system is best done in steps. We realise there are a lot of steps involved in the process we've outlined, but this is an extremely comprehensive system (essentially an operating system for your company), so no need to rush things.

To provide help, we have created this Wiki, which explains most of the major functions and how they work. Also, throughout the system there are green guide buttons ([[File:Help.png|green question mark]]) located on most pages which provide more contextual help.

At any time, you can make [mailto:info@roaddirect contact] with us and we can provide tutorial videos and guidance to your team leaders via phone, email and/or virtual meeting sessions (e.g. via TeamViewer).

The [[eBoard]] and [[Tracking]] systems are completely web-based, so there is nothing to install. All you need is an up-to-date browser, Chrome is preferred.

When creating shortcuts to the Road Direct [[eBoard]] system, either on PC or mobile devices, save the shortcut after logging in, not before. If you forget the [https://eboard.roaddirect.co.nz eboard.roaddirect.co.nz] URL, you can also log in by going to [http://www.roaddirect.co.nz www.roaddirect.co.nz] and clicking “LOGIN” in the top right.

== Step 1a: Logging in and setting up the [[eBoard]] ==
'''Log in via:''' [https://eboard.roaddirect.co.nz eboard.roaddirect.co.nz]
Once logged in:
* Go to Resources ([[File:Toolbox.png|toolbox]] icon in the navigation header )
* Load in your [https://eboard.roaddirect.co.nz/resources/users Users]
** This includes Access Level (permissions), Qualifications etc
** For more information see [[Users]] and [[User Access Level]]
* Load in your [https://eboard.roaddirect.co.nz/resources/vehicles Vehicles]
** This includes Make, Model, Licence required to operate, Road Level etc
** For more information see [[Vehicles]]
* Load in your [https://eboard.roaddirect.co.nz/resources/clients Clients]
** If you want, we can assist by doing a manual bulk import from an export of any existing database/spreadsheet you might have, otherwise you can load these in one at a time

== Step 1b: Setting up the [[Tracking]] System ==
Go into the [https://billing.roaddirect.co.nz Tracking System] ($ icon in the navigation header) and load your [https://billing.roaddirect.co.nz/settings-products.php products], [https://billing.roaddirect.co.nz/settings-labourrates.php labour rates] and [https://billing.roaddirect.co.nz/settings-vehiclerates.php vehicle rates].

We have created some default products, labour rates and vehicle rates there to give you an idea of what you might want and to potentially save you some time. You can add, edit and delete these to suit your needs, the idea is simply to give you an idea of what each setting does.

When creating labour and vehicle rates, the names are crucial, so they make sense to your TTM workers when they are creating their tasks and recording their time. It's a good idea to include:
* the role (e.g. TMA, AWVMS, Level 1 Truck, STMS, TC)
* name of the (e.g. Isuzu Elf)
* what it is used for (e.g. contract name or company name, helpful if you have different rates for different clients)

Example 1
* TMA (ABC Ltc) Mitsubishi Fuso
* This shows what type of TTM role the vehicle is doing (TMA), who it is used for or the type type job (ABC Ltd) and the name of the vehicle.

Example 2
* Level 1 Sign Truck (Stop/Go) 2 man crew
* This shows standard level 1 truck used for stop go. In this case, the name of the truck is omitted, as the same charge applies to any vehicle used for this role.

Once you have those settings loaded, you can load a job on [[eBoard]] (via [[File:add job.png|blue plus]] button, located top-right on calendar) and click on "Record Time" via the the job's context menu. At this stage, you can have a play to see how your products and rates are working and where they appear in the [[Tracking]] System.

This is a good way to understand the process and see what your staff will be expected to do. You'll also see the job in the [[Tracking]] System and how the system tracks the job.

== Step 3: Operations and TMP Teams - Loading Jobs ==
If you haven’t already, at this stage you will need to load in all the office staff that you expect to be using the system. Again, you can refer to [[Users]] and [[User Access Level]] for help on this.

The first step is to get your office staff start loading jobs and understand how this process works, and to get a feel for using the [[Calendar|calendar]] view to manage jobs. It's also a good opportunity to get familiarised with some of the core functionality of the system. For example, once jobs are booked, TMP designers access the [https://eboard.roaddirect.co.nz/dashboard dashboard] (rather than calendar) to see which TMPs need actioned. All the information already loaded into the job is available for them, which saves time and increases the quality of information they have to create the TMP.

'''At this stage, you should still be fully using your old system at the same time.''' It is a little bit of double-handling of information and duplication of effort, but it won't be for long and it will be well worthwhile. This gives you the time to learn the new processes while still having the comfort of knowing that you've got the old system to fall back on, just in case. It’s entirely up to you how long you spend on this step before moving to Step 4.

== Step 4: TTM Workers - Viewing Jobs via [[eBoard]] ==
If you haven’t already, at this stage you will need to load in all the TTM staff that you expect to be using the system and provide them with their login details. Again, you can refer to [[Users]] and [[User Access Level]] for help on this.

The [[eBoard]] and [[Tracking]] System have both been designed to be used on mobile phones, but works just as well on tablets, so whether your TTM staff use their own devices ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bring_your_own_device BYOD]]), or are provided with a device and whether that device is a phone or tablet, anything will work fine.

You should also ensure that all TTM staff have a shortcut link to the [[eBoard]] on their phones, as described in the [[Transition_and_Setup_Guide#Transition_Process_Recommendations|first section]].

Now, by this step the office staff and TTM managers already know the system. Since the TTM workers use the same system, it makes coaching them a breeze.

It is important that, as in the previous step and for the same reasons, for this transition period you give access to the [[eBoard]], but also run the old systems for field staff. We call this running dual systems. This means that if you're currently paper-based, then you should still be handing out physical printed copies of the TMPs, job cards and job packs. This way, field staff can be strongly encouraged to utilise the [[eBoard]], but they still have the safety and security of knowing that if they get flummoxed/confused, they have the system they're familiar with to fall back on. It's worth emphasising that, at their leisure, they can access all the information about their jobs from anywhere, at anytime. We have found that some staff ditched the old paper system within a day, but also that one staff member out of 10 didn't change until the old system was removed. These staff found it more difficult to transition, since they hadn't taken the time to learn when they had the safety net of the old system. The most important thing is the communication of this process of running "dual systems" for the transition period, and that at the end, they will no longer have access to the old system (be that paper-based or an alternative electronic system). So it's in their best interest to get familiar with the new system during this period, and raise any questions now. The duration of this transition period is, of course, up to you, but longer is not necessarily better, and we suggest keeping it short e.g. 1 week.

Remember, this transition period is for the [[eBoard|'''eBoard''']] (not the [[Tracking]] System yet, that's next step), so at the end of this stage, your TTM workers will still be using their old system (e.g. paper records) for recording time and materials. It's the old way of providing TMPs and job information (e.g. printed job packs) which you will remove access to, because all of this will now be accessed via the [[eBoard]].

Once everyone is happy with the processes so far (booking in jobs, allocating resources, creating TMPs, accessing job information via the [[Calendar|calendar]]), then it's time to move on to the next step.

== Step 5a: TTM Workers - Recording Time and Gear via the [[Tracking]] System ==
During this transition period, your TTM workers will use both the existing systems and also the [[Tracking]] System for recording time and gear used on jobs. Again, a 1 week transition period is recommended, stretched out to a maximum of 2 weeks. We recommend that invoicing for this period is done using the data collected from your existing systems, rather than the [[Tracking]] System, simply because it is likely to be more accurate (as staff are learning and making mistakes on the new [[Tracking]] System). It is important to have a firm cut-off date for the end of this transition period for the sake of invoicing. This way your invoicing staff will know whether to invoice based on numbers collected using the old system (prior to the cut-off date) or new system (after the cut-off date).

== Step 5b: Invoicing Staff - Invoicing Jobs via the [[Tracking]] System ==
During the same transition period as Step 5a, your invoicing team can be comparing the numbers (time & materials) collected in the old system, with the numbers collected in the new system. This gives them a chance to familiarise themselves with the new format that these numbers are coming in via the [[Tracking]] System, whilst still having the comfort and security knowing that they can still invoice based on the old system. This is the time for managers to be vigilant and proactive in verifying that TTM workers are correctly recording their [[Tracking]] System tasks. This means checking that they've selected the correct task type and vehicle and/or labour type, as well as recording their time and equipment accurately. This information is absolutely essential for both the [[eBoard]] and [[Tracking]] System, for both Operations and Invoicing staff. Ensuring all this information is accurate and that TTM workers know what is expected is crucial for the success of moving past this transition period. Specific techniques to verify these details are provided in the next step.

== Step 6: Verifying Correct Use of the [[eBoard]] and [[Tracking]] System ==
Once you've completed all transition steps and everything is being done in the [[eBoard]] and [[Tracking]] System, there are a few quick easy ways to verify that things are ticking over as they should.

Job bookings are the easiest to verify, they're either on the [[Calendar|calendar]] or they're not. If they are, you can verify the details are correct by:
# What is displayed on the [[Calendar|calendar]]
# The information displayed when hovering over the details on the [[Calendar|calendar]]
# Opening and viewing the job in its entirety
# If the Location is dark blue, that means one or more highly recommended fields have not been filled out (hover for details)

Verifying that TTM workers are correctly recording tasks can be achieved 3 ways:
# Task Status column on the [[eBoard]]
#:* Roughly speaking, at the end of the day you want to see all "C"s (except for jobs still ongoing, which you can check the next morning)
#:* Any other letter means the task is still open, so you can determine whether or not that is correct
#:* You can hover on the letters to see more details about the task
#:* An orange "C" means equipment left on-site. Again, this may or may not be expected, depending on the job, but it gives you oversight to make that determination
# [https://billing.roaddirect.co.nz/drivers.php Drivers] page in the [[Tracking]] System
#:* This shows a list of all tasks, both incomplete and complete (for that day only), grouped by TTM worker
# [https://billing.roaddirect.co.nz Task Status] page in the [[Tracking]] System
#:* This shows a list of all tasks, both incomplete and complete (for that day only), grouped by Task Status

'''Tip:''' If you have office staff who are currently responsible for signing off timesheets at the end of each day, these are the people ideally suited to be going into the [[Tracking]] System and verifying that each TTM worker has correctly entered the details and submitted their task(s) for the day. The [https://billing.roaddirect.co.nz/drivers.php Drivers] page is perfect for this purpose. The best way for a TTM worker to determine if they've submitted their task(s) for the day is to go to their [https://billing.roaddirect.co.nz/mobile My Tasks] page, either via a bookmark, or the [[File:my tasks.png|road]] icon in the [[eBoard]] navigation header.

== Transition Process Recommendations - On-site Record Mobile App ==
The CoPTTM OSR app is a mobile app available for Android and Apple devices. This does require an install and it is available from the [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bluebayit.roaddirect_single Google Play Store] and [https://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/road-direct/id1035152614?mt=8 iTunes] (just search for "Road Direct"). If you have any promotional codes to use, these can be redeemed when purchasing the app. Another tip for purchasing the app for your staff is to use your company credit card to purchase App Store/iTunes vouchers (available from many different outlets, stationary stores, supermarkets etc) and then distribute those vouchers to your staff, that way you don't have to enter any company credit card details into staff phones.

The Android/Google version of the app integrates with the [[eBoard]], allowing you to view your OSRs via eBoard and allowing jobs/sites to sync from eBoard onto the mobile app, thereby removing the need to load the site details into the app "manually".
Currently there is no integration between the iOS/Apple app and the [[eBoard]], however this is currently under active development.

We do recommend doing this transition last, after you have completely phased in the [[eBoard]] and [[Tracking]] Systems, so you are not training staff on two different new systems at the same time.

Whether you have a single person who will install the app on each phone, or if staff are installing it themselves, we have some [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCA8zCuXB1qtp7LpMpO33a4aoERMmr0MC video guides] to watch.

The key video to watch is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNYAEBdTK8Y&list=PLCA8zCuXB1qtp7LpMpO33a4aoERMmr0MC&index=3&t=0s Road Direct app: Set up personal app settings (Android)]. If you've entered your settings correctly, then we can guide you through any teething issues very easily from there. Also if you like, for the first week or so, in addition to your own email address, you can also enter a "mentoring" email address (which we provide) in the Settings. We use the information sent to the mentoring email address to provide feedback on how your workers are using the app (e.g. do's and don'ts, ways to improve etc.). If this is something you'd be interested in, then let us know. Once you're happy with the way things are going, simply remove the mentoring email address from your settings.

It is very important to ensure that the email address you enter in Settings (which will receive the records from the app) is secure and the one you want to stick with. Trying to change this after each phone is setup can be a hassle if you have a large amount of phones. Basically, have a good think about which address to use. For example, it could be a forwarder address which you can use to adjust the recipients, or your head office email, HS officer, Auditors etc.

Create folders in your email application for 2-hourly checks, toolboxes and site handovers. Create rules based on the email subjects to automatically move the report emails into their corresponding folders. This makes it tidy and easy to review and see who is doing what. We also recommend periodically backing up these emails and then deleting them, depending on your volume and mailbox size.

Transition and Setup Guide - Revision history

User at 03:58, 2 May 2024

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roaddirect>Development: /* Transition Process Recommendations - On-site Record Mobile App */