Submissions
/repairs, and /repairs/<id> for one. Needs module.repairs.
A submission is a repair: somebody’s device needs work. It carries the device, the problem, the person, its status, and what it cost.
Named “submission” rather than “repair” because that is what schools using the original system called it, and the word stuck.
The queue
Section titled “The queue”The list is your work queue.
Filter by status, priority, assignment and coverage to focus it. The filters people use most are Open, Overdue and Unassigned, in that order.
Search for a submission, a serial or a person.
Create a submission for a walk-up, choosing the person, the device, the repair type and whether a loan is needed.
Overdue items, meaning past their SLA target, are flagged so they stand out.
Where submissions come from
Section titled “Where submissions come from”| Source | How |
|---|---|
| The kiosk | A student or staff member lodges it themselves |
| The desk | A technician creates one for a walk-up |
| The assistant | “Create a damaged display repair for Riley Brooks with a loan” |
| The API | Your own integration |
Kiosk-lodged submissions arrive with a sticky toast, so they are not missed.
The lifecycle
Section titled “The lifecycle”A submission moves through statuses and carries a priority. Both are yours to define, so what follows is a typical shape rather than a fixed one.
- Received. Newly lodged, waiting to be picked up.
- In progress. A technician owns it and is working.
- Awaiting parts or With vendor. Blocked on something external.
- Ready. Fixed and waiting for collection.
- Closed. Handed back.
Working one
Section titled “Working one”Open a submission to see the device, the reporter, the problem, the full history, and the actions your permissions allow.
Assign
Section titled “Assign”Assign or reassign a technician, or take it yourself in one click. Requires
repair.update.
If your desk does not work this way, turn assignment off entirely on the workflow page.
Change status and priority
Section titled “Change status and priority”As the work progresses. Each change is recorded in the history and, for the statuses that trigger them, sends the matching email.
Marking a submission Ready is what sends the ready-for-collection message, and the tutor notification if the student has a tutor on file.
Add notes
Section titled “Add notes”To the history, so colleagues have context. Notes are internal.
Issue a loan
Section titled “Issue a loan”Give the person a loaner while theirs is being repaired, or link one already issued. Plugboard can pick an available device from the right loan group automatically.
The loan and the repair stay linked, so when the repair closes you know which loaner to collect back. The loan number also appears on the person’s tracking page and in the parent portal.
Record an outcome and cost
Section titled “Record an outcome and cost”Tick the parts that were replaced from your own catalogue, and the cost adds itself up from what those parts are priced at.
Type over the total when the job cost something else. A part sourced in a hurry, or supplied free under warranty, means the sum is wrong. What you type wins, and the parts keep the prices they were saved with, so last term’s numbers do not move when you update a supplier price.
Costs feed cost analytics.
Send to a vendor
Section titled “Send to a vendor”Raise an external or warranty repair through a configured connector, such as Apple GSX, CompNow or a help desk system. The vendor’s reference and status are tracked on the submission.
Only appears if the vendor repair workflow feature is on and a repair vendor connector is configured.
When the device is returned. Closing is what invites a satisfaction rating on the tracking page.
Coverage
Section titled “Coverage”Each repair type carries a coverage: warranty, insurance or chargeable, or whatever you have defined.
Coverage is shown to the person when they lodge, so they know before handing the device over whether this is likely to cost them anything. It is also how cost analytics breaks spending down, which is the number your business manager asks for.
Where a family is being asked to pay, see damage charges, which is a separate and deliberately two-person process.
Notifications and tracking
Section titled “Notifications and tracking”When a submission is lodged, the person gets a tracking link and email updates as the status changes. They can follow progress at any time on the tracking page, without an account and without asking.
This single feature removes most of the “is it ready yet” traffic from a school desk.
Automation
Section titled “Automation”Routine triage can happen without you. A rule can auto-assign a cracked screen to a particular technician, set its priority, or notify a channel. See automation rules.
Realtime
Section titled “Realtime”The desk gets live updates. When a colleague changes a submission, lists and detail pages refresh and a toast appears, so two technicians do not both start the same job.
Permissions
Section titled “Permissions”| Permission | Allows |
|---|---|
repair.view | See the queue and open a submission |
repair.create | Lodge one |
repair.update | Change status, priority, assignment, add notes |
repair.close | Close, and record the outcome and cost |
Submissions against tickets
Section titled “Submissions against tickets”Submissions are about a device. Tickets are about everything else. Both are independent modules and either can be switched off.