Analytics & Reporting Guide
Your garage generates valuable data every single day -- from bookings and revenue to customer behaviour and technician workloads. The Analytics dashboard in autoGMS turns all of that raw activity into clear, visual insights so you can make smarter business decisions without crunching numbers yourself.
This guide walks you through every section of the Analytics dashboard, explains what each metric means, and shares practical tips for getting the most out of your data.
Table of Contents
- Overview
- How to Access Analytics
- Navigating the Dashboard
- Setting Your Date Range
- Revenue Tab
- Operations Tab
- Customers Tab
- Jobs Tab
- Invoices Tab
- Inventory Tab
- Technicians Tab
- Expenses Tab
- Exporting Your Data
- Tips & Best Practices
- Frequently Asked Questions
Overview
The Garage Analytics dashboard is your command centre for understanding how your business is performing. At a glance you can answer questions like:
- How much revenue did we earn this month compared to last month?
- How much did we bill this month?
- Which services bring in the most money?
- Are customers coming back, or are we losing them?
- Which technician completed the most jobs?
- Are our service bays being used efficiently?
- How are our expenses trending over time?
All data updates automatically as bookings move through their lifecycle (pending, confirmed, in-service, completed), so you are always looking at the latest picture.
Good to know: Only completed bookings count toward revenue figures. Pending, confirmed, or cancelled bookings are tracked separately so you always have an accurate financial picture.
How to Access Analytics
- Log in to your autoGMS dashboard.
- From the left-hand navigation menu, select Analytics (or Garage Analytics).
- If you manage multiple garages, you will first be asked to select an organisation and then a specific garage.
Who can access Analytics?
- Organisation owners
- Garage owners
- Garage admins
Technicians and customer accounts do not have access to the Analytics dashboard.
Good to know: If your organisation has only one garage, autoGMS will automatically load that garage's analytics -- no extra clicks needed.
Navigating the Dashboard
When the dashboard loads you will see a sticky header bar at the top of the page with the following elements:
- Page title -- "Garage Analytics" with a brief description
- Date range picker -- on the right side, lets you choose the time period for all data on the page
- Export button -- downloads an Excel report of your analytics
- Tab navigation -- a row of tabs below the header
The eight tabs are:
| Tab | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Revenue | Income, growth trends, service breakdown, month-over-month comparisons |
| Operations | Booking activity, conversion rates, bay utilisation |
| Customers | Retention rates, new vs. returning customers, vehicle makes, booking sources |
| Jobs | Completed job profitability, parts costs, labour costs, service performance |
| Invoices | Monthly billing totals plus all invoices for the selected period |
| Inventory | Stock value, item counts, low-stock alerts |
| Technicians | Technician workload, revenue per tech, efficiency scores, detailed analysis |
| Expenses | Expense summaries, trends, and financial breakdowns |
Click any tab to switch views. Your selected date range carries across all tabs so you can compare different aspects of the same time period.
Good to know: The URL in your browser updates when you switch tabs. You can bookmark a specific tab or share the link with a colleague and they will land right on that view.
Loading Indicator
When the dashboard loads data for the first time, a full-screen loading overlay shows the current progress stage (preparing data, fetching revenue, computing metrics, finalizing). Subsequent tab switches do not trigger this overlay.
Setting Your Date Range
Almost every chart and metric on the dashboard responds to the date range you select. The date range picker is located in the top-right area of the page header.
Preset Ranges
For quick access, autoGMS provides these presets:
- Today -- just today's data
- Last Week -- the previous full calendar week (Sunday to Saturday)
- Last 7 Days -- the most recent seven days
- Last 14 Days -- the most recent two weeks
- Last 30 Days -- the most recent thirty days
- Last 90 Days -- the most recent ninety days
- This Month -- from the first day of the current month through today
- Last Month -- the entire previous calendar month
- Year to Date (YTD) -- from January 1 of the current year through today (this is the default)
- Custom Range -- pick any start and end date you need using the calendar
How to Change the Date Range
- Click the date range picker in the header.
- Choose a preset from the left panel, or click Custom to open a calendar and select specific dates.
- The entire dashboard will refresh to show data for the new period.
Good to know: Some charts (like Month-over-Month analysis) need at least two months of data to display meaningful comparisons. If your selected range is too short, autoGMS will show a helpful message letting you know.
Revenue Tab
The Revenue tab is your financial dashboard. It tells you how much money your garage is making, where it is coming from, and whether you are growing.
What You Will See
Revenue Metrics Summary Table
At the top of the tab you will find a summary table with key financial figures:
- Total Revenue -- the sum of all completed booking income for the selected period
- Average Order Value -- the average amount earned per completed booking
- Revenue Growth -- the percentage change compared to the previous period
- Revenue Per Customer -- total revenue divided by the number of unique customers
- Total Transactions -- the number of completed bookings
- Booking Conversion Rate -- the percentage of all bookings that were completed (not cancelled)
Revenue Charts
Below the summary table you will find several interactive charts:
- Daily Revenue Line Chart -- shows your revenue day by day, making it easy to spot peak days, quiet days, and seasonal patterns
- Monthly Revenue Chart -- breaks down revenue by month so you can see long-term trends at a glance
- Revenue Growth Line Chart -- plots month-over-month growth as a percentage, so you can see whether your business is accelerating or slowing down
- Revenue by Status Chart -- shows how revenue is distributed across booking statuses (completed, in-service, confirmed, pending, cancelled)
- Top Services Bar Chart -- ranks your services by the revenue they generate, so you know which services are your biggest earners
Some charts require a minimum date range to display. If the selected range is too short, a message explains the minimum required range.
Month-over-Month (MoM) Analytics
At the bottom of the Revenue tab, the MoM section provides a deeper comparison:
- Revenue MoM Comparison Table -- a month-by-month table showing total revenue, booking count, average order value, and growth rate for each month
- Booking MoM Comparison Table -- focuses on booking volume changes month to month
Each row highlights whether the month grew or declined compared to the previous month, using clear up/down indicators.
How to Use Revenue Data
- Spot trends early: If the Revenue Growth chart shows two or three months of declining growth, investigate before it becomes a bigger problem.
- Identify your best services: The Top Services chart shows where your money comes from. Consider promoting your highest-revenue services or exploring why lower-revenue services are underperforming.
- Track seasonal patterns: Use the Monthly Revenue chart across a full year to understand busy and quiet seasons, then plan staffing and promotions accordingly.
Operations Tab
The Operations tab helps you understand how efficiently your garage is running day to day.
What You Will See
Operations Metrics Table
A summary table of 8 key operational KPIs:
| Metric | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Total Bookings | All bookings in the period |
| Completed Bookings | Jobs that were finished |
| Pending Bookings | Jobs still awaiting confirmation |
| Completion Rate | Percentage of bookings that were completed |
| Average Service Time | Average duration from start to completion |
| Pending to Confirmed | Average time between booking creation and confirmation |
| Confirmed to In-Service | Average time between confirmation and starting work |
| In-Service to Completed | Average time between starting and finishing work |
The transition duration metrics help you identify bottlenecks in your workflow.
Operations Charts
- Daily Bookings Line Chart -- shows how many bookings come in each day, helping you spot busy periods
- Booking Conversion Funnel -- visualises how bookings move from pending through confirmed, in-service, and finally to completed, so you can see where drop-offs happen
- Services Bar Chart -- shows which services are most frequently booked (different from the Revenue tab, which focuses on the money each service brings in)
Bay Utilisation Table
Below the charts, a dedicated card shows a table of each service bay with:
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Bay Name | The name you have given the bay |
| Bay Type | General, oil, tyre, brake, diagnostic, quick service, etc. |
| Assignments | How many jobs were assigned to this bay |
| Service Time | Total time vehicles spent in this bay |
You can sort the table by any column to find your busiest or quietest bays. Some charts require a minimum date range to display -- if the range is too short, a message explains the requirement.
How to Use Operations Data
- Reduce cancellations: If your cancellation rate is high, look at where in the funnel bookings are dropping off. Are customers cancelling before confirmation, or are confirmed bookings being cancelled later?
- Optimise bay usage: If some bays have far more assignments than others, consider rebalancing workloads or specialising certain bays for high-demand services.
- Staffing decisions: The Daily Bookings chart reveals your busiest days of the week, which helps you plan shift schedules.
Customers Tab
The Customers tab helps you understand who your customers are, how often they return, and where they come from.
What You Will See
Customer Charts
- Customer Retention Chart -- a line chart tracking retention rate, new customers, and returning customers over time; this is one of the most important charts for understanding customer loyalty
- Customer Source Chart -- shows where your customers are coming from (walk-ins, online bookings, referrals, etc.)
- Top Vehicle Makes Chart -- reveals the most common vehicle brands visiting your garage, which can help you stock the right parts and target your marketing
Some charts (particularly the retention chart) require data spanning multiple months for meaningful comparisons.
How to Use Customer Data
- Build loyalty: If your retention rate is below 40%, consider launching a loyalty programme, follow-up reminders, or post-service check-ins.
- Target marketing: The Top Vehicle Makes chart tells you which brands your garage is known for. Use this to tailor advertising and stock the most-needed parts for those makes.
- Grow strategically: Watch the New Customers metric alongside Customer Growth. A healthy garage should see a steady stream of new customers while keeping existing ones coming back.
Jobs Tab
The Jobs tab gives you a detailed, job-level view of profitability for completed work.
What You Will See
Profitability Summary Cards
At the top, you will see cards summarising:
- Total Revenue -- income from all completed jobs
- Total Parts Cost -- how much you spent on parts across all jobs
- Total Labour Cost -- labour charges across all jobs
- Total Net Profit -- revenue minus all costs
- Average Gross Margin -- the average percentage of revenue that remains after deducting parts costs
- Average Net Margin -- the average percentage of revenue remaining after all costs
Completed Jobs Chart
A line chart showing the number of jobs completed over time, so you can track throughput.
Service Performance Breakdown
A table showing each service type with its job count, total revenue, parts cost, labour cost, gross profit, and net profit. This tells you exactly which services are most profitable.
Individual Job Table
A detailed table listing each completed job with the following columns:
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Job ID / Service | Booking reference and service name |
| Date | Completion date |
| Duration | How long the job took (days or hours) |
| Revenue | Total revenue from the job |
| Parts Cost | Cost of parts used |
| Labour Cost | Labour charges |
| Total Cost | Parts + labour combined |
| Gross Profit | Revenue minus total cost |
| Net Profit | Revenue minus all costs |
| Gross Margin | Gross profit as a percentage of revenue |
| Net Margin | Net profit as a percentage of revenue |
You can search by customer name, service name, or booking number. Sort by any column, and paginate through the results. Clicking a job row navigates you to the full booking details.
How to Use Jobs Data
- Find unprofitable services: Sort by net margin to identify services that consistently operate at low or negative margins. Consider adjusting pricing or finding more cost-effective parts suppliers.
- Track cost creep: If your average net margin is declining month over month, investigate whether parts costs or labour costs are increasing.
- Celebrate wins: Jobs in the "Excellent" profitability category show what your garage does best. Double down on those services.
Invoices Tab
The Invoices tab is designed to answer two questions quickly:
- How much did we bill this month?
- Show all invoices for this period
What You Will See
Billing Summary Cards
At the top of the tab you will see four cards:
- Billed This Month -- total invoice value issued in the current calendar month
- Billed In Period -- total invoice value for the selected analytics date range
- Collected -- how much has already been paid against those invoices
- Outstanding -- what remains unpaid for the selected period
Monthly Invoice Breakdown
A month-by-month table shows:
- Month
- Invoices
- Billed
- Collected
- Outstanding
This gives you a quick billing trend without leaving the analytics dashboard.
Invoices For This Period
Below the breakdown there is a searchable invoice table for the active date range. You can search by invoice number, customer, service, or job code and sort by invoice date, customer, status, billed amount, collected amount, or outstanding amount.
Only invoices linked to completed jobs appear in this analytics tab, so the view stays focused on finished work.
How to Use Invoice Data
- Answer billing questions fast: The first card gives you an instant month-to-date billed total.
- Review a specific period: Change the analytics date range and the monthly rows plus invoice table update together.
- Follow up on unpaid work: Sort by outstanding amount or status to find invoices that still need collection.
Inventory Tab
The Inventory tab gives you a snapshot of your stock levels and helps you avoid running out of critical parts.
What You Will See
Inventory Summary Table
A metrics table showing:
- Total Inventory Value -- the total monetary worth of all parts and supplies in stock
- Total Items -- the number of different items in your inventory
- Low Stock Items -- items approaching their minimum stock level that need reordering soon
- Out of Stock Items -- items that are completely unavailable
You can sort this table by metric name or value.
Inventory Items Table
A detailed table listing every inventory item with the following columns:
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Item Name | Part name and supplier |
| Stock Quantity | Current stock level |
| Stock Status | In Stock, Low Stock, or Out of Stock |
| Stock Value | Current stock multiplied by unit cost |
| Unit Cost | Cost per unit |
| Total Used | Total quantity consumed across all jobs |
| Total Jobs | Number of jobs this item was used in |
| Usage Per Job | Average quantity used per job |
You can search, sort by any column, and paginate through the results.
Vendor Performance Table
A table showing inventory data aggregated by vendor:
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Vendor Name | The supplier |
| Items | Number of distinct items from this vendor |
| Active / Low Stock / Out of Stock | Breakdown of item statuses |
| Stock Value | Total value of stock from this vendor |
| Total Used | Total quantity consumed across all jobs |
| Jobs Served | Number of jobs using items from this vendor |
| Avg Cost Per Item | Average unit cost across all items |
| Usage Per Job | Average quantity used per job |
How to Use Inventory Data
- Prevent service delays: Check the Low Stock and Out of Stock numbers regularly. A high number of out-of-stock items can delay repairs and frustrate customers.
- Evaluate vendors: The Vendor Performance table shows which suppliers deliver the best value and reliability.
- Manage cash flow: A very high Total Inventory Value might mean you are over-stocking slow-moving items.
Technicians Tab
The Technicians tab helps you understand how your team is performing, both individually and as a group. This is a dedicated tab with its own data source, providing deeper analysis than a summary section.
What You Will See
Team Overview Metrics
A summary table with key performance indicators:
- Total Jobs Completed -- across all technicians
- Total Revenue Generated -- revenue from all technician-assigned jobs
- Average Jobs Per Technician -- workload balance indicator
- Average Revenue Per Technician -- revenue contribution per team member
- Average Completion Time -- how long jobs take on average
- Efficiency Score -- a composite score reflecting speed, quality, and throughput
Top Performers Table
A table showing the top 10 technicians ranked by revenue, with columns for name, total revenue, and jobs completed.
Detailed Technician Analysis
A deeper dive into individual technician performance, split into two sections:
Job History: Select a technician from the dropdown to view their individual job history, including job details, completion dates, and per-job metrics.
Monthly Performance: Select a technician to see their revenue analysis over time, including monthly trends and performance metrics.
Both sections include search functionality and allow you to compare individual technicians.
How to Use Technician Data
- Balance workloads: If one technician has significantly more jobs than others, redistributing work can prevent burnout and improve overall throughput.
- Identify training needs: A technician with a lower efficiency score or longer average completion time might benefit from additional training on specific service types.
- Reward top performers: Use the revenue-per-technician metric to identify and recognise your most productive team members.
- Plan hiring: If all technicians are consistently at high capacity, it may be time to bring on additional staff.
Expenses Tab
The Expenses tab provides visibility into where your money is going beyond parts and labour.
What You Will See
KPI Cards
Four summary cards at the top:
| Card | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Net Expenses | Total expenses after VAT adjustments |
| VAT Claimable | Total VAT that can be reclaimed |
| VAT Non-Recoverable | Total VAT that cannot be reclaimed |
| Cash Outflows | Total cash leaving the business |
Expense Trend Chart
A visual chart showing how your expenses have changed over time within the selected date range, making it easy to spot increasing costs early.
Category Breakdown Table
A table showing expenses grouped by category, with total amount and transaction count per category. Searchable and sortable.
Vendor Breakdown Table
A table showing expenses grouped by vendor, with total amount and transaction count per vendor. Searchable and sortable.
VAT by Category Table
A table showing VAT amounts per expense category, broken down into claimable and non-recoverable. Searchable.
Payment Methods Table
A table showing expenses grouped by payment method, with total amount and transaction count. Searchable.
Itemized Expenses Table
A detailed, paginated table of individual expense entries. Each row includes:
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Date | When the expense was recorded |
| Category | Expense category |
| Description | What the expense is for |
| Net | Amount before VAT |
| VAT | VAT amount |
| Gross | Total amount including VAT |
| Vendor | Who was paid |
| Payment Method | How it was paid |
| Payment Status | Whether the payment has been made |
You can search, sort, and paginate through the results. An Export button lets you download the itemized list as CSV.
How to Use Expense Data
- Control costs: Compare your expense trends against revenue trends. If expenses are growing faster than revenue, you need to investigate.
- Budget planning: Use month-over-month expense data to set realistic budgets for future periods.
- Category analysis: The Category Breakdown table shows which expense types consume the largest share of your budget.
- Vendor analysis: The Vendor Breakdown table helps you identify which suppliers you spend the most with.
- VAT tracking: The VAT by Category table helps you understand your claimable vs non-recoverable VAT position.
Exporting Your Data
autoGMS lets you download your analytics as an Excel file so you can share reports with partners, accountants, or investors.
How to Export
- Navigate to the Analytics dashboard.
- Set the date range you want to report on.
- Click the Export button (the download icon) in the page header.
- An Excel file will be generated and downloaded to your computer.
The Export button shows a loading state while the file is being generated. The export fetches fresh data to ensure accuracy.
What the Export Includes
The Excel file contains multiple sheets, one for each tab of the dashboard:
- Revenue metrics, daily and monthly breakdowns
- Operations and booking data
- Customer analytics
- Job profitability details
- Inventory summaries
- Technician performance data
- Expense records
Each sheet is formatted with headers, currency formatting, and clear labels so it is ready to share or print.
Good to know: The export uses the same date range you have selected on the dashboard, so make sure the right period is chosen before clicking Export.
Tips & Best Practices
Review Analytics Weekly
Set aside 15--20 minutes each week to review your dashboard. Weekly check-ins help you catch problems early and celebrate wins while they are fresh.
Compare Periods
Always look at your metrics in context. A revenue figure by itself does not mean much -- but comparing this month to last month, or this quarter to the same quarter last year, tells a powerful story. Use the date range picker to compare different periods.
Focus on Trends, Not Single Data Points
A single bad day or slow week is normal. What matters is the direction of the trend. Is your revenue generally going up? Is your retention rate improving? Focus on the trajectory rather than any individual number.
Share Reports With Your Team
Use the Export feature to create reports for team meetings. When your staff can see how their work connects to business results, they become more engaged and motivated.
Use the Right Tab for the Right Question
| Question | Tab to Check |
|---|---|
| Are we making more money than last month? | Revenue |
| Which service earns the most? | Revenue (Top Services chart) or Jobs (Service Performance) |
| Are customers coming back? | Customers (Retention chart) |
| How busy are our bays? | Operations (Bay Utilisation) |
| Is a specific technician overloaded? | Technicians |
| Are our costs under control? | Expenses |
| Are we running low on any parts? | Inventory |
| How profitable are our jobs? | Jobs (Profitability Summary) |
Act on the Data
Analytics are only useful if they lead to action. Here are examples:
- Retention rate dropping? Launch a follow-up SMS or email campaign to bring customers back.
- One service has negative margins? Review your pricing or find a cheaper parts supplier.
- Bay 3 has half the assignments of Bay 1? Investigate whether scheduling or equipment issues are limiting that bay.
- Cancellation rate rising? Reach out to customers who cancelled to understand why.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often does the data update?
Analytics data updates in real time as bookings change status. When a booking is marked as completed, the revenue and job data reflect the change within moments.
Why does my revenue show a different number than I expected?
Revenue figures on the Analytics dashboard only count completed bookings. Bookings that are still pending, confirmed, in-service, or cancelled are not included in the total revenue number. Check the Revenue by Status chart to see amounts across all statuses.
Can I see analytics for all my garages at once?
Yes. If your organisation has multiple garages, the Organisation Analytics view shows aggregated metrics across all garages, including a side-by-side comparison of each garage's revenue and booking volume. From there, you can click into any individual garage for detailed analytics.
What date range should I use?
It depends on what you are looking at:
- Day-to-day monitoring: Today, Last 7 Days, or Last 30 Days
- Weekly reviews: Last Week or Last 14 Days
- Monthly business reviews: This Month, Last Month, or Year to Date
- Seasonal analysis: Custom range covering the same period in different years
- Month-over-Month comparisons: At least 3--6 months for meaningful trends
What does "Average Order Value" mean?
Average Order Value is your total revenue divided by the number of completed bookings. It tells you how much a typical customer spends per visit. If this number is trending down, it could mean you are doing more small jobs, or your pricing may need a review.
What is the Booking Conversion Funnel?
The funnel shows how bookings move through each stage: pending, confirmed, in-service, and completed. A wide funnel at the top that narrows sharply means many bookings are being lost along the way. A healthy funnel keeps most bookings moving through to completion.
Can I export data for my accountant?
Absolutely. Click the Export button in the page header to download a multi-sheet Excel file containing all of your analytics data for the selected date range. The file includes revenue, jobs, expenses, and more -- everything an accountant typically needs.
What does the Month-over-Month (MoM) section show?
The MoM section compares each month's performance to the previous month. You will see revenue growth rates, booking volume changes, and average order value shifts. Positive growth is shown with an upward indicator, and declining months are shown with a downward indicator. This makes it easy to see at a glance whether your business is trending in the right direction.
Why do some charts say "Not enough data"?
Certain charts -- particularly Month-over-Month comparisons, retention trends, and bay utilisation -- require data spanning a minimum time range. Each chart displays a message explaining the minimum required range (for example, "requires at least 2 months of data"). Expand your date range to meet the requirement and the chart will populate.
What is the Technician Efficiency Score?
The Efficiency Score is a composite metric that takes into account how many jobs a technician completes, how quickly they work, and the revenue they generate. A higher score means the technician is getting more done, faster, and at greater value. It is useful for comparing performance across your team.
I manage multiple garages. Can each garage manager see only their own data?
Yes. Analytics access is controlled by your role and garage assignment. A garage owner or garage admin can only see analytics for the garages they are assigned to. Organisation owners can see all garages within their organisation.
This guide covers the Analytics & Reporting features of autoGMS. If you have questions not answered here, reach out to your autoGMS support team for assistance.
Quick Reference
| I want to... | Go here | Do this |
|---|---|---|
| View analytics dashboard | Sidebar → Analytics | See overview |
| Change date range | Date picker at top | Select range |
| View revenue trends | Revenue card → expand | See chart |
| View booking trends | Bookings card → expand | See chart |
| View technician stats | Technicians section | See utilization |
| View service breakdown | Services section | See by service type |
| Export data | Export button | Download CSV |
| Compare periods | Comparison toggle | Enable comparison |
| Filter by service | Service filter | Select service |
| View customer insights | Customers section | See retention, LTV |
| See top customers | Customers → Top tab | Ranked by revenue |