How to Use Workshop Plan

A practical guide to running jobs, stock, products, paperwork, routing, and shared workshop data in one desktop app.

Overview

Workshop Plan is not just a sheet planner. It is a workshop operations system for fabrication teams. It joins the office workflow, product library, job pipeline, stock control, planning screen, fabrication paperwork, delivery routing, account sign-in, updates, and multi-PC shared data into one Windows desktop app.

Use it to manage

  • Workshop jobs, priorities, due dates, phases, and customer updates.
  • Reusable products, parts, consumables, cut-time samples, and notes.
  • Sheet stock, product stock, part stock, custom stock, low-stock alerts, and deductions.
  • Sheet layout planning, sheet breakdowns, and current job cut lists.
  • Fabrication forms, delivery route sheets, proof photographs, and PDF output.

Data model

Single-PC installs use a local SQLite database. Multi-PC workshops should use one PostgreSQL database on a stable host PC or server, with every app PC connecting over the local network.

Do not use a shared SQLite database file on a network drive for normal multi-PC work.

Install and Sign In

  1. Download the Windows installer from the Download page.
  2. Run WorkshopPlanSetup.exe on each Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC that will use the app.
  3. Create your company account from the Create Account page if you do not already have one.
  4. Open Workshop Plan and sign in with the email and password for your licence.
  5. For a single PC, you can start working immediately with the local database. For a team, configure the shared PostgreSQL database before putting live work into the app.

The app checks your licence through the Workshop Plan backend. If the backend is temporarily unavailable after a successful check, the app can continue during its offline grace window.

Data and Multi-PC Setup

Workshop Plan stores operational data in SQL. On first startup it creates local workshop folders under your Windows Documents folder for database config, local cache, paperwork, stock, job files, logs, and support files.

File or folder Purpose
workshop\database.properties Database connection settings for this PC.
local workshop database Local SQLite database for single-PC work, fallback mode, and offline cache.
workshop\paperwork Default output folder for generated PDFs and route paperwork.
logs Runtime logs and diagnostic output.
backups Scheduled PostgreSQL and local SQLite backup output.

Recommended multi-PC setup

  1. Pick one stable machine on the LAN to host PostgreSQL.
  2. Create a database, app user, and password for Workshop Plan.
  3. Allow PostgreSQL LAN access and open the host firewall for port 5432.
  4. Edit database.properties on the first PC to point at the host database.
  5. Start only one PC first so Workshop Plan can create the schema and import legacy data from that PC if needed.
  6. Check jobs, stock, parts, products, and planning before connecting the remaining PCs.
  7. Put the same PostgreSQL details into database.properties on each additional PC.
Offline behavior: if a configured PostgreSQL server cannot be reached, Workshop Plan falls back to local SQLite so work can continue. Use Retry Server Connection when the server is back. If server data changed first, use Review Sync Conflicts before continuing.

Products and Parts

Build the product and part library before relying on the job and planning workflows. Products can contain parts and consumables, and jobs then request those reusable products instead of recreating the same information each time.

Part Editor

  • Enter a part name and optional machine/program file name.
  • Mark bought-in or non-cut items as Consumable / bought-in item.
  • Set width, height, thickness, material type, X/Y gaps, yield, and notes.
  • Save new parts, open existing parts, or start a new part from the editor.

Product Editor

  • Set the product name and product type.
  • Add saved parts and consumables with quantities.
  • Record cut-time samples so the product has better time estimates over repeated work.
  • Use height barrier products as reusable templates, then set job-specific barrier dimensions in the Job Editor.

Jobs and Phases

The job name is the main workshop and customer reference. A job can hold contact details, address, phone numbers, notes, requested products and parts, a plan summary, priority, order date, due date, customer updates, and its current workflow phase.

  1. Open View > Jobs, then choose Create New Job or Job Editor.
  2. Fill in job name, number, dates, priority, address, phone numbers, and notes.
  3. Add products or parts to the job. For height barriers, select the line item and add job-specific dimensions and fabrication details.
  4. Save the job. It appears in the Jobs view and can be searched, grouped, moved through phases, loaded into the planner, or used for paperwork.
  5. Use the Details and Customer Updates tabs to review job information and record customer contact history.

In the Jobs view, Job Groups is useful for office-style grouping. Phase Board is useful for production progress. Right-click or use toolbar actions to move jobs to the next phase, set a specific phase, complete jobs, undo completion, or create fabrication sheets.

Sheet Planning and Stock

Planner workflow

  1. Select one or more jobs in the Jobs view.
  2. Choose Load Selected Jobs to bring the requested products and parts into the Planner.
  3. Set the sheet width, sheet height, and layout direction.
  4. Review Current Sheet Breakdown, the sheet label, the colour legend, and the canvas layout.
  5. Use < Prev and Next > when the plan spans multiple sheets.

Stock workflow

  1. Open View > Stock to compare demand with current stock.
  2. Use Stock Editor to add sheets, saved parts, saved products, or custom items.
  3. Set quantities and low-stock alert thresholds for important items.
  4. Use +1 and -1 for quick current-stock adjustments.
  5. After a plan is confirmed, deduct planned stock. If a mistake is made, use Restore Last Deduction before making another deduction.

The stock system covers sheet stock, product stock, part stock, consumables, and custom items in one unified inventory list. Low-stock alerts appear in the toolbar and Dashboard when configured thresholds are reached.

Paperwork

Workshop Plan generates paperwork from the same operational data used by the rest of the app.

Fabrication sheets

  1. Select a single job in the Jobs view.
  2. Choose Create Fab Sheet.
  3. Review the auto-filled job number, job name, dates, address, products, notes, and parts.
  4. Optionally include cuts and lengths, and optionally attach a reference image.
  5. Use Save PDF or Print.

Generated PDFs default to the app's paperwork folder under your Windows Documents workshop data.

Delivery Routes

The Delivery view plots saved active job addresses on an embedded map. Full site addresses with town or city and postcode give the best route results.

  1. Open View > Delivery.
  2. Use Edit Main Office to set the shared depot or main office address.
  3. Search jobs if needed, then click mapped job markers to add stops to the route.
  4. Drag stops in Route Order, or use route stop actions to move and remove stops.
  5. Enter a route name, then use Save Route to save it to the shared database.
  6. Use Open Saved to load or delete saved routes.
  7. Use Export Route to open the route editor, add vehicle or driver details, attach proof photos, then save PDFs or print.

The route editor can save one route PDF or separate job sheets for each stop. Proof photographs can be attached per stop before printing or exporting.

Settings and Support

Use Settings in the top toolbar for device preferences, shared branding, account status, updates, and support tools.

Useful settings

  • Startup view, default sheet size, and default planner layout.
  • Device name for audit logging.
  • Open main app maximised and open editors maximised by default.
  • Include cuts and lengths on new fab sheets by default.
  • Confirm before delete and dark mode.
  • Company name and shared logo for branding.

Support actions

  • Check For Updates runs the same update check used by the packaged app.
  • Open Data / Config Folder opens the local workshop folder.
  • Edit Job Phases changes the workflow phases used by the Jobs view.
  • Audit Log shows recorded data changes and device information.
  • Sign Out removes this PC's current account session.
Need help? Email support@workshopplan.co.uk and include the app version, what you were doing, and any message shown on screen.