Vehicles

A detailed look at the fields and dependencies in the Vehicles records, how to create a new Vehicle record & editing existing Vehicles.

The “Vehicle” record is used as a recording location for parts/materials that are moved/collected within forms. They are also used within vehicle checklists for example and triggering service notifications.

Some features are dependent upon your select plan for your account.

Indicates a feature is only available in Standard plan or above.

Indicates a feature is only available in Enterprise plan.

Where Vehicle Records are Used

The following files refer to Vehicle records so if you plan to use any of these, setting up the records in this file will be important or even critical:

 

Activity/Forms

• Extra Travel
• Part Logistic

Pre-requisite Files for Vehicle Records

When setting up Vehicle records, it is recommended to review the other data files that may need to be referred to by each record. These are the files that you may need to setup in advance:

 

Data Sources

• Office/Depots
• Categories (Vehicle)
  
  

System

• Users

Field Descriptions for Vehicle Records

The ID section holds the unique ID for the record:

Reference - holds the unique ID for the record (most records in Solarvista have one of these). It cannot contain any spaces or non-standard characters. Once the record is saved, it is not possible to edit it afterwards. In most default situations, the Reference is automatically set using a counter sequence, however, you can setup your own if you prefer.

 

The Details section holds details of the vehicle:

Registration – the government plate/registration number.

Make/Model – make and model of vehicle.

Last Odometer – the latest odometer reading.

 

The Operator section holds detail of the user who drives or keeps the vehicle:

Driver – the user who drives the vehicle.

Office/Depot – the office/depot where the vehicle resides/is based at.

 

The Service section holds optional details of the next due service point:

Due Date – the latest date when a service is due.

Due Odometer – the latest odometer reading when a service is due.

 

The Other section holds miscellaneous additional information:

Memo – a free text field that can be used for any purpose.

Category – a category for the Vehicle e.g. ‘Large”, “Company Owned”. These are defined in the Categories file and set with a Type= “Vehicle”.

Status – defines the status of the record as follows:

• Disabled – is not active. The record will not appear for selection in other parts of the system.
• Enabled – is active. The record will appear for selection in other parts of the system.

Creating a New Vehicle Record

To create a new Vehicle record:

1. Click on the “Plus” button.
   
   A menu will appear.
2. Within the “Data Sources” section, find “Vehicle”.
   
3. Click on “Vehicle”.
4. A new “empty” Shift Pattern record will appear.
5. Populate all fields as you require.
6. Click on the “Create” button.
   
7. You may need to refresh the page to see the new record in a view using the Refresh button on the top bar.
   
   
   

Editing a Vehicle Record

To edit a Vehicle record:

1. From the main menu, select Vehicles.
   
   The default view for Vehicles will open.
2. Click on the Quick Filter button.
   
3. Enter criteria for the Vehicle record you are looking for and click Apply button.
   
4. The view will update. Find the record you are wanting to edit.
5. Click anywhere on the row that shows the record. The record will open.
6. You can edit any field that allows editing (some could be set to read only).
7. Click on “Save” button to save changes.
   

Deleting a Vehicle Record

To delete a Vehicle record.

1. From the main menu, select Vehicles. The default view for Vehicles will open.
2. Click on the Quick Filter button.
   
3. Enter criteria for the Team record you are looking for and click Apply button.
   
4. The view will update. Find the record you are wanting to delete.
5. On the left side of the view is a column containing checkboxes.
6. Check the box of the record you want to delete.
7. Click the “Delete” button on the top right.
   
   A slide in dialog will appear prompting you to confirm the delete, by typing in the word “DELETE” again.
8. To confirm, click the “Delete” button and the record (or records will be deleted).
   

Note: You can delete Vehicle records referred to only by other Data Sources however this will leave those records without an associated to a valid Vehicle record. If this happens by accident, you can manually recreate the record ensuring the Reference is identical. You can also change the status of the record to prevent it appearing on screen in future whilst maintaining historical integrity.

Customising or Adding New Fields

Solarvista™ is built upon a uniquely flexible platform that allows you to edit fields (or remove them in some cases) as well as add your own fields. These new fields (or edited characteristics of existing fields) automatically become available within the web portal and the mobile apps. For more information, refer to the Customising section.

Importing Cause Data in Bulk using Import Tool

If you have a lot of Cause information to enter, you may prefer to upload this using the Import Tool that’s built into Solarvista. The Import Tool enables Cause records to be created from “CSV” text files. CSV files can be created from a wide range of popular applications including Microsoft Excel. For more information on importing data into Solarvista, please refer to the article here.

Continue the Setting Up Data series with Offices/Depots.