How to Set Up System Defaults

Overview

To change system defaults, go to System A screenshot of a schedule icon with a grey calendar icon and an arrow. > Setup > Defaults > System. Changing these settings reduces the data entry and simplify system processes. After changing system default settings, click Save to update your changes.

If you are using simPRO Service, click here to watch a video.

In order to view content or perform actions referred to in this article you need to have the appropriate permissions enabled in your security group. Go to System > Setup > Security Groups and access your security group to update your permissions. The relevant security group tab and specific permissions for this article can be found here:

Defaults

Mandatory Fields

When Off is selected, only card file names are mandatory to be completed.

When On is selected, additional fields are made mandatory. Learn more in Mandatory fields.
Date Format Change the date format system-wide. This impacts scheduling.
Time Format Change the time format system-wide. This impacts scheduling.
Number Thousands Format Change the format of numbers over a thousand system-wide. This impacts importing and exporting data, for example, a CSV with spaces may result in numbers being treated as text in your spreadsheet.
Negative Number Format Change the format of negative numbers system-wide. This impacts importing and exporting data.
System Alert Time Set alerts to trigger a certain number of days prior to the due date.
No. Rows on Screen

Select 25, 50, 100 or 250 as the maximum number of rows a table can have on one page.

This impacts the speed of the page loading.
Licence Release

Enter how long a user can be inactive before their licence is released to another user waiting to log in.

The number of active licences / subscriptions you have purchased for your business is the same number of users that can be logged in to your simPRO build at one time.

An inactive user is only logged out after the specified time limit when another user attempts to log in and there are no other licences available. They are not automatically logged out after the time limit if no other users are attempting to log in.
Service Jobs and Quotes

Select the check box to enable a single cost centreClosed US: Cost Center. A method for separating operational costs of the business for reporting and financial management. for service jobs and quotes in conjunction with the default cost centre.

This makes the cost centre field mandatory when creating service jobs and quotes and speeds up workflows by opening service jobs or quotes directly to the cost centre after you click Next.
Order Stage Select the Purchase Order Stage that is the default upon creation. Select Restrict Unapproved Orders to allow only approved orders to be emailed.
Prepaid Time Select Customer to share the credited Prepaid Time across all the customer sites or select Customer & site based to manage each site independently within that customer.

When creating or editing a record in simPRO, such as a new customer card, the fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory. If you try to save without entering data in these fields, a warning message appears.

By default, only the name of the card file entry is mandatory. To make additional fields mandatory:

  1. Go to System A screenshot of a schedule icon with a grey calendar icon and an arrow. > Setup > Defaults > System.
  2. Under Mandatory Fields, select On.
  3. Click Save.

The following fields in card files are mandatory:

Card file simPRO Mandatory Fields
Customer - Company Company Name

Additional mandatory fields:

  • Company Phone
  • Street Address
  • AU / NZ only: Suburb
  • US / NZ / NL only: City
  • AU / US only: State
  • NL only: Province
  • UK, IE only: Town
  • IE only: County
  • UK only: Postcode
  • Email (only if the customer is provided with the customer portal access)
Customer - Individual

First Name

Last Name

Additional mandatory fields:

  • Primary Phone
  • Street Address
  • AU / NZ only: Suburb
  • US / NZ / NL only: City
  • AU / US only: State
  • NL only: Province
  • UK, IE only: Town
  • IE only: County
  • UK only: Postcode
  • Email (only if the customer is provided with the customer portal access)
Site Site Name

Additional mandatory fields:

  • Zone
  • Street Address
  • AU / NZ only: Suburb
  • US / NZ / NL only: City
  • AU / US only: State
  • NL only: Province
  • UK, IE only: Town
  • IE only: County
  • UK only: Postcode
  • First Name - Primary Contact
  • Work Phone
Supplier Supplier Name

Additional mandatory fields:

  • AU only: ABN
  • NZ only: GST #
  • UK, IE only: VAT Reg. No.
  • US only: EIN
  • Street Address
  • AU / NZ only: Suburb
  • US / NZ / NL only: City
  • AU / US only: State
  • NL only: Province
  • UK, IE only: Town
  • IE only: County
  • UK only: Postcode
  • Work Phone
Employee Employee Name

Additional mandatory fields:

  • Email
  • Password
  • Security Group (If a User licence has been assigned)
Contractor Contractor Company Name

Additional mandatory fields:

  • Email
  • Password
  • Security Group (If a User licence has been assigned)
Catalogue item Item Name

Create custom fields for each card file type in System Setup > Custom Fields. Any custom field can be made mandatory to complete by selecting the Mandatory check box. Learn more in How to Use Custom Fields.

Custom fields for assets can also be made mandatory. Learn more in How to Create Asset Types.

Create Job

Set the default newly created job as ProjectClosed A medium to large job with multiple stages. You can then create progress claims (US: progress invoice) to invoice the customer for part of the job, for example, when a stage has been completed. or ServiceClosed A standard do-and-charge or time and materials job..

Learn more in How to Create a Service Job and How to Create a New Project Job.
Default Description Field Select whether the Overview or the Cost Centre is the default for the description upon job creation.
Service Job Cost Centre Select the default cost centre for service jobs. Select Update all customers to add this default to all customers. This is also the default for newly created customers.
Warranty Job Cost Centre Select the default cost centre for warranty jobs. This is used in conjunction with Automatic Triggers to change warranty jobs to an alternate Job Status after completion. Useful when warranty billing or follow-up processes differ from standard jobs.
Invoice Job Select Move to Invoiced Jobs to change the stage after fully invoicing a job. Select Leave in Current Stage to leave the job in the current stage.
Lock Job

When a job is locked, select if this locks the Price & Items or Price & Budgets.

Locking price and items stops anyone making changes to estimated labour and materials. Locking price and budgets stops anyone changing the sale value of the job, but allows for revised estimates of materials and labour.
Retention - Variations Select whether new variation sections should be included or excluded in retention calculations by default.
Mandatory Due Date

Select whether to make the Due Date field mandatory when you create a new Service or Project job.

If you open an existing job after making the Due Date field mandatory, you cannot SAVE or SAVE AND FINISH the job without entering a due date.
Restrict Archived Jobs When selected, you cannot edit or schedule archived jobs. Additionally, you cannot change the job stage, or add tasks. Archived jobs can only be opened in 'read-only' mode in simPRO, simPRO Mobile and Connect.
Lock Maintenance Planner Jobs on Creation To ensure that the sell price of jobs is not impacted by updated labour time or additional materials, you can set up your simPRO build to lock jobs automatically when created with the Maintenance Planner.
Maintenance Planner Job Descriptions Select to view job descriptions in Detailed or Summary format. In the Summary view, multiple assets of the same type and service level are grouped in a single line, with the corresponding quantity in the job description. In the Detailed view, each asset on the job is listed individually. The job description is usually displayed on invoice forms so the Summary view can prevent your forms from being excessively long, if you test a large number of assets.
Save Maintenance Planner Descriptions to Select to add maintenance plannerClosed An add-on that tracks customer assets and alerts you when they are due to be serviced. descriptions in the Overview, Cost Centre or None. The Maintenance Planner description lists the asset ID, asset type, service level and service date for each of the assets included in a job that is created through Maintenance Planner.
Create Quote Set the default newly created quote as Project or Service.
Default Description Field Select whether the Overview or the Cost Centre is the default for the description upon quote creation.
Quote Stage Select the stage of a quote upon creation. Select Restrict Unapproved Quotes to allow only approved quotes to be emailed.
Move Schedules to Job on Converting Select Yes to send scheduled hours on a quote to the job when the quote is converted. This adds the cost of labour associated with the quote to the job, allowing you to track the costs of preparing the quote prior to winning the job.
Quote Validity Set the default Quote Validity in days to determine when quotes will expire, as required.
Quote Expiry Date Based On Select to set the quote expiry based on the quote Created Date or Approved Date.
Mandatory Due Date Select whether to make the Due Date field mandatory when you create a new Service or Project quote.
Invoice Stage Select the default invoice stage upon invoice creation as Approved or Pending. Select Restrict Unapproved Invoices to allow only approved invoices to be emailed.
Automated Invoicing Select Enabled on New Recurring Invoices By Default to enable automated invoicing on all new recurring invoices.
Default Supplier Invoice Template

Select:

  • No Default Date to display a blank Invoice Date field when you receipt a purchase order.
  • Purchase Order Date to automatically populate the Invoice Date field with the date defined in the original purchase order.
  • Today's Date to automatically populate the Invoice Date field with today's date, that is, the date the receipt is currently being created.

Learn more in How to Receipt a Purchase Order.
Prerequisite tasks must be closed before dependent tasks can be closed.

Select to restrict dependent tasks from being closed before prerequisite tasks are closed.

Technicians can still complete / close a dependent task regardless of the system setup settings. Learn more in Manage Tasks.
Customer Assets Auto Assign to Jobs

Select On to automatically assign any assets present on the site to the job upon job creation.

This is not applicable for recurring jobs, where assets need to be added manually.
Stock to Customer Asset Create Stage Select Allocation to Job to alert the user to create assets when catalogue items marked as assets are allocated to the job. Select Receipting of Order to alert the user to create assets when items marked as assets are receipted.

When Customer Assets Auto Assign to Jobs is turned on, customer assets are automatically added to every cost centre you create until the job is saved. If you want to stop assigning assets to the new cost centres you create, save the job before continuing. This setting only applies to jobs created in simPRO, and not jobs booked in the customer portal. Learn more in How to Set Up the Customer Portal.

Default New Customer as Select to the default for new customers to be Company or Individual.
Customer Type Conversion to Customer on Select to convert leads to customers upon Quote Creation or Job Creation.

A screenshot of Auto numbers in System Defaults.

Set the starting numbers for quotes, jobs, purchase orders and invoices. Enter numbers that continue on from your previous records to ensure that your records in simPRO do not overlap with any previous records. You can only enter numbers higher than the numbers to the right of the field.

The invoice numbers need to be a higher number in simPRO than the highest invoice number in the accounting package to prevent duplication.

Need additional help?

Try Walk Me Through, our step-by-step guidance tool, to set up system defaults.

In simPRO, go to Help A screenshot of a schedule icon with a grey calendar icon and an arrow. > Walk Me Through and search System Default (ID: 88507).

Learn more in How to Use Walk Me Through in simPRO.