Configure Auto-Start Steps

Auto-Start Next Step is a global workshop setting that controls what happens the moment any repair step is marked complete. When Auto-Start is enabled, BayWise immediately activates the next step in the sequence for every multi-step job at that location — no advisor action required. When it is disabled, every next step waits in a “Pending” state until someone manually triggers it.

This is an all-or-nothing setting at the location level. It applies uniformly to all multi-step jobs and all presets at that location. There is no per-step or per-preset toggle — when Auto-Start is on, all step transitions are automatic; when it is off, all transitions require manual activation.

When to Enable Auto-Start

Enable Auto-Start when your workshop’s typical multi-step workflow has few or no intermediate checkpoints between steps. This is common in workshops where:

• The same technician works through multiple consecutive steps without handoff
• Steps flow naturally into one another without review (e.g., sequential paint stages)
• Workshop controllers want to minimise manual interaction with the scheduling board during active jobs
• The team has established trust in their quality processes and does not need per-step supervisor approval

Good fit for Auto-Start enabled:

• Paint shops where primer, base coat, and clear coat stages run back-to-back as a single session
• Detailing operations where decontamination, clay bar, polish, and seal stages chain without review
• High-volume mechanical workshops where technicians complete diagnosis, repair, and QC in sequence

When to Disable Auto-Start

Disable Auto-Start when your workflow requires deliberate pauses between steps. This is common in workshops where:

• A supervisor, advisor, or QC inspector reviews work before the next stage begins
• The next stage requires a different technician who may not be immediately available
• Parts or materials need to arrive or be confirmed before work can continue
• Quality gates are a central part of your workshop culture and process

Good fit for Auto-Start disabled:

• Body shops with formal QC processes — a supervisor inspects panel geometry before primer goes on
• Workshops handling warranty or insurance work — each stage may need sign-off for documentation
• Multi-technician jobs — the handoff from one technician to the next is a deliberate scheduling decision, not an automatic transition

How to Configure Auto-Start

How Auto-Start Interacts with Completion Tags

Completion tags and Auto-Start work on the same transition point but in different ways. When a step has a completion tag (sign-off gate), the step cannot be considered fully complete until an advisor provides the sign-off. Auto-Start, if enabled, fires after the completion tag is cleared — not before.

The sequence for a step with a completion tag when Auto-Start is enabled:

1. Technician marks the step done
2. System flags the step as “awaiting sign-off”
3. Advisor reviews and confirms the completion tag
4. Step is now fully complete — Auto-Start fires and the next step activates

This means completion tags always take precedence over Auto-Start. If your workflow requires quality gates at certain points, configure those gates using completion tags on the relevant steps in your presets — they will function correctly regardless of whether Auto-Start is on or off.

Common Questions

Does this setting apply per location or globally across all locations? Per location. Each location can have its own Auto-Start setting. A paint shop location might have Auto-Start enabled while a general mechanical workshop location has it disabled.

If I change the setting, do existing jobs update? Yes. The setting is evaluated at each step transition. If Auto-Start is enabled when a step completes, the next step will auto-start — regardless of when the job was created. If Auto-Start is disabled when a step completes, the next step will wait for manual activation.

Can a step auto-start if no technician is assigned to the next step? Yes — the step will activate and show as “Pending Assignment” in the active state. BayWise does not block the transition just because the next step lacks an assignee. You will see the step highlighted as needing attention on the scheduler board.

What if Auto-Start fires but the bay is occupied? Auto-Start controls job step status, not bay assignment. If the same bay is required for the next step and it is occupied, the scheduler will flag the conflict. The step status changes (it becomes Active), but the bay scheduling may need manual adjustment.

We have some jobs that need gates and others that do not — how do we handle that? Use completion tags on the steps that need quality gates. When Auto-Start is enabled globally, steps without completion tags will auto-advance, while steps with completion tags will pause for sign-off. This gives you mixed behaviour within the same job without needing per-step Auto-Start toggles.

Is there a way to see the current Auto-Start setting at a glance? The current state of Auto-Start is visible in Settings, then Operations. It is also shown as a status indicator on the scheduling board header when viewing multi-step jobs.