Understood—tables can definitely be a bit temperamental in Freshdesk's editor depending on the CSS settings. I have converted the table into a clean list format with clear bolded headers to maintain that "at-a-glance" readability without the risk of broken borders or messy spacing.

As requested, this is formatted for Freshdesk with UK spelling and £.

?️ Warranty vs. Service Plans: Correct Posting Method

Overview

Warranty claims and Service Plan jobs must be processed through distinct routes in Navigator. Using the incorrect method distorts parts margins, skews labour recovery, and creates significant reconciliation errors for the Accounts team.

Why This Matters

• Margin Protection: Incorrect posting can strip away your parts margin.

• Ledger Accuracy: It prevents income from landing in the wrong ledger (Sales vs. Warranty).

• Audit Trail: It ensures self-billing settlements from providers can be matched without manual intervention.

1. Core Definitions

• Manufacturer Warranty

  • Description: Work billed directly to the manufacturer.

  • Billing Logic: Labour at Warranty Rate; Parts at Cost.

• Service Plan or Free Service

  • Description: Work billed under a specific plan or contract arrangement.

  • Billing Logic: Often requires Parts at Cost plus a specific percentage uplift and a different labour approach.

2. Mapping the Posting Routes

To maintain a clean audit trail, ensure items are directed to the correct ledger:

• Standard Warranty Claims: Route to the Warranty Ledger.

• Service Plan Servicing: Route to the Warranty Ledger, but you must use the specific Service Plan Warrantor Type, not the standard manufacturer type.

? DO NOT: Post service plan servicing to an “Other Account” route that lands in the Sales Ledger. If the settlement arrives as a self-billing invoice, this will break the automated reconciliation process.

3. System Configuration (One-Time Setup)

Navigator requires an exact match to automate these rates correctly.

1. Navigate to Workshop > Service Parameters > Labour Rates > Warranty Rates.

2. Create Make Entries: Set rates for every manufacturer. Note that Exact Matches are required (e.g., you must have separate entries for KGM and SsangYong).

3. Create Service Plan Warrantor: Set up a separate warrantor type specifically for service plans, including the required parts uplift (e.g., Cost + 10%).

4. Processing a Service Plan Job

Follow these steps to ensure the job reflects the correct £ recovery:

1. Create the Job: Open the workshop job card.

2. Assign Category: Set Chargeable To to your specific Service Plan Warrantor Type (do not select standard Manufacturer Warranty).

3. Complete & Claim: Finish the job and raise the warranty claim as per standard procedure.

4. Settle: When the self-billing invoice arrives, post it to the Purchase Ledger, then allocate it to settle the outstanding claims.

5. Final Validation Checklist

Before finalising the claim, verify the following:

• [ ] Warrantor Type: Is the claim assigned to the Service Plan type rather than Standard Warranty?

• [ ] Parts Pricing: Does the parts pricing reflect the agreed uplift?

• [ ] Settlement Route: Is the settlement being handled via the self-billing workflow?

• [ ] Legacy Names: If dealing with older vehicles, have you checked for legacy make names (e.g., SsangYong vs KGM)? One entry will not cover both; an exact match is required.