Smart Hands 2022.5 is available October 10, 2022. This release offers a new report and various enhancements related to the ordering process, flexible orders, recurring orders, and inbound shipments/RMAs.
Discounted Hourly Rate for Flexible Orders
When you create a Smart Hands request, you can choose from several scheduling options (Flexible, Standard, Expedited, etc.). With this release, the Flexible option is now offered to you at a discounted hourly rate – making this your most economical option.
Flexible scheduling allows the work to be completed any time before a specified date. For example, if you submit the Flexible order on the 1st of the month, and you specify a completion date of the 10th, the work may be completed anytime between the 1st and the 10th.
Flexible scheduling is recommended for low- or medium-priority requests.
Inbound Shipments: Shipping Manifest/Bill of Materials
When you create an Inbound Shipment request, a new option is available for Equinix to Scan and Send Shipment Manifest/Bill of Materials. With this option enabled, the manifest/BOM is scanned and sent to you electronically when the shipment is received.
Enhancements for Recurring Orders
With this release of Smart Hands, it’s easier to find your recurring orders, and easier to see the relationships between the parent orders and the child orders.
Enhancements to the Orders and Tickets History Screen
- Recurring orders are now more easily identifiable.
- A new Recurring tab allows you to see all your open parent orders. You can also use the filtering options to refine the list by status, location, and/or creation date.
- Clicking a parent order takes you to the Activity Timeline of the parent.
Enhancements to the Activity Timeline/Service Details Tabs
- The Activity Timeline of the parent order shows the 5 most recent child orders associated with it, with a link to each of those orders.
- The Service Details tab shows the Recurrence Details for the parent order.
- A new All Recurring Orders tab shows all child orders associated with the parent order (for the last 12 months). It shows whether each child order is open or closed. You can filter this list by date and/or status.
- The Activity Timeline for each child order provides a link to its parent order, and another link to view all its sibling orders.
New Report: Smart Hands Charges and Labor
A new self-service report is available in the Reports Center – Smart Hands Charges and Labor. It shows details about all your billed Smart Hands charges for a selected time period.
You can view up to 12 months of charges in this report. You can configure the report to run once, or on a recurring basis.
Easier Process for Return Material Authorizations (RMA)
Handling of an RMA (as part of an equipment replacement) is now a simpler, more straightforward process. Your inbound equipment and associated packaging will be held in the IBX’s intake area until the time of installation. After installation, the packaging will be re-used to return the old equipment. An RMA request will generally consist of 3 parts:
- An Inbound Shipment order
- A Move/Replace Equipment/RMA order
- An Outbound Shipment order
You can submit all 3 orders together via the Move/Replace Equipment/RMA order form.
The new process allows for better tracking of RMA requests. It also ensures compliance with our Flammable Material Removal Policy, by preventing cardboard from entering the colocation floor.
Save Your Order Contact Preferences
When you create a Smart Hands order, you must select a Technical Contact, and you must specify when Equinix is permitted to call them (such as only during the IBX's business hours, or only during the Technical Contact’s business hours). With the 2022.5 release, each user can now save their contact preferences in their user profile.
Now when you’re selected as a Technical Contact for a new order, your time zone and calling preferences are automatically populated in the order.
Expanded Availability of Smart Hands Video Feature
Smart Hands Video is a limited-release feature. Via Zoom video conferencing, this feature allows you to collaborate with the technician when they're working on your order in your private cage or non-colo area. With the 2022.5 release, Smart Hands Video is available in these additional IBXs: CH1, MI1, ML2, ML3, ML5, NY2, SH6, SK1, SY4, SY5, SY6, TR2.
