Check In on a Running Job
When a job runs past the time it was estimated to take, the board asks about it. Answering takes about five seconds and it is the single most valuable thing anyone does on the floor.
Who can do this: Workshop Controllers, Location Managers, Org Admins and Account Owners. Service Advisors do not have it. Whether the people doing the work can is a permission your workshop sets — most give it to everyone on the floor.
Answering the prompt
Find the Verify chip on the card
It appears when a job has run past its estimate plus your workshop’s grace period. The chip says how far past — “Verify — running 25m past estimate”.
Answer the question: is this step on schedule?
On schedule — the job is nearly there and no extra time is needed. Tap it and you are done. The board records that a person confirmed it, and stops asking for now.
Delayed — the job needs more time. Two more answers are required.
If delayed, say how much longer
Quick options are offered, or enter a custom number of minutes. Anything from 1 to 1440.
This is the part that matters. A number lets the shop act; “running late” does not.
Say why
Pick one:
| Reason | Use when |
|---|---|
| More complex than expected | The work turned out bigger than the estimate |
| Parts not available | A needed part is not to hand |
| Equipment down | A lift, booth or tool is unavailable |
| Tech unavailable | The person has been pulled away |
| Awaiting customer approval | Extra work found, waiting on a decision |
| Rework | Correcting something that was not right |
| Vendor / sublet shop delayed | An outside shop is running late |
| Nearly done | Only a little longer |
| Other | Anything else — a note is required |
Save
What happens next
Three things, immediately:
- The countdown resets against the new time, so the board stops showing the job as indefinitely overrunning.
- The rest of the day re-plans around the new finish time. Vehicles behind this one move if they need to.
- Anything now at risk appears in the action centre, so somebody can call a customer while there is still time.
The reason is recorded against the job and shows in the detail pane as part of the check-in history.
Volunteering an update
You do not have to wait to be asked. Any running job offers Update progress, described as optional with nothing needing an answer yet.
Use it the moment you know a job is going to overrun. A delay reported at 10:30 costs the shop far less than the same delay reported at 15:00, and it is the same five seconds of your time.
If you take one habit from this page: when you realise a job is going to take longer, say so then. Not at the end. The value of the information halves every hour it is held.
When the prompt appears
The timing is set by your workshop:
- Grace — extra time allowed past the estimate, as a percentage of the job’s own estimate, never less than ten minutes.
- Cap — the most that grace can ever become, so a very long job is still checked on sensibly.
A 60-minute job at 25% grace is asked about at 75 minutes. An 8-hour job at 25% would be asked at 10 hours, so the cap pulls that in.
Messages you might see
| Message | Means |
|---|---|
| This step is no longer running | Somebody completed or moved it while you were answering |
| This step is paused — resume it before checking in | Check-ins apply to running work |
| This job is no longer paused — somebody resumed it | Refresh and look again |
| All-day work isn’t checked in here | Day-long work is handled at day close instead |
| You don’t have permission to check in on this step | Ask your controller |
| Couldn’t reach the server | Check the connection and try again |
Common questions
Why does it keep asking? It asks once per overrun, and again if the job passes the new time you gave it. If it feels constant, the grace and cap are set too tight for your work — tell your manager.
I said 30 minutes and it is going to be 90. Answer again with the new number. Revising an estimate is normal; leaving the first one standing when you know it is wrong is not.
Is this timing me? It is timing the job, and the reason list is about what got in the way, not who was working. Used properly it is what stops you being blamed for a delay that was a parts problem.
Nearly done — is that a real answer? Yes, and it is a useful one. It says “no action needed, do not move anything”, which is different from both “on schedule” and a substantial delay.
Can I check in on somebody else’s job? If you hold the permission, yes — a controller checking in on behalf of a technician who is under a car is normal. The record shows who answered.