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Workshop Dashboard Configuration

Configuration documents define the dashboard layout for roles or individuals across your organisation. They control which panels are visible, which items appear within those panels, what the default Current Activity view is, and which navigation menu items are shown.

A user can have more than one configuration assigned, for example a triage-focused layout for the morning and a work completion layout for the afternoon. Users switch between them using the Load Configuration dropdown in the Dash Configuration panel on the dashboard.

For an overview of the dashboard and how to use it, see The Workshop Dashboard. For guidance on designing configurations for specific workflows and controlling what users can access, see Designing a Workflow-Focused Configuration and Simplifying the Dashboard for a Role.

From the Workshop Dashboard:

  1. Select the burger icon to open the navigation menu.
  2. Select Workshops and Stores.
  3. On the Workshops and Stores page, select Workshop Dash Configuration.

From the Administrator homepage:

  1. Open the Configuration dropdown.
  2. Select Workshops and Stores.
  3. Select Workshop Dash Configuration.

This lists all existing configurations. Select any configuration to open and edit it. Select New to create a new one.

How Configurations Load

Base configurations and User Preferences

There are two distinct kinds of configuration document: base configurations and User Preferences.

Base configurations are created and managed by administrators or workshop supervisors. There are three types (Business, Role Specific, and User Specific) covering different scopes of who they apply to. Base configurations are the source of truth for a layout: they define the settings that users start from.

User Preferences are created automatically the first time a user opens the dashboard. The system selects the appropriate base configuration for that user (see below), copies it, and saves the copy as the user's personal User Preference. From that point on, the dashboard loads from the User Preference. The base configuration is not re-read on subsequent visits. Any changes a user makes and saves from the Dash Configuration panel are written to their User Preference, not to the base configuration.

Because of this separation, changes to a base configuration do not automatically appear on a user's dashboard. To pick up changes from a base configuration, a user must open the Dash Configuration panel, select the updated configuration from the Load Configuration dropdown, and select Save Configuration. This replaces their User Preference with the current state of that base configuration.

Note: The Business Configuration does not appear in the Load Configuration dropdown on the dashboard. Users whose dashboard is based on the Business Configuration cannot reload it themselves. Their User Preference can only be updated by an administrator editing it directly.

Which base configuration is applied on first load

When a user opens the dashboard for the first time, the system selects a base configuration in this order:

  1. A User Specific Configuration assigned to that user, which takes priority if one exists.
  2. A Role Specific Configuration matching their app role.
  3. The Business Configuration, the fallback if neither of the above applies.

If a user has both a User Specific and a Role Specific Configuration assigned, they are prompted to choose which one to load.

Resetting a User Preference

Administrators can delete a user's User Preference document from the Workshop Dash Configuration list. Workshop supervisors cannot. Deleting the User Preference means the next time that user opens the dashboard, the system will select a base configuration for them again as if it were their first visit, giving them a clean copy of the current base configuration settings.

Configuration Types

Type Purpose
Business Configuration The default layout applied to any user who has no other configuration assigned. Every site has one. Edit it rather than creating a new one.
Role Specific Configuration Applied to all accounts with a specified app role.
User Specific Configuration Applied to a specific user account.
User Preference Saved automatically when a user selects Save Configuration on the dashboard. Do not create these manually.

If a user has both a Role Specific and a User Specific Configuration assigned, they will be prompted to choose which one to load when they open the dashboard.

Default configurations

Every site includes three configurations out of the box:

  • Business Configuration — the fallback layout applied to any user who has no other configuration assigned. It shows all panels and gives a full view of workshop activity across all workshops.
  • Workshop Supervisor Dashboard — a Role Specific Configuration applied to the Supervisor and Maintenance Admin roles. It is focused on the supervisor workflow of triaging incoming work and managing mechanics and maintenance activity.
  • Technician Dashboard — a Role Specific Configuration applied to the Technician role. It focuses on work assigned to the logged-in user, with the Assigned To Me view set as the default in the Current Activity panel.

Creating or Editing a Configuration

To edit the Business Configuration, open it from the Workshop Dash Configuration list. To create a Role Specific or User Specific Configuration:

  1. Select New (or open an existing configuration and select Clone Document to start from that layout).
  2. Enter a name in the Document Name field.
  3. Set Type to Role Specific Configuration or User Specific Configuration.
  4. In the Role / Account field, select the app role or user account this configuration applies to.
  5. Select the default workshops in the Default Workshops field.
  6. Configure the settings. See Configuration Settings below.
  7. Save the document.

Configuration Settings

Default Workshops

Sets which workshops are loaded by default when the user opens the dashboard. If no workshop is selected, the dashboard defaults to showing all workshops in the organisation. Users can change this themselves from the Dash Configuration panel.

Show Create Buttons for

Controls which create buttons appear at the top of the workshop dashboard. Select one or more request or work order types from the dropdown. Each selected type displays as a button that opens a new record of that type directly from the dashboard. Leave the field empty to show no create buttons.

Show Dash Configuration Panel

Controls whether the Dash Configuration panel is visible to the user. When visible, users can adjust their own layout (toggling panels, reports, and filter categories on or off) and save those changes using Save Configuration.

If you want to prevent users from modifying their own dashboard layout, turn this off. With the panel hidden, the dashboard always displays the settings defined in the configuration document, and users cannot override them.

Show Load All Workshops Button / Show Load My Workshop Button

Controls whether the Load All Workshops and Load My Workshop buttons appear in the Dash Configuration panel.

Only Show User's Time Recorders

When enabled, the Time Recorders panel shows only time entries created by the logged-in user. When disabled, all time entries for the selected workshops are shown.

Show Closed Requests Days Before Now

Sets how many days back the dashboard includes closed requests. Accepts values from 0 to 30. Defaults to 14.

Show Completed Work Orders Days Before Now

Sets how many days back the dashboard includes completed work orders. Accepts values from 0 to 30. Defaults to 14.

Show Time Recorders for Days

Sets the default number of days of time recorder history loaded when the dashboard opens. Accepts values from 1 to 7. Defaults to 7. Users can view a different range using the date range picker on the Time Recorders panel. This overrides the default for that session but does not save it.

Default Table Entries

Sets the default number of rows shown per page in each panel's table. The same options are available for each panel: 10, 25, 50, 100, or All.

  • Default Triage Entries — default page size for the Triage details table
  • Default Current Activity Entries — default page size for the Current Activity table
  • Default Outstanding Entries — default page size for the Outstanding Items table
  • Default Time Recorder Entries — default page size for the Time Recorders table

All four fields must have a value set. Blank is not accepted. The default for each is 10 if not configured.

Default Request Status

Sets which request statuses are visible on the dashboard by default. Tick each status to include:

  • Pending
  • Open
  • Drop Off
  • In Progress
  • Pick Up
  • Work Complete
  • Closed

Default Work Order Status

Sets which work order statuses are visible on the dashboard by default. Tick each status to include:

  • New
  • In Progress
  • On Hold
  • Complete

Note: The Default Request Status and Default Work Order Status filters apply together as an AND condition. An item must match the active request status filter AND the active work order status filter to appear in the Current Activity table. If both filters are configured narrowly, very few (or no) items may appear. Administer these two settings carefully and test after saving.

Triage Conditions

Controls what a request must have before it is removed from the Triage panel. Tick each condition that must be met:

  • Expected Start — the request has an Expected Start date
  • Expected Completion — the request has an Expected Completion date
  • Assignee – Work Order — a mechanic is assigned to at least one of the work orders under the request
  • Assignee – Request — the request itself has an assignee
  • Workshop — the request has a workshop assigned
  • Non-Pending Status — the request has a status other than Pending

The Checkbox Groups

The configuration includes four checkbox groups. Each item in a group has two settings:

  • Show — whether the item appears as a checkbox in the user's Dash Configuration panel. If off, the user cannot see or change the item.
  • Default — whether the item is currently active on the dashboard. If off, the item is hidden.

For example: an item could have Show off and Default on, so it appears on the dashboard but the user cannot toggle it. Or both on, giving the user control.

Items in the Show Reports group have an additional setting:

  • Load As Default — sets which category filter is active when the panel first loads. Only one item per panel section (Triage, Current Activity, Outstanding Items) can be set as the load default at a time. If no item has Load As Default set, the panel loads showing all categories.

Show Reports

Controls which categories are visible within the Triage, Current Activity, and Outstanding Items panels. For each panel section, you can also set one item as the Load As Default, the filter that is active when the dashboard first opens.

Triage panel

  • Repairs And Failed Checks – Urgent
  • Repairs And Failed Checks – Non-Urgent
  • Repairs And Failed Checks – No Priority
  • Workshop Initiated Service
  • Automatically Created Service
  • Work Orders – Unassigned

Current Activity panel (category filter buttons)

  • In The Yard
  • Start Overdue
  • Expected Today
  • Next 7 Days
  • Supervisor Review Required
  • Requests Completed Today

Outstanding Items panel

  • Requests Not Closed – All Work Orders Complete
  • Requests Not Closed – Some Work Orders Not Complete
  • Requests Deferred
  • Requests Not Started, Overdue and No Started Work Orders
  • Work Orders Not Complete
  • Work Orders On Hold
  • Work Orders Started and Overdue
  • Work Orders Without Time Recorders (Rolling Month)
  • Active Time Recorders

Show Panels

Controls which panels appear on the dashboard:

  • Triage
  • Current Activity
  • Time Recorders
  • Special Monitoring
  • Outstanding Items
  • Conversation List
  • Report Listing

The Dash Configuration panel has its own dedicated setting. See Show Dash Configuration Panel above.

Default Current Activity Main Table View

Sets which view is active by default when the Current Activity panel loads. Uses radio buttons. Only one option can be the default at a time:

  • All Details — shows all activity across the selected workshops
  • Work Orders — shows all work orders across the selected workshops, regardless of assignee
  • Requests — shows all requests across the selected workshops, regardless of assignee
  • Assigned To Me — shows requests and work orders where the user is the assignee
  • My Work Orders — shows only work orders assigned to the user
  • My Requests — shows only requests assigned to the user

If Default Request Status or Default Work Order Status filters are also configured, they apply on top of the selected view as AND conditions. See Default Work Order Status for details.

Show Navigation Menu Items

Controls which items appear in the navigation menu (burger icon):

  • Reload
  • Monitoring and Scheduling
  • Request List
  • Materials
  • Time Recorder (submenu)
  • Time Recorder Documents
  • Time Recorder Report
  • Accounts
  • Asset List (submenu)
  • Standard List
  • Custom List
  • Document Library
  • Daily Driver Report
  • Asset Services Due Report
  • Safety Tag List
  • Workshops and Stores
  • Service Configuration
  • Asset Booking
  • Bulk Refuel
  • Jobs

User Preferences

A User Preference document is created automatically the first time a user opens the dashboard. It starts as a copy of whichever configuration was loaded for that user (their assigned configuration, or the Business Configuration if none is assigned). From that point on, any changes the user saves from the Dash Configuration panel are written to their User Preference document.

User Preferences take priority over all other configuration types. Administrators can open and edit a user's User Preference document directly if needed, for example to reset it or apply a specific layout on their behalf.

Do not create User Preference documents manually. They must be initialised by the dashboard on the user's first load.

Designing a Workflow-Focused Configuration

A well-designed configuration reduces noise and surfaces the right information for the task at hand. Rather than showing everything, use the settings to filter the dashboard to what matters for a specific workflow.

Pre-set filters

Use the configuration to load the dashboard in the right state from the start:

  • Show Reports — use Load As Default on a Triage, Current Activity, or Outstanding Items category to control which filter is active when the panel first opens. For example, a configuration for urgent repairs management could load Triage defaulting to "Repairs And Failed Checks – Urgent".
  • Default Request Status — select only the statuses relevant to the workflow. A configuration focused on active work might exclude Closed and Cancelled statuses so they do not appear unless specifically filtered for.
  • Default Current Activity View — set this to Assigned To Me or My Work Orders for technician configurations so the panel opens on the user's personal workload rather than all activity across the workshop.

Define what triage means for the workflow

Triage conditions determine when a request is considered actioned and removed from the Triage panel. Select the conditions that reflect what "ready to proceed" means for your workflow. For example, if work cannot begin without a mechanic assigned and an expected start date, tick both Assignee – Work Order and Expected Start. A simpler workflow might only require Non-Pending Status.

Hide irrelevant panels

Panels that are not part of the workflow add visual clutter without value. In Show Panels, set Default to off for any panel the user does not need. For example, a technician configuration typically does not require the Triage or Outstanding Items panels.

Reducing Time Recorder history

If users are expected to log a set number of hours each day and only need to see today's entries, set Show Time Recorders for Days to 1. This keeps the panel focused on the current day. Enable Only Show User's Time Recorders alongside this so technicians see only their own entries rather than the whole workshop's.

Simplifying the Dashboard for a Role

Configurations are not a hard access control. Users can always reload a different configuration from the dashboard if one is available to them. The goal here is to reduce noise and present a cleaner, more focused experience for users who do not need the full set of features.

Hide the Dash Configuration panel

Turn off Show Dash Configuration Panel to remove the panel from the dashboard. This keeps the layout tidy for users who do not need to adjust their own settings, and avoids the situation where a user accidentally hides a panel they need and does not know how to get it back.

Control what appears on the dashboard

Use the Show and Default settings in the checkbox groups to reduce what is shown:

  • Default off — hides the item from the dashboard.
  • Show off — removes the item from the Dash Configuration panel so users do not see it as an option to toggle.

Setting both to off keeps an item completely out of view for that configuration.

Simplify workshop selection

If a user typically only works with one workshop, turn off Show Load All Workshops Button and Show Load My Workshop Button, and set Default Workshops to their workshop. This removes buttons they do not need rather than the dashboard defaulting to a broader view each time.

Trim the navigation menu

Use Show Navigation Menu Items to remove links that are not relevant to the user's role. A configuration for technicians, for example, does not need links to Service Configuration, Workshops and Stores, Bulk Refuel, or Monitoring and Scheduling. Removing them keeps the menu focused on the tasks the user actually needs.

Updated: June 2026 · Formbird FLEET 4.2.8