Accept and Decline | Accept and Decline is an optional setting in vWork that allows workers to either accept or decline a job. You can also set this up so that jobs not accepted in a certain amount of time are automatically declined. This can be useful if you have jobs that must be started quickly, such as a taxi or courier business. |
Account Working Hours | Account Working Hours are the hours that your mobile workers are available to work and are applied as the standard shift hours for all your workers. They show on the schedule in white and can be customized to suit the requirements of your organization. Individual workers can have working hours set outside account working hours on an individual user basis. |
Actual Duration | How long the job lasted based on when the first step was completed and when the last step was completed. This is different from worker duration, which is the actual duration minus any time when the job was paused. Worker duration can be added to job invoices automatically. |
Admin | Admin is the shorthand version of Administrator. Administrators have full access to all account settings. They can dramatically change how vWork functions so you should limit this access to very trusted staff. |
Alerts | There are over two dozen different alerts that you can use to send email or SMS when certain things happen to a job. You can set up Alert from the Alerts tab under Settings. |
API | The vWork API allows developers to integrate vWork with other software programs. New jobs can be created via the API and job data can be pulled out of the API for use elsewhere. |
API Key | An API Key is necessary to use the vWork API. You can request an API Key from support@vworkapp.com or create one yourself from the integrations page (under settings) if your account has this feature enabled. |
Asset | An Asset can be a place or location like a park, school, or house, or an item like a water cooler or cellphone tower. Assets can be added to standard or repeating jobs in vWork and have set locations defined by latitude and longitude coordinates so they can be located on a map. An Asset normally requires regular maintenance. Assets can be associated with a specific customer. |
Assigned Job Status | One of 11 job statuses in vWork. When in this status the job is assigned to the worker. |
Auto Report | Auto reports are automatically emailed to you when a job is completed. You can select from several different types of reports to have them generated as auto reports. |
Break Job | A special kind of job used to schedule breaks for mobile users within an optimized route. A 'break' job has no geocoded addresses in the steps so that it can be scheduled wherever a vWork mobile app worker finds themselves when it is time for them to take a break. To work as planned 'break' jobs must be used used in conjunction with 'break' tags and 'time slots'. |
Break tag | A special kind of tag that is used to schedule breaks for mobile users within an optimized route. To work as planned, a 'break' tag must be used in conjunction with a 'break' job and a 'time slot'. |
Broadcast Dispatch | 'Broadcast Dispatch' (found under the 'Multi-Assign' heading) is an optional 'Accept and Decline Jobs' setting in the vWork General settings. When this is enabled, you can send jobs to multiple workers at once. The worker that accepts the job first is given the job. The job is automatically removed from other workers' Jobs lists in the vWork mobile app once a worker accepts it. The status of the job changes from 'Pending' to 'Assigned' for the worker that accepts the job. |
Cancel a job | When you cancel a job it still exists in vWork and can be restored if required. It will remain on the job list with a status of 'Canceled'. You can report on Canceled jobs. |
Canceled job status | One of 11 job statuses. When a job has a status of 'Canceled' it is removed from the worker's schedule but stays on the jobs list. See Cancel a job above. |
Capacity | Capacity is a setting used exclusively for Route Optimization to ensure that no vehicles are overloaded. For example, a truck might be able to carry 20 gas bottles, and various jobs might require, one, two, or three bottles. You decide what this value is depending on what your organization’s need is. Capacity is a standard measure that does not change in size. For; for example, bags of groceries, bottles of gas, pallets of goods, or tonnes of material. |
Casual Worker | Workers that you use on a casual basis. You can set them up to receive jobs by SMS message without needing to download the vWork app onto their phone. Casual Workers cannot complete steps or custom fields on their phone but do get a list of the job steps on their phone that they can follow to complete the job. |
Completed Job Status | One of 11 job statuses in vWork. In this case, all the steps on the job are completed and all mandatory fields are filled in. |
Controlled job release | This is a setting called 'When should workers receive jobs'. It is found in the vWork General settings. vWork defaults to shows jobs in the vWork mobile app the moment they are published. You can override the default to publish jobs in batches after they are published either the same day they are scheduled, two days before they are scheduled, or at a custom time in minutes before they are scheduled.This is a useful setting for managing the number of jobs visible on a mobile user's device. |
Custom Field | 'Custom fields' (or simply 'Fields' as they are called in the vWork mobile app) allow you to define the information displayed in your job. They may be fields you fill in before giving the job to a mobile worker, or fields that the worker needs to fill in when completing the job. There are several different types of custom fields including text, photo, number, date, link, etc. Each custom field has a permission setting so you can select what a worker is allowed to do: hidden, read-only, optional, and required. |
Customer Portal | A 'Customer Portal' is a small website that you set up to allow your customers to log in to your vWork account to create jobs and track their status themselves. You have complete control over your Customer Portal and can decide if it is public or limited to selected customers. You also determine the templates your customers can use to create jobs. |
Customer Portal Token Link | The 'Customer Portal Token Link' (sometimes called Tokenized Portal Access) gives infrequent customers instant, no fuss, and temporary access to their job in the Customer Portal. No setup or password is required by the customer; they simply click the shared URL link and enter their email address, mobile number, or the Job ID to access their job. The Customer Portal Token Link is unique to a job and expires when the job is completed, ending the customer’s use of the portal. |
Customer Pricebook | Much like a standard pricebook except that it is associated with a customer to ensure that the customer gets special pricing when line items are added to an invoice. |
Customized Branding | You can upload your logo to vWork so that it shows everywhere that your customers might see vWork. For example: when using your Customer Portal, Email Alerts, Emailed Reports, etc. |
Customized worker shifts | You can choose to override the vWork 'Account Working Hours' for one or many workers with the 'User Working Hours' settings. Select a worker and change their hours to make them unique for that worker. The customized worker shifts show on the Schedule so dispatchers can see when a worker is available to complete jobs. Customized worker hours also transfer to a worker's availability for route optimization. |
Declined job status | 'Declined' is one of 11 job statuses in vWork. This status only shows as a status when the 'Accept and Decline Job' option is enabled in the vWork General settings and a worker has 'Declined' a job. |
Delete a job | When you delete a job in vWork the job is permanently removed and cannot be retrieved or restored. You can delete a job from the Jobs screen and also from within the Job editor. |
Dispatcher | Dispatchers use the vWork website to create, edit and schedule jobs for workers. You can customize what parts of the web app they are allowed to use. |
Draft job status | One of 11 job statuses in vWork. When in 'Draft' the job can have a worker and start time but won't be published when the Schedule is published. This is useful for planning the schedule. The job must have the draft status removed before it can be published. |
Duration | The time spent completing a job. There are three types of Duration:
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Duration Multiplier | This is a setting used in 'Template Cycles' - an optional add on to Repeating Jobs v2. The Duration Multipler setting changes the Planned Duration (time it is estimated to complete a job) for individual assets in a Repeating Jobs schedule that uses a Template Cycle. The Duration Multiplier setting is useful to adjust when you know the time to complete jobs for some Assets in a template Cycle will take longer than what is allowed for in the job template; i.e., when the Asset is bigger or more complicated to work on than the planned duration allows for in the template. |
Edit own (User Permission) | Edit own is a special User Permission only associated with the Route Optimization feature. It enables a User of the web app to edit Optimizations that they prepare but does not allow them to edit Optimizations prepared by other Users. |
Equipment | Equipment is a specialized piece of machinery assigned to a job much like a worker. For example, a mobile crane, specialized vehicle, or forestry mulcher. Every item of equipment is set up with its own profile in vWork. Once assigned to a job equipment is visible on an Equipment Schedule to make it easy for dispatchers to view equipment allocation to jobs. Equipment is an optional feature in vWork. |
EROAD | A vWork partner that provides vehicle tracking compatible with vWork's scheduling and dispatch software. www.eroad.com |
FAF (Fuel Adjustment Factor) | FAF (Fuel Adjustment Factor) is a percentage-based surcharge added to transportation line items in an invoice. FAF is used to make allowance for variations in fuel costs without needing to adjust base transportation rates. You may also know FAF by another name. It is also commonly called the Variable Fuel Factor, Diesel Surcharge, or Fuel Surcharge and may have a different name in your industry. FAF is an optional feature in vWork and is managed in the Finance Settings. |
Favorite Optimization | Allows you to create and save an Optimization that you repeat often so that you don't need to recreate it every time you run it. |
Favorite Report | Allows you to create a custom report with a pre-defined set of filters and bookmark it for use later on. |
Full (User Permission) | When a user permission is set to 'Full', that user can use all features associated with that section. For example, a user with 'Full' set as their web app permission for 'Jobs', can do anything on the Jobs tab on the vWork website. |
Group | Groups allow you to break down your account into different company departments or geographic regions. You can set up Dispatchers for each group so one Dispatcher looks after each group of workers. |
Health and Safety | The optional vWork H&S feature has tools for managing health & safety. It includes:
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Import customers | The act of importing many customers and their details at once using a .CSV file. Also known as Bulk Import Customers. |
Import jobs | The act of importing many jobs at once using a .CSV file. |
Invoice | If you enable invoicing in vWork, an invoice can be automatically produced for each job. The invoice can include the time spent on the job by the worker, mileage, any required call-out fees or surcharges, and any materials used in the completion of the job. |
Job | A Job is a discrete piece of work completed by a worker. Each job is created, scheduled, completed, and invoiced separately. |
Job Deadlines | Job Deadlines allow you to set a date and time that a job must be completed. They are useful when a customer needs assurance that a job will be completed by a certain time. Alerts can be set to remind specified people of jobs with approaching deadlines. |
Job Editor | The form where you add and edit details of a job. This has two default tabs: 'Job Information' and 'Custom Fields'. If you have enabled Invoicing in your account you will also see an 'Invoicing' tab. Additional tabs may also show 'Health & Safety' and 'Customer Messages' if you have selected these features for your account. |
Job ID | Each job has a unique ID created by vWork. If you are creating jobs via the API, you can create your own Job IDs. |
Job Labels | The Job label is used to identify a job. The dispatcher sees this when they hover their cursor over a job on the Schedule or the Map, and a mobile app user sees it in the banner for a job in the vWork app on their mobile device. Job labels are what shows in teh Job Label. Each label provides a peice of job information. The default Job Labels are Customer Name, Template Name and Job ID for each job on the Map and Schedule, and the Customer Name, Template Name, and Step 1 Address on the vWork mobile app. You can customize the jobs labels in the template to show the information you want. |
Jobs List | A searchable, customizable, and editable list of all your Jobs in vWork found on the Jobs tab. You can manage all aspects of a job using the Jobs List and perform actions on jobs, both individually and in bulk such as assigning and unassigning jobs to workers, adding and deleting tags, rescheduling, declining, completing and canceling jobs, adding and deleting start times and assigning jobs to Groups. vWork mobile app users also have a simplier version of the Jobs list on their mobile app that shows them all jobs assigned to them. |
Job Step | Job steps are the steps a worker must complete in the order listed to perform all necessary major tasks for a job. You should have more than one job step so that you can track the duration of a job. Each job step may have a separate address associated with it or no address. Steps with geocoded addresses associated with them can be viewed and navigated to on a map in vWork. |
License | Each vWork User has a license, including office and mobile workers. Whenever you add an extra User or delete an existing User this changes the number of licenses you have and you are billed accordingly. |
Line Item | A specific item that shows on an invoice. It includes several attributes such as code, description, quantity requested, actual quantity, and price. |
Mandatory Job Templates | This is a setting in the vWork Account General settings that, when enabled, restricts Users so they can only create jobs from pre-defined templates. Once 'Mandatory Job Templates' is enabled Dispatchers can't change steps and custom fields in jobs created from templates and can't create new jobs that are not based on templates. This is setting is enabled by default, we strongly recommend that it is enabled to ensure consistency for all jobs you create. |
Map | A web app tool that provides a visual geographical representation of your jobs and workers and their current status. You can monitor and manage jobs and workers from the Map and do many of the same things you can do in the Jobs List and Schedule. This is not to be confused withe the vWork mobile app that has two two Map views. The 'Jobs Map', accessed through the vWork menu from the 'jobs' screen, shows all jobs assigned to a worker. The 'Map' view is found under a single job and shows on the Map each geocoded step for a job in the order they are to be completed. |
Mobile app | Both the Android and iOS vWork mobile apps that workers use to create and complete jobs from a mobile device. |
Mobile Permissions | The user permissions that enable a vWork mobile app user/worker to access vWork on their phone or tablet. |
Mobile Worker | A mobile worker or vWork mobile app user is a vWork user who has mobile permissions that enable them to use the vWork mobile app on a mobile device, such as a tablet or phone. By default, they can only complete work that is assigned to them. You can give all workers in your vWork account additional permissions by enabling these in the vWork General Settings for your account. For example, you can enable them to create jobs and assign them to other workers from their mobile app. |
Multi Assign Job | Multi Assign (or Broadcast Dispatch) is an optional Accept and Decline setting in the vWork account settings. When this is enabled, you can send jobs to multiple workers at once. The worker that accepts the job first is given the job. The job is automatically removed from the other workers' mobile devices when another worker accepts the job. |
Multiple workers | Sometimes called Additional Workers, this is an option in vWork that allows you to have many workers on a single job. You have a main worker and sub-workers. vWork generates a simple job for each sub-worker on the job that is associated with the Master job. The Master job has a mini-project overview within it. The sub-jobs have a start and finish step and job notes. They do not have custom fields or extra steps. |
None (User Permission) | None is usually associated with a User Permission. When a User Permission is set to None that User has no ability to access that Permission and it is not visible to them. |
Open Job | Any job that has not been completed or canceled. |
Operating hours | Operating hours are a setting linked to location tracking while using the vWork mobile app. A mobile app user can set the operating hours in the vWork mobile app to match the hours that they work. This restricts when their mobile device has its location tracked. Note: A mobile device's location is never tracked when a mobile worker is logged out of the vWork mobile app. |
Optimization | Route Optimization is a daily planning and scheduling tool. It automates route planning to maximize worker and vehicle productivity when you know what jobs you have to do and when you have to do them. Route optimization works out the most efficient route for workers, to complete multiple jobs within a specified time frame. It automates the scheduling of jobs to ensure the lowest mileage for all workers, or vehicles, on a route as a collective group. |
Partner Portal | The Partner Portal allows your partners to log in to your vWork account and create jobs on behalf of their customers. For example, a refrigeration company may create a Partner Portal for one of their large corporate customers, so that they can create maintenance or repair jobs directly in vWork for their different stores. This is different from a customer portal, where an end-user only needs to create jobs for themself. |
Password | A secret phrase, combination of words, or selection of capitalized and lower case letters, numbers and special characters known only to the User that they use to log in to the vWork app. vWork allows very strong passwords and encourages the use of multiple word phrases to ensure a strong, memorable password. |
Paused job status | One of nine Job Statuses in vWork. When a job has a status of 'Paused' it has started but is then put into a status of 'Paused' by either the worker or the dispatcher. A job that has been paused records both the total time the job took to completed and the 'worker time', this is the excludes the time the job shows a 'Paused' status from the total elapsed time and is included when calculating worker and equipment time on invoice line items. A paused job will show in two or more parts on a worker's schedule with each part showing the time that passed when the job was actively being worked on. |
Pending job status | One of 11 job statuses in vWork. 'Pending' jobs are jobs that have been sent to the worker's phone, but the worker has not accepted or declined them yet. This status only appears on accounts where the Accept and Decline option is enabled in the vWork account settings. |
Pick List | A pick list is a custom field type that consists of a pull-down menu of pre-defined items. You can use this to create lists of items so that your workers do less typing by selecting the best option from the list. |
Planned Duration | How long a job is expected to take. This is set in the job template but can be changed in the job editor for a job. The planned duration is used to show the job on the schedule and also in Route Optimization schedule jobs relative to worker shift times. |
Postponed job status | One of 11 job statuses in vWork. 'Postponed' jobs are jobs where the customer has asked for a new start time. These requests need to be confirmed by a Dispatcher. This status only appears when 'Customers Can Postpone Jobs' is enabled in the General settings. |
Pricebook | A pricebook is a list of all the items you might want to add to an invoice. Create your pricebook and then upload it as a CSV file with all of your materials and prices. You can use different pricebooks for each of your templates if you wish. |
Projects | A single job that requires many linked sub-jobs, that may include different workers, to complete it. |
Publish | When a job is published it is sent to the assigned worker's phone for them to complete. You have the choice to publish jobs individually or in bulk. Before jobs are published they can be moved around on the schedule into different time slots and with different workers so you can play with different schedule options without sending the jobs to the workers' phones. When you have the schedule you want you can publish all jobs at once. |
Quote | A quote is very similar to a job but it does not create an invoice. Instead, it can be sent to the customer for approval. When a quote is approved, a job is created based on the quoted details. |
Read-only (Custom Field Permission) | A custom field Permission that enables a mobile worker to see a custom field in vWork but they can't change it. Dispatchers can make changes to these fields. |
Read-only (User Permission) | A User Permission that enables a user to see a particular feature in vWork but they can't change it. |
Repeating Job | Repeating Jobs are very similar to regular jobs but they are created automatically on a defined schedule to repeat on a regular basis; for example, daily, every 3 weeks, the 5th day of the month, once a year. Repeating Jobs are usually used with vWork Assets. |
Reports | vWork includes many pre-defined reports, a full CSV Export, and a custom report option. You can use the report filters to select the data you want in your reports. |
Route Optimization | Route Optimization is a daily planning and scheduling tool. It automates route planning to maximize worker and vehicle productivity when you know what jobs you have to do and when you have to do them. Route optimization works out the most efficient route for workers to complete multiple jobs within a specified time frame. It automates the scheduling of jobs to ensure the lowest mileage for all workers, or vehicles, on a route as a collective group. |
Schedule | A searchable, editable, and visual timeline representation (similar to a Gantt chart) of all your jobs and workers in vWork. It displays all of your workers and their currently assigned work as well as any work that still needs to be scheduled. It is useful to get an overview of all the current work and identify any gaps where productivity could be improved. You can also create jobs from this view. |
Scheduled Report | Scheduled reports use the same filters as reports, but are set up to be automatically emailed to you on a regular basis. |
Single Sign-On (SSO) | Single Sign-On (SSO) is a secure, fast, and simple way to access and use all your work applications, including vWork, with a single set of login credentials. Log in once and access all apps you use each work session - no need to remember multiple passwords or open multiple login screens. SSO is an optional feature in vWork. |
SSO Provider | An Access and Identity provider such as Azure AD, Google, and Okta that uses the SAML 2.0 protocol to provide a secure single sign-on service. |
Started job status | One of 11 job statuses in vWork. When jobs have a status of 'Started' one or more steps in the job have been completed but the final step is still to be completed. |
Start Time Slot | A 'Start Time Slot' or 'Time Window' can be applied to a Template, Asset, or individual job. They restrict when a job can be done by specifying a period of time in which a job must be, or must not be, completed. For example, it is not possible to mow a sportsfield on Saturday morning when it is in use, or a grocery delivery must be completed between 2 pm and 4 pm as that is what the customer was promised. |
Tag | Tags are part of vWork's Health and Safety feature. A Tag identifies a particular user as having a specific skill, qualification, or status defined by you. This same tag can also be added to a job to make sure that only workers with the specific skills, qualifications, or status needed for that job can be assigned to it. Tags can expire when a qualification needs to be renewed. |
Template | A form that a job, quote, project job, or Health and Safety report are based on. A template provides an easy and accurate way to quickly create new jobs, quotes, project jobs, and Health and Safety reports. They ensure that activities and reports based on them are always the same and they capture and track information consistently. |
Three-way messaging | An advanced form of SMS messaging where customers are notified about job progress by SMS and they can respond to the Dispatcher and Worker by replying to the message. |
Third-party ID | A field that is used when bulk importing customers into vWork that maps to the vWork ID. It can be the vWork ID or another unique number that is used to identify a customer. |
Time Window | A 'Time Window' or 'Start Time Slot' can be applied to a Template, Asset, or individual job. They restrict when a job can be done by specifying a period of time in which a job must be, or must not be, completed. For example, it is not possible to mow a sportsfield on Saturday morning when it is in use, or a grocery delivery must be completed between 2 pm and 4 pm as that is what the customer was promised. |
Token | A token is an element that links to the corresponding unique information in a customer's record or job. Tokens are included in the content of some SMS and email Alerts. Tokens allow you to personalize the content of standardized Alert messages. They take the format {Token name}. We provide buttons for the most commonly used tokens to insert in the message content for email Alerts including the following examples; Account Name, Customer Billing Contact First Name, Customer Name. |
Tokenized portal access | Tokenized portal access (also called Customer Portal Token Link) enables you to provide your portal customers with a link to view or update their jobs in vWork. Tokenized portal access links are saved as job notes or sent as an email or SMS Alert. This provides temporary portal access to a customer without requiring them to set up a password or online account. |
Unassigned job status | One of 11 job statuses in vWork. An 'Unassigned' job is a job that has been created without a worker assigned to complete it. It may or may not have a start time. If it does have a start time it will show in the Schedule Workbench to remind Dispatchers they need to assign it to a worker. |
Unpublished job status | One of 11 job statuses in vWork. An 'Unpublished' job is a job that has a worker and a start time but has not yet been sent to the worker's phone. To send the job to the worker, click the Publish button on the Schedule. |
User | Any person with permission to use vWork, whether as an Admin, Dispatcher, or Mobile User. Different types of users will have different User Permissions as defined by the Administrator in the User Management settings of vWork. |
vWork ID | A unique identifier associated with a vWork record, including but not limited to: Templates, Picklists, Customers, Assets, etc. This is usually not used by anyone other than integrators working with the vWork API. |
vWork mobile app | The Android and iOS mobile apps that workers use to create and complete jobs from a mobile device. |
vWork mobile app user | A vWork mobile worker or worker is a vWork user who has mobile permissions that enable them to use the vWork mobile app on a mobile device, such as a tablet or phone. By default, they can only complete work that is assigned to them. You can give all workers in your vWork account additional permissions by enabling these in the vWork General Settings for your account. For example, you can enable them to create jobs and assign them to other workers from their mobile app. |
Web app | The web app is where all vWork Admin and Dispatcher tasks are performed. The web app URL is https://go.vworkapp.com/ |
Workbench | The Workbench is at the top of the Schedule. It shows jobs that require attention from a Dispatcher and includes: declined jobs, jobs scheduled with no worker assigned, jobs that have not started and have passed their start time, and postponed jobs. |
Worker | A mobile worker or vWork mobile app user is a vWork user who has mobile permissions that enable them to use the vWork mobile app on a mobile device, such as a tablet or phone. By default, they can only complete work that is assigned to them. You can give all workers in your vWork account additional permissions by enabling these in the vWork General Settings for your account. For example, you can enable them to create jobs and assign them to other workers from their mobile app. |
Worker Duration | How long a job took to complete, from when the first step was completed to when the last step was completed, less time that elapsed when the job was paused. Worker duration can be added to job invoices automatically. Worker duration is different from Actual duration which does not exclude the time that a job was paused but is the actual elapsed time taken from the first to the last step. |