How to Investigate Old Workshop Jobs on the Work in Progress (WIP) Report

The Work in Progress (WIP) report in Navigator shows workshop jobs that have not yet been fully invoiced or released.

These jobs may contain outstanding parts and labour costs that are still recorded as Work in Progress within your accounts.

While it is normal for active workshop jobs to appear on the report, jobs that have remained outstanding for several months should be reviewed to ensure they have not been overlooked.

This guide explains why older workshop jobs may still appear in WIP, how they affect your accounts and how to investigate them.

Why are old workshop jobs still appearing on the WIP report?

A workshop job may remain on the WIP report when it has not yet been fully processed, invoiced or released.

There are several reasons why this might happen:

• Work is still in progress: The vehicle is awaiting completion of the repair.

• Awaiting authorisation: Additional work requires customer, warranty or other approval before proceeding.

• Warranty work: The job may still be awaiting warranty processing or claim approval.

• Work completed but not invoiced: The repair has been completed, but the job has not been fully processed.

• Unused parts remain allocated: Parts were booked to the job but were never fitted or returned to stock.

• Job overlooked: The job was left open and has not been reviewed or completed.

Not every older job indicates a problem. However, outstanding jobs should be reviewed to establish why they remain in WIP.

Why does this matter for my accounts?

When parts and labour costs are recorded against a workshop job, these amounts may remain within Work in Progress until the appropriate job and accounting transactions have been completed.

WIP is reflected within the Balance Sheet.

If a job remains open unnecessarily, the associated costs may continue to sit in WIP rather than being recognised through the appropriate invoicing or cost-of-sale process.

This can affect the accuracy of your management accounts.

For example:

A workshop job was created three months ago, and £400 of parts and labour costs were recorded against it.

The repair was completed, but the job was never invoiced or released.

The £400 may still appear in Work in Progress rather than having been processed through the appropriate accounting entries.

This is why regularly reviewing older workshop jobs is an important part of month-end accounting.

How to run the Work in Progress report

1. Navigate to Workshop > Service Manager's Toolkit.

2. Select Reports.

3. Choose WIP (Work In Progress).

4. Select Report.

5. Select the relevant branches, if required.

6. Run the report.

The report displays outstanding workshop jobs and their associated Work in Progress information.

How to investigate older workshop jobs

Step 1: Identify older jobs

Review the WIP report and look for jobs that have remained outstanding for an extended period.

Pay particular attention to:

• Jobs that have been open for several months.

• Jobs containing significant parts or labour costs.

• Jobs where the repair should already have been completed.

• Jobs with outstanding balances that cannot immediately be explained.

Older jobs are not necessarily incorrect, but they should have a clear reason for remaining open.

Step 2: Open the workshop job

To investigate an individual job:

1. Locate the relevant job on the WIP report.

2. Double-click the job to open its workshop job card.

3. Review the job details and current progress.

4. Check whether the work has been completed, invoiced or is still awaiting further action.

This will help establish why the job remains on the report.

Step 3: Review the parts booked to the job

Within the workshop job, open the Parts tab.

Review the parts that have been booked out and confirm whether they were physically used.

For example:

• If the parts were fitted, the job may require the appropriate invoicing or release process.

• If the parts were never fitted, they may need to be removed from the job and returned to available stock.

• If the parts are being returned to the supplier, the appropriate supplier return and credit process should be followed.

Any changes should reflect what physically happened to the parts.

Step 4: Confirm why the job remains open

Speak with the Workshop or Service Manager to establish whether the job is legitimately outstanding.

For example, a job awaiting warranty authorisation may need to remain open until the claim has been processed.

However, a repair that was completed several months ago but never invoiced may require further action.

The appropriate next step will depend on the job's circumstances.

What should I do with older WIP jobs?

Once the reason for the outstanding job has been established, the Workshop or Service Manager should determine the appropriate action.

Important: Do not automatically close older workshop jobs simply to remove them from the WIP report.

Each job should be reviewed to establish whether it contains genuine outstanding work, costs or authorisations.

Should I post a journal to clear old WIP balances?

Do not post a nominal journal simply to clear an unexplained WIP balance without first investigating the workshop job.

Although a journal may change the accounting balance, it does not necessarily correct the underlying workshop or stock transactions.

For example, parts may remain allocated to a job even if the accounting balance has been manually adjusted.

The correct approach is to identify the original job and ensure that the appropriate invoicing, release or stock movements are completed.

If the correct action is unclear, contact the Navigator Helpdesk for assistance.

How often should I review the WIP report?

We recommend reviewing the WIP report regularly, particularly as part of your month-end management accounts process.

Finance and Service Management should work together to identify and investigate older outstanding jobs.

Finance should:

• Review the WIP report for older or unexpected balances.

• Identify jobs that may be affecting the accuracy of management accounts.

• Highlight outstanding items requiring investigation.

Workshop or Service Management should:

• Review the identified jobs.

• Confirm whether the work remains outstanding.

• Investigate unused parts and incomplete transactions.

• Ensure completed jobs are invoiced or released through the appropriate process.

Once the required actions have been completed, rerun the WIP report to check that the outstanding balances have been updated as expected.

Summary

Older workshop jobs can remain on the WIP report when they have not been fully invoiced or released.

Although some jobs may legitimately remain open while awaiting work or authorisation, forgotten or incomplete jobs can leave costs outstanding in Work in Progress and affect the accuracy of your management accounts.

To investigate:

1. Run Workshop > Service Manager's Toolkit > Reports > WIP (Work In Progress) > Report.

2. Identify older jobs with outstanding costs.

3. Double-click the relevant job to review its details.

4. Check the Parts tab and confirm whether booked parts were used.

5. Ask the Workshop or Service Manager to determine the appropriate action.

6. Complete the necessary job, invoicing or stock transactions.

7. Rerun the WIP report to confirm the results.

Regularly reviewing older WIP jobs helps ensure outstanding workshop costs are correctly accounted for and prevents forgotten jobs from accumulating on your management reports.