Initial Setup
This section lists the steps you need to go through when first setting up your Smart system.
Initial setup usually takes a matter of minutes rather than hours, since Smart is designed to 'learn as you go'. However, getting the basics right will make it easy for you as your use of Smart grows. In almost all cases you can revise your setup later as your needs grow and change.
This page briefly lists the initial steps, and links you to more detailed information.
If your installation is done by a Smart installer he or she will make most of these settings for you.
Operators
When your system is first set up the only operator has the user name of Administrator and the password of admin. You need only enter the first 2-3 letters of the user name, and the password is not case sensitive.
You should create an operator entry for each Smart user. This enables you to configure the system for each user (if required) and also ensures that you can trace the activities of each user.
We recommend that only one user has Administrator access since this level is free to determine access levels of all other users, and make wide ranging system changes. Otherwise, users involved in pricing and billing jobs should have Accounts access (which enables them to view pricing) and users not permitted to see pricing should have Supervisor or Operator access (these two access levels are almost identical except that an operator may not change details of job once it is complete).
Smart has an extremely flexible access control system which allows you to apply individual settings to specific users, or groups of users. However you should find that the default settings meet most of your requirements.
For detailed information about managing operators, see Operator Configuration. For information about more detailed operator settings go here . To limit the information an operator can see to e.g. only information linked to a specific customer, create a Remote Profile .
Divisions
A Division is a business unit. Each Division in Smart can have its own invoice layout, charging the customer under a different business name. Operators may be limited so that they see only the information relating to one or more divisions.
You can create any number of divisions in Smart but you must create at least one. For more information about divisions, go here.
Depending on your system configuration a different term may be used instead of 'Divisions'.
Service Codes
Service codes are used to structure customer pricing. We recommend you read this section and/or discuss your needs with SMART support staff before adding new service codes in order to avoid setting up needlessly complex pricing structures. For detailed information about service codes and pricing, go here .
For initial setup you should create a single service code for each service type, for example R (Response), P (Patrol), G (Guard) etc.
You should only create new service codes where the nature of the service itself changes. For example you might have different service codes for a service performed during business hours and another one performed outside business hours.
The pricing you set up in the Service Codes window is the default that applies when you first do a job for a new customer using that service code. You can then change that price (from the Job Details window or Customer Details window) to the price to apply for future jobs. You can also specify that a price applies only to a specific location (for customers with two or more locations).
Do not create a new service code which applies to a single customer.
Default service codes for alarm response are set in the Location Details window. You can specify two codes, one for responses started during business hours and one for jobs started at other hours.
For other service types the rate structure allows callout fees and other surcharges for work performed outside normal business hours.
Customers, Locations and Alarm Companies
In SMART terminology, a Customer is the person or company being charged for a service, and a Location (sometimes called a Site) is an address where a service is carried out. In many cases (for example, where the service is delivered at a private home and the householder is being billed) they are one and the same. Smart also handles more complex relationships which are beyond the scope of this brief summary - see the Customers and Locations sections for more information.
An Alarm Company (you can use a different term if you wish) is a third party with an interest in the Location, for example the company who monitors an alarm at the location. The Alarm Company is used for reporting purposes, i.e. to report on a group of Locations with the same Alarm Company. You can configure Smart so that by default locations for the same Alarm Company are billed to a specified customer (not necessarily the Alarm Company).
You should ask your SMART support person for assistance with complex configurations in this area. There are many options and SMART can almost certainly support the way you want to do business if configured correctly.
Entering data
We recommend you set up Alarm Companies before starting to use Smart. They require relatively little data entry and this will help keep the structure of your data tidy. For more information about Alarm Companies go here .
It is not essential to enter Customer and Location information in immediately. SMART is designed to allow location information to be easily entered by the dispatch operator and it is then validated and extended as dispatched jobs are prepared for billing. However your SMART installer can arrange import of existing data from most accounting and alarm monitoring systems and many other forms of electronic data.
To enter data 'on the fly', the process is as follows
- when selecting a location for a job, the operator selects the 'Add New Location' button below the list of location, and enters the name and address of the Location. They may optionally add or link a customer at this point.
- the operator proceeds with job dispatch. The job is priced using default values.
- when the job is complete it is checked by an accounts person who ensures that the location details are entered correctly, the correct customer has been added or linked, and pricing for this and future jobs is correct.
To enter data without dispatching a job, either
- enter Customer details and pricing, then enter Locations and link the correct customer to them, or
- enter Location details and then click the + button to the right of the customer button to add the same details as a customer, or click the Customer button to select an existing customer.
Contractors and Service Providers
Service Providers do the work, Contractors get paid on their behalf. In many cases they are one and the same but this structure enables you to track individual Service Providers for the same Contractor.
To set them up, go to \Maintenance \Service Providers and create one or more Service Providers. You can link the Service Provider to an existing Contractor, or click the Add Provider as Contractor button to add a Contractor with the same details as the Provider.
Rates are set up in the Service Provider Details window. They will enable Smart to price jobs as they are completed, for reporting and contractor invoice reconciliation. The operator may be prevented from selecting a provider for a specific service if no rate has been set up. If the operator is allowed to proceed (this is configurable) the default contractor rate in the Services window will be applied and may be changed before the job is approved for invoicing.
Further details under Service Providers .
The following settings are not required for initial operation but may be required to enhance your SMART operation.
Control room settings are used when a similar range of services is being dispatched from different geographic locations, for example if each geographic state has its own dispatch team.
Smart is delivered with one control room configured. If more are required your Smart support team will assist you to configure them. To access control room settings go to \Maintenance \Smart Settings \Control Rooms from the Main Menu.
Depending on your system configuration a different term may be used instead of 'Control Rooms'.
You can preset the window which first appears when an operator or supervisor first logs in to Smart, depending on which control room they select at login. For example, you can go straight to the job despatch window.
- In the Control Room Details window (above), specify the Opening Screen.
- In the Operator Details window, link the operator to this control room.
A list of map references may be imported from data supplied by a compatible supplier. Currently, only UBD map references are supported. These can be purchased directly from Universal Business Directories in your state. To import the data, select \Maintenance \Smart Setup \Map Reference \Update UBD file from the Main Menu, and follow the simple directions there.
Once they have been installed, the list of map references is available in the Location Details window. Any map reference entered here is visible in the Job Details window.
A list of postcodes (zip codes) can be imported from data supplied by Australia Post. Select \Maintenance \Smart Setup \Postcodes \Import Postcode file and follow the simple instructions to import postcodes. There is currently no charge by Australia Post for this information.
Once they have been installed, the list of postcodes is available in the Location Details and Customer Details windows.
For information about linking Service Providers to Postcodes, go here .
Select \Maintenance \Smart Setup \Public Holidays
The Public Holidays entered here determine when to apply a holiday surcharge and when to schedule holiday patrols. Public holidays with no region are applied to all locations. Public holidays with a region specified are applied only to that region (see Regions, next section).
Select \Maintenance \Smart Setup \Regions. A Location may be linked to a Region (or no region). The purpose of Regions is to allow local public holidays to be specified (see Public Holidays, above).
Service Types
Service types are used to manage the different types of service you provide. Examples of service types are alarm response, alarm service, guarding, patrols, or cash in transit. Service codes (next section) are used to manage pricing.
Smart behaves differently for different service types. For example for an alarm service you might want to record details of parts used and multiple visits by multiple people but this is not appropriate for an alarm response.
The service type of Charge is used for customer charges which do not require any activity by control room operators such as alarm monitoring charges or rentals.
New Service Types can only be created by your Smart installer or Smart support.
Job Codes
Job codes are used to speed up data entry in the Job Details window. More information here .
Terminology
Some key SMART terms (for example 'Alarm Company', 'Control Room', or 'Division' can be changed to reflect usage in your business. See the General Configurationwindow.
Service-specific settings
The Job Details window and some other parts of Smart may be configured so that they appear differently or behave differently depending on the service selected. These settings are made in the General Configuration window.
Synchronising PC Time
You can select whether Smart will attempt to synchronise the time on your PC with your network server at startup. To do this, check the Sync Time box in the Workstation Configuration window.
This facility is not available on all network configurations. If it is not available on your network, the Sync Time box will be unchecked the next time you start Smart.
This setting applies only to the PC on which it is made.
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