Applying a Checklist Template to a Work Order

Summary

A checklist template is a reusable list of tasks the garage uses for a common job, such as a B service or an MOT prep. Once a manager has created a template in settings, anyone with permission to edit a work order can apply it. Applying the template spawns the individual tasks onto the work order so the technician sees them in the Tasks list when they open the job card. Safety-critical flags carry over from the template.

Prerequisites

• You are signed in with a service advisor, manager, or owner account.
• You have permission to modify the work order (work_orders.update capability).
• At least one active checklist template exists. To create one, see Creating and Managing Checklist Templates.
• The work order is open at /work-orders/{id} and the Tasks section is visible.

Steps

Opening the apply-template dialog

1. Open the work order at /work-orders/{id}.
2. Find the Tasks section. Depending on the state of the work order it shows one of:
   • “No description or tasks defined” - empty state, with Add Task Manually and Apply Template buttons.
   • The job description in an amber box with Add Task Manually and Apply Template buttons - tasks will be auto-created from the description when the technician first opens the job, or you can apply a template now.
   • An existing task table, with Add Task and Apply Template buttons in the header.
3. Tap Apply Template.

Choosing a template

1. The Apply Checklist Template dialog opens. It loads the active templates available to the garage.
2. Each template row shows the template name and the number of tasks it contains, e.g. “Full Service (12 tasks)”.
3. If no templates are available, the dialog says “No checklist templates available. Create templates in Settings.”
4. Select one template by tapping its row. A tick appears next to it.

Applying the template

1. Tap the Apply Template button at the bottom of the dialog.
2. The system spawns each task from the template onto the work order in the order they were defined.
3. Safety-critical flags carry over: any task marked safety-critical in the template is also safety-critical on the work order.
4. A “Template applied successfully” toast confirms.
5. The Tasks table updates to show the new tasks.

Duplicate handling

1. If the work order already has a task with the same description as one in the template, the duplicate is skipped. Existing tasks are not overwritten and their completion status is preserved.
2. This means you can safely apply the same template a second time after editing it - only the new tasks will be added.

After applying

1. The technician sees the spawned tasks the next time they open the job card. The Tasks tab uses the safety-critical flag to highlight items in amber and to block sign-off until they are done.
2. If you applied the wrong template, delete the spawned tasks individually using the row trash icons on the Tasks table. There is no bulk “undo template” - check the template name carefully before applying.

Combining templates

1. To stack two templates on the same work order (e.g. B Service plus MOT Prep), apply them one after another. Duplicate tasks are skipped, so you do not get two of the same item.

Expected Outcome

• The selected template’s tasks all appear in the work order Tasks table, in the same order as the template.
• Safety-critical items are flagged in red on the work order Tasks table and in amber on the technician’s Tasks tab.
• Re-applying a template does not duplicate existing tasks.
• The technician sees the new tasks the next time they open the job card.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Cause	Fix
The Apply Template button is not visible	You do not have permission to modify this work order.	Ask a manager or owner to apply the template, or check the role of the account you are using.
The dialog says “No checklist templates available”	No active templates exist for the garage.	A manager needs to create one in settings - see Creating and Managing Checklist Templates.
A template I expected to see is missing	The template has been deactivated.	Ask a manager to reactivate it in settings, or pick a different template.
Applying a template did nothing	The work order already had every task in the template, so all were skipped as duplicates.	Check the Tasks table - the existing tasks are still there. To force a re-apply, delete the duplicates first, then apply again.
I applied the wrong template by mistake	There is no bulk undo.	Delete the spawned tasks one by one from the Tasks table. Then apply the correct template.

Notes

• A template applies a snapshot of its task list at the moment you apply it. If the template is later edited, work orders that already had it applied are not retroactively updated.
• Safety-critical flags from the template are independent from the work order. You can edit a spawned task to clear the flag without affecting the template.
• Applying a template does not change the work order description. If a description was driving auto-task generation when the technician first opened the job, applying a template before that point pre-empts the auto-generation.

Permissions

• Applying a template requires the work_orders.update capability (advisor, manager, owner).
• Creating, editing, or deleting templates requires the settings.access capability and is described in Creating and Managing Checklist Templates.