Managing Resources

Overview

Resources in ServiceCortex represent anything that can be assigned to an appointment -- team members, vehicles, tools, and equipment. The resource system tracks availability, service capabilities, maintenance schedules, and physical custody so you always know who has what and whether it is ready for the next job.

Resource Types

ServiceCortex supports two primary resource kinds:

• Human -- Team members who perform work. Human resources can be linked to user accounts, have configurable work hours, and are assigned services they are qualified to perform.
• Asset -- Equipment, vehicles, and tools. Assets track serial numbers, purchase details, warranty expiry dates, service status, and physical custody.

Adding a Resource

Team Members (Human Resources)

To add a team member as a schedulable resource:

1. Navigate to Settings > Resources and select Add Resource
2. Choose Human as the resource kind
3. Enter a display name and optional display color for the calendar
4. Link a user account -- Connect the resource to an existing user so they receive scheduling notifications and can view their own calendar
5. Set work hours -- Define daily open and close times for each day of the week, with the ability to mark specific days as closed
6. Configure a base location (latitude, longitude, or postcode) for travel time calculations
7. Set an hourly rate used by the scheduling engine to estimate appointment durations

Use the Backfill action to automatically create resources for all team members who do not yet have one.

Equipment and Vehicles (Asset Resources)

To add a piece of equipment or vehicle:

1. Select Add Resource and choose Asset as the kind
2. Enter the asset name, serial number, and optional photo
3. Record purchase details -- purchase date, price, and warranty expiry
4. Assign a category (e.g., "Power Tools", "Vehicles") and a storage location to track where the asset lives when not in use
5. Optionally attach an NFC tag or QR code for quick scanning and lookup in the field

Service Capabilities

Each human resource can be linked to specific catalog services to indicate what types of work they are qualified to perform. This powers the smart scheduling engine:

• Navigate to a team member's resource detail and open the Services tab
• Add allowed services from your service catalog
• Optionally set a per-service hourly rate that overrides the resource's default rate

When scheduling, ServiceCortex will only suggest team members whose allowed services cover all the service line items on the job.

Asset Custody and Transfers

ServiceCortex tracks which team member currently holds each asset, creating a full possession history:

• Assign an asset to a team member -- the asset moves from its storage location to the team member's custody
• Return an asset to a storage location -- closes the possession record and updates the asset's location
• Transfer an asset between team members -- records the transfer method (e.g., handed off in person, left at site)

You can view assets currently held by any team member from their resource detail page, or check your own held assets from the My Assets view. Assets can also be looked up by scanning their NFC tag or QR code.

Storage Locations

Storage locations represent physical places where assets are kept when not assigned to a team member -- a warehouse, a vehicle bay, or a tool shed.

• Create storage locations with a name, address, and GPS coordinates
• Mark one location as the default return point
• Assets reference their storage location, and ServiceCortex prevents you from deleting a location that still has assets assigned to it

Asset Status and Issues

Each asset has a service status:

• Active -- Available for assignment to appointments
• Out of Service -- Temporarily unavailable (e.g., broken, being repaired)

When a team member discovers a problem in the field, they can report an issue against an asset. Issues include a description and optional photos, and can optionally mark the asset as Out of Service immediately. Issues track their status (Open, Resolved, Closed) and a resolution note when fixed. Reporting an issue also automatically creates a task for follow-up.

Maintenance Schedules

For assets that require regular upkeep, set up recurring maintenance schedules:

1. Open an asset's detail page and go to the Maintenance tab
2. Create a schedule with a name (e.g., "Oil Change"), interval type, and interval value
3. Set a reminder period (default 7 days) so you are notified before maintenance is due

When maintenance is performed, log a completion with the date, any meter reading, cost, notes, and photos. The system automatically calculates the next due date based on the interval.

You can view overdue and upcoming maintenance across all assets from the maintenance dashboard to stay ahead of service requirements.

Categories

Organize your assets into categories such as "Vehicles", "Power Tools", or "Safety Equipment". Categories support a custom name, icon, and color. A category cannot be deleted while assets are still assigned to it.