Getting started
Set up MotoDesk for your workshop
Set up a MotoDesk workspace, understand the core records and take a first job from booking through workshop work to invoice.
A successful setup starts with the owner account because licence activation and subscription responsibilities are owner-led. Once the workspace is active, configure the garage details that other workflows use, invite or create the team, and test one representative job from customer record to payment.
Do not attempt to configure every optional module on day one. Establish accurate core data and permissions first, then add specialist workflows such as accounting connections, EV work, HR or marketing when the responsible people are ready to use them.
1. Activate and confirm the workspace
The owner signs in and completes licence activation. Until this is done, other garage roles can sign in but see a pending-activation message rather than a usable workspace. Available modules then follow the active plan and any approved overrides.
Confirm that the workspace name and expected modules are visible before entering operational data. If a required module is absent, resolve the licence question rather than creating substitute records elsewhere in the application.
2. Configure the garage operating details
- Set the garage name, contact details and vehicle focus where available.
- Check opening hours because public booking and workshop scheduling use them.
- Choose a public booking slug and upload the correct garage logo if those features are used.
- Review job types, categories and work locations so new work starts with consistent names, default prices and VAT treatment.
- Add staff and assign roles that reflect their actual responsibilities.
3. Create the first connected records
- Create a customer with the contact details needed for workshop communication.
- Create the vehicle, using registration lookup where appropriate, and link the owner.
- Create a booking or job with the correct job type, location, schedule and customer context.
- Assign a mechanic only after the person and, for relevant EV work, the required readiness information are in place.
- Open the job detail and confirm that the customer, vehicle, billing lines and workshop information are correct.
4. Test the workshop and finance handoff
Move the test job through the states that match the real work. A mechanic should use an assigned job and the work timer rather than an office account. Parts should be issued by the office or verified/requested through the mechanic workflow, depending on what physically happened.
When the work is complete, review job charges and parts before creating the invoice. Record payment only when payment has actually been received. If accounting software is connected, check the connection and sync state rather than assuming the invoice was transferred.
Mobile readiness
Test mechanic workflows on the devices that will be used beside the vehicle. Confirm sign-in, assigned-job visibility, camera permission, scan handling, touch targets and reliable connectivity. The mobile layout prioritises operational actions and does not reproduce every office navigation item.
At 320–430 px widths, the job actions are stacked and the documentation navigation uses a drawer. Do not expect wide finance or administration tables to be the primary mechanic experience.