Dashboard
Welcome to autoGMS. This guide walks you through your first login, helps you understand the main dashboard, and shows you how to get the most out of it every day. Whether you are a garage owner, manager, or staff member, the dashboard is your home base for everything happening in your garage.
Overview
The dashboard is the first screen you see after logging in. It gives you a single-page view of your garage's financial health, booking activity, and inventory status. Everything loads independently so you can start reading data as soon as it is available.
Here is what the dashboard helps you do at a glance:
- See income vs expenses and track monthly revenue trends
- View booking counts and revenue broken down by status
- Monitor financial metrics like net profit, VAT, and annual projections
- Spot booking patterns with an activity heatmap
- Check inventory health and catch low-stock items before they cause delays
- Get real-time notifications when new bookings come in
If you manage more than one garage, you can switch between them without logging out.
How to Access the Dashboard
- Open your web browser and go to the autoGMS login page.
- Enter your email address and password.
- Click Log in.
- You will land on the Garage Dashboard for your default garage.
If you have access to multiple garages, you will first see the Garage List screen (more on that below). Click on the garage you want to view to open its dashboard.
First Login: The Welcome Experience
When you log in for the very first time -- or when a brand-new garage has just been created -- you will see a Welcome popup.
What you will see
A popup window with:
- A personalised welcome message using your garage's name
- A short checklist of recommended first actions:
- Set up your services -- Add the services your garage offers (oil change, tyre fitting, full inspection, and so on).
- Configure your opening hours -- Let autoGMS know when your garage is open so bookings land in the right time slots.
- Start taking bookings -- Once services and hours are in place, you are ready to accept your first booking.
Click the Get Started button at the bottom of the popup to close it and begin exploring the dashboard. You will only see this welcome message once.
The Setup Checklist
If your garage still has basic setup steps to complete, a Setup Progress checklist appears in the sidebar layout. It tracks three milestones:
- Business location -- Your garage's physical address
- Opening hours -- The days and times your garage operates
- Service menu -- The list of services you offer
Each step shows either a green checkmark (complete) or is clickable to take you directly to the right settings page. Once all three are complete, the checklist disappears automatically.
Good to know: You can complete these steps in any order. Your progress updates in real time as soon as you save changes.
Dashboard Sections
Once setup is complete, the dashboard displays five main sections stacked vertically. Each section loads independently so you can start reading data as soon as it arrives.
1. Welcome Header
At the very top of the page you will see a banner that says "Welcome back, {your name}" with a subtitle: "Here's what's happening at {garage name}." This gives you immediate context about which garage you are viewing.
2. Income & Expense Chart + Booking Status Summary
These two cards sit side by side on larger screens (and stack vertically on mobile).
Income & Expense Chart (left, wider)
A bar chart showing monthly income (dark blue bars) and expenses (coral bars) over time.
What you will see:
- Monthly bars with hover tooltips showing exact amounts
- A period selector at the top: This Year, Last Year, 6 Months, or 12 Months (on mobile this becomes a dropdown)
- A stats panel to the right (or below on smaller screens) showing:
| Metric | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Income | Total income for the period with a percentage bar |
| Expenses | Total expenses for the period with a percentage bar |
| Net | Income minus expenses with a profit/loss margin percentage and trend icon |
| Ratio bar | A horizontal bar showing the income-to-expense split visually |
- A footer note: "Values shown here do not include tax."
Booking Status Summary (right, narrower)
A summary of bookings whose current status was entered this month, broken down by status.
What you will see:
- A total revenue amount at the top with the number of bookings
- A distribution bar showing the proportion of bookings in each status, colour-coded:
- Amber -- Pending
- Navy -- Confirmed
- Purple -- In Service
- Teal -- Completed
- Grey -- Cancelled
- A status list below the bar with five rows (one per status), each showing:
- A coloured icon
- The status name
- The booking count
- The revenue amount for that status
- Click any status row to open the Bookings page with that matching status chip selected
- Hover over any row to see the percentage of total revenue
- A footer showing "Current status entered in {current month and year}"
3. Financial Overview
A large card providing a deeper look at your revenue, expenses, and profitability. It has a Refresh button and a Full report button (visible when the analytics feature is enabled) in the header.
Financial Summary (4 cards)
Four metric cards in a grid:
| Card | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Total revenue | Current month's completed revenue with a percentage trend vs last month and a comparison bar |
| Total expenses | Net expenses with trend. A decrease is shown in green (expenses going down is positive). |
| Net profit | Revenue minus expenses. Green if positive, red if negative, with trend and comparison bar. |
| VAT summary | VAT claimable and VAT non-recoverable amounts |
Each of the first three cards includes a small comparison visualisation showing last month vs this month as two horizontal bars.
Revenue Metrics (2 cards)
Below the financial summary, two side-by-side cards:
-
Current month revenue -- Large amount with a daily-rate growth badge comparing your daily pace to last month. Below it, a 6-month mini sparkline chart showing the revenue trend with hover tooltips per month.
-
Average ticket value -- Average revenue per completed booking with a trend badge and its own 6-month sparkline chart.
Revenue Pipeline Banner
If you have bookings with uncollected value, an amber banner appears with two action buttons:
- Complete -- Shows the total value of in-service bookings. Click to go to your bookings list filtered to In-Service.
- Pending -- Shows the total value of pending bookings. Click to go to bookings filtered to Pending.
This helps you quickly see how much revenue is waiting to be realised and take action.
Annual Projections
When enough historical data is available, this section appears with:
- A circular progress ring showing how far through the year you are
- Your annual revenue projection based on current trajectory
- Year-to-date earned amount
- A weighted monthly average
- A progress bar with percentage
Good to know: On mobile, the financial summary grid stacks to a single column. The revenue metrics and annual projections sections also stack vertically.
4. Garage Performance Snapshot
A card showing operational insights about your booking activity. It has a Refresh button and a View jobs button (links to your Workshop page) in the header.
Activity Heatmap
A row of coloured tiles representing each day. Darker green means more bookings on that day; lighter or grey means fewer.
- On desktop, toggle between 7-day, 14-day, and 30-day views
- On mobile, the view is fixed to 7 days
- Each tile displays the booking count inside it
- Today's tile has a blue ring highlight
- Hover over any tile to see the full date, booking count, and activity level (None, Low, Medium, High)
Colour scale: grey = 0 bookings, light green = 1-3, medium green = 4-7, dark green = 8 or more.
This Month's Performance
Four summary cards in a grid:
| Metric | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Bookings created | Number of bookings created this month with a pro-rated trend vs last month |
| Customers served | Number of customers served this month with trend |
| Completion rate | Percentage of bookings that were completed |
| Average per day | Average number of bookings per day |
Good to know: Early in the month, a blue information banner appears explaining that trends are calculated using daily averages for a fair comparison since few days have elapsed. As the month progresses, the data becomes more representative.
If your garage has no data yet, you will see an empty state with a Create your first booking button.
5. Inventory Alerts
The bottom section monitors your parts and supplies inventory. It has a Refresh button and a View inventory button in the header.
Stats Grid (4 numbers)
| Stat | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Total items | How many items you are tracking |
| Healthy | Items with stock above their minimum threshold |
| Low stock | Items running low (below threshold but not zero) |
| Out of stock | Items with zero stock |
Items Needing Attention
Below the stats, a list of up to 5 items sorted by urgency (out-of-stock first):
- Each row shows the item name, current stock quantity with unit type, cost, and a status label
- Red items are out of stock
- Amber items are running low
- Click any row to go directly to that item in your Inventory page
If more than 5 items need attention, a View more button appears.
If all inventory is healthy, you see a green banner: "All stock levels healthy" with the total item count.
If no inventory items have been added yet, you see a prompt with an Add inventory items button.
Good to know: Inventory thresholds are set per item. To adjust when you get alerted about low stock, go to your Inventory page and edit the minimum threshold for each item.
Refreshing Your Data
Each dashboard section has its own refresh button (circular arrow icon) in its header. Click it to reload that section's data. Sections load independently, so refreshing one does not affect the others.
Dashboard data is cached for performance and refreshes periodically in the background. If you need the absolute latest numbers, use the section-level refresh buttons.
Navigating the Dashboard
The Navigation Sidebar
On the left side of the screen (or accessible via a menu icon on mobile), you will find links to all major sections. The sidebar is organized into groups:
| Section | Menu Items |
|---|---|
| Overview | Dashboard, Analytics |
| Bookings & Jobs | Bookings, Estimates, Jobs (service bays), Reception Desk, Services, MOT Dashboard (UK only) |
| Customers | Customers, Lead Tracker, Reviews, Marketing |
| Inventory | Inventory, Purchase Orders |
| Finance | Invoices, Collections, Expenses, Accounting Entries |
| Payments | Overview, Settings (when Stripe Connect is configured) |
| Financial Reporting | Accounting, Profit & Loss, Actuals & Forecast, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, General Ledger, Account Balances, Aged Receivables, Aged Payables, Tax Report |
At the bottom of the sidebar, there is a Settings button that opens a popover menu with links to Garage Settings, Booking Widget Setup, Booking Settings, Your Technicians, and (for organization owners) Org Settings.
Good to know: The sections and items you see depend on your role and which features are enabled for your garage. For example, the Inventory section only appears if inventory tracking is enabled. See Roles & Access Control for details on what each role can see.
Garage Switching (Multi-Garage Organisations)
If your organisation has more than one garage, you can easily switch between them.
The Garage List
When you first log in (or click the garage name at the top of the sidebar), you will see a table listing all your garages.
What you will see
A table with the following columns for each garage:
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Name | The garage's name |
| Status | A coloured badge -- Active (green), Inactive (grey), Maintenance (yellow), Suspended (red), or Pending (blue) |
| Location | Street, city, and emirate/region |
| Contact | Phone number and email |
| Services | Number of services offered |
| Bookings | Active bookings count and total bookings count |
| Revenue | Total revenue for this garage |
| Customers | Number of customers served |
How to switch garages
- From any page, click on the garage name at the top of the sidebar. This opens the Garage List.
- Click on any row in the garage table.
- You will be taken directly to that garage's dashboard.
If you have more than 10 garages, the list is paginated. Use the Previous and Next buttons at the bottom to move between pages.
Good to know: Each garage has its own independent dashboard, metrics, and settings. Switching garages updates everything on screen to reflect that specific garage's data.
Real-Time Notifications
When something important happens, you will know immediately -- even without refreshing the page.
What triggers a notification
- A new booking is created -- You will see the customer's name and the service they booked
- A booking status changes -- For example, when a booking is confirmed, started, completed, or cancelled
What you will see
A sliding notification banner appears on the screen. It includes:
- The notification type (new booking, status update)
- A brief description of what happened
- Action buttons:
- View -- Opens the booking details
- Confirm -- (For new bookings) Confirms the booking right from the notification
Notifications include a sound alert so you do not miss them even if you are not looking at the screen. They automatically disappear after a few seconds, but you can close them manually.
Good to know: Notifications are specific to the garage you are currently viewing. If you switch garages, you will only receive notifications for the new garage.
Step-by-Step Guide: Your First Day
Step 1: Complete the setup checklist
- Add your garage's address
- Set your opening hours
- Create your service menu (at least your most common services)
Step 2: Explore the dashboard
- Look at each section and get familiar with where information lives
- Hover over metrics and chart elements to see tooltips with additional detail
Step 3: Add your first booking
- Click Bookings in the navigation menu
- Create a new booking with a customer name, vehicle, and service
- Watch the dashboard metrics update in real time
Step 4: Set up your inventory (optional but recommended)
- Navigate to the Inventory section
- Add your most-used parts and supplies
- Set minimum stock thresholds so you get alerts before you run out
Step 5: Invite your team
- Go to Settings > Garage Settings > Team & Access and click Add Team Member
- Add technicians, service advisors, managers, and admins as needed
- Each person gets their own login with permissions appropriate to their role
- See Roles & Access Control for a breakdown of what each role can do
Tips & Best Practices
-
Check the dashboard first thing every morning. It takes 30 seconds to see income vs expenses, what is pending, and whether any inventory needs reordering.
-
Use the activity heatmap to spot patterns. If you notice certain days are consistently busier, you can staff accordingly.
-
Keep an eye on the trend arrows. A downward trend in revenue or average ticket value might signal something to investigate. An upward trend confirms that improvements are working.
-
React to notifications promptly. When a new booking comes in, confirming it quickly gives your customers confidence. Use the "Confirm" button right from the notification to save time.
-
Act on the revenue pipeline banner. If you see pending or in-service revenue waiting, click through to move those bookings forward.
-
Review the financial overview weekly. The sparkline charts show your trajectory over time. A quick weekly glance helps you catch trends before they become problems.
-
Use section refresh buttons after big changes. If you have just completed several jobs or updated invoices, hit the refresh button on the relevant section to see the latest state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I just logged in and my dashboard shows all zeros. Is something wrong? A: No, this is perfectly normal for a new garage. The metrics will start populating as you create bookings, complete jobs, and process invoices. Complete the setup checklist first, then create your first booking to see numbers appear.
Q: How often does the dashboard data refresh automatically? A: Dashboard data is cached for performance and refreshes periodically in the background. If you need the absolute latest numbers, click the refresh icon on any section. All sections load independently, so one slow section will not hold up the rest.
Q: I manage multiple garages. Can I see a combined view? A: The dashboard shows data for one garage at a time. To compare garages, use the Garage List view which shows key stats (bookings, revenue, customers) for every garage in a table. You can switch between individual garage dashboards by clicking on any garage in the list.
Q: What does the setup checklist check for? A: The checklist looks for three things: (1) a valid business address, (2) operating hours set for at least one day, and (3) at least one service added to your service menu. Once all three are in place, the checklist disappears.
Q: I heard a notification sound but missed the message. Where can I find it? A: Notifications slide in and auto-dismiss after a few seconds. While there is no notification history on the dashboard itself, you can check your Bookings page to see the latest activity and any bookings that need your attention.
Q: What do the colours on the activity heatmap mean? A: The heatmap shows booking volume by day. Grey means no bookings, light green means a few (1-3), medium green means moderate activity (4-7), and dark green means a busy day (8 or more). Hover over any day to see the exact count.
Q: Can I change the currency displayed on the dashboard? A: Currency is set at the garage level based on your region and garage settings. If you need to change it, go to your Garage Settings page. The dashboard will update automatically to reflect the new currency.
Q: What is the revenue pipeline banner? A: The revenue pipeline banner appears when you have pending or in-service bookings with monetary value. It shows how much revenue is sitting in those stages, with buttons to jump directly to the relevant bookings list so you can move them forward.
Q: Where is the annual projections section? A: Annual projections appear below the revenue metrics in the Financial Overview card. They only show when enough historical data is available to make a meaningful projection. New garages will not see this section until they have several months of booking data.
Quick Reference
| I want to... | Go here | Do this |
|---|---|---|
| View dashboard | Click garage name in sidebar | Opens main dashboard |
| Change chart period | Income & Expense chart → period tabs | Select This Year, Last Year, 6 Mo, or 12 Mo |
| See revenue by booking status | Booking Status Summary card | View the status list with counts and revenue |
| View financial summary | Financial Overview → Financial Summary | See revenue, expenses, net profit, VAT cards |
| View revenue trend | Financial Overview → Revenue Metrics → sparkline chart | Hover for monthly details |
| Act on pending revenue | Financial Overview → Revenue Pipeline banner | Click Pending or Complete buttons |
| See annual projection | Financial Overview → Annual Projections | View projected annual revenue and YTD |
| View booking heatmap | Garage Performance Snapshot → Activity Heatmap | Toggle 7/14/30 days (desktop) |
| See monthly performance | Garage Performance Snapshot → This Month's Performance | View bookings, customers, completion rate, daily avg |
| Check inventory health | Inventory Alerts → stats grid | See total, healthy, low, out-of-stock counts |
| View low-stock items | Inventory Alerts → items list | Click any row to go to that item in Inventory |
| Refresh a section | Section header → circular arrow icon | Reloads that section's data |
| Navigate to analytics | Financial Overview → Full report button | Opens Analytics dashboard |
| Navigate to workshop | Garage Performance Snapshot → View jobs button | Opens Workshop / Job Cards page |
| Navigate to inventory | Inventory Alerts → View inventory button | Opens Inventory page |
| Quick-add booking | New Booking button (calendar-plus icon in header) | Opens booking panel |
| Switch garages | Click garage name at top of sidebar | Opens Garage List |
| Complete setup | Setup checklist → click incomplete step | Takes you to the relevant settings page |