End-to-end workflow
Follow up deferred repair work
Use this workflow when the customer postpones non-immediate work and the shop should retain evidence, timing and outreach responsibility.
Written by the VMOTEK Product Team · Updated August 14, 2026
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1. Confirm roles and prerequisites
Run this workflow with named users and representative test data before using it with a customer. An owner or manager configures the policy; operational staff execute only the actions their role and shop access permit. Confirm the active shop in the header before creating a transaction because appointments, work orders, inventory movements, purchasing and invoices retain that location.
- Advisor: records the decision and suitable follow-up date or trigger.
- Manager or assigned staff: owns the due queue and campaign/reminder follow-up.
- Technician: provides durable evidence and severity but does not choose customer authorization.
- The recommendation must belong to the correct customer, vehicle and source inspection/work order.
- Confirm reminder and communication policy, including customer consent.
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2. Execute the workflow from beginning to end
Follow the sequence below in order. Continue from the record already created instead of recreating the customer, vehicle, estimate, appointment or work order. At every handoff, reopen the destination record and confirm its source relationship, shop, status and amounts before proceeding.
- On the estimate or work order, record Decline or Defer on the recommendation and capture the customer's reason when offered.
- Choose the supported reminder/follow-up action and set one realistic date, mileage, engine-hour or review point.
- Confirm the reminder references the vehicle and underlying recommendation rather than duplicating generic notes.
- At the due point, open the queue, review current vehicle history, part price/availability and whether the condition requires reinspection.
- Contact the customer and create a current estimate/appointment when interested. Obtain a fresh decision before execution.
- Close, reschedule or retain the reminder according to the actual outcome.
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3. Test the blocked and exception paths
A workflow is not ready merely because its normal path succeeds. Repeat the test using the conditions below. VMOTEK should explain why an action is unavailable, retain the existing record and prevent duplicate, stale, unauthorized or physically impossible activity. Do not bypass a business control by creating an unrelated replacement record.
- Repeated clicks must not create duplicate reminders for the same decision.
- Do not present an old price or condition as current without review.
- Opted-out customers must not receive prohibited SMS marketing/follow-up.
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4. Verify records, inventory and financial effects
Open the related records after execution and reconcile them. The customer and vehicle remain company-wide identities, while the appointment, estimate, work order, inventory activity, purchase or transfer, invoice and payment retain the responsible shop. Status labels are operational evidence—not substitutes for checking quantities, totals and source links.
- Vehicle history retains the original evidence, decision and later follow-up.
- A new estimate remains distinguishable from the old declined proposal.
- Campaign/source attribution is retained when the follow-up produces a return visit.
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5. Confirm customer communication
Use the customer's permitted contact channel and preserve delivery status. A sent message does not equal approval, payment or receipt. Continue only from the authoritative decision or transaction status. Email and SMS availability depends on the shop's connected providers, customer contact data and consent settings.
- Use a service-oriented reminder that identifies the shop and reason without overstating safety or diagnosis.
- Preserve send/failure status and staff follow-up when delivery fails.
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6. Completion checklist
The journey is complete only when the final business outcome and the expected audit trail agree. Record any failed check, correct configuration or source data, and rerun the scenario from a clean test record.
- Exactly one intended reminder exists and becomes visible when due.
- Later booked work links to the same customer/vehicle and receives a new approval.
- Reporting can identify deferred-work follow-up and resulting revenue where configured.
Related product areas
Understand the capability behind the task
Continue to the applicable platform page for workflow behavior, role differences and connected operating consequences.
Ready to move forward?
Need help with your configuration?
Existing customers should use in-product support for account-aware assistance. Evaluation teams can contact us to discuss requirements.