Administration Function Summary

Application Configuration

Application configuration allows administrators to establish Aspire system parameters that define the overall behavior of Aspire.  The system administrator can define company fiscal year start, revenue reporting model (earned or invoiced), time zone, company info such as name and website, time reporting information, invoicing setup, and accounting synchronization.

See Application Configuration Screen

Manage Users

Users represent individuals who can log into the Aspire system.  Users must initially be created as Contacts. Typically, only contacts of type “employee” are set up as users. Some companies provide user accounts for subcontractors.

See Users Search List Screen

Manage Devices

When a user initiates authorization of a device with Aspire, a person with administrative permissions will go to the devices icon to accept or deny authorization of the device on a specific browser. This option provides a search list that also allows administrators to view all devices authorized on a company’s Aspire system and to deactivate devices if necessary.

See Devices Search List Screen

Manage Lists

Aspire provides many administrative lists (i.e. Activity Categories, Divisions, Pay Codes, Tags, etc.) to allow company-specific configuration of the Aspire system. These lists typically represent selection options in associated fields available throughout Aspire.  

See Administrative Lists  

See Admin List Screens

Manage User Roles

User roles define Aspire system capabilities that are available to that role. These roles can then be assigned to specific users to determine their capabilities. Roles commonly defined in Aspire include System Admin, Executive, Branch Manager, Account Manager, Operations Manager, Sales Rep, Branch Admin, and Crew Leader.

See Roles Screen

Manage Report Layout Defaults

Aspire provides various places where users can print documents (i.e. proposals, invoices, payments, work tickets, etc.). For any of these documents, multiple layouts may be available for printing the document. The manage default icon gives the company the ability to select the layout they would like as the default in that print screen.

See Report Layout Default Settings Screen

Manage Advanced Search Formula

Within search lists throughout Aspire, specific base fields are made available for filtering, grouping, and display of the list. Advanced search formulas allow users to create new fields by performing calculations on the base fields.

See Advanced Search Formulas Search List Screen

Estimating

Manage Services

Within the Aspire system, a service defines work that a landscape company performs on behalf of its customers. This option allows users to create and manage services.

See Services Search List Screen

Manage Items

Within the Aspire system, a catalog item is a specific labor, material, equipment, subcontractor or other item that is required to estimate and perform a service. This option allows users to manage the list of standard items and their associated characteristics such as purchase units, allocation units, and purchase price.

See Items Search List Screen 

See Managing Catalog Items

A workflow is a process that can be set up to require the approval of an estimate on a contract or work order before Aspire will allow the estimator to submit the proposal to the customer.  For each workflow, the system administrator can define system roles or users who can approve contracts or work orders greater than specific revenue values. Multiple levels of approval authority can be established on the workflow for different revenue values.

See Workflows Search List Screen

New Optional Service Opportunity

The new optional service opportunity function allows a user to immediately create opportunities in bulk from optional services on active won contracts.  For example, a user may want to create opportunities and email proposal letters for optional spring color to all clients under the contract that had spring color estimated as an optional service on their contract. 

See Optional Service Opportunity Screen

Manage Pricing Mark-Ups

Setting up pricing allows the system administrator to specify how much Aspire will markup costs for labor, materials, equipment, subcontractor, or other when calculating the price to charge customers for services.

See Pricing Settings Screen

Manage Opportunity Templates

Opportunity templates provide a basis for creating new opportunities based on information for opportunities users have created in the past.  Opportunity templates are created by creating a normal opportunity and then choosing to save it as a template.  Once a template has been created in this manner, it can be edited using the Manage Opportunity Templates option or selected as the basis for creating a new opportunity.

See Opportunity Templates Search List Screen

See section Creating Opportunity Templates

Manage Budget

Aspire allows the system administrator to establish annual budgets against which managers can track financial progress during the year using KPIs and the Rolling Budget Report.

See Budget Search List Screen

Manage General Condition Templates

Users who have the Manage General Condition Templates permission can add and configure general condition templates that can be applied to work orders, so costs defined in the template can be applied to the estimate when the template is added to a work order. For example, a multi-day field service project template might include items like portable toilet fees like emptying, delivery, etc., trailer rental, etc. These conditions cover hidden or easily forgotten charges that could impact profit margins.

See General Condition Templates Search List Screen

Manage Estimate Custom Columns

Aspire provides the ability to include custom columns on the Estimate screen to provide additional information that will assist a company’s estimating process. This icon is only available for users who have the Manage Custom Columns permission assigned to their role.

See Estimate Custom Columns Search List Screen

Purchasing

Manage Inventory Locations

Aspire allows materials purchased to be received into inventory for later distribution to active jobs.  The Manage Inventory Locations option allows system administrators to specify new locations for inventory and to view the list of catalog items that have been purchased into inventory and allocated from inventory to work tickets. System administrators will also come to this icon when adjusting on-hand quantities and comparing inventory valuations to that in their accounting system.

See Inventory Locations Search List Screen

See Managing Inventory

Manage Equipment Manufacturers

Clicking this icon allows system administrators to define a list of manufacturers whose equipment the company purchases and manages.  These are used when system administrators define equipment models.

See Equipment Manufacturers Search List Screen
 

Manage Equipment Sizes

Clicking this icon allows system administrators to define a list of equipment sizing descriptions that they use to describe equipment models.  For example, mowers might be identified by cut width and tractors by horsepower. 

See Equipment Sizes Search List Screen

Manage Equipment Classes

Clicking this icon allows system administrators to define a list of the general types of equipment (or classes) for the categorization of equipment models.  For example, they might have classes of push mowers, ride mowers, blowers, trimmers, and mulchers. These are used when they define equipment models.

See Equipment Classes Search List Screen

Manage Equipment Models

Clicking this icon allows system administrators to define the specific models of equipment that they own for each class. When they define a model, they specify its manufacturer, size, and class. System administrators can also define a service schedule by specifying which services (identified by service tags) will be performed for each model and the frequency of service.  Later, when they define specific pieces of equipment on the Equipment screen, they will select their model from this list.

See Equipment Models Search List Screen

Manage Equipment Service Tags

A service tag defines a service that can be performed on a piece of equipment (i.e. change oil, sharpen blades, etc.). Clicking this icon allows system administrators to define a list of services that are referenced when they establish the service schedule for each model of equipment.

See Equipment Service Tags Search List Screen

Manage Equipment Disposal Reasons

Clicking this icon allows system administrators to define a list of reasons for which equipment is disposed of.  When users later record the disposal of equipment on the Equipment screen, this list of disposal reasons is available from which to select the appropriate value.

See Equipment Disposal Reasons Search List Screen

Site Audit

Manage Site Audit Categories

Aspire supports the management of site audits on properties to validate work quality and to support ongoing work quality improvement. Site audit categories define evaluation areas and criteria for site audits. When system administrators define the category, they specify the audit types to which the category applies.

See Site Audit Categories Search List Screen

See Site Audits 

Manage Site Audit Report Types

Aspire allows system administrators to perform different types of site audits.  The type of a site audit determines the categories that are evaluated as defined when setting up the site audit categories.

See Site Audit Types Search List Screen

Scheduling

Manage Routes

In Aspire, routes are used for scheduling crews to perform jobs. In their simplest and most common form, a route is defined based on the crew leader responsible for overseeing the team that travels together on the route.  Routes may optionally define the crew members for the route and/or the properties that are regularly visited on the route.  Routes are primarily used for scheduling crews on the Scheduling Board screen.

See Routes Search List Screen

Manage Forms

Aspire provides the ability to create company-specific forms that can be displayed on mobile devices to collect information provided by crew leaders. The information becomes available for office staff.

See Forms Search List screen

See section Custom Forms

Organization

Branches

Aspire allows landscape companies to divide their companies into branches. Branches typically represent separate market areas where the company does business. For example, if a landscape company does business in four different cities within two states, they might establish four branches – one for each city.  It is common for each branch to have a branch manager responsible for the operation of that branch.  This option provides the ability to set up branches.

See Branches Search List screen

Regions

Organizationally, branches can be grouped together into regions. Invoice email format settings may be set at the region level.  The following reports provide the ability to aggregate or filter data by region: Profit and Loss Ticket, Contract Renewal and Time Entry.

See Regions Search List screen

Districts

Organizationally, regions can be grouped together into districts to define large management areas. The following reports provide the ability to aggregate or filter data by District: Profit and Loss Ticket, Contract Renewal and Time Entry.

See Districts Search List screen