Recording Completed Maintenance Work

Overview

When a scheduled maintenance task is completed, you record it in CrafterBy to close the task, log any costs incurred, and update the machine's service history. This creates an audit trail that is useful for resale value, warranty claims, and cost analysis.

Steps: Recording a Completion

1. Go to Machines & Equipment and open the machine.
2. Click the Maintenance tab.
3. Find the scheduled task in the list and click on it to open it.
4. Click Record Completion.
5. Enter the Actual Completion Date.
6. Enter the Parts Cost in currency (e.g., €180 for a replacement laser tube). Enter 0 if no parts were used.
7. Enter the Labour Time in hours (for the maintenance work itself, not production).
8. Add any Notes — for example, the part number used, supplier, observations about machine condition, or what prompted early replacement.
9. Click Save.

The task is marked as completed and the machine's maintenance history is updated. If the task is set to recur, the next instance is automatically scheduled.

Linking to a Purchase Order

If you purchased parts on a Purchase Order (for example, you raised a PO to buy a replacement laser tube), you can link the maintenance record to that PO. This connects the expenditure to the machine for reporting purposes and ensures the cost is captured in your accounts.

1. In the completion form, look for the Purchase Order field.
2. Search for and select the relevant PO.
3. The parts cost on the maintenance record can be reconciled against the PO line item.

Viewing Maintenance History

The Maintenance tab on any machine shows the full history of completed tasks, with dates, costs, and notes. This gives you:

• A total maintenance cost per machine over any period.
• Evidence of regular servicing (useful if you ever sell the machine).
• Patterns that might indicate a machine is wearing faster than expected.

Maintenance Costs and Pricing

Maintenance costs are not automatically added to the machine's hourly rate. The hourly rate CrafterBy calculates covers depreciation and electricity. Significant recurring maintenance costs (such as laser tube replacement every 4,000 hours at €180) can be factored in one of two ways:

• Add the annualised maintenance cost to the machine's overhead allocation, if your cost centre is set up for this.
• Treat it as a material cost on relevant products (e.g., a "laser tube wear allowance" material line).

For most small craft businesses, tracking maintenance costs in the history and reviewing them annually is sufficient to stay on top of true machine running costs.