What you’ll learn
How service lists handle items serviced by an internal vendor: why they are stateless, how an item reaches a list the moment service is requested, and what happens to the list afterwards.
Managing a service list is otherwise very similar to working with orders.
Service list versus service order
| Service list | Service order | |
| Service vendor | Internal | External |
| States | None – the list is stateless | Has a lifecycle |
| Integration settings | None needed, since everything happens internally | Sending options to the vendor |
| When the item is added | Directly, when service is requested | By a scheduled script, or manually |
Because items are added directly, the service process is faster: items can be picked for service as soon as they are returned for service, with no wait for a script to run and no list to create by hand.
How service by an internal vendor flows through a service list.
The flow step by step
Request service of an item
- A request is made when a user returns an item for service, or automatically when automatic service rules apply to a serialized item. If that instance is picked in production at the time, it joins the list the moment it is returned.
- The item is added directly to the service list for its vendor and device. If no list exists, one is created automatically.
Note: The item is added to the list on the SFI itself, so an operator can continue with the service flow right after returning it.
Pick items for service
Picking for service can happen immediately after service has been requested – see How to pick items for a service order.
Restock items
- Once an item has been picked for service, it can be restocked back into the system.
- Picked items can be marked as scrapped, from the Admin Portal or the SFI.
Service completed
When the item is restocked or scrapped it is removed from the list. The list itself stays in the system and is reused the next time service is requested.
Common confusion
| People often think… | But actually… |
| A service list has a status to follow. | It is stateless. The items on it move; the list does not. |
| A script has to run before an item appears on a list. | Items with an internal service vendor are added directly when service is requested. |
| The list disappears when it is empty. | It stays and is reused for the next request for that vendor and device. |
| A service list can be sent to a vendor. | Only orders are sent. Lists are internal and need no integration settings. |
Take action
Ready to work through a list? Pick the items out of the device with How to pick items for a service order, then restock them when the service is done.
Related articles
- How to pick items for a service order – the next step after a list is filled.
- Understanding purchasing and service workflows – when a list is used instead of an order.
- Understanding service scripts: automated calibration checks – the external counterpart driven by scripts.
- How to set up tool life tracking and automatic service triggers – automatic service rules for serialized items.