Product Usage Reports keep your application records accurate and your chemical data where you need it. In AcreConnect®, a report no longer has to start inside a Work Order, so you can create one on its own, link it to a Work Order when the job calls for it, and associate it to a Flight Group. By following this guide, you'll learn how to link a Work Order while you create a report, how to link one to a report you've already submitted, and how to associate a report to a Flight Group.
What's New
Previously, a Work Order had to exist before a Product Usage Report could be created. That requirement is gone. Now, when you click the "New" button on the Usage Reports page, you'll have the option to link a Work Order to the report.
You can choose one from the "Select Work Order (optional)" dropdown, or click "Continue without Work Order" and go straight into the report. A report created without a Work Order is a complete application record on its own, and you can link a Work Order to it later at any time.
Note: Records you already have don't change. Work Orders and reports that are already linked stay linked.
Linking A Work Order While You Create A Report
Click the "New" button on the Usage Reports page. In the "Select Work Order (optional)" dropdown, choose the Work Order this application belongs to. Work Orders are listed by customer, Work Order number, and date, so you can tell similar jobs apart.
Fill out the rest of the report as you normally would. The Work Order name and number carry into the report's Application details.
Linking A Work Order To An Existing Report
If the report was created without a Work Order, or the wrong one was chosen, you can link it afterward.
Open the report from the Usage Reports list and click "Edit" in the bottom right-hand corner. On the Application tab, open the Work Order Name field and select a Work Order from the "Select a work order" dropdown.
Updating Fields From The Work Order
If the Work Order has different information than the report, a window called "Update fields from Work Order?" opens. It lists each field that doesn't match. The report's Current value is on the left and the Work order value is on the right.
Application Site, Chemicals, and Total Acres Applied can show up here. Pick the value you want to keep for each field, then click "Apply". Click "Cancel" to close the window and leave the report as it is.
Note: If the Work Order has the same information, this window doesn't open.
Click "Submit Product Usage Report" to save. The report now shows the Work Order in its Application details, and the Usage Reports list shows it alongside the report.
Note: A report with no Work Order shows Not set for Work Order Name and Work Order Number. That's an easy way to spot reports you still want to link.
Associating A Report To A Flight Group
Associating is done from the Flight Group itself, not from the Work Order, and not from the Product Usage Report.
Open The Flight Group
Click the "Flights & Maps" tab in the left-hand menu and stay on the Groups tab. Select the group that covers the application you're documenting.
Edit The Group
Click the "Edit" button in the bottom right-hand corner of the group panel to open the Edit flight group form.
Attach The Work Order And Reports
The "Work order" field takes a single Work Order. The "Product usage reports" field takes one or more reports, listed by customer, Work Order, and application date. If the group covers several applications, select all of the reports that belong to it.
When you've made your selections, click "Save".
Tip: You do not need to associate a Work Order to the Flight Group before associating a Product Usage Report. If preferred, you can associate a Product Usage Report directly without linking the Flight Group to a Work Order.
Important Note: Make sure the reports you pick match the flights in the group. The wrong report puts the wrong chemical details on your map and on anything you share.
Why Associating Matters
Associating is what joins your chemical record to your flight data. Once the two are connected, everything downstream of the Flight Group knows what was applied.
Your Flight Group Shows The Chemicals
Each group card lists the Customer, Site, Pilot, and Chemicals for that group. Until a report is associated, the Chemicals line shows a dash. That's a quick way to spot a group that still needs attention.
Your Application Map PDF Includes The Chemical Details
The product, rate, and application details from the associated report print on your application map PDF, so your customer receives the map and the chemical record as one document instead of two.
Your Shared Maps Carry The Chemical Details
When you share an application map to John Deere Operations Center™, the chemical information from the associated report goes with it. Your grower sees exactly what was applied alongside the application map, inside the system they already work in every day.
Note: Associate the report before you share the map. A map shared first won't have the chemical details.
Best Practices
Link to a Work Order when the job is billable. It keeps your application record and your billing record together when it's time to invoice.
Associate your Flight Group the same day. Groups add up quickly during a busy week, and matching the right flights to the right application is much easier before the next load.
Check the group card before you share or export. If the Chemicals line still shows a dash, the association didn't take.
Record the report while you're still in the field. You no longer need a Work Order to document an application, so capture it while the details are fresh.
Tip: AcreConnect® is formatted for easy use on both phones and tablets, so you can document your application while the details are still fresh.
See below for an example of the mobile and tablet-friendly layout.
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Sharing An Application Map
With your report associated, click HERE to learn how to share your application map and its chemical details to your John Deere Operations Center™ account.
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Need more help? Get support anytime from the chatbot in the bottom right-hand corner or contact support at [email protected] or by calling 319-201-3020 Ext.2