Properties in Orcatec: A Complete Beginner's Guide

Reading time: ~8 min

A property in Orcatec is the address where the work happens: a house, a condo unit, a storefront, a rental. A contact is a person or company you deal with. One property can have several contacts (an owner, a tenant, a property manager), and one contact can be linked to several properties.

This guide is for office staff, dispatchers and technicians who are new to Orcatec. It covers the Properties list, how to add a property, each tab of a property record, a short routine to run before every visit, and the mistakes new users make most often.

The Properties list

Click Properties in the top menu. You see every service address in your account.

Above the table you have:

• Search to find an address fast. Always search before adding a new property.
• Icons for fullscreen and Export table, a Merge properties icon (select two rows, then pick which address stays: in the dialog check From and To, use the swap arrows if needed, and read the "Result will be" line before you confirm), and the gear icon (Columns settings) to choose which columns you see.
• Page controls at the bottom to move through the list.

Click the address in any row to open that property's Edit Property page.

Adding a new property

1. On the Properties list, click Add Property.
2. On the Add new property page, start typing in the Search Address field.
3. Pick the correct address from the suggestions.
4. Click the suggestion. The property is created immediately (you see "Property has been created successfully"), there is no Save button at this step. The system does not warn about duplicates, so search the list first.
5. Open the new property and, on the Main info tab, fill in Unit (apartment or suite), Property Type and Tags. Click Update Property to save. If you leave with unsaved changes, choose Save and continue.
6. Address not found in suggestions? Use Manual Input: fill in Custom address, Zip, City, State and Unit, choose the Property Type, add Tags if needed, place the pin on the map and click Create Property.

Using the address suggestions, instead of typing the whole address by hand, keeps spelling and ZIP codes consistent. That matters when you search later and when a tech navigates to the job.

The property record, tab by tab

A property record has eight tabs: Main info, Contacts, Appointments, Media, Projects, Memberships, Forms and Assets. The number on each tab shows how many items it holds, so you can tell at a glance whether there are notes, photos or past jobs to look at. Each tab has its own button to add an item right from the property (for example Add client, Add Appointment, Add media, Add Project, Add Form).

Main info

This is the property's profile.

Click Add Property Note to write a note. You can attach a file, and later edit or delete the note. Each note shows Created by with the author and date, so everyone knows how fresh the information is. Good property notes are things a tech needs on site: gate or lockbox code, dog in the yard, park in the alley, breaker panel in the garage, main shutoff behind the water heater.

The map on this tab shows where the property is. At the bottom you will also see Go Back and Delete Property.

Contacts

This tab lists everyone linked to the address.

To link another contact, click + (or Add client on an empty tab). In the Attach new Contact window type the full name: if the person already exists, pick them with Use this contact so you do not create a duplicate. Fill in Relation (free text). The x on a row asks "Detach this client?" and only unlinks the contact from this property, it does not delete the contact. For a rental, a common setup is the owner (who approves and pays) plus the tenant (who lets the tech in). For contact details, see the Contacts guide.

Appointments

This is the visit history at the address: Date, Type, Tech, Source and Notes, with a status icon (a green check means completed). Before you book or dispatch, scan this tab. If the same symptom came up two months ago, the tech should know that before rolling out. Click + (or Add Appointment on an empty tab) to open the Create Appointment window. Fill in Assigned to (required): you can pick a queue (for example Appt Queue) or a column, which is a technician. When you pick a column, Appointment Date and the Promised arrival time (from and to) become required too, and a Dispatch time field appears: fill it in as well. Source, Type, Preferred User and Notes are optional. Click Create Appointment. You see "Appointment has been created successfully", the window closes and the new visit appears in the list with the counter on the tab going up by one. Click the row to open the full Appointment details page. If you see an error message, check the list before you try again so you do not book the same visit twice.

Media

Photos and files for the property. This is where you keep pictures of the rating plate, the install, the panel, the lock hardware or the access point. Click + (or Add media on an empty tab) to upload.

Projects

All projects (estimates and jobs) for this address. Click + (or Add Project on an empty tab) to open the Create Project window (Assigned to, Lead Source and Type are all optional). Click Create: the project is created immediately ("Project has been created successfully") and the Edit Project page opens with the project number, the status Estimate, this property and its contact already attached. Give the project a name there and continue the work. For how projects work, see the Projects guide.

Memberships

Shows any membership plan assigned to the property. If there is none, you see No membership yet and an Assign Membership button.

1. Click Assign Membership.
2. In Choose membership name, select the plan.
3. Check Start date (defaults to today) and End date (defaults to one year later).
4. Click Save, or Cancel to back out.

Forms

Forms linked to this property are listed here. To add one, click + Add Form, choose a template (or several) and click Create.

Assets

The Property Assets table records equipment installed at the address: a furnace, a water heater, a washer, a smart lock.

To add equipment, click + on the tab. The Attach Assets window opens. Search by name, description or serial, tick the checkbox next to the unit, then click Save. The window notes Showing available assets from internal warehouses only, and each item shows its warehouse, Available and its serial.

Why can't I see a unit in Attach Assets? Advanced

Assets come from Inventory. A unit shows up only if it exists as an asset in an internal warehouse and its status is Available. Create it first in Inventory > Assets (+ Create Asset, where you pick the item from Products), then attach it to the property.

Before every visit: the 60-second property check

Most return trips start with a tech who arrived without the right information. Before a tech leaves for a job, the dispatcher or the tech opens the property and checks:

1. Main info notes: access codes, pets, parking, shutoff locations.
2. Appointments: was this symptom seen before, and who went?
3. Assets: model, serial and Warranty expiration date, so the right part and warranty process are known.
4. Media: rating plate and install photos.
5. Contacts: who lets the tech in, and who approves the work?

An appliance tech who sees the serial and last visit's note ("dryer not heating, thermal fuse replaced") can load the right parts. So can a plumber who knows the water heater's age or a locksmith who has a photo of the existing hardware.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Duplicate addresses. Search before you click Add Property. Two records for one house split the history in half.
• Missing unit numbers. In apartment buildings and strip plazas, the unit is what separates one customer's history from the next.
• Unlinking vs deleting. The x on the Contacts tab removes the link between that contact and this property. Delete Property removes the property record. When a tenant moves out, unlink them and link the new tenant. Do not delete the property.
• Notes on the wrong record. A gate code on the contact is lost when the tenant changes. Put it on the property.

One property, many contacts: a quick example Optional

A landlord owns four rental houses. Create four properties. Link the landlord to each with Relation Owner, and link each tenant to their own house with Relation Tenant. The landlord's Properties column now shows all four addresses, and each house keeps its own equipment, photos and visit history.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a property and a contact?

A property is a place, a contact is a person or company. Link them to show who owns, rents or manages each address.

Can one contact have several properties?

Yes. Link the contact on each property's Contacts tab. The contact's Properties column lists all of them.

Does removing a contact from a property delete the contact?

The x under Actions unlinks the contact from this property only. It is the safe choice when a tenant moves out.

Where do I record the equipment installed at a property?

On the Assets tab, using Attach Assets. You need the optional Inventory add-on, and the unit must exist as an available asset in an internal warehouse.

Should I choose Residential or Commercial?

Pick the one that matches how the property is used. It appears in the Type column, which makes it easy to tell commercial accounts from homes in the list.

Checklist for your first property

• Searched the list first to make sure the address is not already there
• Added the property by picking an address suggestion and filled in the Unit (if there is one) with Update Property
• Set Property Type to Residential or Commercial
• Linked contacts with a clear Relation (Owner, Tenant, Property manager)
• Added a property note with access details
• Uploaded a rating plate or install photo on Media
• Attached installed equipment on Assets with serial and warranty date, if you use Inventory
• Made the 60-second property check part of every dispatch