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    Version 1.0•Last updated: June 2025

    This guide describes platform capabilities and typical workflows. Some features may vary by plan or configuration.

    Tradetraks, End-User Feature Guide

    This document describes Tradetraks software from an end-user perspective. It is intended for AI agents and potential customers to understand what the product does and how it can be used. Language is non-technical and feature-focused. The guide is comprehensive so that questions about capabilities, workflows, and terminology can be answered accurately.

    What is Tradetraks?

    Tradetraks is a business management platform for companies that run projects and services (e.g. construction, trades, field service). It helps you manage:

    • Projects, Larger jobs such as construction or installation projects, with bidding, schedule-of-values billing (draws), change orders, and progress tracking.
    • Services, Individual service calls or work orders, which can be one-off or tied to service contracts (recurring or subscription work). Services have quotes and invoices built from a worksheet of work completed.
    • Contacts, Customers and suppliers, with locations, customer assets (equipment or sites you service), jobs, files, and service contracts.
    • Employees, Team members with profiles, time logs, expenses, certificates (health & safety), permissions, and scheduling.
    • Equipment, Your company's fleet or assets (vehicles, machinery) with maintenance schedules and maintenance event logs.
    • Materials & tasks, Material catalog, assemblies, and labour task types used in bids, worksheets, and invoices.
    • Financial, Service and project invoices, quotes, purchase orders, and project holdbacks.
    • Forms, Custom form templates, filled forms tied to jobs or contacts, and optional external (customer-facing) forms.
    • Schedule, Calendar of assignments for projects, services, people, and equipment; vacation and personal events.
    • Locates, Utility locate tickets (e.g. before digging) linked to projects or services.
    • Library, Company-wide file library. Reports for projects and services. Health & safety certificate tracking. Apps and integrations.

    Users log in to a single company. Users who belong to multiple companies can switch employers. Access to areas (e.g. Projects, Services, Equipment, Financial) is controlled by permissions (module read/write) and roles (e.g. Admin). Some features are gated by subscription (trial, freemium, or paid plan).

    Dashboard

    After logging in, users see the Dashboard (home).

    Customization

    • The dashboard is built from widgets. Users can turn on an edit mode to:
      • Reorder widgets by dragging (using the drag handle on the widget header).
      • Remove widgets with the close (×) button.
      • Resize widgets (e.g. "Larger" or "Smaller" layout).
    • Layout can include a mix of single widgets and container rows that hold multiple smaller widgets.
    • Choices are saved so the layout persists for the user.

    Widget types (examples)

    • Tasks / review panel, Items needing attention (e.g. time logs to review, expenses to approve). May show a count; clicking can open the relevant area.
    • Revenue & expenses, Summary or chart of revenue vs expenses (e.g. for a project). Clicking may drill into reports.
    • Weather, Weather for a project or job location; can show warnings.
    • Details, Key details for a project (name, customer, dates, status).
    • Messages, Recent message threads or unread count.
    • Who is clocked in, List of users currently clocked in, and to which project or service. Option to group clock (clock multiple users at once).
    • Map, Map view of job or project locations.
    • Schedule timeline, Timeline of scheduled work for a project or date range.
    • Company forms, Shortcut to run or view company forms.
    • News / release notes, Tradetraks product updates and news.
    • Addon app widgets, Third-party app widgets installed from the App Store.

    Widgets give a quick overview without opening each project or service. If the user is clocked in to a project or service, the main menu may show a shortcut link to that job (e.g. "Project #123" or "Service #456") for fast access.

    Projects

    Projects represent larger jobs (e.g. a construction project). Each has a project number (job #), name, customer, address, dates, status (e.g. Active, Completed, Draft, Archived), and optional revenue code and category. Projects can be marked as a bid/lead (not yet won) or as bid won; once won, date awarded can be set.

    Projects list and global tabs

    From the main menu, Projects opens the projects area. Tabs or links at this level include:

    • List, Table of projects. Columns typically include project #, name, customer, status, dates, etc. Rows are clickable to open the project. New Project creates a new project. Search and filters are available:
      • Filter by customer, category, revenue code.
      • Archive state: e.g. All, Bids/Leads, My List, Archived. "My List" may show projects relevant to the current user; "Archived" can be further filtered by year.
    • Reports, Project-level reports (e.g. labour progress, materials). May offer different report types; opening a report may require selecting a project or date range.
    • Bid templates, List of reusable bid templates that can be applied when building a project bid. Templates define a structure of categories and components (labour, materials, equipment, etc.) that can be copied to a project.
    • Settings, Job/project-related company settings (e.g. how project numbers are assigned, default behaviours).

    From the list, users open a project (e.g. to its Dashboard tab) or create a New Project.

    Inside a project, tabs overview

    When you open a project, a tab bar shows the available tabs. Visibility depends on permissions and whether the project is still a lead/bid (only certain tabs may show for leads). Tabs can include:

    • Dashboard, Overview (see below).
    • Details, Project details and Personnel (see below).
    • Bid, Build and manage the project bid (see "Project bidding" below).
    • Forms, Run company forms tied to this project; view or complete forms.
    • Files, Attach and manage files (documents, images) for the project. File count may appear on the tab.
    • Messages, Message threads about the project. Users can start a new message thread and add participants (internal users or external contacts).
    • Services, List of services linked to this project. Shows services that are attached to the project; may show total labour hours or other summary info.
    • Locates, Locate tickets (utility locates) tied to this project. Only visible if the project has locates or a setting allows it.
    • Time logs, All labour (time) entries charged to this project. Can show user, date, hours, classification, etc. Used for payroll and cost tracking.
    • Expenses, Expenses charged to this project. Filtering and editing may be available depending on permissions.
    • Change orders, Change order quotes and their status. Each change order can be viewed/edited; values may roll up into the project's total value and schedule of values.
    • Billing, Schedule of values (SOV) and project invoices (draws). See "Project billing and schedule of values" below.
    • Purchase orders, Purchase orders linked to the project. Open a PO to view or edit.
    • Schedule, Calendar/schedule view filtered to this project. Shows when work is scheduled for the project; may allow adding or editing events (if user has schedule write permission).
    • Reports, Labour and materials reports for this project (e.g. labour progress report).
    • Notes, Project notes (free-form or structured). Useful for meeting notes, site notes, etc.

    Quick actions from the project toolbar (or dashboard) can include: Clock in to project, Do company form, New message thread. On smaller screens some actions may appear in a "More" or menu dropdown.

    Project dashboard (tab)

    The Dashboard tab for a project typically includes:

    • Revenue & expenses, Chart or summary of revenue vs expenses for the project. Clicking may open the reports or billing area.
    • Weather, Weather for the project's location (if address/coordinates are set), with optional warnings.
    • Details, Summary of key project info (number, name, customer, dates, status). Admins or users with write permission may have an edit button to jump to Details.
    • Who is clocked in, Table or list of users currently clocked in to this project. Option to group clock (clock in multiple users at once).
    • Messages, Recent message threads; link to open Messages tab.
    • Map, Map showing project location (if address/coordinates are set).
    • Schedule timeline, Timeline of scheduled work for the project over a number of days.
    • Time logs, Recent or summary time log entries; link to Time logs tab.

    Users who are not yet clocked in and have permission can Clock in to project from the dashboard (or toolbar).

    Project details (tab), sections

    The Details tab uses a side panel or sections to organize fields. Typical sections:

    • Details, Core project fields:

      • Project # (may be editable or system-managed depending on company settings).
      • Project name, description.
      • Is a bid, Toggle for lead/bid vs won. If Bid won, a "Bid Won" indicator may show; otherwise Date awarded can be set when not a bid.
      • Start date, completion date, date completed.
      • Customer (contact), address (or link to customer location).
      • Category, revenue code (for reporting; revenue codes may be configured in settings).
      • Other company-specific fields.
      • Created / Last edited metadata (user and timestamp).
      • Buttons: Mark Project as Complete, Mark as Incomplete, Archive Project, Un-Archive Project.

    • Personnel, Personnel roles assigned to the project. You can assign employees (or roles) to the project (e.g. project manager, superintendent). This affects who "belongs" to the project for "My List" and for permissions (users on the project may see more tabs than users who are not).

    Details often auto-save when you change a field, or you can use Next / Previous to move between sections; saving may occur when leaving the Personnel section.

    Project bidding (Bid tab)

    The Bid tab is used to build the project's bid, the structured estimate that can later be imported into the schedule of values for billing.

    • Bid structure, The bid is organized as a tree of categories and components:

      • Categories are top-level groupings (e.g. "Site work", "Electrical"). A category can contain child components (sub-items) and can have a quantity and unit (e.g. lump sum, per unit).
      • Components are the line items that hold cost. Each component can have:
        • Name, item number, and detail fields (e.g. unit, quantity, unit price). Components can be copied from another bid or template.
        • Material, List of materials (from the materials catalog or assemblies). Each line can have description, part #, qty, price/rate, unit, price adjustment, markup, labour hours, and total.
        • Labour, Labour lines by classification (e.g. electrician, labourer). Each line can have crew size, hours, rate, price adjustment, markup, and total. Hours cap can be set at component level; labour may be linked to material labour hours.
        • Equipment, Equipment types (from company equipment types). Each line: type, object id, qty/unit, rate, price adjustment, markup, total.
        • Supplier quotes, Quotes from suppliers (supplier name, description, price, qty, adjustment, markup, total).
        • Additional factors, Optional calculations based on variables such as Labour Hrs, Labour Value, Material Value, Equipment Value, or Flat Rate, with scope (e.g. direct component only, whole component, whole bid).
      • Child components, A component can have nested child components (sub-components) with their own quantities and the same structure (materials, labour, equipment, supplier quotes, additional factors). The tree can be reordered by dragging. Sync derivative components may be available to push changes from a parent to derived children.
      • Direct value, Each component can show a "Direct Value" (sum of its own lines). Totals roll up to the bid summary.

    • Bid summary, A Bid summary view (or fullscreen view) shows the bid as a hierarchical table: sections (categories) with subtotals, then top-level and nested components with item #, name, qty, unit price, total. This is useful for review and for printing or exporting.

    • Bid state, The bid may be finalized (locked) or editable. Once finalized, the structure is typically used for the schedule of values (see below). Delete component is only allowed when there are no child components; deletion may be disabled once the bid is finalized.

    • Bid templates, When creating or editing a bid, you can copy from a bid template to pre-fill categories and components. You can also copy from another project's bid.

    Project billing and schedule of values

    The Billing tab has two main sub-areas: Schedule of Values and Invoices.

    Schedule of values (draw breakdown)

    • Schedule of values (SOV) is the list of billable line items for the project. It often mirrors the bid structure (item number, description, contract value, etc.). Each line can have:
      • Item number, description, contract value (original value for that item).
      • Progress, Track completion by unit (e.g. quantity installed) or by percent. "Total completed to date" and "Original project value" are summarized; change orders add to the total project value.
    • Add item, Add new SOV lines (when SOV is not locked). Edit and Delete and reorder (drag) are available when the schedule is not finalized.
    • Import bid items, If the project has an accepted/active bid, you can Import bid items to populate the schedule of values from the bid structure.
    • Lock / Unlock, Lock (finalize) the schedule of values when it is ready; after locking, you cannot edit/delete/reorder lines. You can then create draw invoices. Unlock allows editing again (use with care, as it may affect existing draws).
    • Holdback %, A project-level holdback percentage can be set (e.g. 10%). This is used for calculating holdback amounts on draw invoices. Holdback can be edited until the SOV is locked.
    • Change orders, A separate list of change orders appears below the SOV. Each change order (from the Change orders tab) can be viewed; change order values contribute to Total change order value and Total project value.

    Project invoices (draws)

    • Once the schedule of values is locked, a Draw invoice button appears. Creating a draw opens the project invoice flow:
      • Select which SOV items (and/or change orders) to include in this draw and the amount or percent complete for each (or use progress already recorded).
      • Holdback is calculated from the draw amount using the project's holdback %.
      • Finalizing, Add customer notes, terms, etc. Delivery, Mark as sent or delivered; may track delivery method or date.
    • From the Billing tab you can open the Invoices sub-section to see the list of project invoices (draws). Each invoice can be opened to view, edit (if allowed), or re-issue. Project invoices may sync to accounting (e.g. QuickBooks) if configured; project holdbacks are also managed from the Financial area (see "Financial" below).

    Project notes

    The Notes tab lists project notes. Users can add, edit, and view notes. Notes can be printed (e.g. Project notes print view). They are useful for site notes, meeting minutes, and general project documentation.

    Project reports

    The Reports tab offers project-specific reports, for example:

    • Labour progress, Labour hours and cost vs progress (e.g. by classification or by period). May link from the dashboard revenue chart.
    • Materials, Materials used or estimated for the project.

    Reports help track cost and productivity and can be used for internal or client reporting.

    Project forms, files, messages, schedule, purchase orders

    • Forms, Run a company form in the context of this project (e.g. safety checklist, daily report). Completed forms appear in the Forms tab or in a central forms list.
    • Files, Upload and organize files (PDFs, images, etc.) for the project. Files can be attached to invoices or other records when needed.
    • Messages, Internal (and optionally external) message threads. Start a new thread, add participants, and reply. Useful for project communication.
    • Schedule, View and (with permission) edit scheduled events for this project. Drag-and-drop or add events from the schedule component.
    • Purchase orders, View and manage POs for the project. Open a PO to see line items, status, and link to vendor (supplier contact).

    Project status and lifecycle

    • Draft, Project is in draft state (e.g. not yet active).
    • Active, Project is in progress (not completed, not archived).
    • Completed, Date completed is set; project may still be unarchived for reference.
    • Archived, Project is archived; editing may be restricted until it is unarchived.
    • Deleted, Soft-deleted projects may show a delete alert with option to restore.

    Alerts at the top of the project (when viewing) can show: "This project was completed on …", "This project is archived …", "This project has been deleted …".

    Services

    Services are individual work orders or service calls. They have a service number, customer, location, status, schedule (optional), and can be linked to a project and/or a service contract. Services can be created as quotes first (e.g. "New quote"); once the quote is accepted, the service becomes a regular service and can be invoiced.

    Services area (global)

    From the main menu, Services opens the services area. Top-level tabs/links include:

    • Services (list), Table of services (and optionally quotes). Filter by "mine", "all", status, date, customer, etc. New service and New quote create new records. Opening a row opens that service or quote.
    • Service contracts, List of service contracts (see "Service contracts" below). Contracts define recurring or subscription work; services can be linked to a contract.
    • Service tasks, Global list of service tasks (task types used on services and contracts). Used when building worksheets and invoices (task-based line items).
    • Quote templates, Reusable quote templates. When creating a new quote, you can Copy from a quote template to pre-fill details and line items.
    • Reports, Services reporting: by employees (e.g. which employees did how much work), by customers (e.g. revenue per customer), or advanced (summary or details view). Data can be filtered and exported for analysis.

    Inside a service (or quote), tabs overview

    When you open a service (or quote), tabs may include:

    • Dashboard, Summary and quick links.
    • Details, Customer, contract, location, categorization, scheduling, status, personnel, and options (see "Service details" below).
    • Worksheet, Work completed (see "Service worksheet" below).
    • Forms, Forms completed or available for this service.
    • Files, Attachments.
    • Messages, Message threads.
    • Locates, Locate tickets for this service.
    • Time logs, Hours logged on this service.
    • Expenses, Expenses for this service.
    • Purchase orders, POs linked to this service.
    • Quote, Create or edit the quote (before acceptance). Only relevant for quotes or services that started as quotes.
    • Invoice, Create or edit the invoice. Invoice sections pull from the worksheet and quote (tasks, materials, labour, equipment, additional charges, attachments); finalizing and delivery complete the invoice.
    • Report, Service-level report.

    Quote and Invoice tabs may be hidden or restricted based on permissions (e.g. "Service Quotes/Invoices" module) and on status (e.g. invoice may appear after service is completed or quote is accepted).

    Service details, sections

    The Details tab for a service is organized into sections (e.g. in a side panel). Typical sections:

    • Details, Customer & contract: customer (contact), service contract (if applicable), work location (address or customer location). Service work details: description, status, dates, priority, emergency flag, etc. Categorization (e.g. type of service, revenue code), may be set on the contract if the service is under a contract.
    • Work location, Address or customer location where work is performed. Can be selected from the contact's locations or entered manually; map may be shown.
    • Setup options, Company-specific or contract-driven options (e.g. billing frequency, permit needed, permit cost). For quotes, setup options may be limited.
    • Contacts, Additional contacts (e.g. site contact, billing contact).
    • Personnel roles, Assign employees or roles to the service. The app may prompt if personnel are not assigned. This affects who can see the service and who appears on reports.
    • Scheduling, Schedule (date/time) for the service. Can be a single visit or recurring pattern. Schedule is used for the Schedule calendar and for punch clock suggestions (e.g. "You are scheduled for Service #…").

    Actions on the details panel can include Archive service, Un-archive, Delete service/quote. Deleting is permanent; archive hides the service from default lists but keeps data.

    Service worksheet

    The Worksheet tab is where you record work completed, the actual tasks, materials, labour, and equipment that will feed the invoice.

    • Work completed entries, Each entry is a block of work (e.g. "Installed panel", "Replaced filter"). For each entry you can record:
      • Asset worked on, Optional link to a customer asset (from the customer's Assets). If the service location is a customer location, you can pick an asset at that location; you can also Create customer asset from here. Work type (e.g. repair, maintenance) may be required when an asset is selected.
      • Change quote work, If the service has an accepted change quote, you can mark this entry as belonging to the change quote.
      • Work completed, Tasks (from service tasks or contract tasks), materials (from catalog or assemblies), labour (hours by classification), equipment (equipment type, hours or units). Quantities, rates, and totals are stored.
      • Service tasks, Task-based line items (from the global service tasks or contract tasks) with description and amount.
      • Notes, Free-form notes for the entry.
    • Asset checklists and forms, If the selected customer asset has checklists or form child templates, the app can Import them into the service so the crew fills them out as part of the worksheet.
    • Multiple entries, You can add many worksheet entries (e.g. one per visit or per phase). Each entry can be collapsed/expanded; entered by and created at may be shown for audit.
    • Invoice generation, When you create or edit the Invoice, you can regenerate sections (Tasks, Materials, Labour, Equipment) from the worksheet. This compiles all worksheet entries into invoice line items. You can also pull from quote to copy quote line items to the invoice. Edits can be made on the invoice after generation.

    The worksheet is the source of truth for what was done; the invoice is the billing view of that work (with possible adjustments, additional charges, and finalizing).

    Service quote and invoice

    • Quote, The Quote tab lets you build a quote (estimate) for the customer. Line items can be tasks, materials, labour, equipment, and additional charges. Quote status (e.g. Sent, Accepted, Declined) can be set. When the customer accepts the quote, the service can move to invoicing; accepted quote data can be pulled into the invoice.

    • Invoice, The Invoice tab has sections (often in a side menu):

      • Quote details or Invoice details, Header info (customer, dates, PO number, etc.).
      • Tasks, Contract or job tasks (if applicable).
      • Service tasks, Task-type line items.
      • Materials, Material lines (from worksheet or quote). Can edit qty, rate, markup.
      • Labour, Labour lines (from worksheet or quote). Can edit hours, rate.
      • Equipment, Equipment lines.
      • Additional charges, Miscellaneous charges (e.g. trip charge, permit).
      • Attachments, Files to attach to the invoice (e.g. from the service Files tab). Not available for freeform invoices.
      • Display settings, How the invoice is presented (e.g. show/hide columns).
      • Finalizing, Mark as final, add notes, set status. Once finalized, the invoice is locked (or delivery is enabled).
      • Delivery, Record how/when the invoice was sent (e.g. email, mail). Optional.

    • Regenerate, For each section you can regenerate from worksheet or pull from quote (with confirmation), which overwrites that section's line items. Worksheets changed warning may appear if the worksheet was updated after the invoice was generated, suggesting a refresh.

    • Group invoice, Multiple services can be combined into a group invoice (e.g. for a customer or contract). The invoice UI may show "Sources" or list of services included; sections aggregate data from all included worksheets.

    Service status and lifecycle

    • Quote, Record is a quote; not yet accepted. Can be edited; once accepted, it may become a regular service or stay as a quoted service with accepted status.
    • Scheduled / In progress / Completed, Service status can drive visibility and which tabs are available (e.g. invoice may require completed or accepted quote).
    • Archived, Service is archived; can be unarchived to edit again.
    • Deleted, Service (or quote) can be deleted; this is typically permanent.

    Service contracts

    Service contracts define recurring or subscription work with a customer (e.g. annual maintenance, monthly inspection). They have a contract number, customer, description, dates (start/end), and optional products and personnel.

    Service contracts list and tabs

    • Contracts list, Table of contracts. Columns may include contract #, customer, description, dates, status. New contract creates a contract. Filter by include expired contracts to show or hide expired ones. From a contact record you can open "Service contracts" to see only that contact's contracts.
    • Products, Company-level products (e.g. "Annual inspection", "Premium maintenance"). Each product has title, price (for recurring/subscription, the price may be annual), and description. Products can be linked to contracts or used in pricing. New product to add; edit/delete from the list.
    • Reports, Contract reports (e.g. "Contract reports coming soon" or basic list exports).

    Inside a service contract

    When you open a contract, tabs may include:

    • Details, Contract number, customer, description, start/end dates, customer reference #, and other fields. Personnel and messages may be available. Delete contract is possible with confirmation.
    • Tasks, Tasks that are part of the contract (e.g. "Inspect HVAC", "Replace filters"). These tasks can be used when creating services under the contract or when building worksheets.
    • Materials, Materials referenced for this contract (e.g. standard parts). Crew can use these when filling the worksheet on a service under this contract.
    • Products, Products tied to this contract (if any).
    • Personnel, Who is assigned to the contract.
    • Files, Documents for the contract.

    Services that are linked to this contract will show the contract on the service Details; categorization and some options may be inherited from the contract.

    Contacts (Contacts network)

    Contacts are companies or people you work with: customers (you sell to them) and suppliers (you buy from them). The Contacts area is often called the Contacts network. You can invite a contact to Tradetraks or link an existing Tradetraks user to the contact record.

    Contact list and search

    • Contacts, List of contacts. Search and filter by type (customer/supplier), name, etc. Invite to Tradetraks opens a flow to send an email invite (to join your company or to link their account to this contact). Find people (from menu or contacts) lets you search for existing Tradetraks users/companies to invite or link.

    Contact record, tabs

    When you open a contact, tabs may include:

    • Summary, Overview: name, type, key details, and quick actions (e.g. Invite to Tradetraks, new project, new service). If the contact is linked to a Tradetraks account, that is indicated; you can link or decline link if there is a match.
    • Details, Name, type (customer, supplier, or both), address, phone, email, and other fields. Link to Tradetraks account, If the contact has an account, details can be linked so they stay in sync. Sub-contacts may be listed or linked here.
    • Locations, Contact locations (sites/addresses). Add, edit, delete locations. Each location has a name and address; services and projects can use "work at this location". Assets can be assigned to a location.
    • Assets, Customer assets (see "Customer assets" below). View by category or by location. Search assets. Context menu: add category, add asset, edit category, active categories manager.
    • Active jobs, Projects and services for this contact. Quick link to open each job.
    • Files, Files attached to the contact (e.g. contracts, drawings). Upload and organize.
    • Service contracts, Contracts with this contact. List and open each contract.
    • Sub-contacts, Related contacts (e.g. multiple people at one company). Add or remove sub-contacts.
    • Invoice settings, For customers: billing preferences, default terms, PO number requirement, etc. Used when generating invoices.
    • Purchases, For suppliers: list of purchase orders or purchases from this supplier. View and open POs.

    Customer assets

    Customer assets are items you service at the customer's site (e.g. HVAC units, generators, pumps). They are organized under a contact (customer) and optionally by location and category.

    Asset list and organization

    • By category, Categories (e.g. "HVAC", "Electrical") group assets. You can add category, edit category, delete category (if no assets), and manage active categories (which categories appear in the list). Selecting a category shows the assets in that category.
    • By location, Locations (customer locations) can be selected; then assets at that location are listed. Breadcrumb: Locations → [location name] → asset list.
    • Search, Search assets to find by description, serial #, etc. Results can be shown in a separate "search results" view; clear search returns to category/location view.

    Per-asset record

    Opening an asset shows:

    • Description, serial number, customer location, next service date (optional). Edit to change.
    • Maintenance log, History of work done on this asset (e.g. from service worksheets where "asset worked on" was this asset). Add log entries; view past entries.
    • Parts, Parts used or required for this asset. List and add parts (part #, description, qty, etc.).
    • Location, Where the asset is (e.g. pin on map, or address). Can use current device location to set.
    • Images, Photos of the asset. Upload and view.
    • Files, Documents (manuals, specs) for the asset.
    • Forms, Forms tied to this asset (e.g. inspection checklist). Form child templates can be defined per asset category so that when a service is linked to this asset, those forms can be imported into the service.

    Create customer asset, From the service worksheet (when "I worked on a customer asset" = Yes) you can Create customer asset to add a new asset on the fly and link the worksheet entry to it.

    Employees

    Employees are users who belong to your company. They can be invited (they get an email to join or to accept employment) or added directly (you create the account). Each employee has a profile and optional employment settings, permissions, certificates, time logs, expenses, forms, and calendar events.

    Employee list

    • Employees, List of employees. Columns may include name, email, role, status (active/inactive), last active. New employee (or "Add employee" / "Invite") opens the add/invite flow. Invite sends an email; add directly creates the account (useful if the person is already on Tradetraks and you send an employment offer instead). Filter or search by name, role, etc. Update QuickBooks employee data with Tradetraks data may appear if QuickBooks integration is on.
    • Employee settings, Company-wide settings: e.g. payroll period (start day and frequency, weekly, bi-weekly, etc.). Used to group time logs into pay periods for review and export. Other defaults (e.g. expense approval workflow) may be here.

    Per-employee record, tabs

    When you open an employee, tabs may include:

    • Profile, Personal and employment details: name, email, phone, job title, start date, etc. Profile image. Employment status (active/inactive); disconnect date if inactive. Reinstate button if the employee was ended. Online indicator if they were active on Tradetraks recently.
    • Certificates, Health & safety certificates for this employee. List of certificates with expiry date. Add or edit certificate assignments; expired or expiring soon may be highlighted. Links to the company certificate types (manage certificates).
    • Time logs, All time log entries for this employee. Filter by date, project, service. Used for payroll and review.
    • Expenses, Expenses submitted by this employee. Review, approve, or reject; filter by status or date.
    • Forms, Forms completed by or assigned to this employee. List and open form instances.
    • Employment settings, Employment-specific fields (e.g. classification, union, collective agreement). May be restricted to admins or HR.
    • Permissions, Module permissions (read/write per module: Projects, Services, Contacts, etc.) and role (e.g. Admin, service tech). Permission templates can be applied. Usually admin only and only for active employees.
    • Account settings, Password reset, notification preferences (email, push), two-factor if enabled. Allow Tradetraks support to access your account (for troubleshooting). Lock account to prevent support access. Device for push notifications. Only the employee (or admin) can access.
    • Calendar events, Personal events (vacation, sick day, other). Employee can add; manager may approve vacation requests from the Schedule area.
    • Library activity, Library acknowledgements (e.g. read company policies, safety docs). Track which library files the employee has acknowledged. Requires Library module.

    New employee, Add or invite. Enter email, name, role; choose "Add directly" or "Send invite". If the email is already a Tradetraks user, an employment offer is sent instead of creating a duplicate account.

    Equipment

    Equipment is your company's fleet or assets (vehicles, machinery, tools). It is organized by category (e.g. "Vehicles", "Trailers") and type (e.g. "Pickup truck", "Flatbed").

    Equipment list and navigation

    • Equipment, Main entry. Equipment list can be browsed by category then type (e.g. Vehicles → Pickup truck). Search equipment to find by description or type; results link to the equipment record. Include archived toggle to show archived equipment. Context menu: new category, new type, new equipment, edit category/type, delete, export, import.
    • Equipment list nav tabs, Tabs may include: list by category/type, maintenance schedule (company-wide), forms (forms used for equipment), settings (types and categories), apps (addon apps for equipment).

    Per-equipment record

    Opening a piece of equipment shows:

    • Description, type (equipment type), status. Edit to change; archive to hide from active list.
    • Maintenance schedule, When maintenance is due (e.g. next oil change, inspection). Add/edit schedule items; due date and frequency (e.g. every 90 days).
    • Maintenance events, Log of maintenance performed (date, type, notes, cost). History of all events for this equipment.
    • Forms, Forms completed for this equipment (e.g. inspection form). List and open.

    Equipment settings, Define equipment types (e.g. "Pickup", "Excavator") and categories (e.g. "Vehicles"). Used in the bid (project), worksheet (service), and invoice.

    Equipment forms, Configure which forms are used for equipment (e.g. pre-trip checklist).

    Maintenance schedule (company-wide), View all equipment with upcoming or overdue maintenance in one place.

    Materials & tasks

    • Materials list, Catalog of materials (description, part #, unit, price, etc.). Add, edit, delete. Used in project bids (material section of a component), service worksheets (materials used), and invoices (material lines). Assemblies group multiple materials into one selectable "assembly" for faster entry.
    • Assemblies, Create and edit assemblies (name, list of materials with qty). When adding materials to a bid or worksheet, pick an assembly to add all its materials at once.
    • Materials settings, Company settings for materials (e.g. default unit, pricing rules). May link to expense codes or revenue codes.
    • Labour tasks / Labour actions list, Labour task types or "labour actions" (e.g. "Installation", "Repair"). Used in labour tracking and in classifications (employee classifications) for billing. List and manage; used when building bids (labour section) and time logs.

    Time logs

    Time logs record labour hours, who worked, on which project or service, for how long, and under which classification (e.g. electrician, labourer). Used for payroll, cost tracking, and invoicing (service labour can be pulled from time logs into the worksheet/invoice).

    Punch clock

    • Punch clock, Clock in and clock out to a project or service.
      • Step 1: What, Choose Project or Service. If you have a scheduled event (e.g. "You are scheduled for Service #…"), that job may be suggested with a "Select" button; otherwise pick from list.
      • Step 2: Where, Job picker: select the specific project or service (search or browse). Required before clocking in.
      • Step 3 (optional): Location, Device GPS location can be captured when you clock in (if permission is granted). If location is blocked or fails, a message explains; you can try again after enabling permissions.
    • Clock out, When clocked in, the same page shows Clock out for the current job. Duration is calculated from clock-in to clock-out time.
    • Location, "Getting location…" may appear while the app gets GPS. Denied or timeout shows an alert with instructions (enable permissions, retry).

    Time logs area, tabs

    • Review, Review and approve time logs, typically by pay period. Select a pay period; see entries by user, project, service, date, hours, classification. Approve or reject; bulk actions may be available. Submitted time may be locked from edit after approval.
    • Pay period reports, History of pay periods. Open a period to see summary (e.g. total hours per user) or detailed list. Export or print for payroll.
    • List, All time log entries with filters (user, project, service, date range, classification). Edit or delete if permissions allow and if not yet approved/processed.
    • Settings, Pay period start (day of week or date) and frequency (weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, monthly). Required so time is grouped correctly for review and reports.

    Manual and admin actions

    • Clock user in/out, Managers (with permission) can Clock user in/out or Time log record from the Time logs toolbar. Opens a modal to select user, project or service, date/time, hours, classification. Used for corrections or for employees who don't use the punch clock.
    • Retro time log, Add a retroactive time log entry (past date); same fields as manual entry.

    Expenses

    Expenses are out-of-pocket or company costs (e.g. materials, fuel, permits) that are charged to a project or service (or unassigned). They often use expense codes (configured in settings) for reporting.

    Expense areas and tabs

    • Log expense, Create a new expense: amount, date, expense code, project or service (job), description, receipt (optional). Submit for approval if workflow is enabled.
    • Review, Review submitted expenses (e.g. approve/reject). Filter by pay period, employee, status.
    • Submitted, View submitted expenses (e.g. by pay period and type). Open a pay period to see list; may link to expense history or list.
    • History, Expense history (e.g. by year). Drill down to see or export expenses.
    • List, Full list of expenses with filters (job, user, date, code, status). Edit or delete if allowed.

    Expenses can be filtered by job (project/service) when viewing from a project or service Expenses tab.

    Financial

    The Financial area centralizes invoices, project holdbacks, and purchase orders.

    Financial tabs

    • Invoices, List of invoices (both service and project invoices). New invoice can create a service or project invoice (flow may ask type and job). Search invoices. Filters:
      • Customer, Filter by contact.
      • Amount total, Min/max amount.
      • Issue date, From–to range.
      • Job type, All, Service, Project. For service: optional service # range (start–end).
      • Show only un-pushed to QBO, If QuickBooks Online is integrated, show invoices not yet synced.
    • Apply and Clear filters to update the list. Open an invoice to view or edit (details, line items, attachments, finalizing, delivery). Sync to QuickBooks (or similar) if integration is configured.
    • Project holdbacks, Holdback amounts for projects (retained by the customer until project completion). List and manage holdback releases; ties to project holdback % and draw invoices.

    Purchase orders

    • Purchase orders, List of purchase orders. Can be opened from Financial or from a project or service (Purchase orders tab). Each PO has vendor (supplier contact), line items, amounts, status. Create and edit POs; link to job (project/service) for cost tracking.

    Invoice types and flows

    • Service invoice, Built from service worksheet (and optionally quote). Sections: details, tasks, service tasks, materials, labour, equipment, additional charges, attachments, display settings, finalizing, delivery. Regenerate sections from worksheet or from quote. Can be freeform (no job file attachments) or job-linked.
    • Project invoice (draw), Built from schedule of values. Select SOV items and amounts (or percent complete); holdback is calculated. Finalizing and delivery similar to service invoice.
    • Group invoice, Multiple services (e.g. under one contract or customer) combined into one invoice. Sources listed; sections aggregate worksheet data from all services.

    Health & safety

    • Certificates matrix, Grid view: rows = employees, columns = certificate types. Each cell shows status (e.g. valid, expired, expiring soon) or empty. Filter by certificate(s), employee(s), expires before (date). Export to CSV. Toggle Display acronyms/short names for certificate names. Click an employee to open their Certificates tab.
    • Manage certificates, Certificate types (e.g. "First Aid", "WHMIS"). Add, edit, delete. Each type has a name and optional short name; used when assigning certificates to employees and in the matrix.
    • Per employee, Certificates tab: assign certificates with expiry date; renew when needed. Expired or upcoming expiries can trigger alerts in the matrix or on the employee profile.
    • Safety apps, Third-party safety apps (from App Store) that appear in the Safety area.

    Forms

    Forms are custom forms (checklists, inspections, reports) built from templates. Forms can be filled out in the app (company form) or via an external link (customer or subcontractor). Completed forms can be tied to a project, service, contact, or asset.

    Forms area, tabs

    • Templates, Form templates (and categories). Templates define the structure (fields, sections). Child templates add more fields for specific use cases (e.g. per asset category). Template editor and child template editor to build or edit. Form list (by template or category) shows instances (filled forms).
    • List, All form instances (filled or in progress). Filter by template, date, job, contact. Open to view or edit.
    • Marketplace, Form marketplace, browse or install form templates from a marketplace (pre-built templates). Analytics (if enabled), form completion stats, popular templates, etc.

    Using forms

    • Do company form, From the main menu or from a project (e.g. "Do company form" button), run a company form. Select the form template (and optionally job, contact). Fill out the form; submit. It is saved and linked to the selected context.
    • External form, Share a link (with optional token) so someone outside the company can fill a form (e.g. customer acknowledgement, subcontractor sign-off). They open the link, fill fields, submit; you see the completed form in the list (and optionally get a notification). Acknowledgement slug may be used in the URL for tracking.
    • Form print view, Print a completed form (e.g. for records or for the customer). Maintenance log print and note print views exist for other record types.

    Schedule

    The Schedule is a calendar of assignments and events: projects, services, employees (people), and equipment. You can view by day, week, or other views and add or edit events (if you have permission).

    Schedule views and filters

    • Calendar, Main view (day/week/month or similar). Date picker to jump to a date. Events show as blocks (e.g. "Project #123", "Service #456", "John – Vacation"). Drag and drop (in daily view) may be supported to move events or to add from a list.
    • Add to schedule, Panel or side bar to add events:
      • Personal event, Vacation, sick day, or other (for the logged-in user). Drag onto the calendar or click to add. Vacation and sick day may require approval (manager approves from "Pending vacation requests").
      • Projects, Search projects; filter "Show only unscheduled", "My projects". Drag project onto the calendar or click + to add an event for that project on the selected date.
      • Services, Same idea: search, filter, add to calendar.
      • Equipment, Schedule equipment (e.g. "Excavator" on a given day). Drag or add.
      • People, Schedule a user to a job or event. Select user and job/event and date/time.
    • Pending vacation requests, Managers (with permission) see "Pending vacation requests…" on the Schedule page. Modal lists requests (employee, date range, notes); Approve or Reject each.

    Schedule timeline and print

    • Schedule timeline, Timeline view for a project or service (from the project/schedule tab or a dedicated route). Shows events over a span of days. Schedule timeline print view for printing.

    Locates

    Locates are utility locate tickets (e.g. "call before you dig") tied to a project or service. You track ticket number, dates, and status so work isn't done before locates are cleared.

    Locates list and filters

    • Locates, List of tickets. New ticket to create. Filter by:
      • Project or service (if not already viewing from a job).
      • Action (e.g. type of locate).
      • Status.
      • Ticket #.
      • Date type: Work to begin, Date pulled, Expiry date, Refresh date, then date range (from–to).
    • Apply filters to see relevant tickets. Open a ticket to view or edit (ticket #, job, dates, status, notes). From a project or service, the Locates tab shows only tickets for that job.

    Library

    • Library, Company-wide file library. Browse by tag or view all files. Upload and organize documents (e.g. safety policies, templates, standard drawings). Library is separate from job files (project/service) and contact files. Library acknowledgements (for employees) track who has viewed or acknowledged which library files, visible on the employee Library activity tab.

    Reports

    • Projects reports, From the Projects area, Reports tab: Labour progress, Materials (and other project reports). Select project(s) and date range; view or export. Total billing report and monthly billing report may aggregate project costs (including from Tradetraks or from uploaded external totals if supported).
    • Services reports, From the Services area, Reports: Employees (e.g. hours or revenue by employee), Customers (e.g. revenue or count by customer), Advanced (summary or details view). Report type and view (summary/details) selectors; table and export options for analysis.

    Settings

    Settings (main menu) include:

    • User and account, Profile (name, email, password), notification preferences (email, push), subscription (if you are the billing contact).
    • Company, Company details (name, address, logo, primary contact, etc.). Collective agreements, Unions (and union details). Company settings (general options). Revenue codes (for projects/services). Permission templates, define role-based access (which modules each role can read/write). Expense codes, codes used when logging expenses.
    • Subscription, Tradetraks subscription (plan, trial expiry, payment). Book a demo link for freemium users. Referral link (from menu), share your link; referral program may offer incentives (e.g. "Share Tradetraks and get paid $500").
    • Integrations, QuickBooks or other accounting (e.g. sync invoices, tax codes, employees). App-specific integration (e.g. "Connect Tradetraks tax settings to QuickBooks Online Tax Codes"). Configure per integration.

    Employers, If you belong to multiple companies, Employers lets you switch which company you're acting as. You can also register a new company from here. Setup wizard may appear for a new company (company details, payroll period, employees, etc.). Onboarding wizard may walk through configuration and training.

    Apps

    • Apps main, Overview of installed and available apps. Addon apps run inside Tradetraks (iframe) in context (e.g. project, service, equipment). Your data is not shared with other companies.
    • App store, Browse and install third-party apps. Apps can be public (any company can install) or private (only your company). Publish an app (for developers): app name, keywords, description, version, source URL, support URL, logo, developer name.
    • Installed apps, Manage installed apps (enable, disable, remove). Integrations, Configure integrations (accounting, etc.) that may be tied to an app or to core Tradetraks.

    Notifications and feed

    • Notification center / feed, Activity feed and notifications (e.g. new message, form submitted, invoice approved). Click to go to the relevant record.
    • Release notes / news, Tradetraks news and product updates. Shown in the feed or in a dedicated "News" or "Release notes" page.
    • Notification settings, Choose how you're notified (email, push, in-app). Per notification type if available. Device for push (e.g. "This device will receive notifications from your Tradetraks account").

    Common workflows (detailed)

    • Bid a project, Create or open project → Details (customer, dates) → Bid tab → add categories and components; for each component add materials, labour, equipment, supplier quotes, additional factors; add child components as needed. Use Bid summary to review. Copy from bid template if desired. Finalize bid when ready. Later: Billing → Import bid items into schedule of values → Lock SOV → create draw invoices.
    • Run a service from quote to invoice, Create New quote (or new service) → Details (customer, contract, location, personnel, scheduling) → Worksheet: add work completed entries (tasks, materials, labour, equipment; optionally link customer asset, import asset checklists/forms). Quote tab: build quote; send to customer; set Accepted. Invoice tab: Regenerate sections from worksheet (or pull from quote); add additional charges, attachments; Finalizing → Delivery. For group invoice: select multiple services and build one invoice from combined worksheets.
    • Track labour, Punch clock → choose Project or Service → pick job → Clock in (location optional). When done → Clock out. Or: Time logs → Clock user in/out or Time log record (manual entry). Review tab → select pay period → approve/reject. Pay period reports → view summary or detailed; export for payroll.
    • Track equipment, Equipment → category → type → open item → Maintenance schedule (add due items) → Maintenance events (log work done). Equipment → Maintenance schedule (company-wide) to see all upcoming/overdue.
    • Manage customer assets, Contacts → customer → Assets → By category or By location → open asset → Maintenance log, Parts, Location, Images, Files, Forms. From a service worksheet, "I worked on a customer asset" → select asset (or Create customer asset) → record work; Import asset checklists/forms if offered.
    • Safety compliance, Health & safety → Certificates matrix (filter by certificate, employee, expires before; export CSV). Manage certificates (add certificate types). Per Employee → Certificates tab → assign certificates and expiry dates; renew before expiry. Use matrix to schedule only certified staff.

    Access and roles

    • Module permissions, Each user has read and/or write for modules such as: Projects, Services, Contacts, Equipment, Materials, Time logs, Expenses, Financial (e.g. Service Quotes/Invoices, Job Invoices, Purchase Orders, Expenses), Certificates, Company Forms, Schedule, Locates, Library, Settings, Users. Permission templates assign a set of permissions to a role; per employee you can override or use a template.
    • Roles, Admin typically has full access. Service tech (or similar) may have limited access (e.g. only "my" services, limited tabs). Project/service membership, if the user is not on the project/service (Personnel) and is not Admin and doesn't have Job read, they may see only Dashboard, Messages, Time logs, Expenses (and possibly Forms). Bid tab visibility may be limited when the project is a lead (only "bid" tabs show).
    • Subscription, Trial users may see "X days left on trial" in the menu; freemium users may see locks on paid features and a "Book a demo" link. Paid plans unlock gated features. Referral link is available to all.
    • Employers, Multi-company users can switch employer; tenant_id or inactive employer may restrict access (e.g. only "Employers" link) until they're on an active employer.

    Getting started (for new users)

    • Register, Create an account (email, password, company name, etc.). Accept invite, Use the link in the email to join a company or link your account to a contact.
    • Setup wizard, New companies may be guided through setup: company details, payroll period (for time logs), employees (invite or add), unions, revenue codes, etc. Progress is saved; setup must be completed for full value.
    • Onboarding wizard, Optional onboarding (with optional shared link/token) to configure company and processes; specialist may follow up.
    • Dashboard, After login, use the main menu (pull-out menu button) to open Dashboard, Projects, Services, Contacts, Employees, Time logs, Financial, Schedule, Settings, etc. Find people to invite others to Tradetraks.
    • Help, New message thread → "Support" or "Ask Tradetraks support" to contact support. Referral link from the menu to share Tradetraks.

    This guide describes Tradetraks features from an end-user perspective. For the latest capabilities, pricing, and product names, visit the vendor's website or contact sales.

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