How to use FieldBase

The Dashboard is the first screen users see. It should feel simple for new users and powerful after they customize it.

• The dashboard starts empty, with all features turned off, This is to allow the user to customize it as they wish.
• Starting at the top, you will see - "Customize Dashboard" When selected, It gives you numerous choices that will be shown on the dashboard if selected.
• Once a section is turned on, You then also have the ability to decide what cards you wish to see in that section, by selecting Edit.
• if you dont want to see something, Use the Customize Dashboard again to turn sections back off.
• Quick Search finds records saved in the app.
• Command Center shows major project counts and project value.
• Finance Snapshot shows invoiced, paid, remaining balance, and late invoices.
• Alerts & Attention shows items that need follow-up.
• Directory Snapshot shows saved clients, materials, tooling, equipment, and services.
• Workforce Snapshot shows employee, labor, payroll, and billable labor data.
• Profit Snapshot shows cost, revenue, margin, and profit-center style data.
• Project Value Breakdown shows where project value comes from.
• Recent Projects and Recent Reusable Items help users return to recent work.
• Feature Access Model explains Free vs Pro tools.

The dashboard search reads local IndexedDB records and displays matches in a modal.

• Search project names, project numbers, clients, locations, tasks, notes, assignments, materials, tooling, equipment, and services.
• Search directory records like 2x4x8 lumber, concrete, delivery, inspection, skid steer, or installation.
• Search employees by name, role, status, email, phone, pay rate, or bill rate.
• Search invoices and payments by invoice number, amount, due date, status, method, reference, or notes.
• Click a result to open the closest page. Exact record deep-linking can be expanded later.
• Search is read-only and never changes saved data.

Projects is the main review page for saved work.

• Quoted projects are priced but not approved yet.
• Accepted projects are approved and usually active.
• Rejected projects are saved history but not moving forward.
• Completed projects are finished and useful for reporting.
• Past Due projects need attention based on date/status logic.
• Use clear project names, clients, locations, and dates so search, calendar, and trends work better.

Project Builder is where users create the actual job record.

• Enter project name, client, status, location, due dates, and notes.
• Break work into tasks such as framing, concrete, delivery, install, cleanup, or inspection.
• Add materials under the task they belong to.
• Add tooling for special setup charges or tool rates.
• Add equipment for rentals, trucks, machines, trailers, lifts, or internal equipment charges.
• Add services for labor, subcontractors, design, inspection, or repeatable work types.
• Save reusable task items to directories so future projects are faster.
• Keep Project Value Breakdown and Profit Snapshot separate so their dashboard cards do not cross over.

Directories are reusable records that reduce repeat typing and make reporting cleaner.

• Clients store customer/company records.
• Materials store reusable supplies like lumber, concrete, wire, panels, fittings, fasteners, and job supplies.
• Tooling stores special tools, setup resources, and standard tool rates.
• Equipment stores rentals, trucks, lifts, skid steers, trailers, compressors, or machine rates.
• Services store labor services, subcontractor work, delivery, inspection, design, installation, and repeatable services.
• Use consistent names so search and trends group items correctly.

Employees are people who can be assigned to jobs or used in labor calculations.

• Save name, role, status, phone, email, notes, pay rate, and bill rate.
• Use inactive status instead of deleting old workers if history matters.
• Labor totals can feed payroll cost, billable labor, and labor profit views.
• Future employee accounts should mainly see assigned jobs, locations, dates, and basic work details.

Finance tracks invoices and payments tied to projects.

• Create invoices when a project needs billing.
• Invoices should include invoice number, project, client, amount, status, due date, and notes.
• Payments reduce invoice balances and feed dashboard finance cards.
• Late invoices should appear when the due date has passed and the invoice is not paid.
• Future PDF exports should use business profile details and be Pro-gated for free users.

The first calendar should be simple and mobile-friendly.

• Show ongoing accepted projects that are not completed.
• Show upcoming projects by start date, scheduled date, or due date.
• Show assigned employees and project locations when available.
• Show overdue or attention-needed work clearly.
• Tap a calendar item to open the matching project.

Trends should connect to data already saved in projects, directories, employees, invoices, payments, and future receipts.

• Revenue over time.
• Profit over time.
• Estimate value vs invoice value.
• Most used clients, materials, services, tools, and equipment.
• Open vs completed work.
• Late invoices and remaining balance trends.
• Labor cost, billable labor, and labor profit.

Settings is the owner control area.

• Theme controls light/dark mode.
• Pro Mode preview lets you test Free vs Pro behavior.
• Upgrade/payment link sends locked users to payment.
• Business profile should hold business name, logo, owner name/photo, address, phone, email, website, tax/license details, and PDF branding details.
• Your owner/developer version should stay fully unlocked unless you turn Pro preview off for testing.

Free users should see premium tools but not fully use them until upgrading.

• Show export buttons with a Pro Version badge.
• Lock advanced trends, role permission manager, AI assistant, add-on tools, and PDF exports for free users.
• Clicking a locked feature should open the upgrade page or payment link.
• Pro users should use the full feature without extra steps.

Start with three roles to keep the system manageable.

• Owner can do everything, invite users, control business profile, billing, settings, and permissions.
• Admin can be granted specific permission checkboxes by the Owner.
• Admin permissions may include editing projects, viewing financials, creating invoices, exporting PDFs, managing directories, and managing employees.
• Employee mainly sees assigned jobs, locations, dates, schedules, and basic project details.
• Employees should not see financials or owner settings by default.

Login can wait until the local app is stable, but the structure should be planned now.

• A new company account starts with the first user as Owner.
• The Owner completes the business profile.
• The Owner invites Admins or Employees by email.
• Invites should store email, role, permissions, status, created date, and expiration date.
• Firebase Auth can later handle login and secure cloud sync.

FieldBase code updates must never wipe user records.

• Cloudflare updates should replace app files only.
• IndexedDB should hold user data separately from code files.
• Do not rename or delete IndexedDB stores without a migration.
• Use version.json and service worker updates to notify users.
• Keep IndexedDB as offline cache and backup fallback after Firebase is added.

This future feature will let users snap or upload project documents.

• Attach a receipt, invoice, delivery ticket, permit, quote, contract, or warranty to a project.
• Save vendor, amount, tax, date, category, notes, and photo/file details.
• Choose whether the document affects project cost, finance, and trends.
• Make documents searchable by project, vendor, amount, category, and notes.
• Later Firebase Storage can sync attachments across devices.

FieldBase is set up like an installable website app.

• On Android/Chrome, open the site and select Add to Home Screen or Install App.
• On iPhone/Safari, use Share then Add to Home Screen.
• The app icon comes from the PNG files in the manifest and Apple touch icon link.
• Phones cache icons strongly, so remove/reinstall the home-screen app after changing logos.

Use these checks when something looks wrong.

• If the logo does not update, clear cache or reinstall the home-screen app.
• If data looks missing, confirm you are on the same browser/device because IndexedDB is local until Firebase is added.
• If the Help page is the wrong theme, confirm theme.js is loaded and the saved theme exists.
• If search finds nothing, add at least one project, directory item, employee, invoice, or payment first.
• If Cloudflare does not show the new version, refresh, wait, or clear service worker cache during development.

Use this section when a new user is unsure what to type into a form. The goal is to enter useful information once, then reuse it across projects, finances, reports, schedules, and future AI help.

Project Builder Form

• Project Name: Enter a clear name users will recognize later, such as “Smith Garage Wiring” or “Warehouse Concrete Pad.”
• Project Number: Leave blank if you want FieldBase to auto-generate one. Use your own number only if your business already has a numbering system.
• Client Name: Type or choose a saved client from the Client Directory. Matching names make search, finances, and future reports cleaner.
• Estimated Start Date: choose when work is expected to begin. FieldBase can automatically place this on the Scheduling Calendar.
• Due Date: Use the expected completion or quote deadline date. This feeds dashboard alerts and future scheduling.
• Status: Use Quoted for estimates, Accepted for approved work, Rejected for declined quotes, and Completed after the job is finished.
• Overview: Write the plain-English summary of the work. Include scope, site details, customer expectations, and anything the crew needs to remember.

Task / Line Item Sections

• Materials: Add physical items such as lumber, conduit, concrete, fittings, fasteners, wire, or parts. Quantity and cost/rate fields feed project value.
• Tooling: Add special tools, setups, rentals, consumables, or tooling charges that belong to the project.
• Equipment: Add machines, trailers, lifts, vehicles, rented equipment, or rate-based equipment charges.
• Services: Add labor, subcontracted work, installation services, design time, inspections, consulting, or standard service charges.
• Scheduled Items: Add planned work dates, milestones, delivery dates, or crew-related schedule notes. This will feed the future calendar view.
• Employee Assignments: Add who is assigned, where they are going, and what they are responsible for. This supports future employee-only views.

Directory Forms

• Clients: Save customer names, contact info, addresses, and notes so projects can reuse them.
• Materials: Save repeat materials with default cost and notes so estimating is faster.
• Tooling: Save reusable tools or tooling rates that are commonly charged to projects.
• Equipment: Save equipment names, rental rates, ownership notes, and usage pricing.
• Services: Save labor types, standard services, inspection fees, travel rates, or service packages.

Finance Forms

• Invoices: Create invoices tied to client/project work. Invoice totals feed Finance Snapshot and future exports.
• Payments: Record payments received against invoices so remaining balances are accurate.
• Due Dates: Set invoice due dates so late invoice warnings can appear correctly.

Settings Forms

• Owner Pro Mode: Keep enabled for your build. Turn it off only when testing what free users see.
• Upgrade Link: Add the payment or upgrade URL that locked Pro features should send users to.
• Business Profile: Fill out business name, owner name, email, phone, website, address, logo, and details. These will carry into invoices, estimates, finance reports, and exported PDFs later.
• Project Auto-Save Drafts: Pro-only. Saves one unfinished Project Builder draft locally and offers to restore it when returning.

• Patch Notes: Shows what was added, corrected, and changed in each release.
• User Review Board: Lets users post bugs, requests, usability issues, questions, and mobile problems.
• Severity: Rate issues from 1 to 5. Higher severity means the issue should be reviewed sooner.
• Status: Mark posts as New, Under Review, In Process, Corrected, Planned Next Update, or Won't Change Yet.
• Replies: Other users can add “same issue” notes, extra context, workarounds, or developer responses.

The AI assistant should use this manual as its first knowledge source.

• Answer how to create projects, add materials, create invoices, use Pro features, manage roles, install the app, and troubleshoot common problems.
• Reference Help content first before guessing.
• Later it can also search the user's saved app data when permissions allow it.