Garage System Documentation (Client Use)

This guide is for UK garages and workshops. It explains each module in clear English and shows how they work together.

Goal: A customer arrives, the vehicle is checked, work is tracked, an invoice is created, payment is recorded, and reminders are sent.

1-Minute Setup (First Time Only)

Do these steps once. After this, daily work is fast and smooth.

  1. Open Garage Settings and enter your garage name, address, phone, email and working hours.
  2. Upload your invoice logo and set VAT percentage (if you charge VAT).
  3. Create Service Types such as MOT Service, Full Inspection, Diagnostics.
  4. Add your staff users and assign roles if needed.
  5. Run one MOT Check to test the full flow end-to-end.

Once setup is done, you can run most work from Smart Intake.

Recommended Daily Workflow

Most garages use this simple flow:

1. MOT Check / Smart Intake 2. Confirm Customer + Vehicle 3. Add Service Items 4. Booking or Job Card 5. Invoice + Payment 6. Reminders

Smart Intake can create booking, job card and invoice from one screen.

Visual Workflows (Diagrams)

These diagrams show how modules connect. They match the real flow in your system.

1) Main Garage Flow (Customer to Invoice)
flowchart LR A[Customer arrives / phone call] --> B[MOT Check + Smart Intake] B --> C{Customer exists?} C -- Yes --> D[Select Customer] C -- No --> E[Create Customer] D --> F[Vehicle from MOT / existing] E --> F F --> G[Add Services + Notes] G --> H{Create booking?} H -- Yes --> I[Workshop Booking] H -- No --> J[Skip booking] I --> K{Create job card?} J --> K K -- Yes --> L[Job Card] K -- No --> M[Skip job card] L --> N[Invoice + Payment] M --> N N --> O[Reminders + Follow-ups]
2) Stock & Accounting Flow
flowchart LR P[Purchase from Supplier] --> Q[Stock In] Q --> R[Products available] R --> S[Invoice / Sale] S --> T[Stock Out] S --> U[Accounting Entries] U --> V[Customer/Supplier Ledgers]
3) Booking to Job Card Flow (Technician)
flowchart LR W[Workshop Booking] --> X[Convert to Job Card] X --> Y[Technician works] Y --> Z[Update diagnosis + work notes] Z --> AA[Complete job] AA --> AB[Invoice + payment]

These diagrams are live text. If you want a different style, we can replace them with images.

Screenshot Gallery

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Screenshot Placeholder: Dashboard overview
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Screenshot Placeholder: MOT Check + Smart Intake
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Screenshot Placeholder: Booking to Job Card
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Screenshot Placeholder: Invoice print view
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Dashboard

Your daily control centre. It shows urgent work and upcoming tasks.

  • Today’s bookings, job cards and quick totals.
  • Capacity calendar (bookings and job cards).
  • Upcoming reminders and alerts.

Start here each morning to plan the day.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Dashboard widgets] --> B[Today\'s status] B --> C[Calendar & alerts] C --> D[Quick action links]

Customers

Customers are the people who own vehicles. Most modules link back to a customer.

  • Add name, phone, email and address.
  • Use search to avoid duplicates.
  • Customers are required for bookings, sales and invoices.

Name + phone is enough to get started.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Add customer] --> B[Customer record] B --> C[Used in bookings & invoices] C --> D[History + reminders]

Vehicles

A vehicle record connects MOT, services, bookings, invoices and reminders.

  • Add registration, make, model, year and mileage.
  • Link each vehicle to a customer.
  • Updating mileage helps service history and invoices.

If a vehicle is already on file, Smart Intake will reuse it.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Add vehicle] --> B[Link to customer] B --> C[MOT / Services] C --> D[Invoices + Reminders]

MOT Check + Smart Intake

This is the fastest intake screen. Use it for most customers.

  • Enter the registration and fetch MOT data.
  • Select an existing customer or create a new one.
  • Add service items (diagnostic service is added by default).
  • Choose what to create: booking, job card, invoice.
  • Click Create All to save everything together.

If a toggle is off, that section will be skipped.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Enter reg] --> B[MOT data] B --> C[Select/Create customer] C --> D[Add services] D --> E[Create booking/job/invoice]

Services

Service records show the work completed on a vehicle.

  • Records can be created manually or from Smart Intake.
  • Service records may include multiple service items.
  • Use this to show history to returning customers.

Services are linked to vehicles and help with reminders.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Service record] --> B[Multiple service items] B --> C[Vehicle history] C --> D[Reminders]

Service Types

Service Types are your standard items that appear in services and invoices.

  • Create types like MOT Service, Full Inspection, Diagnostics.
  • Set default price for quick billing.
  • Used inside Smart Intake, Services, Invoices.

Keeping this list tidy saves time for staff.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Service type list] --> B[Used in services] B --> C[Used in invoices]

Workshop Bookings

Bookings reserve workshop time.

  • Choose customer, vehicle, scheduled date/time.
  • Assign a technician and estimated hours.
  • Bookings can be converted into Job Cards.

If you prefer, you can skip bookings and go straight to Job Cards.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Booking] --> B[Assign technician] B --> C[Convert to job card]

Job Cards

Job Cards track the actual workshop work.

  • Link to a booking or create manually.
  • Track status, technician, start time and completion.
  • Record diagnosis and work performed.

Technicians should update Job Cards, not bookings.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Job card] --> B[Technician updates] B --> C[Complete job] C --> D[Invoice]

Invoices + Payments

Invoices are the final bill to the customer.

  • Add service items and product items.
  • VAT can be applied per item (from Garage Settings).
  • Record payments and credit notes.
  • Print A4 invoice with logo and custom colours.

Invoices can be created from Smart Intake or manually.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Service + product items] --> B[VAT & discounts] B --> C[Invoice total] C --> D[Payments]

Sales

Sales are for products or parts sold to customers.

  • Select customer and add stock items.
  • Apply VAT and discounts per line.
  • Optionally create an invoice from the sale.

Sales use Stock Control to reduce quantities.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Select customer] --> B[Add stock items] B --> C[Invoice optional] C --> D[Stock decreases]

Purchases

Purchases are for ordering parts from suppliers.

  • Select supplier and add purchased items.
  • When status is Received, stock increases.
  • VAT and discounts can be tracked per item.

Purchases are linked to Suppliers and Stock.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Supplier order] --> B[Add items] B --> C[Mark received] C --> D[Stock increases]

Stock Control

Track all parts and products used in the garage.

  • Create stock items with cost and selling price.
  • Quantity changes with purchases and invoices.
  • Use stock when adding product items to invoices.

Stock is optional, but useful for parts-heavy garages.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Stock item] --> B[Purchases add] B --> C[Invoices/sales reduce]

Accounting Overview

Accounting gives you a simple finance view of your garage.

  • Chart of Accounts = list of financial categories.
  • Journal Entries = daily accounting records.
  • Ledgers = balances for customers, suppliers and general accounts.

Accounting uses data from Invoices, Sales and Purchases.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Invoices/Sales/Purchases] --> B[Accounting] B --> C[Ledgers]

Chart of Accounts

This is your list of account types.

  • Examples: Sales Income, VAT Payable, Parts Cost.
  • Accounts are used by Journal Entries.

Keep account names simple and clear.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Account list] --> B[Journal entries] B --> C[Balances]

Journal Entries

Journal entries record financial movements.

  • Each entry has debit and credit lines.
  • Use for adjustments, corrections or manual accounting.

If you do not use accounting, you can skip this.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Debit/Credit lines] --> B[Balanced entry] B --> C[Updates ledgers]

Ledgers

Ledgers show running balances.

  • Customer Ledger shows what customers owe.
  • Supplier Ledger shows what you owe suppliers.
  • General Ledger shows totals for each account.

Use ledgers for a quick finance snapshot.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Customer/Supplier ledger] --> B[Open balances] B --> C[Payments update]

Reminders

Reminders bring customers back for MOT or service.

  • Auto reminders are created from vehicles and services.
  • Rules are set in Notification Rules.
  • Each vehicle can have reminders on/off.

Reminders are a simple way to increase repeat work.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Vehicle/service due] --> B[Reminder rules] B --> C[Send alerts]

Customer Requests (Public Booking)

Online booking requests from your public booking page land here.

  • Review customer and vehicle details.
  • Convert to Workshop Booking or Job Card.

This saves time on phone calls and manual entry.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Public booking form] --> B[Customer request] B --> C[Convert to booking/job]

Approvals Queue

For items that need manager approval (optional).

  • Approve or reject quickly.
  • Approved items move to the next step.

Keeps control of high-value work.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Pending item] --> B[Approve/Reject] B --> C[Next step]

Suppliers

Supplier records help you track where parts come from.

  • Add supplier contact details.
  • Use suppliers in Purchases and Stock.

Helpful for warranty or reordering parts.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Supplier record] --> B[Purchases] B --> C[Stock]

Staff

Create staff accounts and assign roles.

  • Add staff name, email and role.
  • Technicians can be assigned to jobs.

Give only the access each staff member needs.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Staff user] --> B[Role] B --> C[Assigned jobs]

Technician Portal

Technicians see only their job cards and updates.

  • Start and complete jobs.
  • Add notes, media and progress.
  • Personal activity timeline shows recent updates.

Keeps technicians focused and organised.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Assigned jobs] --> B[Work updates] B --> C[Timeline]

Staff Holidays

Manage staff leave requests.

  • Staff submit requests.
  • Managers approve or reject.

Approved leave avoids scheduling problems.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Request leave] --> B[Manager approval] B --> C[Calendar updated]

Notifications

System alerts appear here.

  • Open to view details.
  • Mark as read or delete.

Useful for tracking Smart Intake results.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[System event] --> B[Notification] B --> C[Open/Mark read]

Action Center

A quick list of tasks that need attention.

  • See pending actions and follow-ups.

Think of it as your daily to-do list.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Pending tasks] --> B[Follow-up]

Activity Logs

Full history of key actions in the system.

  • See who created or changed a record.
  • Useful for audits and staff tracking.

Only managers usually need this.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[User action] --> B[Log entry] B --> C[Audit history]

Queue Monitor

Shows background jobs like emails and reminders.

  • If emails or reminders are not sending, check here first.

This is for checking system health.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Background jobs] --> B[Queue monitor] B --> C[Success/Fail]

Reports

Business overview and performance.

  • Revenue trends and totals.
  • Workload and job completion stats.

Use monthly reports for planning.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Invoices/Sales/Jobs] --> B[Reports] B --> C[Business insights]

Data Import

Move data from another system safely.

  • Download a CSV template for the module you want.
  • Upload your file and choose update existing if needed.
  • Import in order: Customers, Vehicles, Stock, then Invoices.

If you need help, ask support before importing large data.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[CSV template] --> B[Upload] B --> C[Import] C --> D[Module data]

Garage Settings

Main business settings and invoice design.

  • Garage details and contact info.
  • Working hours for booking calendar.
  • Invoice logo, colours and VAT rate.

These settings affect most modules.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Garage details] --> B[Invoice look] B --> C[Booking hours]

Notification Rules

Controls reminder timing and templates.

  • Set days before or after due date.
  • Choose email or message templates.

Start simple, refine later.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Rules] --> B[Reminder timing] B --> C[Messages]

Roles & Permissions

Control what staff can see or edit.

  • Create a role (Owner, Manager, Technician).
  • Tick permissions for each module.
  • Assign roles to staff accounts.

Keep permissions tight to avoid mistakes.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Role] --> B[Permissions] B --> C[Assign staff]

Subscription

If enabled for your account, you can manage your plan here.

  • View current plan and active features.
  • Upgrade if you need more tools.

If you do not see this menu, it is not enabled.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Plan] --> B[Active features]

My Profile

Your personal details and profile photo.

  • Open by clicking your name in the sidebar.
  • Update contact details and password.

A clear profile photo helps staff identify accounts.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Profile] --> B[Update details] B --> C[Photo/password]

Support Chat

Use the support chat to report issues or request help.

  • Select the correct type: suggestion, error or support.
  • Describe the problem clearly.
  • You will receive replies inside the same chat.

Support is the best place for urgent technical issues.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Send message] --> B[Support inbox] B --> C[Reply + notification]

Help Bot

The help bot answers common questions about the app.

  • Ask simple questions like “How do I make an invoice?”
  • Use it for quick guidance when staff are busy.

The bot gives guidance but does not replace support for errors.

Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Ask question] --> B[Quick guidance]

Quick FAQ

Use MOT Check / Smart Intake.

Yes, you can create invoices directly.

Use the customer search before adding a new record.

Garage Settings.

Set VAT rate in Garage Settings and tick VAT per invoice line.

Go to Service Types and click Add.

Edit the vehicle and select the customer.

Open the booking and use Create Job Card.

No, technicians update Job Cards.

Open the invoice and use Record Payment.

Stock only reduces for non-draft, non-cancelled invoices.

Create a Purchase and mark it Received.

Check Dashboard and Reminders.

Edit the customer in Customers, then refresh the invoice.

Update working hours in Garage Settings.

Check API settings or try again later.

Use the technician update form on the Job Card.

They appear in Customer Requests.

Yes, you can create an invoice directly.

Use Support Chat or the Help Bot.
Module Flow
flowchart LR A[Common questions] --> B[Short answers]