Aptora Mobile II Archives

Tips for Building Forms in Aptora Mobile Form Builder (AMFB)

Mobile Form Builder Tips

Form Builder is a very versatile program. It provides you the ability to integrate your own forms in Aptora Mobile II and capitalize on the data captured. Form Builder is an add-on to the mobile platform. If there were a simple button for this product, everyone would have the same form There are four programs utilized in getting the best out of the program. These programs are:

Adobe Acrobat DC (or comparable PDF editor) – This product is NOT an Aptora product. This is the designer you will use to design and modify PDF output files generated by Aptora Mobile II.
Aptora Mobile Form Builder – This is an Aptora product. It is the program which allows you to create your own custom forms for anyone to complete in the Aptora Mobile II application. The designer helps you marry the PDF to Aptora Mobile II.
Aptora Mobile II – This is an Aptora product. This is the web application which technicians and office personnel access to complete tasks. This application is typically the program technicians use to access their work orders generated by Total Office Manager.
Total Office Manager – This is an Aptora product. This is the desktop application used by the office staff. All information entered in Aptora Mobile II and Aptora Mobile Form Builder are accessible from within Total Office Manager wither through the respective forms (work orders, invoices, purchase orders, timesheets, etc.) , document links, an Custom Data Views.

Before you start with creating forms, it is important to start with the end in mind. One of the first things to decide is what is the desired outcome. Do you want a printable form you can email to a customer? Are you wanting a form which is easily accessible by the office? Are you just needing a checklist to attach to a work order or invoice? Once you decide, this will help you determine if you need a PDF output file. Remember, not all forms require a PDF.

Here are things to help minimize frustrations when building forms.

PDF Design

Already have a form designed AND it is in a PDF format? You are halfway there. This will cut down on your design time.
Don’t have a PDF created and you want to create one? Start in MS Word or MS Excel and create your desired form layout. You can then save the completed design as a PDF you will edit in Adobe (or like PDF editor).
When adding fields to your PDF, keep names short and without spaces or special characters. Examples: ManagerName, BillToAddress, or TechCellPhone.
The most common field types to use in a PDF are:
- Checkbox: Used with Yes/No options.
- Radio Buttons: These can be used instead of Yes/No fields. They are useful when you are presenting a limited number of options and only one option may be accepted. Example: Clean or Dirty.
- Button: Used for signatures.
- Textbox: Used for all other field types.
Make sure to include a field for a Primary Selector on every form. Primary Selectors provide database information for the primary record you are creating the form from. There are currently four (4) Primary Selectors: Customer, Employee, Vendor, and Company Asset. Only one Primary Selector may be added to a single form.
When adding Primary Selectors to forms, the PDF Field Name in Form Builder will default to the name you provide for the Primary Selector with an underscore followed by the database field name. You can change this to match your defined field name in the PDF.
You may include multiple Remote Selectors on your forms. Remote Selectors allow you to associate related records for the Primary Selector or company file from the database. There are currently five (5) Remote Selectors: Customer, Customer Equipment, Employee, Vendor, and Company Asset.
When adding Remote Selectors to the forms, this is the one PDF Field Name you may not change in Form Builder. To print the field value in the PDF output, you must enter the Properties Field Name as the field name in the PDF.

Formatting Tips

Use copy and paste functions to your advantage. If your form has the same row/column data repeated, you can copy and paste the layout multiple times. Then go back and change the name to unique values.
Select multiple fields by holding down CTRL and clicking the fields you wish to highlight. You can also drag your mouse across a section of fields to highlight them.
Move one or more fields using the arrow keys. You can hyper move fields by holding down the SHIFT key while using the arrows.
Change the size of one or more fields by holding down the CTRL key while using the arrows.
Quickly align fields to the same right, left, top, or bottom placement by highlighting the fields you wish to align, right click, and choose the option to Align.
Set fields to the same height and/or width by highlighting the fields you wish to align, right click, and choose the option to Set Fields to Same Size.
Change some of the Properties of multiple fields by highlighting, right click, and choose Properties. Here you can set the font type, size, color, borders, etc.

Mobile Form Design

Make sure you have a training database to create forms in BEFORE dispersing them to the rest of the company. This will allow you time to test design, tweak flows, and processes.
Have more than one monitor. Three is ideal for form creation. You will want to have the PDF, the designer, and your mobile website open at the same time.
Once you have all your fields in the designer, open the form in your mobile site to test layout and form load. If you do not close out of the designer, you may continue to make changes to fields. Once you make changes, click F5 on the mobile webpage to see the updated form layout changes.
Use headers for grouping of like or section data! This will give you a cleaner look in the mobile application.
If you do not see distinct sections when using headings, this means you are missing an ending to a heading. Each header must have a footer (Header End0 to close the section.
You can add fields on the form to capture data that does not appear on the PDF.
Once you have the layout completed for the mobile form, then test the field entry for printing. When you generate the report, check to make sure all fields are populating onto the PDF. If they are not, either the PDF Field Names do not match between the form and the PDF or the field is corrupted.
Create default PDF templates and forms to store base information like company headings, customer defaults, equipment details, etc. This saves time in recreating this information.

Training & Implementation

Once you have verified the form is working, have an employee review the printed results for feedback. Seeing the results before training on the functionality helps get most people on board.
Train on the functionality in the training environment. Test out the flow. Answer questions as they arise. During this training, you may find you need to modify the form. Delete existing forms created to modify your existing fields and/or layout.
Once you have finalized the form, copy the finished form to your live company file, set security for the form, and go.

Automated Email – How to Use the Feature (2 of 2)

How to Use Automatic Email

Aptora Mobile II – Auto Email – Usage is a continuation of Aptora Mobile II – Auto Email – Part 1 of 2: Setup. Please refer to this prior to reading.

Reminder Email

Reminders are sent every day of the week at 12:00 PM (noon) server time (the time zone of the server that has AMII installed on it) for work orders scheduled the following day. They are sent once per day. This is an automated process. There is no way to resend the reminders manually.

When a email reminder is sent, the work order Confirmation Status is changed to “Confirmation Sent” on the Schedule Board.

Confirmation Email

The technician will first choose their “work orders” then select the work order they’re scheduled to complete next. Once in the work order, the technician clicks the “En Route” button.

The technician will be prompted to begin a working timesheet. The technician will click Yes.

Confirmation that the time sheet has begun. After this notification clears, the screen will transition to the Automated Email Screen.

Click Send to deliver the email to the customer’s email address on file. There is also the option to not send the email. Click ‘Don’t Send’ to move to the work order screen.

Aptora Mobile II - Auto Email - Usage - En Route Email — Aptora Mobile II – Auto Email – Usage – En Route Email

Thank You Email

After the technician arrives at the work order location and the En Route email has been delivered, the technician will push the button to being Working timesheet.

The technician will be prompted to begin a working timesheet. The technician will click Yes.

When finished, the technician will click Stop. They will be prompted to complete the work order.

If Yes, click it. The Thank You email screen will appear. Click Send in the upper right corner to email to the customer.

Aptora Mobile II - Auto Email - Usage - Thank You Email — Aptora Mobile II – Auto Email – Usage – Thank You Email

Tips

If you would like to include images in your email, such as the image of the technician, be sure to go into Total Office Manager and click Lists | Employees.
1. Then, choose the employee you want, right click and go into edit, then click Menu | Image to assign an image to your employees.
For a reminder to be sent, the work order must have a Status of “Scheduled” and a Confirmation Status of “None”.
For Multi-Day work orders, a reminder based on the Parent work order Start Date. The reminder will use the parent’s email and Auto Contact Method setting.
Merge fields are used by adding place holders. These are numbers inside of brackets. For example, [21] is Work Order Scheduled Date. There are about thirty different merge fields to select from. When the message is sent, the placeholder will be replaced with actual data. The reminder will be completely customized to the work order and the technician assigned to it.
The Outbound Email Reminder is used for all AMII users. Each user does not have their own reminder. There is nothing to set up for each mobile user.
You cannot use auto texting and auto email options at the same time. The system uses whichever is selected on the Automated Contact Method (can be set to Text, Email, or Do Not Contact). This setting is found on the Customer:Job | Address Info tab.
Limited to One Company File: The system may only be used for one database (Company File). If you have two or more Company Files setup in Aptora Mobile II, the system will use the first Company on the list.

Schedule Board Mapping Setup and Use

Introduction

Schedule Board Mapping is an optional component to the Schedule Board. This system does require an active service agreement and internet connection in order to register and use daily. This system contains two sections; a graphical schedule board and a GPS employee tracking map. These two sections work together for efficient scheduling and dispatching.

There is no installation required for the mapping system. However, you will need to register the product. If you purchased the mapping system, the serial number from registration will be located on your sales receipt/invoice. If you cannot find your serial number, please contact us and we will give it to you. You may email helpdesk@aptora.com or call 913-322-4666.

Setup & Registration

Navigate to Company | Schedule Board (New) to open the schedule board.
In the upper right corner, click the Mapping Registration button.
Enter the serial number from your sales receipt/invoice.
NOTE: You may or may not include the hyphens.
Click the SUBMIT button.
Once the registration is complete, you will see the Map tab next to the Scheduler tab. Click the Map tab to access the map.

The Schedule Board Mapping system can do three things:
1. Display the location of your work orders and appointments. The work orders and appointments shown on the map coincide with the profiles and date parameters on the Scheduler tab.
2. Display the location of the mobile device(s) which are running the Aptora Mobile II app.
3. Display the location of a vehicle which is tracked using Verizon® Networkfleet®, Verizon® Connect(formerly Reveal/Fleetmatics), or Fleet Complete®.

Please Note: There is an additional charge for tracking of devices and vehicles on the map. For pricing information, please contact your account manager.

Usage

The schedule board and mapping system was designed with the idea it would be on a separate screen. You may detach the map from the scheduler by clicking on the map tab and dragging it to your desired location. You may zoom in/out on the map by using your scroll wheel on your mouse or by clicking the magnifying glass on the map.

The map displays icons for the different tracking options. Currently there are three things the map tracks.

Work orders
Appointments.
Devices – These may be either cell phones/tablets running the Aptora Mobile II app or vehicles being tracked by Verizon® Networkfleet®, Verizon® Connect(formerly Reveal/Fleetmatics), or Fleet Complete®.PLEASE NOTE: The activity shown on the map coincide with the profiles and date parameters on the Scheduler tab.

When the map is zoomed out and multiple work order appear in a close region, you will see a number instead of the

Invoice Payment Link for Field Service Management

How The Send Invoice Payment Link Works

When sending your contractor invoice as a PDF, technicians have the option of including a link that the receiver can use to pay the invoice. When you print preview your invoice, there will be an option at the top of the preview screen to send the link. You may go back to the invoice and send or resend the link anytime you need to, as long as there is a balance due.

Your customer will receive an email that gives them basic information about the invoice. There will be a link they can click on. This will take them to a secure webpage inside your Aptora Mobile website. The link is secure and only works one time. This system works in the USA and Canada.

How to Send an Invoice Payment Link

While in an Invoice, click Menu | Links | Send PDF Email. When the confirmation page appears, click the button for Send Email with Payment Option.

Requirements

Your company must have a Payment Gateway already setup. Aptora products utilize Authorize.net (US) and Bambora (Canada) as the payment gateway. If you are already taking credit cards in Total Office Manager and/or Aptora Mobile II, you have a Payment Gateway setup. You may verify your credit card gateway setup by navigating to Customers | Electronic Transactions | Gateway List. Also verify you have a default gateway set under Edit | Preferences | Company | Company Preferences.
Credit card features will not operate unless you have a valid current SSL certificate (your website uses HTTPS).

Automated Email – Setup

How to Setup Automated Email

Aptora Mobile II includes an automated email system for reminders, confirmations, and thank you messages to communicate directly with customers. This topic covers how to setup and use the auto email setup. Note that this feature is different from Aptora’s Automated Text Feature that is also offered.

Please note that this content is part of a series. Click here for Aptora Mobile II – Auto Email – Usage.

Total Office Manager Setup

Total Office Manager allows for one primary Automated Contact Method (can be set to Text, Email, or Do Not Contact). In order for the Automated Email feature to work, there are two adjustments that, on the Address Info tab of the Customer:Job form, need to be modified.

Automated Contact Method set to “Email”.
A valid email address is entered into the Email field.

Credential Setup in Aptora Mobile II

Step-By-Step

Open Aptora Mobile II.
Login as Administrator. Only the administrator user can access the following automated email setup options.
From the Dashboard, click More | Settings | Email Setup.
Fill in the required fields as designated by your organization. Please refer to your IT profession for proper configuration of settings. Reference this article as well.
Click Save in the upper right corner to store the credentials.
Click the “Send Test Email” button.
1. You should receive a message indicating the message was delivered successfully to your email address. Check your email inbox to verify.
2. Be sure to check your spam folder too. If found the email in the spam or junk folder please be sure to right-click on the message and scroll down to “Not Junk”.

Auto Email – Setup – Aptora Mobile II

Step-By-Step

Open Aptora Mobile II.
Login as Administrator. Only the administrator user can access the following automated email setup options.
From the Dashboard, click More | Settings | Automated Email.
There is a selection box at the top. Select from Confirmation, Reminder, and Thank You. Pick one to customize. Confirmation is set as the default.
Setup the email message template. Use the Available Place Holders to allow for information to be automatically inserted into your text.
Click the Update Settings button.
Repeat the same process for the other templates.

Sample - Confirmation Email Template — Sample – Confirmation Email Template

Options

Sent when work order status has changed to: – Select from the drop down menu when to send the message. The selection will change based on which template is being modified.
Confirm before sending? – Tick this box to confirm the customer’s email address prior to sending.
Inactive? – Tick this box if you no longer want to use the selection.
Copy to all users? – Tick this box to have the message be consistent among all mobile users.

Automated Text Messages – How to Use The Feature

How to Use Automated Text Messages

Text messages are sent in two ways.

When the work order status changes by a mobile user (not the desktop), a text is sent to the customer.
When Reminders are sent the night before the date of the work order.

Sending Text Reminders

The entire process is automated. When a text reminder is has been sent, the work order Confirmation Status is changed to “Confirmation Sent” on the Schedule Board.

Outbound Reminder text messages are sent every day of the week at 12:00 PM (noon) server time (the time zone of the server that has AMII installed on it). They are sent once per day. There is no way to resend the reminders manually. You cannot change the time the texts are sent.

Points to Remember

For a reminder to be sent, the work order must have a Status of “Scheduled” and a Confirmation Status of “None”.
For Multi-Day work orders, a reminder based on the Parent work order Start Date. The reminder will use the parent’s cell phone and Auto Contact Method setting.
Merge fields are used by adding place holders. These are numbers inside of brackets. For example, [21] is Work Order Scheduled Date. There are about thirty different merge fields to select from. When the message is sent, the placeholder will be replaced with actual data. The reminder will be completely customized to the work order and the technician assigned to it.
The Outbound SMS Reminder is used for all AMII users. Each user does not have their own reminder. There is nothing to set up for each mobile user.
Reminders are being sent as SMS. At this time, you are not able to include pictures. This feature will be available soon.
When you receive a text message from a client, you will be charged for that text in the same way as if you sent that text.
You cannot use auto texting and auto email options at the same time. The system uses whichever is selected on the Automated Contact Method (can be set to Text, Email, or Do Not Contact). This setting is found on the Customer:Job | Address Info tab.
The Automated Text Message – Outbound SMS – Reminders template does not offer images. The other templates, that are sent when the status of the Work Order changes, do offer images.

Text Message Responses

Your customers can reply to the reminder text messages you send. This is done in the same way that any text is responded to. Their reply will automate certain tasks in Total Office Manager.

Text replies can be viewed in Aptora Teams.

Text Reply Automation

When the following keywords are anywhere within a text reply, the following actions occur in Total Office Manager. Capitalization is not important but the word must be exact.

“Confirm“: Sets the work order Confirmation Status selection to Confirmed

“Cancel” Sets the work order Confirmation Status selection to Cancelled. Note: The Work Order Status is not set to Cancelled.

“Reschedule“: Sets the work order Confirmation Status to Reschedule Request. An automatic text will be returned to the customer letting them know your company will be calling them to reschedule.

“Stop“: Sets the Customer:Job Automated Contact Method selection to “Do Not Contact”. It does not change the “No Marketing By” properties found in Customer:Job | Additional Info.

“Start“: Reestablishes contact with the customer. This reverses “Stop”. This feature is coming soon.

“Thank you“: If the customer happens to text back any sentence that contains “thank you”, the system will respond with “You’re Welcome”.

Tips

Set up User Filters on your Work Order List to filter for this activity.
If the customer responds with something not covered above, the system will text them a message that they do not know how to respond.

Inactivate

If you wish to stop text messages from being sent, remove the account credentials from the Automated Text: Setup.

Database (Company File) Limitation

The Automatic Text Reminder system always uses the Database (also called a Company File) that appears first in the Aptora Mobile Configuration utility. Please verify that the Database you wish to use appears at the top of the Database list. To check this:

Open the Mobile Configuration Utility.
Click Product Configuration.
Click Next.
Look at the Database list.
If it is not at the top of the list, remove the Databases, and add them back in the proper order.

If you have multiple Databases that you wish to use this feature with, you will need to install multiple mobile websites. If you need assistance with this, please contact our Help Desk for more information regarding system configurations.

Aptora Teams – Desktop Edition

Introducing Aptora Teams

This Windows Application allows users to send messages back and forth to their coworkers, inside the office, and outside the office. It features an easy to use interface, lightning-quick performance, and “no-touch” software updates.

Users can chat with other employees, whether they are at their computer or working in the field using Aptora Mobile II® or Geo Time Tracker™.

Aptora Teams works with our Automated Text Reminder feature. When your customer replies to a text message, you can view that message in Aptora Teams. You may continue a conversation with that customer.

You can create teams (groups) of users to chat with simultaneously. You will receive messages while offline and view them when you’re back on. If you are active, others will be able to see a green circle next to your name.

Requirements

You must own Aptora Mobile II (AMII).
1. The chat system uses your Aptora Mobile II backend, even when you are not chatting with mobile users.
You must have an active service agreement.
You will need to download the program and install it on each desktop that you wish to use it.
Certain features and capabilities will involve an extra fee and may become fee based in the future. This includes the texting related features. You will always be warned about any feature that includes a fee. You will have the opportunity to agree to these fees and turn on that feature.

Installation

Download Aptora Teams using this link (you should right-click and Save As). Double click on the downloaded file to run the installation.

Connect Aptora Teams to your mobile server. Enter the URL of your mobile server (such as https://hosted.proamerican.com:8801/).
Click the Check URL button. You should now see your company’s database in the list, and you should have seen a green popup indicating that the URL is valid.
Enter your User Name and Password and click the Login button.
1. These are the same credentials for Aptora Mobile II. You should not have to login again (unless you log yourself out).

Software Updates

If an update is available, you will be notified when you start the application. You will have a chance to update or skip it. We recommend that you run all the updates. It is possible that the software will not work if users are in different versions.

Aptora Mobile II and Geo Time Tracker have chat systems that are using the same framework. Please be sure to update those programs as soon as updates become available.

Sending and Receiving Messages – From the Windows Application

Select an individual from the User List or select a group from the Group List. Type in your message and press the Enter key. You may also click the Enter icon at the far right of the message box.

Messages arrive automatically, even if you are not running the program.

You will receive an audio alert indicating you have a new message. You will also see a red number next to the person that sent the message. That number indicates how many unread messages they have sent. The User List, Group List, and Customers List buttons will be highlighted when there are unread messages.

Aptora Teams Interface — Aptora Teams Chat Interface

Creating Teams

Click the Manage Teams button.
Click the Create Group button.
Enter a name for your group. You may enter a description of this group and that’s optional.
In the Add Users box, click to select a user to add. You may select multiple users using your Shift or Ctrl keys (like you would with any list).
Click save to add the users. Repeat the process as needed.

Viewing Teams

Viewing Text Messages from Customers

Your customers can reply to your text reminders. You do not have the ability to send them a text until they have replied. The customer must first reply to your text reminder. Once they do, you can continue a normal “conversation” as you normally would.

IMPORTANT: When you chat with a customer, you are sending and receiving text messages. Your company will be charged for each text sent and received. Read more about that here.

Sending and Receiving Messages – From Aptora Mobile II

Users who are logged into Aptora Mobile II can utilize the chat functionality of Aptora Teams.

From the Dashboard, click on the Messages button.

Dashboard - Messages Button — Dashboard – Messages Button

A new screen will appear that allows the user to select an existing message chain with another user and/or give them the ability to create a new private or group message. Click the corresponding button to communicate.

Tips

You can right-click on a message and copy it to your clipboard.
All chat messages are saved to your company’s database.
The Chat window displays chat messages for the last seven days from the last message (not from the current date).

Automated Text Messages – Setup

What Are Automated Text Messages?

This help topic tells you how to set up automatic text messaging and reminders in Total Office Manager and Aptora Mobile II. Be sure to see the help topic on how to use this feature.

Aptora Mobile II includes an automated texting system for reminders, confirmations, and thank you messages to communicate directly with customers. This feature will replace auto email on the Customer:Job. The system uses whichever is selected on the Automated Contact Method (can be set to Text, Email, or Do Not Contact).

How Much Does This Cost?

Picture and text messages are 3.0 cents for each 1600-character text sent or received. You must have a credit card on file with Aptora. That card will be charged monthly and you will receive an invoice via email. Any month with less than $10.00 in fees will be carried over to the following month until at least $10.00 is owed. There are no other fees. You may turn this feature off at any time. Please contact your Aptora Account Manager with additional questions and current pricing.

You will setup the system in Aptora Mobile II and then in Total Office Manager.

Credential Setup in Aptora Mobile II

Step-by-Step

Call your Aptora Account Representative to sign up.
You must have a credit card on file with Aptora.
Receive an email from Aptora within 24 hours of signing up for the service with your Account Manager providing you with credentials.
Open Aptora Mobile II.
Login as Administrator.
From the Home page, click More | Settings | Automated Text Message
1. Note: If you do not see the Automated Text Message button, your company may not have a license to use the feature. Please contact your Aptora Account Manager.
There is a selection box at the top of the phone. General is selected by default.
Fill in the required fields under General. Important: All three of these are provided by Aptora within the confirmation email.
1. Account SID
2. Auth Token
3. Phone Number: Please be sure to add a “1” in front of the phone number. Example: 19134929930
Click Update Settings to save the credentials.

Text Templates Setup in Aptora Mobile II

Once you have entered your credentials, the user(s) will have access to the Templates. Templates are available within the drop-down list located on the Automated Text: Setup page. There are four customizable templates to choose from – En Route, Working, Thank You, or Reminder.

Step-by-Step

Log into Aptora Mobile II as the Administrator.
From the Home page, click More | Settings | Automated Text Message
There is a selection box at the top. Select from En Route, Working, Thank You, or Reminder. Pick one to customize.
Setup the text message template. Use the Available Place Holders to allow for information to be automatically inserted into your text.
Click the Update Settings button.
Repeat the same process for the other templates.

Sample - Enroute Template — Sample – Enroute Template

Total Office Manager Setup

Total Office Manager allows for one primary Automated Contact Method (can be set to Text, Email, or Do Not Contact). In order for the Automated Texting feature to work, there are two adjustments that, on the Address Info tab of the Customer:Job form, need to be modified.

Automated Contact Method set to “Text to Cell Phone”.
A valid cell phone number entered into the Cell Phone field .

Auto Text Customer:Job Requirements

Tips

If you are having troubles with the texting system not sending texts, it may be related to your credentials not being recognized. Please be sure to double check your credentials. You should copy and paste them from the email we send you.
There is a small fee for each incoming and outgoing text message. These fees are billed monthly, once your account reaches $10.00 of usage.
Try to keep your message to 160 characters or less.
1. When information is inserted (like the name of a technician), it will add to your character count.
2. Blank spaces and line returns count as characters.
Avoid using line returns because they can cause formatting issues with certain cell phones.
If you have used the Automatic Email feature, you may have noticed that this text feature offers fewer Available Place Holders (merge fields). That was done on purpose. It is best to keep text messages short and simple. Please use the email option if you need to send more detailed messages.
Please be sure that your Cell Phone numbers are formatted properly. In Total Office Manager, we do not force proper formatting in the Cell Phone field.
The Automated Text Message – Outbound SMS – Reminders template does not offer images. The other templates, that are sent when the status of the Work Order changes, do offer images.
Limited to One Company File: The system may only be used for one database (Company File). If you have two or more Company Files setup in Aptora Mobile II, the system will use the first Company on the list.

Aptora Mobile II – Add Customer:Jobs

Introduction

The Aptora Mobile II – Add Customer:Jobs has been designed to include corresponding tabs displayed on the “Customer” form in Total Office Manager. These data view options are displayed across the “Customer:Add” field on the “Customer” form. When completing information for the first time, click the “Add” button in the upper right corner to save. Once saved, the record is stored on the database. This means that the record is also available for view within Total Office Manager.

Form Access

From the Dashboard, click Master Lists | Customers. Then, click the Hamburger menu and select ‘Create Customer’.

Aptora Mobile II - Customers File Path — Customers File Path

Aptora Mobile II - Create Customer — Create Customer

Aptora Mobile II – Add Customer:Jobs

To add a new customer in Aptora Mobile II, there are six (6) tabs that may be completed – Main, Details, Addresses, Contact, Payment, and Job.

Aptora Mobile II - Customer Add New — Customer Add New

Main Tab

This section of the form allows users to add Parent, Name, Company Name, Salutation, First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name, Pronounced, and Contact.

Details Tab

This section of the form allows users to add Type, Terms, Sales Representative, Marketing, Marketing Type, Markup/Down Method, Department, Tax Code, Tax Item, and Notes.

Addresses Tab

This section allows users to add billing and work address information.

Contact Tab

The Contacts section will display information found on the “Contacts” tab of the “Customer:Job” form in Total Office Manager. This section allows users to add Automated Contact Method, Phone, Extension, Fax, Alternate Phone, Cell Phone, Alternate Contact, Owner, Email and Website information.

Payment Tab

The Payment Info section gives the user the ability to add Customer:Job payment information. This section allows users to add A/R Account, Credit Limit (if applicable), Payment Method, and place a customer on a credit hold.

Job Tab

This section allows a user to enter or select information related to the Customer:Job. This section allows users to add Job Status, Job Type, Forman, Start Date, Projected End, Finish Date, Contract Number, Contract Job Number, Description, and Job Details.

Mobile User Configuration and Setup

Configuring Aptora’s Mobile App

Aptora Mobile II is cutting edge field service management software developed to complement our award winning desktop accounting software package, Total Office Manager. Aptora Mobile II – User Configuration/Setup will provide mobile access to the information and features technicians, salespeople, and even owners need most. If you are using a tablet/phone and prefer the mobile app over the browser, you may purchase this from the Apple or Android play stores. There is a $4.99 (USD) cost to the app purchase to minimize downloads for non-Aptora clients.

Aptora Mobile II can be accessed from almost any web-enabled device with a standard web browser (such as Chrome, Edge, Firefox) including iPhone®, iPad™, Android™, BlackBerry®, Windows Phone® devices, and computers.

Total Office Manager – User Configuration

These steps must be completed prior to a user being able to log into Aptora Mobile II.

Ensure that the person is on the employee list. From the main menu, click Employees | Employee List.
- If necessary, set up a new employee by right clicking within the list and select New Employee to complete a new employee record.
  
  Employee List
Ensure that the person is on the Active user list. From the main menu, click, Company | User list/Security.

User List
Select a user by double-clicking. The first screen will appear with account information. Complete the Mobile User ID text field. This will be the username used to log into Aptora Mobile II.
- Note: The password that is entered will be used to access both Total Office Manager and Aptora Mobile II if the user needs access to both programs.
- Note: Mobile User IDs are unique to each user. If you have more than one employee with the same first name, you will need to differentiate between the two.
  - Example: Mike A. and Mike B. are both employees. Mike A. has a Mobile User ID of ‘Mike’. As a result, if Mike B. needs a Mobile User ID, ‘Mike’ cannot be used because that ID is already taken.
    
    Mobile User ID
Click Next and continue until the Finish button activates.
Click Finish to register the Mobile User ID.

Aptora Mobile II – User Configuration

Log into Mobile

When accessing your Aptora Mobile II site for the first time, the Administrator user account will be the only one whose Mobile User ID already has security set up to log into the application. Other users will need to be given permission to log in to the Aptora Mobile II site. This can be doing by logging into the mobile site as Administrator then following the steps below.

Step-By-Step

Navigate to More | Security | User Permissions.

Aptora Mobile II User Permissions
Select the user you wish to grant access to Mobile. Remember, users must be setup in Total Office Manager first. Be sure to complete the section above.

Aptora Mobile II – User Configuration/Setup – User Permission – Adam Webster
Inside the grid list, you will see the permission “Login (required to use mobile)”. Check the box to the right and click save in the upper right corner.

Aptora Mobile II – User Configuration/Setup – Login (required to use mobile)
The user that was just configured will now need to access the mobile application and attempt to log in.

Important Message – Aptora Mobile II – User Configuration

When logging in, users may receive a notice that says “Aptora Mobile II cannot connect to your office database because you already have the maximum number of connections allowed. Aptora Mobile II will only allow a certain number of connections (users logged in) to your company database. The number is determined by the number of licenses your company has invested in.

Example: 5 concurrent users = 5 separate licenses.

If this happens, please ask another user to log out or contact your Aptora Sales Representative to acquire more licenses.

Aptora Mobile II

Mobile Form Builder Tips

PDF Design

Formatting Tips

Mobile Form Design

Training & Implementation

Related Content

How to Use Automatic Email

Reminder Email

Confirmation Email

Thank You Email

Tips

Related Content

Introduction

Setup & Registration

Usage

How The Send Invoice Payment Link Works

How to Send an Invoice Payment Link

Requirements

How to Setup Automated Email

Total Office Manager Setup

Credential Setup in Aptora Mobile II

Step-By-Step

Auto Email – Setup – Aptora Mobile II

Step-By-Step

Options

Related Content

How to Use Automated Text Messages

Sending Text Reminders

Points to Remember

Text Message Responses

Text Reply Automation

Tips

Inactivate

Database (Company File) Limitation

Related Content

Introducing Aptora Teams

Requirements

Installation

Software Updates

Sending and Receiving Messages – From the Windows Application

Creating Teams

Viewing Teams

Viewing Text Messages from Customers

Sending and Receiving Messages – From Aptora Mobile II

Tips

Related Content

What Are Automated Text Messages?

How Much Does This Cost?

Credential Setup in Aptora Mobile II

Step-by-Step

Text Templates Setup in Aptora Mobile II

Step-by-Step

Total Office Manager Setup

Tips

Related Content

Introduction

Form Access

Aptora Mobile II – Add Customer:Jobs

Main Tab

Details Tab

Addresses Tab

Contact Tab

Payment Tab

Job Tab

Related Content

Configuring Aptora’s Mobile App

Total Office Manager – User Configuration

Aptora Mobile II – User Configuration

Log into Mobile

Step-By-Step

Important Message – Aptora Mobile II – User Configuration

Related Content

Industries

SOLUTIONS

COMPANY

SUPPORT

Request a Personalized Demo

Demo Form 121422