Workflow Configuration

Summary

The Workflow Settings page lets owners configure the work order statuses that drive the Workshop Kanban board and the work orders list. Each status has a name, colour, sort order, type flags (initial, workable, terminal), and an optional number of days before a job in that status counts as stuck. You can add, edit, reorder, and delete statuses to match your garage’s process. This page also sets which status means a job is finished, and controls vehicle mileage recording requirements.

Prerequisites

• You are signed in with the settings.access capability. By default, the Owner role has this.
• Navigate to Settings in the sidebar.

Permissions

This page requires the settings.access capability. Users without it are redirected to /dashboard.

Steps

1. Open Workflow Settings

Go to Settings > Workflow. The page is at /settings/workflow.

The page header shows the title Workflow Settings and the subtitle “Configure work order statuses and workflow”. The Add Status button sits at the top right.

2. Understand status types

The page includes an information card explaining the three status type flags:

• Initial Status - the default status for new work orders. Only one status can be marked as initial at a time. Setting a new status as initial automatically removes the flag from the previous one.
• Workable Status - statuses where technicians can actively work on the vehicle (e.g. “In Progress”). These appear as active columns on the Workshop Kanban.
• Terminal Status - end states that mark the job as complete or cancelled. At least one terminal status is required.

3. Review existing statuses

The Work Order Statuses card shows all configured statuses. The card description reads “X statuses configured. Drag to reorder the workflow sequence.” Each status row displays:

• A drag handle (grip icon) for reordering.
• A position number (1, 2, 3…).
• A colour dot showing the status colour.
• The status name.
• Type badges: “Initial” (with play icon), “Workable” (amber, with flag icon), “Terminal” (green, with tick icon).
• An edit button (pencil icon).
• A delete button (bin icon).

4. Add a new status

1. Click the Add Status button.
2. The Add New Status dialog opens with the description “Create a new work order status for your workflow”.
3. Fill in the fields:
   • Status Name - required, max 50 characters. For example: “Quality Check”, “In Progress”, “Awaiting Parts”.
   • Status Color - choose from preset swatches or enter a custom hex code. Presets include:
     • Gray (#6B7280) - Neutral / Pending
     • Blue (#3B82F6) - Scheduled / Active
     • Amber (#F59E0B) - In Progress
     • Green (#10B981) - Complete / Success
     • Red (#EF4444) - Cancelled / Error
     • Purple (#8B5CF6) - Special / QC
     • Pink (#EC4899) - Awaiting / Hold
     • Cyan (#06B6D4) - Ready / Available
   • Initial Status checkbox - tick if new work orders should start with this status.
   • Workable Status checkbox - tick if technicians can work on vehicles in this status.
   • Terminal Status checkbox - tick if this status marks a job as finished.
   • Mark stale after (days) - optional. Enter a whole number from 1 to 365, or leave blank so this status never counts as stuck. Final statuses cannot go stale.
4. Click Create Status.

A success toast confirms “[name] has been added to your workflow”. The new status appears at the end of the list.

5. Edit an existing status

1. Click the pencil icon on a status row.
2. The Edit Status dialog opens with the current values pre-filled.
3. Modify the name, colour, or type flags as needed.
4. Click Update Status.

A success toast confirms “[name] has been updated”.

6. Reorder statuses

Drag a status row by its grip handle and drop it in the desired position. The sort order is saved automatically. The position numbers update to reflect the new order.

The sort order determines the column sequence on the Workshop Kanban board and the order in status dropdowns throughout Torqueflow.

7. Delete a status

1. Click the bin icon on a status row.
2. A confirmation dialog appears.
3. Click Delete to confirm, or Cancel to abort.

A success toast confirms deletion.

Deletion is blocked when:

• The status is the only initial status. Error: “Cannot delete the only initial status. Set another status as initial first.”
• The status is the only terminal status. Error: “Cannot delete the only terminal status. Set another status as terminal first.”
• Work orders or appointments use this status. Error: “Cannot delete status in use. X work orders and Y appointments use this status.”

8. Set when a job counts as stuck

1. Edit a status and fill in Mark stale after (days). New garages start with Pending at 30 days, Scheduled at 7 and In Progress at 14.
2. Once a night, Torqueflow flags every open job that has sat untouched for longer than its status’s limit.
3. Flagged jobs appear under Stuck on the work orders list and carry a Stale tag on the Workshop board. The flag clears as soon as anyone updates the job or books it in.
4. A changed limit takes effect at the next nightly check, not straight away.

9. Choose the job-finished status

One final status is your job-finished status. It carries a Job finished badge in the list.

1. To change it, select Mark as job-finished on another final status and confirm.
2. Jobs are signed off when they reach this status.
3. The Unbilled view on the work orders list, and the Unbilled tab on the dashboard, treat a job as finished only when it is in this status. A job sitting in a similar-looking status, such as “Completed” when your job-finished status is “Complete”, is not counted.
4. If no status is marked as job-finished, a notice warns you, because jobs cannot be signed off until one is.

10. Deal with jobs whose status is not in your workflow

The work orders list shows every job, whatever its status is called. Sometimes a job carries a status that is not one of the statuses on this page, usually from imported data or an old spelling.

1. Owners and managers see a line above the work orders list, such as “20 jobs shown here have a status that is not part of your configured workflow”, with a Review workflow settings link. The count covers the jobs on the page you are looking at.
2. Those jobs show their status as a hollow, outlined code on the list. Hover the code to read the name.
3. Open each job and move it to the right status from your workflow.
4. Do not add a new status here just to match a stray name. That permanently adds a status your garage does not use.
5. Some statuses are set by Torqueflow itself: Draft on a job created from a quote, and Awaiting Drop Off on a job booked online. These never trigger the line. They still show a hollow code on the list, and that is expected. Do not add them to your workflow. Known issue: because they are not in your workflow, the workshop board currently refuses to move these jobs to another column. Contact Torqueflow support if one needs moving on.

11. Configure vehicle mileage settings

Below the status list, the Vehicle Mileage card controls mileage recording requirements.

• Require mileage before work completion toggle - when enabled, mechanics must record the vehicle’s odometer reading before completing their job.
• Grace period field - appears when the toggle is on. Enter the number of days (0-365) within which a previously recorded mileage reading is still accepted. Default is 7 days. The value saves automatically when you leave the field.

The toggle saves immediately when switched. A success toast confirms the change.

Expected Outcome

Your workflow statuses are configured to match your garage’s process. The Workshop Kanban board at /workshop reflects these statuses as columns, using the configured colours and sort order. New work orders are created with the initial status. Terminal statuses mark jobs as complete. The mileage setting enforces odometer recording before job completion if enabled.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Cause	Fix
Page redirects to /dashboard	Your account lacks the settings.access capability	Ask the Owner to grant settings access via Roles
”A status with this name already exists” error	Another status in your organisation has the same name	Choose a different name
Cannot delete a status	It is the only initial or terminal status, or work orders/appointments use it	Set another status as initial/terminal first, or reassign existing work orders
Colour looks different on Kanban	Browser colour rendering varies	The hex code is applied exactly. Check the hex value matches what you intended
Drag and drop does not work	Browser compatibility issue	Ensure you are using a modern browser. Try refreshing the page
Grace period does not save	The value is outside 0-365 or not a number	Enter a whole number between 0 and 365
Status name field rejects input	Name exceeds 50 characters	Shorten the status name
Kanban columns do not update	Page cache	The Workshop and My Jobs pages are revalidated after changes. Refresh if needed
A job with an unfamiliar status appears on the work orders list	The job’s status is not one of your configured statuses	Open the job and move it to the correct status. See step 10
Stuck on the work orders list is empty	No status has a Mark stale after (days) limit, or the nightly check has not run since you set one	Set limits on the statuses you want chased and check again the next day

Notes

• Status names must be unique within your organisation.
• The colour hex code must be exactly 6 digits with a # prefix (e.g. #3B82F6). The colour picker validates this format.
• Changes to statuses revalidate the Workshop Kanban (/workshop) and My Jobs (/my-jobs) pages automatically.
• Only one status can be the initial status. Setting a new initial status removes the flag from the previous one.
• At least one terminal status must exist at all times.