Use Template Controls
In a single-location workshop, the owner configures everything locally and has complete control. In a multi-location operation — a franchise network, a dealer group, or a chain of independently branded workshops under common ownership — that model breaks down quickly. Each location configuring its own operating hours, service catalog, AI settings, and incentive schemes means the same decisions are being made repeatedly, standards drift between branches, and there is no reliable way to enforce policy from the centre.
Template Controls are how BayWise solves this. An org-level admin creates configuration templates — a defined set of values for a category such as Operating Hours or Service Catalog — and publishes them to selected locations. Each category has an editability mode that determines how much a local manager can deviate from what HQ published.
The result is a spectrum from complete standardisation to complete local autonomy, with everything in between available on a per-category basis.
Who can access Template Controls: Org Admin, Account Owner. Location Managers can view which templates are applied to their location but cannot modify template assignments or editability modes.
The three editability modes
Every configuration category managed through templates operates in one of three modes. The mode is set at the org level per category and applies to all locations receiving that template.
Locked
The location receives the template exactly as published. Local managers cannot modify the values in this category. The settings panel for this category at the location level is read-only, and a banner indicates that the configuration is managed centrally.
Use Locked for:
- Operating hours in a franchise with contractual or regulatory opening requirements
- Safety-critical procedures that must be identical across all locations
- Standard pricing that cannot vary by branch
Customisable
The location receives the template as a baseline but local managers can override specific fields. The template values appear pre-filled, and managers can change any field they have local reason to adjust. HQ sets the standard; the branch adapts it within the same structure.
Use Customisable for:
- Service catalogs where branches may need to add locally relevant services on top of the standard list
- AI settings where a location has a different AI provider contract or a preferred model
- Incentive schemes where the base formula is standard but local managers can adjust rates to match local market conditions
Independent
The location is not bound to a template for this category. It manages that configuration entirely on its own. The template system has no visibility into or control over this category at that location.
Use Independent for:
- Bay equipment lists, which depend entirely on what physical equipment each workshop has installed
- Local supplier information
- Any setting where local context always overrides any corporate default
Start with Customisable for most categories — it gives locations the HQ baseline while preserving their ability to adapt. Reserve Locked for non-negotiable standards like opening hours or safety-critical procedures. Use Independent only when local conditions make corporate defaults actively unhelpful.
Open the Template Control Centre
Switch to the organisation view
Use the location switcher in the top navigation to select the organisation rather than any individual location. The switcher shows the org name (for example, “AutoPrime Group” or “Kwik-Fit Arabia”) at the top of the location list.
If you do not see the organisation option in the switcher, your account does not have Org Admin or Account Owner permissions. Contact your account owner.
Navigate to Settings → Templates
From the main navigation, go to Settings → Templates.
The Template Control Centre opens. This page is only visible at the org level — it does not appear when viewing individual location settings.
Understand the Template Control Centre layout
The Template Control Centre is organised around configuration categories. Each category appears as a tab across the top of the page:
- Operating Hours — working days, opening and closing times, break windows
- Service Catalog — standard services, labour rates, estimated durations
- AI Settings — AI provider selection, model preferences, feature toggles
- Incentives — the active incentive scheme formula and assignment
Select a category tab to view and manage the template and editability mode for that category.
Within each category tab, you will see:
- The current template content — the values that will be published to locations
- The editability mode selector — Locked, Customisable, or Independent
- The location assignment panel — which locations are currently receiving this template
- A publish history showing when the template was last updated and by whom
Set the editability mode for a category
Select the category tab
In the Template Control Centre, click the tab for the category you want to configure. For example, click Operating Hours.
Find the Editability Mode selector
At the top of the category panel, locate the Editability Mode dropdown. It will currently show whichever mode is active.
Select the appropriate mode
Choose Locked, Customisable, or Independent based on your requirements for this category.
The selector shows a brief description of each mode to help you decide. For example:
- “Locked — locations receive this configuration exactly as published. Local changes are not permitted.”
- “Customisable — locations receive this configuration as a starting point. Local managers can adjust individual fields.”
- “Independent — this category is not managed by templates. Locations configure it locally.”
Save the mode change
Click Save. The mode change takes effect immediately for all locations currently assigned this template.
If you change a category from Customisable to Locked, location managers who had previously made local adjustments will see those adjustments overridden the next time the template is published. BayWise will warn you about this before saving if any active locations have local overrides in that category.
Edit the template content for a category
Select the category tab
Click the tab for the category whose content you want to update. For example, click Service Catalog.
Edit the template values
The template editor for the selected category appears. This works identically to the local settings editor for that category, except that changes here will be pushed to assigned locations rather than applied to a single workshop.
For example, in the Service Catalog template, you can add a new standard service item — such as “Cabin Filter Replacement — 45 min / R320” — that will then appear in the catalog at every assigned location when you publish.
Review the changes
Before publishing, review the diff summary that appears below the editor. The diff shows exactly what will change at each assigned location once you publish.
Publish
Click Publish to Locations. BayWise applies the updated template to all currently assigned locations according to their editability mode:
- Locked locations receive the new values and local settings are overwritten.
- Customisable locations receive the new values as the updated baseline. Any fields a local manager had customised are preserved unless the template change affects the same field — in which case the template value takes precedence and a notification is logged for the location manager.
- Independent locations are not affected by the publish.
Assign the template to locations
A template in the Template Control Centre only affects locations that have been assigned to it. Creating and configuring a template has no effect on locations until you assign them.
Open the category tab
In the Template Control Centre, select the category you want to assign.
Click Assign Locations
In the location assignment panel on the right side of the category tab, click Assign Locations.
A location picker lists all locations in your organisation. Locations already assigned to this template are checked. Locations not assigned are unchecked.
Select the target locations
Check the locations that should receive this template and its editability mode. You can assign as many or as few locations as needed.
For example, if you are rolling out a standard Operating Hours template to your three UK locations — Manchester Trafford, Birmingham Digbeth, and Leeds Kirkstall — check all three.
Save and publish
Click Save. The template is now assigned. The new locations will receive the current template values on the next publish. If you want the template to apply immediately, click Publish to Locations from the category tab.
How template controls appear to location managers
Location managers see the effect of template controls within their own Settings pages — they do not access the Template Control Centre directly.
For each category:
- Locked categories show a blue banner at the top of the settings panel: “This configuration is managed by [Org Name]. Changes are not permitted at the location level.” All input fields are disabled.
- Customisable categories show a grey banner: “This configuration is based on a template from [Org Name]. You can customise individual fields for this location.” Fields are editable, and any field that has been locally overridden shows a small indicator distinguishing it from the template default.
- Independent categories show no banner. The location manager sees a standard settings panel with full control, identical to a single-location setup.
Practical example: setting up a franchise rollout
Consider AutoPrime Group, a franchise of 8 automotive workshops across South Africa. The group wants to:
- Enforce identical operating hours across all branches (regulatory requirement)
- Distribute a standard service catalog while allowing branches to add local services
- Let each location choose its own AI provider based on local contract arrangements
- Push a standard incentive scheme formula while allowing branch managers to adjust the per-job rate
The configuration in the Template Control Centre would be:
| Category | Editability Mode | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Hours | Locked | Contractual requirement — must be identical at all branches |
| Service Catalog | Customisable | Standard services defined centrally; branches can add local items |
| AI Settings | Independent | Each branch has its own AI provider contract |
| Incentives | Customisable | Standard formula; branch managers can adjust the per-job rate to match local market wages |
After setting these modes, the admin creates the template content for each category, assigns all 8 locations, and publishes. Each location immediately sees the HQ baseline in their settings, with the appropriate level of editability for each category.
Common questions
Can different locations have different editability modes for the same category? Not directly — the editability mode is set per category at the template level, and all locations assigned that template share the same mode. However, you can create multiple templates and assign them to different groups of locations. For example, you could have a “Franchise Standard” template with Operating Hours set to Locked, and a “Partner Workshop” template with Operating Hours set to Customisable, assigning each template to the appropriate locations.
What happens to a location’s existing settings when a template is assigned and published for the first time? For Locked categories, the location’s existing local settings are replaced by the template values. For Customisable categories, the template values become the new baseline, but locally set values are preserved where they do not conflict with the template. For Independent categories, nothing changes.
A location manager accidentally changed a field that should be Locked. Will the next publish fix it? If the category is set to Locked, the field should not be editable at the location level at all — the input would be disabled. If you are seeing local changes despite a Locked mode, check that the template has been published to that location (not just assigned). An assignment without a subsequent publish means the template is not yet active.
Can a location opt out of a template for a specific category? No. If a location is assigned to a template, all categories defined in that template apply to it according to their editability modes. To give a location independence on a specific category, set that category to Independent for all locations (which means no location is controlled by the template for that category), or remove the location from the template entirely and manage its settings locally.
Does the Template Control Centre track a history of changes? Yes. Each category tab shows a publish history at the bottom of the panel, including the date, time, and user account that performed each publish. This provides an audit trail for compliance reviews and makes it straightforward to identify when a configuration change was distributed and who authorised it.
We want to test a new service catalog template on one location before rolling it out to all 12. Is that possible? Yes. Assign the template to a single pilot location, publish, and review the result at that location. When you are satisfied, assign the remaining locations and publish again. The pilot location will not receive a duplicate publish — BayWise only re-publishes updated content, not unchanged content.