Karotech Workshop System

Enterprise user guide — dashboard, jobs, invoicing, inventory, SARS reporting, diagnostic tools, security roles, branding and backups.

Version 3.2.6 · Enterprise · SQLite + API server

1. Getting started

The system runs in the browser (or as an installed PWA) and uses the API server and SQLite as the authoritative shared store, with local browser storage available as an offline fallback. Keep the API server running when multiple devices need the same users, settings and workshop data.

First launch
  1. Complete the onboarding form (company name, optional tax numbers).
  2. Create the first Admin user (username + password, minimum 12 characters).
  3. Open Settings → company details, VAT status, year-end, labour rate, banking for invoices.
  4. Set the Company Name first. Appearance & branding then uses that name consistently in the logo/header, login screen and documents. You can also choose colours, density, sidebar style, card shape and shadow depth.
  5. Export a backup after your first real data entry.

2. User roles & security

Each person signs in with their own username and password. Passwords are stored as one-way hashes. Sessions auto-lock after idle time (configurable in Settings).

Module Admin Finance Technician Office Admin
DashboardYesYesYesYes
ClientsYesYes—Yes
AppointmentsYesYesYesYes
InvoicingYesYes—Yes
Job cardsYesYesYesYes
TransactionsYesYes—Yes
InventoryYesYes—Yes
VehiclesYesYes—Yes
CalendarYesYes—Yes
SARS reportsYesYes—Yes
SettingsYesYes——
Tools (DTC, Manuals, SCN, DQ200)Yes—Yes—
Manage users / factory resetYes———
Invoice import / exportYesYes—Yes
Admin tip: Keep at least one Admin account. Roles are changed under Settings → Users & access. Menu items the user cannot open are hidden automatically after sign-in.

3. Daily workshop workflow

  1. Appointment — book the vehicle and client.
  2. Job card — capture work, parts, labour hours.
  3. Quote (optional) — send for approval; accept to continue.
  4. Invoice — convert or create; mark sent / part-paid / paid.
  5. Transaction — income posts feed SARS-style reports and VAT planning.

The Dashboard pipeline and aged receivables panels summarise open work and unpaid invoices.

4. Module reference

Dashboard

Income / expense snapshot for the tax year, backup reminders, low-stock alerts, workflow and aged debt.

Clients & vehicles

Store contact details and vehicle history. Selecting a client on an invoice or job card auto-fills name, phone, email and vehicle.

Appointments & calendar

Schedule bay time; calendar gives a month-style overview of bookings and jobs.

Job cards

Technical record of work performed. Printable for the customer or workshop file.

Invoicing

Separate lists for invoices and quotes. Line items, VAT (if registered), payments, print/PDF, WhatsApp helper for attaching PDFs.

Transactions & SARS reports

Categorised income and expenses, IRP6-style provisional estimates, printable year packs. Confirm figures with a registered tax practitioner before filing.

Inventory

Parts on hand, low-stock warnings, CSV export for external tools.

5. Invoicing import & export

On the Invoicing toolbar (Admin, Finance, Office Admin):

Export before major clean-ups or when moving to another PC. Full system backups (Settings) include invoices plus clients, jobs, stock and settings.

6. Appearance & branding

Under Settings → Appearance & branding:

Click Save all settings to persist and push the settings to the API server. Company Name is the master branding name. The live preview updates as you edit colours and appearance controls.

7. Backup, restore & lock screen

8. Diagnostic tools

Visible to Admin and Technician only:

Always follow manufacturer safety procedures; guides are reference only.

9. Tips & troubleshooting