Manager Workflow

As a manager, you’re the orchestrator of your shop’s operations. You balance customer expectations, dispatch work fairly, oversee quality, and monitor performance. This guide walks you through your daily responsibilities — from triaging tickets to analyzing KPIs.

Your Key Responsibilities

1. Triage & Dispatch: Review new tickets, assign to technicians, set priority
2. Kanban Management: Monitor work in progress, move tickets through workflow
3. Quote Approvals: Review estimates, approve discounts, manage customer expectations
4. QC Oversight: Verify repairs meet quality standards, authorize rework
5. Staff Management: Track attendance, clock monitoring, performance review
6. KPI Monitoring: Track turnaround time, revenue, alerts, and bottlenecks

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Triage: Receiving and Assigning Tickets

Every ticket starts with triage. You review new intakes, assign technicians, and set priority.

Step 1: Access the Triage Queue

1. Go to Dashboard
2. Click “Triage Queue” or “New Intakes” (depending on setup)
3. You’ll see all tickets in INTAKE status, waiting for assignment

Understanding Ticket Details

Each ticket shows:

Field	What to Look For
Ticket #	Unique ID (e.g., #REP-101)
Customer	Name, phone, email
Device	Type (iPhone 14, MacBook Pro, etc.)
Issue	Customer’s description
Check-in Time	When intake wizard was completed
Priority Flag	High/Normal (customer may have requested rush)
Photos	Attached evidence of the device
Special Notes	Anything front desk flagged (e.g., “VIP customer”, “Liquid damage risk”)

Step 2: Review and Triage

1. Click a ticket to open details
2. Review photos — See damage, assess complexity
3. Read the description — Understand the issue
4. Check notes — Any special handling needed?

Assess:

• Complexity: Simple (1-2 hours), Medium (half day), Complex (full day+)
• Priority: Routine, High (customer needs urgently), Urgent (deadline today)
• Specialization: Which tech is best suited? (e.g., liquid damage expert, fast-turnaround specialist)

Step 3: Assign to a Technician

1. Click “Assign Technician”
2. Select from your available team:
   • Show tech’s current workload (# of tickets in progress)
   • Show their specialty (if configured)
   • Show availability (logged in, clocked in, etc.)

Criteria for assignment:

• Workload: Don’t overload one person. Spread tickets fairly.
• Specialization: Complex liquid damage → your water damage expert
• Speed: Routine phone screens → your fastest technician
• Learning: Junior tech + mentor tech = good pairing for skill-building

Examples:

• Simple screen replace → Your fast technician (learn to delegate)
• Complex liquid damage → Your water damage specialist
• Routine battery → Junior tech with mentor checking in mid-day
• Same-day rush → Your most experienced person

Step 4: Set Priority

1. Click “Set Priority”
2. Choose:
   • Normal — Standard turnaround (usually 3-5 days)
   • High — Customer needs it urgently (next day or same day)
   • Urgent — Deadline today or critical business need

High/Urgent = faster parts sourcing, tech priority, possible rush fee

Tip: Don’t mark everything urgent. Save it for real deadlines. It damages credibility when customers see “rush fees” applied to normal work.

Step 5: Confirm and Move to TRIAGE Status

Click “Confirm Assignment”.

• Ticket moves to TRIAGE status
• Technician sees it in their My Queue
• Technician gets a notification: “You’ve been assigned ticket #REP-101”
• You’ve completed triage. Now it’s the tech’s job.

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The Kanban Board: Your Daily Workspace

The Kanban board is your visual command center. It shows all tickets by status and who they’re assigned to.

Accessing the Kanban Board

1. Go to Dashboard
2. Click “Kanban Board” (main navigation)
3. Or use keyboard shortcut (if enabled): K

Understanding the Board Layout

Columns represent workflow stages:

INTAKE | TRIAGE | DIAGNOSTICS | WAITING | APPROVED | IN_REPAIR | QC | READY | PICKED | CLOSED
                              APPROVAL           FOR      UP
                                              PICKUP

Each column contains ticket cards showing:

• Ticket # and customer name
• Device type
• Assigned tech (colored badge)
• Days in this status (red if overdue)
• Priority indicator

Real-Time Drag-and-Drop

Moving a Ticket:

1. Click and hold a ticket card
2. Drag left (toward completion) or right (backstep)
3. Drop in the new column
4. System validates the transition:
   • Is this tech allowed to move it?
   • Are all exit requirements met (photos, checklist, etc.)?
   • If valid: move succeeds, ticket updates, team is notified
   • If invalid: error message shows why (e.g., “Missing diagnostics summary”)

Example:

• Drag ticket from DIAGNOSTICS → WAITING_APPROVAL (requires diagnosis summary)
• System checks: “Is summary complete?” Yes → Move succeeds
• Front desk gets a notification: “Quote ready for #REP-101”

Filtering the Board

Too many tickets? Filter by:

• Status — Show only QC_REVIEW (focus on quality items)
• Technician — Show only your water damage specialist’s tickets
• Priority — Show only High/Urgent (keep tabs on expedited work)
• Days in Status — Show tickets older than 2 days (spot bottlenecks)
• Shop/Location — If managing multiple shops

Example Workflow:

• Morning: Filter by “High + Urgent” → See what’s critical today
• Mid-day: Filter by “QC_REVIEW” → Check quality throughput
• End of day: Filter by “>2 days in status” → Spot stuck tickets

Alerts & Indicators

The board color-codes tickets for quick scanning:

Color	Meaning
Red	Overdue (exceeds expected turnaround)
Yellow	Approaching deadline
Green	On track
Blue	High priority / rush

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Oversight Tasks: Quotes, Approvals, QC

Quote Review and Discount Approval

Technicians and front desk build quotes. You approve them (especially discounts):

1. See a ticket stuck in WAITING_APPROVAL with no quote yet?

   • Click the ticket → “Add Quote”
   • Enter parts, labor, and services
   • Send to customer

2. Customer requested a discount?

   • Review the quote first
   • Decide: Can we lower the price? Is this a loyal customer? Margin acceptable?
   • Click “Apply Discount” and approve
   • Document: “10% loyalty discount approved”

3. Parts are expensive and need authorization?

   • Review the quote parts list
   • Confirm they’re necessary and priced fairly
   • Approve or ask tech for alternative

QC Review: The Quality Gate

QC is where you (or a dedicated QC person) verify repairs meet standards.

Understanding QC_REVIEW Status

Tickets in QC_REVIEW have been repaired and are waiting for verification. You’ll see:

• Repair notes from the tech
• Parts used and labor logged
• Photos taken during repair
• Work summary

Your QC Checklist

1. Visual Inspection:

   • Device clean and reassembled properly?
   • No missing screws or loose parts?
   • Cables routed correctly?
   • Adhesive seals tight?

2. Functional Testing:

   • Does it power on and off?
   • All buttons responding?
   • Screen/display working?
   • Speakers, mic, charging working?
   • Apps launching and responding?
   • Battery life reasonable?

3. Validation Against Repair:

   • Parts replaced match the quote?
   • Work was appropriate for the issue?
   • Tech’s notes make sense (no red flags)?

4. Photo Review:

   • Before/after photos show the issue and resolution?
   • Evidence supports the work?

Passing QC

Click “QC Pass” if everything checks out:

• Ticket moves to READY_FOR_PICKUP
• Customer is notified: “Your device is ready!”
• Front desk schedules pickup
• Device moves to pickup queue

Failing QC

Click “QC Fail” if you find issues:

1. Select the issue:

   • “Screen not fully responsive in corners”
   • “Cracked back case”
   • “Missing screws”
   • “Other” (describe)

2. Severity:

   • Critical → Customer will notice immediately
   • Major → Will degrade over time
   • Minor → Cosmetic only

3. Notes to Tech:

   • “Screen right edge unresponsive. Reseat the cable or try gentle pressure on the corner. Test all corners before sending back.”
   • “Back case has new crack near camera. Order replacement case and reassemble.”

4. Ticket returns to IN_REPAIR — Tech reworks it and sends back to QC

Pro Tip: Take photos during QC too. If a customer disputes, you have evidence you tested it.

Handling High Rework Rates

If a tech has multiple QC failures:

1. One-on-one conversation — Ask what’s happening

   • Rushing? Distracted? Using bad parts?
   • Need more training? Tools need replacing?

2. Pair with a mentor — Have a senior tech co-sign their work for a week

3. Slow them down — If speed is the issue, reduce ticket volume; quality over speed

4. Retrain — Go back to basics; maybe they skipped a step

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Staff Management: Presence, Time, and Performance

Who’s Online and Working?

Go to Dashboard → Staff Presence (or “Who’s Online”):

You see:

• Clocked-in staff (green dot = online, red = offline)
• Location (on-site, remote, etc.)
• Current ticket (what are they working on?)
• Hours worked today (vs. scheduled hours)
• Last activity (when did they last interact with the system?)

Use this to:

• Spot idle staff (haven’t done work in 30 min? Check in)
• Coordinate cross-shop help (if one location is slammed)
• Track no-shows (staff didn’t clock in as expected)

Time Clock Oversight

Go to Staff → Time & Attendance:

View	What to Check
This Week	Hours logged vs. scheduled
This Month	Overtime hours (may need approval)
By Person	Any attendance issues?
Pending Approvals	Manual time entries from staff (approve/deny)

Approve time entries:

1. See a tech logged “12 hours” (unusual?)
2. Click to review: “Started 8 AM, ended 8 PM, no break logged”
3. Approve (ok, they worked hard) or Deny (ask tech to correct)

Track PTO:

• See how much vacation/sick time each person has left
• When approving time off, update their remaining balance
• Alert if someone is about to lose unused days

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KPI Dashboards and Analytics

Your shop’s heartbeat is captured in KPIs. Check them daily.

Key Performance Indicators

Go to Dashboard → KPIs or Analytics:

Shop-Level Metrics

Metric	Target	How to Improve
Avg Turnaround Time	3-5 days	Reduce bottlenecks in QC or parts
On-Time Completion %	95%+	Alert on overdue tickets early
Revenue This Month	Budget target	Check quote approvals, avoid discounts
Ticket Volume	Projected	Hire if backlog growing
Customer Satisfaction	4.5+ stars	Fix QC issues, improve communication

Technician-Level Metrics

Each tech’s stats (no shame, just transparency):

Metric	What It Means
Tickets Completed	Volume (make sure it’s quality too)
Avg Repair Time	Efficiency (faster = higher margin)
Rework Rate	Quality (lower is better)
On-Time Rate	Reliability (are they meeting deadlines?)
Parts Waste	Accountability (broken parts = cost)

Important: Don’t create a toxic leaderboard. Use metrics to support, not to shame. “Sarah’s avg time is 4 hours — let’s figure out how to help others be as efficient” (good) vs. “Sarah is fastest, everyone else is slow” (bad).

Spotting Problems Early

1. Turnaround creeping up?

   • Check QC column — are quality issues backing up repairs?
   • Check parts column — are orders delayed?
   • Check diagnostics — are techs taking too long to diagnose?

2. Rework rate spiking?

   • Meet with the tech — is there an issue?
   • Check parts quality — bad screen supplier?
   • Check guides — is process documentation clear?

3. Customer complaints increasing?

   • Sample recent QC passes — did you approve something shaky?
   • Check communication — are customers being updated?
   • Check time tracking — are quotes accurate?

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Alerts and Escalations

Set up alerts for things you care about. These pop up on your dashboard:

Common Alerts to Enable

• Overdue Tickets — Ticket exceeds turnaround by 1+ day
• Parts on Backorder — Parts delayed; customer needs update
• High Priority No Update — Urgent ticket hasn’t moved in 4+ hours
• QC Fail Rate — Tech’s rework rate exceeds 10%
• No Assignments — Technician has no work in queue
• Customer No Response — Quote sent 24+ hours ago, no approval yet
• Low Inventory — Stock below reorder threshold

When an alert fires:

1. Don’t panic (usually not emergency)
2. Click to see the ticket/issue
3. Take action (move ticket, order parts, follow up with customer)
4. Document what you did

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Inventory and Parts Management

You oversee parts ordering and stock levels.

Checking Inventory Levels

1. Go to Supplies → Inventory

2. See all parts with:

   • Quantity in stock
   • Reorder level (when to order more)
   • Lead time (how long to ship)
   • Unit cost and supplier

3. Red flags:

   • Stock is below reorder level
   • Lead time is long (supply risk)
   • Cost is rising (renegotiate with supplier?)

Approving Part Orders

1. See a tech request a part you don’t stock
2. Evaluate:
   • Can we source it in time?
   • Is the cost reasonable?
   • Should we stock it going forward?
3. Click “Approve Order” → Goes to your vendor
4. Track delivery → Add to inventory when it arrives

Vendor Relationships

Maintain relationships with key suppliers:

• Monthly review of costs and lead times
• Order volume discounts
• Returns/RMA for defective parts
• Rush shipping options (for high-priority repairs)

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Expediting and Priority Management

Inevitably, a customer will need their device faster than normal.

When a Customer Requests Rush Service

1. Front desk alerts you: “Customer wants same-day turnaround”

2. Review the ticket:

   • Is the tech assigned? Are they free?
   • Are parts in stock?
   • Is the repair actually simple enough?

3. Decide:

   • Yes: Approve rush, add rush fee to quote, prioritize on Kanban
   • No: Explain to customer what’s realistic

4. Notify the tech: “This is high priority. Move it to front of queue.”

5. Track progress: Check Kanban board throughout day

Moving a Ticket to High Priority

1. Click the ticket on Kanban board
2. Click “Change Priority” → Select “Urgent”
3. Ticket moves to top of the respective column
4. Team sees the blue flag

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End-of-Day Closeout

Spend 15 minutes at end of day reviewing:

1. Open Tickets:

   • Any stuck in same status for 2+ days?
   • Any waiting for customer approval (contact them?)
   • Any missing QC pass after 24 hours?

2. Completed Tickets:

   • Acknowledge: “Great work finishing 8 tickets today, team!”
   • Check quality (spot-check a few QC passes)
   • Ensure invoices/receipts were sent

3. Tomorrow’s Plan:

   • Check inbound appointments/intakes
   • Pre-assign tickets to available techs
   • Flag any resource needs (parts, coverage, etc.)

4. Alerts:

   • Resolve any outstanding alerts
   • Schedule follow-ups if needed

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Best Practices

1. Fair workload distribution. Don’t overload one person. Spread equitably.

2. Clear assignment notes. “This customer is fussy — take extra care and photos” helps.

3. Celebrate wins. “Great QC work this week, team! No reworks.” Culture matters.

4. Support, don’t shame. High rework rate? Help. Don’t punish.

5. Be visible. Walk around the shop, see what techs are working on. You’ll catch issues early.

6. Communicate with customers. Proactive updates prevent complaints.

7. Review metrics weekly. Not just daily. Spot trends.

8. Escalate early. Part delayed? Tell customer now, not after they ask.

9. Invest in training. New tech? New part? Invest in learning. Pays off long-term.

10. Automate what you can. Don’t manually track things. Let RepairOps do it.

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Quick Reference: Your Daily Checklist

• Morning: Filter Kanban by High/Urgent — what’s critical today?
• Check Alerts — any overdue tickets? Low inventory? No-response quotes?
• Check Triage Queue — any new intakes waiting for assignment?
• Assign new tickets to appropriate techs
• Mid-day: Check QC queue — anything failing repeatedly?
• Check staff presence — anyone idle? Help or redirect?
• End of day: Review KPIs — trends? Problems?
• Tomorrow: Plan assignments, review forecast

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Support

• How do I move a ticket that won’t validate? See the error message — it tells you what’s missing (e.g., “diagnostics summary required”)
• What if a tech disputes their rework rate? Meet 1-on-1, review tickets together, understand the issue
• How do I forecast staffing? Use ticket volume trend + lead time. Hire before you’re overwhelmed.
• Questions about KPIs? See Analytics or ask support@repairops.app

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Version: 1.0.0 Last Updated: March 2026 Role: Managers, Shift Supervisors, Shop Owners