3 Phase Modes - Phase Listing, Swipe Left & Phase Details
⬜ Intro
The Work List is accessed from the AiM Mobile section of the left menu of your home screen in Anvil. This is where all of the Phases and Phase Details live. All phases are linked to a work order and can be thought of as tasks that need to be completed. Click on the Work List icon to follow along with this tutorial.
The Work List module in Anvil provides details for all of the Phases you’re assigned to. It’s also where you enter time worked on these phases (See Anvil > Timecard Entries).
Once you have clicked on the Work List icon from your Anvil home screen, you will see a screen called All Phases, which is an unfiltered list of all the phases you are assigned to.
To return to the Home screen, you can click on the stacked 3-lines, aka hamburger icon, at any time.
Phases can be interacted with in 3 ways / modes:
Phase Listing Icons - When viewing a list of phases, you can learn more about each phase at a glance by looking at the icons at the right of each listing. Some icons are simply visual indicators of what you may find in the Phase Details screen, and some are interactive (e.g., clicking on the star icon to favorite/bookmark a phase).
Swiping Left on a Phase - Provides quick access to commonly used features while interacting with a phase (e.g., entering time worked on a phase). All of these features are also available in the Phase Details.
Phase Details - Full details of each phase. As mentioned above, Phase Listing Icons mostly signal what can be found in the Phase Details screen. And Swiping Left on a Phase mostly provides quick access to a few features that are also available in the Phase Details view/mode.
First, we’ll go over the Phase Listing Icons, and what each icon means.
🟩 1 - Phase Listing Icons
In Anvil’s Work List module, when you look at any listed phase, you will notice the same 4 icons on the right side. Sometimes, one or more of them are light gray, and sometimes they are dark gray. If dark gray, it means the feature associated with that icon is active.
For example, the paperclip icon stands for document attachment(s). If that icon is dark grey, that means there are files attached to the phase that you can access.
These icons are lightweight, most of them pointing to more interactive features available in the Phase Details view. This is why most of the following sections will be brief, linking to another tutorial page or to the icon’s corresponding feature in the Phase Details section of this page.
Below, we will describe each icon, starting with Scheduled Phase Assignees (user icon).
🔵 Scheduled Phase Assignees (Add basic summary of what the icon means)
In the screenshot below, we are in the first view that comes up after clicking Work List, an unfiltered list of phases you’re assigned to. Some phase listings have a user icon. That means...
This is an interactive icon, meaning when you click on it, something happens.
When you click on it, a separate window will pop up, listing Scheduled Phase Assignees and dates for the specific phase listing you clicked the icon from. Click Close when done viewing.
Phase assignees is covered in more detail further down this page, in Phase Details > Phase Assignments, describing how to view and schedule phase assignees from the Phase Details screen.
Clicking on the user icon provides a quick way to scroll through the list of assignees, but not the ability to add them.
🔵 Preventive Maintenance (PM) Phases
Preventive maintenance (PM) refers to ongoing, routine maintenance tasks/phases. The wrench icon shows up on the right side of (see screenshot below) Preventive Maintenance (PM) phase listings.
This is not an interactive icon, and only signals that it’s a PM phase with checkpoints.
If you only want to view a list of PM tasks, you can click on the wrench icon at the top-left of your screen (see the wrench icon at the top-left in the screenshot below).
All PM Phases have a list of checkpoints to follow that are specific to the task to complete. If there is a green dot next to the wrench icon, it means either all of the required checkpoint fields have been filled out and saved by the Technician assigned to the phase, or that there are no required fields.
If there is no green dot next to the wrench icon, it means there are required checkpoint fields that have not been filled out.
We cover this in more detail, in another tutorial: Anvil > Views > PM Phases View
🔵 Related Documents
If you see the active (dark gray) paperclip icon on a phase listing, that means there are Related Documents attached to the phase. When you click anywhere on the phase listing to open it the Phase Details window, you will find links to relevant documents or images that have been attached to the phase.
Related Documents is covered in more detail further down this page, in Phase Details > Related Documents, describing how to view Related Documents from the Phase Details screen.
The active paperclip icon itself isn’t interactive and only signals that there are Related Documents attached the the phase for viewing.
🔵 Favoriting a Phase
🟩 2 - Swiping Left on a Phase
You can also swipe left on a phase listing to reveal more options. When you swipe left on any phase listing, three more features are revealed, and they vary depending on your role.
Here is a list of each role and what each would see when they swipe left:
Supervisor - Assign Person, Update Status & Add Note
Coordinator - Same as Supervisor as they often back the supervisor up
Lead Technician - Same as Supervisor, in most cases
Technician - Add time, Update Status & Add Note
These actions can also be accomplished via the Phase Details view, when you click on the phase to open it. This is why most of the following sections will be brief, linking to another tutorial page or to the icon’s corresponding feature in the Phase Details section of this page.
🔵 Assign Person
Assign Person allows a user in a lead role to assign additional shop persons to the phase and designate a primary shop person, if they want.
After clicking on Assign Person, a window will pop up that lists all existing shop persons assigned to the phase.
This exact same feature is also available from the Phase Details screen, and is covered in more detail further down this tutorial, in Phase Details > Phase Assignments.
🔵 Add Time
Another option when you swipe left is Add Time.
When you click on Add Time, a window will pop up from where you can add regular, overtime or other time entry types worked on a phase.
There are multiple ways to log your time. The details of this and other time entry methods are are described in the Timecard Entries tutorial.
🔵 Update Status
Another option when you swipe left is Update Status.
In the screenshot example below, the Status is set to Assigned. If you want to change that, one way is by left-swiping on the phase listing, and then clicking on Update Status.
After you click on Update Status, a Phase Status Update window pops up, where you can select a different status from the drop-down menu and add an optional note to the phase.
These notes will show up in the Phase Details for that specific phase when you open it up and click on Notes Log or WO Notes.
This is covered in more detail further down this page, in Phase Details > Add Note to Phase, describing how to Update Status (and add an optional note to the phase Notes Log) from the Phase Details screen.
Left-swiping on a phase listing as described here, accesses the exact same feature.
🔵 Add Note
Here is an example of what a technician will see when they swipe left on a phase listing. Here, we now see the option to Add Note.
After clicking on Add Note, the Add Note to Phase window will pop up.
This is covered in more detail further down this page, in Phase Details > Phase Status Update, describing how to Add Note from the Phase Details screen. Left-swiping here accesses the same feature.
🟩 3 - Phase Details
From the Phase list view, you can click anywhere on the listing to open the Phase Details.
A window pops up from where you can both access and add more details on your own to the phase.
To close out of this screen and return to the previous view, click Close at the bottom-right corner.
In the following sections, we’ll cover the Phase Details in more detail.
🔵 Core Features
The core features of the Phase Details screen are accessed by choosing from the row of icons at the bottom of the screen. This is where you can add notes to the phase and work order, add photos, update the phase status, add time worked on this phase, add assignees (if you’re in a supervisory role), access the list of checkpoints (for PM phases), and sometimes view the schedule for the space attached to this phase.
⚫ Add Note to Phase
We’ll walk through each icon from the row at the bottom of the Phase Details screen, starting with the Add Note to Phase icon.
⚪ Add Note(s)
When you click on the Add Note to Phase icon at the bottom-left of the Phase Details screen, the Add Note to Phase window will pop up. Here, you can add any relevant notes for the phase you wish to add.
This Add Note to Phase window works exactly the same as when you left-swipe on a phase listing and click on Add Note.
To back out of this page, you can also click Cancel at the bottom-right of the window.
When adding a note, click on the drop-down arrow next to Note Type.
A list of options will pop up. Click on an option to make your selection.
In this example, I selected WCC for the Note Type. Type your notes in the Notes field, using the keyboard that slides up onto your screen.
Click Save when you are done. If you change your mind, you can click Cancel on the bottom-right of this window to back out of the screen without saving anything.
⚪ View Note(s)
After you hit Save, the window will close and you’ll be taken back to the Phase Details screen. To view your notes and other notes on the phase, click on Notes Log.
After clicking on Notes Log, the Phase Notes window pops up, showing the last entry we just created. Click Close at the bottom-right of this window to back out of the screen, or click Add Note to enter another note.
If you hit Add Note, you can repeat the above process to add another note to the Note Log for this phase.
The exact same note we viewed in the Notes Log for the Phase also shows up under WO Notes / Work Order Notes, because the phase is linked to the Work Order, and anything about a linked phase is relevant to the work order.
Click on WO Notes from the Phase Details screen.
The exact same note that we just viewed under Notes Log also shows up in the WO Notes / Header Notes.
⚫ Add Image to Phase
The second icon in the bottom row of the Phase Details screen is the camera icon. Click on it when you need to add images to the phase record.
When you click on the Camera icon, you have two options: You can take a photo from your iPad, or you can use an existing photo from your gallery.
⚫ From Camera
First, we’ll click on the From Camera option.
Next, your device’s camera will take over the screen. Take a photo the usual way, by clicking the white camera trigger on the right of the screen, or click Cancel to cancel this option.
Next, you will have the option to either Retake the photo or you can click on Use Photo if you are happy with your results.
⚫ From Gallery
Next, we’ll use the From Gallery option. If you don’t want to take a new photo and already have the image you want to attach sitting in your Gallery, select From Gallery instead of From Camera.
After you click on From Gallery, all of your stored photos on your device will pop up. Click on the photo you wish to use.
⚫ Related Docs
After the photo uploads to the Phase, click on the Related Docs link in the Phase Details screen to view it.
After clicking on Related Docs, the Related Documents screen pops up.
There are 3 sections in the Related Documents window:
Images/docs Attached to this Phase
Images/docs Attached to another Phase that are tied to the same work order as this phase
Images/docs Attached to the Work Order
Like all phases, the phase we added the image to is attached to a work order. Thus, the image we just added to this phase will be listed under both Attached to this Phase and Attached to the Work Order, for the work order this phase is linked to.
If you close out of Related Docs and then close out of Phase Details and view the phase listing, you will see that adding a photo to a phase using the method above will add a paperclip icon to the phase listing.
Click anywhere on the phase to open the Phase Details again.
And here we are again, where you can click on Related Docs to view the image we just attached to that specific phase (and work order).
⚫ Phase Status Update
The third icon, the Phase Status Update feature, can add a note to the phase in the Notes Log, and it also updates the Phase Status. Since the primary purpose is to update the phase status, adding a note to the Notes Log is optional.
Click on the Phase Status Update icon to open the window for that feature. By default, the current status populates the New Status box. You must select a new status to be able to save, since this feature is for updating the status.
This Phase Status Update window works exactly the same as when you left-swipe on a phase listing and click on Update Status.
To set the New Status, click on the drop-down arrow for that field and make your selection from the list. Here, we don’t update the status yet, to demonstrate what happens.
If you decide to add a note to the Note Log, click on the drop-down arrow for the Note Type field as well, and make a selection from that list.
Enter your notes in the Notes field.
In the screenshot below, the Notes have been entered (“Test”) and the Note Type has been selected (WCC, aka Work Control Center). But Save is grayed out because the status hasn’t been updated. As mentioned earlier, you must select a new status to be able to save, since the purpose of this feature is to update the status.
Update the Status. Now, Save turns blue and you’re able to save the updated status (and optional notes if you decided to add a note to the Note Log, as well). Here, we update the status from Assigned to Planning.
Once you hit Save, the Phase Status Update window closes, and you’re back to the Phase Details screen. If you look up at the phase status at the top-right, you will see that it has now changed from Assigned to Planning.
The Notes Log count (the number in parentheses next to Notes Log) will have also increased by 1, if you also added a note to the Phase Status Update.
If you click on Notes Log, it will open all the notes for the Phase, including the one we just entered via the Phase Status Update icon/feature. Click Close at the bottom-right of the window to back out of this screen.
Click on WO Notes from the Phase Details screen.
The exact same note that we just viewed under Notes Log also shows up in the WO Notes / Header Notes.
⚫ Time Entry
You can also log time worked on a phase through the Phase Details screen, by clicking on the fourth icon, the clock icon.
There are multiple ways to log your time. The details of this and other time entry methods are are described in the Timecard Entries tutorial.
This time entry method works exactly the same as when you left-swipe on a phase listing and click on Add Time.
⚫ Phase Assignments
The Phase Assignments feature is for adding additional shop persons to the phase. Phase Assignments, or shop persons assigned to the phase, can be accessed by clicking on the fifth icon at the bottom of the Phase Details screen.
If your role is Technician, you most likely won’t have access to this feature. The Supervisor role has access to this feature, and in many cases, so do the Coordinator and Lead Technician roles.
When you click on the users icon, the Phase Assignments window opens up.
When you click on the drop-down arrow for the Available Shop Persons field, a list of available shop persons will show up. Make your selection from the list.
In the example below, I’m in a different phase from the one above, but it’s the exact same feature. Below, I select Sandra Henley as the Available Shop Person, and switched her from Not Primary to Primary. Click Save.
Now, Sandra Henley has been added as a Shop Person at the top, and under the Primary? column, the value is set to Yes. You can add more Available Shop Persons or, click Close to back out of this screen.
Again, depending on your role, you may not have access to the Assign Person option. Roles like Supervisor vs Technician have different access and capabilities within the Anvil app.
⚫ PM Checkpoints
⚫ Room Calendar
The final icon at the bottom of the Phase Details screen is the Room Schedule icon. If the icon is blue, you can click on it to view the room schedule for the space that is tied to the Phase.
If there is any information on the room, clicking on the calendar icon will pull up in the Room Schedule window. In the case below, Anvil was not able to find any information for this room.
🔵 Extra Details
In addition to the interactive icons at the bottom of the Phase Details screen, you will find a row of links in the top half of the screen, under the header, Extra Details. Here, you will find notes entered on the phase and associated work order, an extra description of the phase, and attached documents, if any have been added.
⚫ Notes Log
Users can read and add notes about the phase to help keep everyone on the same page.
If Notes Log is grayed out (see screenshot, below), that means there are no notes attached at that moment. If it’s blue, that means there are notes attached. If there are notes attached, there should also be a number next to it in parentheses, listing how many notes are attached.
When you click on Notes Log, a window pops up, the Entry Date and time for each note, the person who entered the note, and the actual Notes. In the example below, I entered 2 very short notes (“Test” and “Test 2”).
You can either click on Add Note to add your own note to this list, or you can press Close to back out of this window when you’re finished.
If you click on Add Note, an Add Note to Phase window pops up. This is the same window that pops up when you left-swipe on a phase listing and choose Add Note from there.
This Add Note to Phase window works exactly the same as when you left-swipe on a phase listing and click on Add Note.
When you add a note to the phase as described above, the exact same note is added to the WO Notes log that the phase is linked to.
There are other ways notes can be added to a phase. The method above doesn’t work for adding notes if you can’t click on Notes Log yet (when it’s grayed out because no notes have been entered yet).
⚫ All Phases
In the Phase Details screen, clicking on All Phases lets you view a list of all of the other phases that are associated with the same work order as the phase you currently have opened.
After clicking on All Phases, a window with all of the other associated phases opens up. Swipe to scroll up/down the list.
Each listed phase has the phase number at the top-left along with other basic stats and descriptions. Click Close at the bottom-right of the screen to back out of this window.
⚫ WO Notes
WO Notes (or Work Order Notes) are a similar to the Notes Log, but it also includes all the notes on the Work Order (including Notes Logs of all the associated phases).
If WO Notes is grayed out, that means there are no notes for the linked work order. If it’s blue, you can click on it to view the WO Notes.
After clicking on WO Notes, a window will pop up, called Header Notes, which (similar to Notes Log for the phase) lists the Entry date and time, who created the entry, and the Notes, which include the phase number.
⚫ Extra Description
When you click on Extra Desc from the Phase Details, you can read additional information on the phase. Swipe up and down to scroll through the entire message. When you’re finished, click Close at the bottom-right to back out of this window.
The Extra Description is usually just the call log information, but can be edited by anyone with edit rights. In the screenshot above, the user has read-only rights.
⚫ Related Documents
Related Documents are documents including PDFs and photos that are relevant to the phase. If the Related Docs link is blue/clickable, click on it to view all of the related documents.
When you click on Related Docs, a window pops up (screenshot below), listing all the documents that were attached that are related to this and other associated phases.
At the top of the list is a section called Attached to this Phase, which lists attached documents for the current phase you are viewing. The next section below that is called Attached to another Phase. This section lists documents attached to other phases linked to the same work order. The phase number is also included per listing under this section.
Each listing also includes the name of the person who added the document (Added By).
Click on any document listing to open it. Or, to back out of this window, click Close at the bottom-right.
When you click on a document from the list, it will open it for you to view. When you’re done, click on Anvil at the top-left corner of your screen to return to your previous view in the Anvil app.
⬜ Conclusion
You should now have a good understanding of how to navigate and interact with phases/tasks. This section serves as a summary of all of the material we covered above.
In this tutorial, we grouped these methods into 3 categories:
Phase Listing Icons
Swiping Left on a Phase
Phase Details
The available features in each mode is summarized in the table, below.
3 Ways to Interact with Phases | |
|---|---|
Phase Listing Icons |
|
Swiping Left on a Phase | Options depend on the user’s role, and include:
|
Phase Details | Full details and interaction capabilities for each phase, only partially accessed through Phase Listing Icons and Swiping Left on a Phase |
The table below summarizes the full list of basic features that we covered in this tutorial, and ways of accessing each.
Phase Features | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Feature | Ways to Access the Feature | Description | |||
Listing Icon | Left-Swipe | Phase Details (Icons) | Phase Details | ||
Favorites | Star | Bookmark phases to view in your Favorites screen | |||
Add Note to Phase | Add Note | Add Note to Phase | Notes Log | Notes added to a phase are also added to the notes for the work order the phase is attached to. | |
Add Image to Phase | Camera | Use iPad camera or select an image from your photo gallery The image is saved as a Related Document | |||
Phase Status Update | Update Status | Phase Status Update | If you add an optional note, the note will be logged under both Notes Log and WO Notes | ||
Time Entry | Add Time | Time Entry | Time entered on a phase should only be time worked on that specific phase/task. See Anvil > Timecard Entries | ||
Phase Assignments | User | Assign Person | Phase Assignments | View / add assignees and select primary shop person (optional) | |
PM Checkpoints | Wrench | List of checkpoints that must be completed for the task/phase | |||
Room Calendar | Room Calendar | Calendar for the room associated with the phase/task | |||
Notes Log |
| Notes Log | Collection of notes added to the phase in a variety of ways | ||
All Phases | All Phases | View-only list of all of the other phases attached to the same work order | |||
WO Notes |
| WO Notes | Collection of notes added to the work order and all linked phases | ||
Extra Description |
| Extra Desc | Extra information on the phase, including the call log | ||
Related Docs | Related Docs | Related documents / images | |||