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Today stats, pay-period stats, efficiency, in-progress jobs, goals.
1. Quick Start
From Sign-In to First Logged Job in Minutes
First time in, you go through Setup before the full app shell. Keep it simple: set your name, set your flag rate, pick your pay schedule, then log one real job.
- Open FlatRate Pro and sign in.
- Complete Setup: name, hourly flag rate ($/hr), pay schedule.
- Land on Home and verify your pay period label looks right.
- Tap the + button and log a real completed job.
- Open Earnings and confirm hours, efficiency %, and pay look correct.
Golden Rule: log the job while details are still fresh, not at end-of-week cleanup.
2. Route Map
The Current React FlatRate Pro Surface
Log Job
Main action route. Book hours, actual hours, VIN, notes, photos, AI helper, voice.
Jobs
Searchable history of all job logs with filters.
Earnings
Pay-centric view with effective hourly and CSV export.
Analytics
Trends, category mix, money makers, and AI workspace insights.
Assignments
ShopOS-dispatched work orders and tech note sync.
Portfolio
Career proof, experience level, report/PDF, verification history.
Tools
Tool inventory, categories, values, serial records.
Time
Wrench, waiting, paperwork, parts, approval, testing activity log.
Training
Certifications and expiry tracking.
Voice and AI
Total Voice access and Connect Tokens management.
Settings
Flag rate, goals, pay schedule, shop connection controls.
3. Book vs Actual
Why Your Check Moves Up or Down
Book Hours
What the operation pays by guide. This is what you get paid on in flat-rate systems.
Actual Hours
What you really spent on the job in the bay.
Efficiency Formula: (Book Hours / Actual Hours) x 100
100% means break-even. Above 100% means you are beating the clock. Below 100% means unpaid time is leaking in.
Efficiency123%
Hour Ratio1.23:1
Earnings$280
Effective $/hr$43
4. Log Job
How to Enter Jobs Without Guesswork
- Use a clear job name and category (do not rely on shorthand only).
- Enter book hours first, then actual hours if complete. Leave in-progress jobs as in progress.
- Add VIN and let the app decode vehicle details when possible.
- Add notes like delays, approvals, or parts hold-ups so future you has context.
- Attach photos when they support the story of the repair.
- Use voice input for fast capture when your hands are full.
Realistic Demo Jobs (Use These in Training)
| Job | Category | Book Hrs | Actual Hrs | Efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front Brake Pad and Rotor Replacement | Brakes | 2.2 | 1.8 | 122% |
| Starter Motor Replacement | Electrical | 2.0 | 2.4 | 83% |
| A/C Compressor and Recharge | HVAC | 3.5 | 3.0 | 117% |
| P0171 Lean Condition Diagnosis | Diagnostics | 1.5 | 1.2 | 125% |
| Front Strut Assembly Replacement | Suspension | 3.1 | 3.6 | 86% |
5. Earnings
Your Paycheck Command Center
Total Book Hours
How many paid hours you produced this period.
Efficiency %
How hard your hours worked for you.
Effective Hourly
What you effectively earned per actual hour worked.
Pay Schedule Accuracy Matters: weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, and monthly all group data differently.
Set this correctly in Settings or period totals can look wrong.
Use CSV export for payroll reconciliation, pay review prep, or personal tracking outside the app.
6. Analytics
Find Patterns You Cannot See Mid-Shift
What to Watch Weekly
Efficiency trend, money-maker categories, and busiest days. Use it to schedule smarter, not just work harder.
What to Watch Monthly
Category mix, projection quality, and whether delay-heavy categories are dragging your effective hourly rate down.
How to use AI workspace insights without overthinking it
Read the summary, pick one behavior change for next week, and measure if your effective hourly rate improves. One adjustment beats ten random changes.
7. Assignments + Shop Connection
Dispatch Clarity Without Losing Account Ownership
Assignments is your digital dispatch inbox when your shop uses ShopOS. It is designed to reduce back-and-forth at the counter, not to take over your personal log.
Tech Benefit
Assigned work lands in one place with customer, vehicle, and ticket context. You can add notes and link your own job log fast.
Shop Benefit
Faster status updates and cleaner handoff data without chasing verbal updates all shift.
Connection Controls You Should Understand
| Setting | What It Means | When to Use It |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-share ON | Newly logged jobs are copied to the connected shop automatically. | Use when you want zero manual handoff friction. |
| Auto-share OFF | New jobs stay private in your account unless shared by other workflow steps. | Use when onboarding or if you need tighter personal control. |
| History: New only | Only future logs flow to the shop. | Safe default if unsure. |
| History: Last 30 days | Recent logs are shared for short-term context. | Good middle ground. |
| History: All | Full history can flow to the shop on connect. | Use when you intentionally want full back-history visibility. |
Important: if you disconnect from a shop, your jobs remain in your FlatRate Pro account.
Shared shop copies are archived from shop view; you keep your personal record.
8. Portfolio
Turn Daily Logs into Career Leverage
Portfolio is where your work history becomes interview proof, review proof, and negotiation proof. Use it before compensation talks, promotion conversations, or job transitions.
Developing
Early consistency stage.
Competent
Reliable volume and cleaner execution.
Proficient
Strong efficiency and category depth.
Expert
Sustained high output with quality control.
Do This Monthly: export a portfolio report PDF, review your weak category, then set one training target.
Connect Tokens (quick proof sharing)
Connect Tokens let you generate controlled external access for approved AI workflows or verification use cases. Revoke tokens anytime from Settings or the Voice and AI page.
9. Supporting Pages
Tools, Time, and Training Keep the Main Metrics Honest
Tools
Track inventory and value so your investment story is documented.
Time
Break your shift into wrench, waiting, paperwork, parts, approval, and testing.
Training
Store certifications and avoid surprise expirations during advancement opportunities.
10. Voice and AI
Use Automation Where It Saves Time, Not Creates Noise
Total Voice
Optional paid add-on for in-app hands-free entry and faster structured capture.
External AI via Connect Access
For ChatGPT, Claude, MCP, and automation workflows when your access state allows it.
Keep core logging habits intact first. Add voice and AI after your baseline data quality is already strong.
11. FAQ
Common Questions
Why is efficiency above 100% sometimes?
You finished faster than guide time. That is the main way flat-rate technicians increase effective hourly earnings.
What if I am new and my numbers are low?
Start with clean logging habits and category focus. Consistency usually improves before peak speed does.
Will connecting to a shop erase my data ownership?
No. Your account keeps your personal history. Shop-facing copies follow connection and sharing settings.
What should I set first if numbers look wrong?
Check pay schedule type and flag rate in Settings before troubleshooting anything else.
12. Total Voice Access
Verify and Launch Total Voice
Total Voice is a premium feature that allows hands-free job entry and AI-assisted structured capture. Ensure you have access before launching:
- Sign in to your FlatRate Pro account.
- Go to Settings and verify your Total Voice subscription status.
- If you have admin-granted access, ensure it is active in your account settings.
- Click the button below to launch Total Voice:
13. Admin-Granted Access
Manage Total Voice Access
Admins can grant or revoke Total Voice access for users. Follow these steps to ensure proper access management:
- Open the Admin Dashboard.
- Search for the user by email or UID.
- Use the Grant Access or Revoke Access options for Total Voice.
- Ensure the user sees the updated status in their account settings.
Note: Users with admin-granted access should verify their status in the Settings page before launching Total Voice.