Technicians check in when they start work on a Meld and check out when they're done. This makes a work log that records your time. Your company uses it to know what each Meld cost and to bill for your work. Checking in is sometimes called clocking in.
Before You Start
Check these details before you log your time.
- Who this is for: Technicians.
- Applies to: Companies that run in-house Technicians.
- Access needed: The Maintenance role in the Technician mobile app.
How Work Logs Work
A work log is the only way your time counts on a Meld. If you don't log it, your company pays for work it can't track or bill.
- Check in when you start. A timer runs. This is an open work log.
- Check out when you stop. This ends the work log and saves your hours.
- Make a new work log for each visit.
Your hours become labor, part of the full cost of a Meld that TrueCost tracks. Your company sets the rate for your time in Set Your Labor Rates and Cost Markup. Log only time in a work log. Add parts as Costs, as shown in Add Costs and Receipts in the Technician Mobile App.
Check In When You Start
Checking in when you start makes sure all your time on the Meld counts.
Decision point: how to check in
- Check In at the top of the Meld: starts your work log now. Use it when you start work.
- Check In under Work Logs: lets you add a title or an earlier start time. Use it if you forgot to check in.
- Considerations: you can fix the times later.
- In the Technician mobile app, open the Meld and tap Check In.
- If you used Check In under Work Logs, enter a Title, check the start time, and tap Check In.
A timer shows while your work log is open.
Check Out When You're Done
Checking out stops your time, so the Meld shows the hours you really worked.
- Tap Checkout Now, at the top of the Meld or in your work log.
- Enter a Title. It's required. You can add a Work Note about what you did.
- Check the Check In and Check Out times. Now uses the time right now. Total Hours fills in by itself.
- Tap Check Out.
Finish the Meld
Finishing the Meld tells your Coordinator the work is done, so they can review it.
- Tap Finish Meld.
- If your work log is open, the app asks you to check out first. If another Technician's work log is open, it asks you to check them out too. You can't finish until every work log is checked out.
- Enter when the work was done. Choose Yes, or No. I can never complete this Meld. You can add Completion notes.
Important: You can't undo finishing a Meld. You can still add or fix work logs after.
- Tap Save and Finish.
Fix or Add a Work Log
Fixing a work log keeps your hours right, even after the Meld is finished.
- To fix a work log: tap it, tap Edit Work Log, change the details, and tap Update Entry.
- To add a work log you forgot: tap Add Work Log. Enter a Title, Check In and Check Out, and tap Add Entry. If you leave Check Out empty, the work log stays open.
Important: You can't get a deleted work log back. Its hours stop counting.
To delete a work log, tap it, tap Remove Work Log, then tap Delete.
If Your Situation Is Different
Some situations change how you log your time.
- If you don't use the Technician mobile app: you can check in and out on the web or your phone's browser. The screens look different, and the app is easier to use on the job. See Work Logs for the web steps.
- If the web won't let you finish a Meld: check out of your own work log first.
- If more than one Technician works the Meld: each one checks in and out for their own time.
What Happens Next
After you finish the Meld, your Coordinator reviews your work logs before anything is billed.
- What you see: your work logs on the Meld, each with its hours.
- What your Coordinator sees: your work logs on the Review & Verify page. If one is missing or open, they see a warning and may send you a chat message.
- If your hours look wrong: edit the work log, or ask your Coordinator. Coordinators can also edit and delete work logs.
Limitations and Things to Know
These are things you can't do, and what to do instead.
- You can't undo finishing a Meld. Add or fix work logs instead.
- You can't get a deleted work log back. Add it again with Add Work Log.
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