Tag Archives: linked job

Concept #2

Task

Tasks in RB are services requested with a job — such as reporting, interpreting, or video — that require a separate resource (person, company, thing) to accomplish. Work performed in-house — such as creating condensed transcripts or shipping out finished products — is usually not considered a task in RB. RB includes a set of tasks which you can customize to your business by adding, editing, and deleting tasks from the set.

Task examples

• Reporting
• Videotaping
• Interpreting
• Conference Room-Inhouse
• Conference Room-Outside
• Catering

Non-task examples

• Creating condensed transcripts
• Shipping out finished product
• Doing other production work
• Compiling invoices
• Billing clients
• Following up on outstanding amounts due

All jobs include a default task which you define in Setup > Lists. You can change the task in a job if the job does not require the default task but all jobs must have at least one task included. A job can have an unlimited number of tasks. You can enter tasks in a job when scheduling the job or at any time later.

Tasks simplify & speed up job scheduling while reducing errors:

• When assigning a resource to a task, only those resources who are available during the task’s scheduled time will be listed for you to select from so you don’t assign a task to someone who cannot appear. The scheduling client’s preferred resources will appear at the top of the list so you can easily select them. You can further refine who appears in the list by selecting their priority level (e.g., staff or overflow), specific resource types (such as reporter or scopist), or specialities needed (such as RealTime or Medical). You can also override the system selection to show resources who are listed as unavailable for that time slot. If you attempt to assign a resource that the scheduling client has on their Blocked Resources list, RB will alert you and will not allow the assignment.
• You select tasks from a list to assign to resources so if you have multiple tasks on a job you want to assign to the same resource, you can select the tasks and assign them all at the same time to the one resource.
• If the job is canceled, all of the tasks are canceled too. When changing a time, date, or location for a job, all related tasks are updated.
• If a job includes multiple tasks and the client cancels one aspect — for example, they no longer need interpreting, but the rest of the job is a go — you cancel only the one task; it doesn’t affect the rest of the job.
• Canceling a task adds the assigned resource back to your available resources list for new assignments. And automatically prompts you to send an Assignment Cancellation notice to the resource.
• RB keeps track of when tasks were canceled. This is helpful in situations where there is a cost incurred in late cancellations — such as a hotel’s conference room — you will have a paper trail to back up any cancellation fees charged to your client.
• Designating Back Order as a task instead of a job status helps with job management because back orders will have their own order date, due date, notified date, acknowledged date, and cancelled date like other tasks.
• As resources are assigned to or removed from tasks, the related job’s Notes Logs automatically records that information including the staff responsible so you refer back to that history.
• Job files that resources need access to can be added to the job’s task repository so you can easily email those files to resources when sending them assignment notifications and resources can download the files from RB Connect instead of having access to all of the job’s files.

Task information includes:

• Type of task
• Order date and due date
• Resource assigned
• When resource was notified of the task and when they acknowledged the assignment
• If task was canceled, when it was canceled
• If the task required the resource to be somewhere, when they checked in at the location (resources can check in using RB Connect or RB Connect Mobile, or you can manually enter check-in date and time in RB)
• Estimated page count and delivery date
• Actual completed date and time
• Notes about the task
• Task-related files

Tasks or linked jobs?

For services you will bill separately — such as video done by a third party of a depo — set up a linked job instead of a task. Linked jobs are separate jobs on the calendar, but because they are tied together you will be notified when a depo is canceled that there is a linked video job so you can cancel the video job too and notify the videographer.

TL;DR: A task is a service requested by a client that requires a separate resource to accomplish. A job in RB can include one or more tasks, and canceling one task does not affect the rest if the job. You define tasks based on your company’s services.

Related RB concepts

Blocked Resource: Resource that a particular firm or contact does not want assigned to tasks on jobs they schedule or order from you.

Job: Usually the reporting of a deposition, but can also be any kind of service you provide with your reporters or other resources. More >

Linked Jobs: Separate jobs on the calendar, but connect to each other. When one is confirmed or canceled, RB notifies you that there is a linked job, so you can confirm/cancel the linked job too.

Notes Logs: Un-editable internal-use only notes entered either by a user or automatically by RB appear in chronological logs in the database record where they occurred.

Preferred Resource: Resource that a particular firm or contact wants you to assign to tasks on jobs they schedule or order from you.

RB Connect: Online repository, calendar, and access to your office for clients and resources. More >

RB Connect Mobile: Clients and resources can access your RB Connect on their smartphones and tablets in an interface optimized for mobile devices. More >

Resource: Person or thing that provides your business with a service, such as reporters, videographers, interpreters, scopists, account executives, other agencies that cover jobs for you, or a conference room.

Concept #1

Job

A job in RB is usually the reporting of a deposition. But it can be any kind of service you provide with your resources, such as realtime, videoconferencing, or read & sign. You might also have further distinctions, such as conference room or document production only, to categorize jobs. A default list of job types is included in RB that you can customize to fit your business.

You do not have to set up separate jobs if a client has requested multiple services for the same time and place, such as a court reporter and an interpreter for a single depo. You can designate the services as separate tasks in one job, and bill them on a single invoice.

Jobs can be set up as:

• Single events, including Zoom meetings as stand alone events or as hybrid meetings with some attendees in person and others remote
• Linked jobs (commonly used for videotaped depositions where you want to bill the video separately)
• Series of jobs at once
• Part of an ongoing case so they share case information

If you have RB Connect, your clients can send you job requests for a single event or a series of jobs that import directly into RB9. Clients can include detailed information about the job, even upload related files, and it all imports into RB9 with no re-keying on your part.

When setting up a job, RB provides alerts and guides. For example, if a client’s invoices are past due, you can have RB pop up an alert with the total overdue amount and days past due, so you can address it immediately. Another example is when scheduling Zoom meetings, if the host account has a scheduling conflict between an existing Zoom meeting and the one you are scheduling, RB will alert you.

Job information in RB

When setting up a job, the minimum amount of information needed is who is ordering the job, job date, and time (including time zone). However, there is a great deal more information that can be included in any job.

Information about each job is organized into 10 sections.

General

Section fields include:

• Job number, date, and times (also zone and daylight savings adjustment)
• Job Status
• Business Unit
• Witness (& whether subpoenaed, expert, and what kind)
• Job Type
• Case & any case warning (includes link to complete case information)

Client

Section fields include:

• Scheduling Firm & Contact (includes links to complete firm and contact information)
• Ordering Firm & Contact (includes links to complete firm and contact information)
• Firm & contact warnings
• Firm & contact calendar notes

Job Location

Section fields include:

• Location Type (the ordering firm’s location; a different firm location; a location from your database; one of your company’s locations; a resource location, such as your conference room; or a one-off address you enter manually)
• Location name, address, and phone (includes links to complete location information and map)
• Directions
• URL ( (if the job is an online or hybrid meeting, your Zoom meeting preferences are automatically included, which you can override as needed)
• Notes and warnings about the location (if the job is a Zoom/hybrid meeting, the Notes field for remote locations will automatically include the meeting ID, passcode, and dial-in phone numbers)

Additional

Section fields include miscellaneous info like:

• Your own codes for jobs
• If the job was rescheduled, the date of the original job (includes link to previous job’s information)
• If the job is linked, the job it is linked to (includes link to linked job’s information)
• Sales Representative (includes link to sales rep’s information)
• How you got the job (referral, repeat client, etc.)
• Unlimited notes about the job (scheduling, confirmation, resource notification, production/billing that are automatically shared with the appropriate people)

Parties

Section fields include each party’s:

• Company information
• Role, including which side and attendance
• Access to job information
• Billing information (including 3rd party details plus insurance information and e-billing)
• Requested services

Specialties

Section lists:

• Any specific expertise required for the job

Award Points

Section is a sub-function in jobs for allotting reward points to the job parties.

Tasks

Section lists any parts of the job that require a separate resource and includes:

• Resource assigned
• Dates task was assigned; when it’s due; when the resource was notified; when acknowledged by the resource; current status; when the resource checked in at the job location; if canceled, when; and when it was completed.

Repository

Section includes any files uploaded to the job. (You can also upload files to individual tasks in the job.)

Notes Log

Section includes internal notes and reminders about the job added by you, your staff, and automatically by RB.

Actions within a job

Within a job, you can:

• Update information in any section.
• Upload files to the job and its related tasks.
• Confirm the job with the client.
• Reschedule or cancel the job. RB will prompt you to notify the ordering party and any assigned resources. If the job is a Zoom meeting, the Zoom info (like ID and passcode) will remain the same for rescheduled jobs. If it is canceled, the Zoom meeting is automatically deleted by RB.
• Copy the job to create a new one with all of the same information except the date.
• When creating a new job, set up multiple jobs at once for different days, or even multiple times in the same day(s).
• Add the job to a case, and have it inherit case information like parties to the case.
• Create a linked job that includes all of the job information to use for a service you will bill separately (such as video of a depo). When confirming or canceling a job, it will alert you if there is a linked job so you can update that one too.
• Add tasks, set task deadlines (you can override the default due dates set from the ordering firm’s preferences or your BU’s preferences), assign resources to tasks, and manage tasks.
• Change the job’s status, using shortcuts or automatic updates for some statuses.
• Manage job parties’ access to job information and files on RB Connect.
• Add third-party and insurance billing information for job parties.
• Include any party’s service requests for the job.
• Find information about the contact, firm, resource, and job location, including contact information and driving directions.
• Begin production turn-in.
• Export job data for other uses. You can export the information displayed in the Parties, Specialties, Award Points, Tasks, Repository, and Notes Log panes as Excel spreadsheets or CSV(comma-separated values) files to save, print, share, or use in other applications.

TL;DR: RB jobs are depos or other services you provide that require separate resources, such as court reporters. They can be attached to a case to share information or stand alone.

Related RB concepts

Award Points: Used to encourage clients to book with your agency by rewarding them with points for different services. If you have RB Connect, you can allow contacts to request point redemptions online.

Business Unit (BU): One of your company’s revenue centers or any entity in your business that you want to track separately, such as branch offices, other companies you own, affiliates, and profit-sharing operations.

Contact: Person who works for a firm you do business with, such as attorneys, paralegals, secretaries, legal assistants, claim adjusters, and court clerks.

Firm: Business you provide services to, usually law firms, but can also be other court reporting firms, vendors, insurance companies, corporate clients, and courts.

Job Status: Stage a job is in, e.g., New or Cancelled. You can designate your own job statuses in RB.

Job Type: Categories of jobs requested by clients, such as Deposition or Real-Time.

Linked Jobs: For services you will bill separately, such as video done by a third party of a depo, set up a linked job instead of a task. Linked jobs are separate jobs on the calendar, but because they are tied together, you will be notified when a depo is confirmed that there is a linked video job, so you can confirm the linked job. Or if the depo is canceled, you can cancel the video job too and notify the videographer.

Location: Place where jobs occur, such as court rooms, hospitals, schools, doctors’ offices, or private residences.

Location Type: Categories of locations, such as doctor’s office or private residence.

Notes Logs: Notes entered either by a user or automatically by RB appear in chronological logs in the database record where they occurred, such as a case, job, invoice, or entity.

Ordering Contact: Contact at the firm that is responsible for a job with your company. Can be different from the scheduling contact (Scheduled By).

Ordering Firm: Firm that is responsible for a job with your company. Can be different from the Scheduling Firm.

RB Connect: Online repository, calendar, and access to your office for clients and resources. More >

Repository: RB has 9 repositories where you store files for safekeeping and quick retrieval. When you store files in a job, they are in RB’s Job Repository. If you have RB Connect, you can give clients and/or resources access to specific repository files.

Resource: Person or thing that provides your business with a service, such as reporters, videographers, interpreters, scopists, account executives, other agencies that cover jobs for you, or a conference room.

Scheduling Contact: Contact who initiates a jobs with your company. Can be different from the Ordering Contact.

Scheduling Firm: Firm that initiates a jobs with your company. Can be different from the Ordering Firm.

Task: Service requested with a job, such as reporting, interpreting, or video, that require a separate resource (person, company, thing) to accomplish. More >

Lesson #2

Most important module in RB?

Maybe the most important module in RB is the Calendar. It is where you schedule and manage jobs (e.g., depos), set up and manage cases, assign tasks to reporters and other resources, and manage assignments.

It is one of the largest modules with 16 functions, all related to your job calendar. What you can do with those functions includes:

RB concepts in this lesson

Job: Usually the reporting of a deposition, but can also be any kind of service you provide with your reporters or other resources. More >

Linked Jobs: Jobs, such as video done by a third party of a depo, that are listed separately on the calendar and billed separately, but because they are tied together, you will be notified when one is canceled that there is a linked job, so you can cancel that job too and notify the resource.

RB Connect: Online repository, calendar, and access to your office for clients and resources, including interactive transcripts, downloadable invoices and e-commerce for clients, and one-touch job acknowledgements, online turn-in, and downloadable pay statements for resources.

RB Connect Mobile: Clients and resources can access your RB Connect on their smart phones and tablets in an interface optimized for mobile devices.

Repository: RB has 9 repositories where you store files for safekeeping and quick retrieval. When you store files in a case, they are in R9’s Case Repository; when you store files in a job, they are in RB’s Job Repository; etc.

Resource: Person or thing that provides your business with a service, such as reporters, videographers, interpreters, scopists, account executives, other agencies that cover jobs for you, or a conference room.

Tasks: Service requested with a job, such as reporting, interpreting, or video.