New! How to use the Activity Templates to standardize and manage repeating jobs

Activity Templates is a new feature introduced in RangerMSP 5.0. This feature helps you standardize your work and manage repeating jobs.

Activity Templates contain a group of pre-programmed activities, such as Tasks, Appointments, or Tickets, that can be applied to different parts of the RangerMSP system, including Accounts, Assets, Contracts, and Sales Opportunities. By applying an Activity Template, all of the activities defined in the template are automatically created and placed into the Pending tab, saving you valuable time.

The following are examples of how Activity Templates can be used:

New PC Setup
Installing a new PC usually involves a few standard tasks, regardless of the client. In RangerMSP, a new PC installation is generally managed under a ticket, which lists all the tasks needed to complete the project. Rather than have its employees spend time manually creating new tasks for every PC installed, a company can create an Activity Template for a Ticket that can be applied every time a new PC needs to be installed. When a user applies this template to a specific ticket, all the tasks automatically appear in the ticket's Pending tab. Before closing the ticket, the system alerts the user if any of these tasks has not been carried out.

Possible template activities include:

• Task: Build PC according to hardware specifications.
• Task: Install operating system.
• Task: Install antivirus software.
• Task: Test the system

New Local Network Setup
A new network installation is a complicated project that usually requires a number of tickets, tasks, and appointments. In RangerMSP, such a project is generally managed under a contract. In order to create these activities easily, you can use an Activity Template designed specifically for contracts. When the template is applied to a specific contract, the activities appear in the contract's Pending tab, showing all the work necessary to complete the job.

Possible template activities include:

• Appointment: On-site visit for general planning
• Ticket: Install network cables.
• Ticket: Set up and install switch.
• Ticket: Set up and install router.
• Ticket: Set up and install firewall.
• Task: Prepare audit document describing network components.

Monthly Service Contract
Monthly service contracts often require many types of activities, including tickets, appointments, and tasks, which need to be performed each month as part of an agreement. These activities are generally the same from client to client. A monthly service contract is most likely managed as a contract in the RangerMSP system.

In order to easily create these activities (rather than create them manually for each client), you can create an Activity Template. When the template is applied to a specific contract, the activities appear in the contract's Pending tab, displaying all the work necessary to provide your services. In addition, you can link this template to the contract as the contract’s “default template,” meaning that the template is automatically applied when copying or renewing this contract. You can read more about this feature in the Default Activity Templates section of this manual.

Possible template activities include:

• Ticket: Remote login to the server to monitor the event logs—due 5 days after the contract’s Start Date
• Appointment: preventive on-site visit for general maintenance and support, 15 days after the contract’s Start Date.
• Task: Call the customer and discuss open issues, 7 days before the contract’s End Date.

New Prospect Opportunity
Following up on prospective customers is an important part of running any business and can often determine whether you succeed in bringing in new clients or not. In order to properly monitor new prospects and perform effective follow-up, most companies have a standard set of follow-up tasks, which can be managed under an opportunity in the RangerMSP system.

Because most follow-up involves a similar set of activities, regardless of the client, the easiest way to create a new opportunity is by applying an Activity Template. After a template is applied to a specific opportunity, all these activities appear in the opportunity's Pending tab, including phone calls which should take place, e-mails which should be sent, etc.

Possible template activities include:

• Task: Make initial phone call with prospective client, same day as the opportunity is opened.
• Task: Prepare and send proposal, same day as the opportunity is opened.
• Task: Follow up on proposal, 3 days after the opportunity’s Open Date.

For more details and for detailed usage instructions, Click here to reach the full Activity Templates user guide online.

The Support Team

Can you create a activity template that calls another activity template? For example. Create a Contract Activity template that has a Ticket Activity template that lists out a set of predefined tasks that need to be performed every month.

I see what you're saying, and this is an interesting suggestion :-). This is not possible at the moment, and what you can do is create a contract template, which contains the ticket, and then create a ticket template with all the tasks. When applying, you should first apply the activities for the contract, then go to the ticket which was just created from the template, and apply the ticket template for it. A few more steps, but this should do the job. I've logged your suggestion into our requests list. Thanks.

Ethan

I agree with emedina about nesting Tasks and Appointments in an Activity Template ticket. When I have a complex project like a new network install I would have several top level tickets like; Install Internet Service, Install Router, Install Switch, Install Server. Within each of the tickets I would have smaller Tasks and Appointments. This way when I apply the activity template to a Contract/Project I don't have a loose group of Tickets, Tasks and Appointments for the Contract/Project. I must admit I am a little suprised that nesting the Tasks and Appointments in an Activity Template Ticket was not included. CommitCRM uses the approach of a top level Ticket with multiple Tasks or Appointments when working with a normal ticket already, working with an Activity Template Ticket should be no different.

+1

+1

+1