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Installer Jobs

Installer Jobs is a feature that simplifies the telematics unit installation process, and can help you ensure that installers use the correct and desired configuration for each vehicle. The feature also enables you to work together with external installer companies a lot easier, ensuring that installers only get temporary access to the vehicles they are allocated to install or perform maintenance on.

Target Audiences⚓︎

  • Mobility Provider: A company that offers vehicles for rental or sharing. They are typically direct customers of INVERS.
  • Installer Company: This can be a group or an individual who works with a mobility provider to install or maintain hardware in their vehicles. An installer company could be a department within the mobility provider, but also an external company offering telematics unit installation as a service to mobility providers.

Example Use Case⚓︎

AppDrive, a sharing operator, wants to use INVERS CloudBoxx to enable their vehicles for car sharing. They have integrated the INVERS API but lack the expertise and capacity to install and maintain CloudBoxxes in all their vehicles. They decide to partner with QuickInstall, a company specializing in CloudBoxx installations.

Using the Installer Jobs feature, AppDrive invites QuickInstall into their INVERS fleet via FleetControl. QuickInstall sets up their company, and AppDrive’s fleet manager creates and assigns 100 installer jobs to QuickInstall. The fleet manager provides the necessary CloudBoxxes to QuickInstall’s installer, who then performs the installation. The fleet manager monitors the progress in FleetControl. Once the installations are complete, the installer loses access to the vehicles, which are now ready for use in AppDrive’s fleet.

In this example, AppDrive successfully outsources the installations to a hardware expert without sharing sensitive credentials. Installer Jobs offer even more benefits, as detailed below.

Info

This example is using an external installer company. If you employ your own hardware installers within your company, you can of course also use the Installer Jobs feature. Simply invite the person responsible for your installers as the installer company admin, and let them manage your internal installation department as an installer company. You’ll be able to assign installer jobs to them and benefit from the advantages the installer jobs feature provides.

Key Features and Advantages⚓︎

For Mobility Providers⚓︎

  • Save time and effort by outsourcing hardware tasks to experts.
  • Give installer companies limited, temporary access only to the vehicles and hardware they are asked to work on.
  • No need to manage or transfer sensitive credentials.
  • Provide job specifications and details to the installer.
  • Track job progress through FleetControl.

For Installer Companies⚓︎

  • Reduce communication needs with the mobility provider.
  • Use a dedicated website to manage your company and clients.
  • Give personalized access to the SmartControl app to each of your installers, enabling them to perform installer jobs.
  • Give feedback on jobs to the mobility provider.

How to Use (for Mobility Providers)⚓︎

Inviting Installer Companies⚓︎

To start using the Installer Jobs feature, invite an installer company to work with you.

  1. Go to Installer Jobs in FleetControl.
  2. Select Manage Companies in the top right.
  3. Click Invite Company, enter the company’s email address, and confirm.

An invitation will be sent to the installer company. The link between your fleet and this company will be PENDING until the invitation is accepted. Once accepted, the status changes to ACCEPTED, and you can assign jobs to the installer company. Repeat this process if you work with multiple installer companies.

Creating Installer Jobs⚓︎

To create an installer job, select New Job on the Installer Jobs page. This opens a dialog where you can enter all required and optional job details.

Specify the task based on your workflow with the installer company. For example, if you want the installer to install a CloudBoxx in a specific vehicle, like an Audi A3, select the vehicle model from the dropdown. If the installer also needs to install a Secure Key Module (SKM), specify it as the Central Lock Connection Type (if supported by the vehicle model). You can also add Master Data for the new vehicle.

The installer must follow the specifications you set when creating the job. If you specify “Audi A3” as the vehicle model, the installer must use that model. If you don’t specify a parameter, the installer decides what to do.

Assigning a Job to an Installer Company⚓︎

You can create an installer job without assigning it to a company. When you save a job without an assignment, you can edit or delete it later. An installer can only start working on the job after you assign it to a company.

Job handover

Once you assign a job to a company, you cannot edit it. If you make an error, you may need to contact the installer company.

Monitoring Installer Jobs⚓︎

On the Installer Jobs page, you can view all jobs linked to your fleet. Select a job in the table to see its details. Monitor job progress by checking their status.

  • PENDING: The job is created and can still be edited or deleted.
  • ASSIGNED: The job is assigned to a company and available to all its installers.
  • RUNNING: An installer has started working on the job.
  • SUCCEEDED: The installer completed the job successfully.
  • FAILED: The installer couldn’t complete the job and must leave a comment explaining why.

When a vehicle is linked to an installer job, like a successful CloudBoxx installation, you can switch to its Inspect page from the job details on the right.

Customize the table of installer jobs by clicking the gear icon. Filter jobs by status and assigned company using the Filter option.

How to Use (as an Installer Company)⚓︎

Creating Your Installer Company⚓︎

When a mobility provider invites you for the first time, you can create your installer company using the Installer Jobs feature. The invitation will be sent to the email address you provided and will look like this:

Click the Complete Registration link and follow the instructions to set up your installer account and company.

These steps are only needed for the initial setup of your company. After that, when a mobility provider invites your company using the invite address or any email address of your installers, you will see a pending client on the Clients page. You can then accept or decline the invitation.

Managing your installer company⚓︎

Use the INVERS Installers website to manage your installer company.

Click the gear icon in the top right to change your company’s display name and associated email address. Mobility providers use this email to invite your company for collaboration. You can also update your personal information (first and last name) here.

To delete the installer company, click the trashcan icon. This action removes all user accounts linked to the company and cancels all collaborations with mobility providers.

On the Users page, you manage existing users and invite new ones. Typically, you invite your colleagues and assign them appropriate roles.

  • Select Invite User.
  • Enter the required information in the dialog box.
  • Invitations are sent via email.

When inviting a user, specify their role:

  • Installer: Can only work on installer jobs in SmartControl.
  • Company Admin: Can fully manage the company, including deleting it.

On the Clients page, you view and manage your clients, also known as mobility providers.

  1. Pending: Shows collaboration requests. You can accept or decline these.
  2. Accepted: Indicates clients you already work with. They can assign installer jobs to your company.

To stop working with a client, delete the link between your company and the mobility provider.

Working on installer jobs⚓︎

To work on installer jobs, use the SmartControl mobile app. After downloading, log in with the same email and password you use for the Installers website.

On the SmartControl home screen, you see a categorized view of all installer jobs assigned to your company. You can search for a job or view jobs from a specific mobility provider. To start a new job, check the Available Jobs category. This category lists all jobs assigned to your company that no one else is working on. Select a job to see more details. If you want to work on it, select Assign Job to Me. This removes the job from Available Jobs and sets its status to RUNNING, so others know you are working on it. You can assign multiple jobs to yourself to show others you will handle them.

Job Assignment

Any installer can reassign jobs to themselves by withdrawing the current assignment and then assigning it to themselves. This step is usually not needed in the regular workflow. However, it helps prevent deadlocks, such as when an installer is unavailable and another installer needs to take over their job.

To continue the job after assigning it to yourself, click the green button labeled Start Installation. The task and steps may vary based on the job type. SmartControl will guide you through the process. For some jobs, you need to perform tests with the associated vehicle. You can only complete the job after these tests.

Follow these steps to complete your job in SmartControl:

  1. Complete all required steps and tests in SmartControl.
  2. Select Update Job to finish.
  3. If all tasks and tests were successful, mark the job as SUCCEEDED.
  4. If something went wrong, mark the job as FAILED.
  5. Leave a comment explaining why the job failed. The mobility provider will review your comment and take necessary actions.

Loss of vehicle access

After you complete a job (marked as SUCCEEDED or FAILED), you lose access to the vehicle. Remove all your gear from the vehicle. Park and lock it in the desired location.