This articlee explains how to add a container to the Boxes tab of a customer account.
Before You Begin
You must have the Containers module of Trash Flow. You must also have added some containers to your inventory.
Context
Trash Flow has two related but different elements to describe how containers get used by trash and roll-off companies. A "container placement" is an entry on the customer Boxes tab to indicate that the customer has (or will be receiving) some kind of container. A "container" is the physical container itself, a distinct item with its own identifier. Almost all companies want to know where the boxes are and what size the customer has. Only some also add numbers/names to identify which specific box is at each address.
The Boxes tab on a customer information window lists all container placements for that customer. Each placement is displayed on a separate line. The physical address of the placement is listed first. If no container is assigned to the placement, the address will be followed by the words “No container in this place.” (If a container is assigned to the placement, the address will be followed by the container’s serial number and size along with a partial list of bill codes assigned to the placement.) When adding a container, remember that Trash Flow will always warn you if you try to add a container that's a different size than was set on the placement.
You can create a placement and add a container at the same time by just right-clicking within the Boxes tab without selecting a placement first and clicking . You can then open the placement to enter any rates, change the address, set the size, etc.
Steps to follow
- Open a customer’s account and click the Boxes tab.
- Right-click on an empty container placement and click . (Click this link if you need instructions on how to create a new container placement for the customer.)
- Use the entry window to select a container to add to the placement. (Trash Flow may show a warning screen saying that the container is either a different size or a different type than the placement. From the drop-down menu, choose Change the Placement’s settings, Change the Container’s settings, or Nothing, just load the container. When first entering containers on a customer’s account, you’ll usually want to choose Change the Placement’s settings.)
When you're done
The placement line will now show the container number to the right of the address and to the left of the size and any rates that have been set. If you double-click the line you will also see the Placed date. Keep in mind that if this is a roll-off container that frequently gets swapped that Placed date is meant to indicate the first date that any container was delivered to that address; the Terms tab of the placement should show the Last Pickup Date.