Automotive Workshop Scheduler Network Version

Automotive Workshop Scheduler Network Version

Automotive Workshop Scheduler Network Version is a  multi-user workshop scheduler designed for use in networked environment.

Main functions of Automotive Workshop Scheduler Network Version

»Automotive Workshop Scheduler Network Version can schedule up to 32 technicians/service bays, with booking lengths ranging from 30 to 360 minutes.

»Automotive Workshop Scheduler Network Version provides printouts of daily and weekly schedules, and uses page templates for detailed scheduling of each day of the week.

»Easy point-and-click operations for speed and efficiency.

»Step-by-step network installation procedures are described in the User_Manual.doc that comes with the package.

Key features of Automotive Workshop Scheduler Network Version

»Search Facility - Just type in a name and it will be located on all the pages that it occurs.

»Individual cell color coding - you can use different colors as markers for attention e.g. missed appointments, special procedures, job done, outstanding accounts, etc

»Automatic blockout of time slots for extended appointment times.

»Easy copy/cut/paste word processing routines for rescheduling appointments, scheduling multiple appointments, etc.

»An onscreen Memo Pad to alert staff of important office events.

»Export appointment lists to text files for fax/email to consultants working in the field.

»An integrated Excel worksheet to assist staff with color code keys, fee schedules, office procedures, etc

»Easy backup and restoration of datafile in case of system crash or hard disk failure. Outdated files can be copied and archived for future reference (see below).

»In the network versions, automatic screen refresh will let you monitor appointments taken from all stations at all times.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. We are using the Appointment Book Network MLT Version for last 10 months. Occasionaly, two error messages will appear:'3260 Couldn't Update: currently locked by user "admin" or machine "ess-psych-10"'; 'Another user currently updating same record.' These errors will disappear only after restarting the server. Any explanation?

A. Yes. The errors appear when the database is locked up by 'remnant locks' - these locks were left behind when users did not exit the program correctly e.g. system resets, power shutdowns, etc. Restarting the server will remove these remnant locks.

Q.What setup is best for installing your Appointment Book Network Version on a peer-to-peer XP_Pro network? We plan to have the maximum 10 PCs connected.

A. On peer-to-peer networks, Windows is not very efficient in managing concurrent access to the shared database during heavy network traffic. It does not automatically 'queue' the access requests, unlike a dedicated server. So bottlenecks can occur during heavy traffic - error 3260. The database can also get 'locked up' when scheduling is done at the Admin Station/server itself. To overcome this problem, don't do scheduling at the Admin Station. Use this station only to do file backups and program configurations.

A better way to prevent database lockups is to use two different PC's to act separately as server and Admin Station. Select a PC where scheduling is not done and use this as a dedicated 'file-server'. Create a shared folder e.g. \apptServer on this server hard disk to house the shared database. Then select another PC to act as the Admin station. You can now do scheduling on this Admin Station without locking up the database which resides in another PC.