Dashboard & Getting Started
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. Think of it as your garage's control centre -- a single place where you can check how the business is performing, see what needs your attention right now, and jump straight into any task.
Here is what the dashboard helps you do at a glance:
- See how many jobs are active, confirmed, or completed
- Track revenue and unpaid invoices
- Monitor inventory health so you never run out of critical parts
- Get real-time notifications when new bookings come in
- Quickly navigate to bookings, services, customers, and settings
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 provided by your administrator.
- 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). Simply click on the garage you want to view, and you will be taken to 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. This is a friendly greeting that introduces you to the key next steps for getting your garage ready.
What you will see
A popup window appears 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.
Good to know: The welcome popup will not appear again after you dismiss it. If you need to revisit setup steps later, you can always use the setup checklist at the top of the dashboard (described below).
The Setup Checklist
If your garage still has some basic setup steps to complete, the top section of the dashboard will show a Setup Progress bar instead of your usual business metrics. This ensures you do not miss anything important before you start operating.
What you will see
- A progress bar showing how many steps are complete (for example, "2 of 3 complete")
- Three setup cards displayed side by side:
- 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 card shows either a green checkmark (complete) or a Configure button that takes you directly to the right settings page.
Step-by-step: Completing your setup
- Look at the setup cards at the top of your dashboard.
- Click Configure on any incomplete item.
- Fill in the required information on the settings page that opens.
- Return to the dashboard -- the card will now show a green checkmark.
- Once all three items are complete, the setup section automatically disappears and your full business metrics appear in its place.
Good to know: You can complete these steps in any order. The system checks in real time, so your progress updates as soon as you save changes.
Key Features of the Dashboard
Once setup is complete, the dashboard displays four main sections, each loading independently so you can start reading data as soon as it is available.
1. Business Performance Snapshot (Top Section)
This is the card at the very top of the page. It gives you a quick-read view of your garage's key numbers over the last 30 days.
What you will see
Six metric tiles arranged in a grid:
| Metric | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Active Jobs | How many vehicles are currently being worked on in your bays right now |
| Confirmed | Bookings that have been confirmed and are waiting to be serviced |
| Unpaid Invoices | The total amount outstanding from invoices that have not been paid yet, plus how many invoices are unpaid |
| Pending Revenue | Revenue from bookings that are still awaiting confirmation, with a count of those bookings |
| Completed | Total jobs completed in the last 30 days, with a trend arrow showing whether this is up or down compared to last month |
| Avg Job Value | The average revenue per completed job, also with a month-over-month trend indicator |
Understanding trend indicators
Next to some metrics, you will see a small coloured pill:
- Green with an up arrow -- This number has increased compared to last month. That is generally a positive sign.
- Red with a down arrow -- This number has decreased compared to last month.
- Grey dash -- No change from last month.
These trends help you spot patterns quickly without needing to dig into detailed reports.
Good to know: On mobile devices, the Unpaid Invoices and Avg Job Value tiles are hidden to keep the screen uncluttered. You can still see them by viewing the dashboard on a tablet or desktop.
2. Financial Overview
Below the performance snapshot, you will find the Financial Overview section. This provides a deeper look at your revenue.
What you will see
- Current month revenue compared to last month
- A revenue trend chart showing the last several months as a visual line graph, so you can see whether revenue is growing, stable, or declining
- Revenue projections based on your current trajectory
This section is especially useful for garage owners and managers who want to track financial health over time.
3. Garage Stats & Activity
This section gives you operational insights and an activity heatmap.
What you will see
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Activity Heatmap -- A row of coloured tiles representing each day. Darker green means more bookings on that day; lighter or grey means fewer. You can toggle between 7-day, 14-day, and 30-day views (on desktop). Hover over any tile to see the exact booking count and date.
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Booking Pipeline -- Four clickable cards showing how many bookings are in each stage:
- Pending -- Waiting for confirmation
- Confirmed -- Approved and scheduled
- In Service -- Currently being worked on
- Completed -- Finished
Click any pipeline card to jump straight to a filtered list of those bookings.
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Monthly Performance Stats -- Four summary cards:
- Bookings created this month (with month-over-month trend)
- Customers served this month (with trend)
- Completion rate (percentage of bookings that were completed)
- Average bookings per day
Good to know: Early in the month, the system shows a blue information banner explaining that trends are calculated using daily averages for a fair comparison. As the month progresses, the data becomes more representative.
4. Inventory Alerts
The bottom section of the dashboard monitors your parts and supplies inventory.
What you will see
- Four summary stats: Total tracked items, Healthy stock, Low stock, and Critical (out of stock)
- A list of items that need attention, sorted with the most urgent (out of stock) at the top:
- Each item shows its name, current quantity, and unit cost
- Red items are completely out of stock
- Amber/yellow items are running low (below the minimum threshold you set)
- Each item has a Reorder button that takes you to the inventory page
- If all your inventory is healthy, you will see a green "All stocked up" confirmation instead
If you have not added any inventory items yet, you will see a prompt inviting you to Add your first item.
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.
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:
| Menu Item | Where it takes you |
|---|---|
| Overview | Back to this dashboard |
| Bookings | All bookings for this garage |
| Services | Your service catalogue |
| Customers | Customer directory |
| Settings | Garage profile and configuration |
Quick Actions Menu
In the top-right corner of the Business Performance Snapshot card, you will see a three-dot menu icon. Click it to access quick shortcuts:
- Refresh data -- Manually reload all dashboard data
- Job Cards / Bay Management -- Jump to your service bays to see what is happening on the floor
- Manage Services -- Go directly to your services page
- Opening Hours -- Edit your business hours
- Business Address -- Update your location
- Garage Settings -- Open your full garage profile and settings
There is also a refresh button (circular arrow icon) next to the menu for a quick data reload at any time.
Refreshing Your Data
Dashboard data refreshes automatically, but if you want the very latest numbers:
- Click the circular arrow icon at the top of any dashboard section, or
- Use the three-dot menu and choose Refresh data
Each section (performance snapshot, financial overview, stats, inventory) can be refreshed independently.
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 navigate to the garage management area), 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, navigate back to the Garage List (your administrator can confirm the exact menu location for your organisation).
- 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
One of the most useful features of the dashboard is live 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, no need to navigate away
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 by clicking the dismiss button.
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
Here is a recommended workflow for getting everything set up and starting to use autoGMS effectively.
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
- Try hovering 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
- Ask your administrator to add team members (technicians, service advisors) to the system
- Each person gets their own login with permissions appropriate to their role
Tips & Best Practices
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Check the dashboard first thing every morning. It takes 30 seconds to see what jobs are active, what is pending, and whether any inventory needs reordering.
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Use the activity heatmap to spot patterns. If you notice certain days are consistently busier, you can staff accordingly.
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Keep an eye on the trend arrows. A downward trend in completed jobs or average job value might signal something to investigate. An upward trend confirms that improvements are working.
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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.
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Refresh data after big changes. If you have just completed several jobs or updated invoices, hit the refresh button to make sure the dashboard reflects the latest state.
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Use the quick actions menu. Instead of navigating through multiple pages, use the three-dot menu at the top of the performance snapshot to jump directly to bays, services, hours, or settings.
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Review the financial overview weekly. The revenue chart shows your trajectory over time. A quick weekly glance helps you catch trends before they become problems.
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: Why do some metric tiles not show on my phone? A: To keep the mobile experience clean and readable, the "Unpaid Invoices" and "Avg Job Value" tiles are hidden on smaller screens. Switch to a tablet or desktop to see all six tiles.
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 and your full metrics take its place.
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 "Pending Revenue" metric? A: Pending revenue is the total estimated value of bookings that are still in "pending" status -- meaning they have been submitted but not yet confirmed. This gives you a sense of potential incoming revenue once those bookings are approved.
Need More Help?
If you have questions not covered here, reach out to your autoGMS administrator or contact our support team. We are here to make sure your garage runs smoothly from day one.