> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://learn.withessential.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://learn.withessential.com/getting-started/getting-started/common-workflows.md).

# Common Workflows

Use these workflow paths when you know what you need to do but not which part of Essential to open first.

## Work a visit in the mobile app

Use this flow when a technician is heading to a scheduled visit, completing the work, and sending the result back to the office.

1. Sign in and open the Visits tab. [Sign in and navigate the mobile app](/field-operations/mobile/sign-in-and-navigation.md)
2. Find today's visit in Day view, or switch to Week or Month to pick another date. [See your visits in the mobile app](/field-operations/mobile/see-your-visits.md)
3. Open the visit to review the address, instructions, contacts, files, and asset groups. [Open a visit in the mobile app](/field-operations/mobile/open-a-visit.md)
4. Tap On My Way if available, then Clock In when work starts. [Use On My Way, Clock In, and Clock Out](/field-operations/mobile/on-my-way-clock-in-clock-out.md)
5. Fill inspection reports or a work acknowledgment if the job requires them. [Fill inspection reports on mobile](/field-operations/mobile/fill-inspection-reports.md)
6. Add a visit summary, choose the job status, update invoice items, and save it for the office. [Add a visit summary on mobile](/field-operations/mobile/add-a-visit-summary.md)
7. Clock out after the summary is submitted. [Use On My Way, Clock In, and Clock Out](/field-operations/mobile/on-my-way-clock-in-clock-out.md)

## Create a customer, property, and contact

Use this flow when you are adding a new account or service location before any work is scheduled.

1. Create the customer account and set Customer Billing. [Create a customer](/customers-and-work/customers/create-a-customer.md)
2. Add the service location under that customer. [Create a property](/customers-and-work/properties/create-a-property.md)
3. Create the people who should receive scheduling, billing, or approval communication. [Creating a contact](/customers-and-work/contacts/creating-a-contact.md)
4. Confirm whether each contact has customer-level roles, property-level roles, or both. [Contact roles explained](/customers-and-work/contacts/contact-roles-explained.md)

## Create and reschedule a visit

Use this flow when office staff need to get a visit onto the schedule or move it later.

1. Review the scheduling calendar and current backlog. [See and manage your schedule](/customers-and-work/scheduling/see-and-manage-your-schedule.md)
2. Create the visit if it does not exist yet. [Create a new visit](/customers-and-work/scheduling/create-a-new-visit.md)
3. Drag a backlog visit onto the calendar, or drag a scheduled visit to a new time or technician. [Schedule, reschedule, or reassign a visit](/customers-and-work/scheduling/schedule-reschedule-or-reassign-a-visit.md)
4. Check conflicts and multi-day behavior when moving work around. [Drag and drop to schedule, move, reassign, and handle conflicts](/customers-and-work/scheduling/drag-and-drop-to-schedule-move-reassign-and-handle-conflicts.md)
5. Send the customer a visit reminder when needed. [Send a visit reminder to a customer](/customers-and-work/scheduling/send-a-visit-reminder-to-a-customer.md)

## Create and send a quote

Use this flow when a customer needs to approve work before your team performs it.

1. Start the quote from the Quotes page. [Create a quote](/revenue/quotes/create-a-quote.md)
2. Add the work and pricing details. [Add a line item to a quote](/revenue/quotes/add-a-line-item-to-a-quote.md)
3. Apply discounts, tax, and terms if needed. [Apply a discount to a quote](/revenue/quotes/apply-a-discount-to-a-quote.md)
4. Choose the quote's terms and conditions. [Set terms and conditions on a quote](/revenue/quotes/set-terms-and-conditions-on-a-quote.md)
5. Send the quote to the customer for signature. [Send a quote to a customer](/revenue/quotes/send-a-quote-to-a-customer.md)
6. Track whether the quote is draft, unsigned, signed, or void. [Quote statuses and lifecycle](/revenue/quotes/quote-statuses-and-lifecycle.md)

## Turn approved work into an invoice

Use this flow when work is ready to bill, either from a signed quote or from a job.

1. If the quote is signed, use it as the source for the invoice. [Turn a signed quote into an invoice](/revenue/quotes/turn-a-signed-quote-into-an-invoice.md)
2. Or create an invoice from the job when the job is ready to invoice. [Create an invoice from a job](/revenue/invoices/create-an-invoice-from-a-job.md)
3. Review line items, discounts, and payment terms. [Create an invoice](/revenue/invoices/create-an-invoice.md)
4. Send the invoice to the customer. [Send an invoice to a customer](/revenue/invoices/send-an-invoice-to-a-customer.md)
5. Record a manual payment or charge a saved card when payment arrives. [Record a payment on an invoice](/revenue/invoices/record-a-payment-on-an-invoice.md)

## Publish and share an inspection report

Use this flow when office staff or technicians need to complete an inspection and deliver the result.

1. Open the report list and find the report. [See and browse your inspection reports (the Inspection Reports page)](/field-operations/inspection-reports/see-and-browse-your-inspection-reports-the-inspection-reports-page.md)
2. Fill in fields, including pass/fail questions and photos. [The field types you fill in on a report](/field-operations/inspection-reports/the-field-types-you-fill-in-on-a-report.md)
3. Record a deficiency when an item fails. [Marking Fail and recording a deficiency while filling a report](/field-operations/inspection-reports/marking-fail-and-recording-a-deficiency-while-filling-a-report.md)
4. Save a draft until it is ready, then publish it. [Save a draft and publish an inspection report](/field-operations/inspection-reports/save-a-draft-and-publish-an-inspection-report.md)
5. Download the final report, email only its PDF with Send Report, or include it in a broader Job Summary. [Download or email an inspection report](/field-operations/inspection-reports/download-or-email-an-inspection-report.md)

## Run a weekly timecard cycle

Use this flow to take a technician's clocked time through review, approval, and payroll.

1. Turn on time cards and set the pay period and overtime rules. [Set up Time & Pay for timecards](/administration/settings/set-up-time-and-pay-for-timecards.md)
2. Technicians clock in and out on their visits through the week. [Use On My Way, Clock In, and Clock Out](/field-operations/mobile/on-my-way-clock-in-clock-out.md)
3. Technicians review their week and submit it from the mobile app. [Track and submit your timecard on mobile](/field-operations/mobile/track-and-submit-your-timecard.md)
4. Managers review submitted timecards, approving them or sending them back with a note. [Review, approve, or send back timecards](/field-operations/timecards/review-approve-or-send-back-timecards.md)
5. Before running payroll, confirm every timecard for the period is approved. [Payroll and timecard reports](/reporting-and-integrations/reporting/payroll-and-timecard-reports.md)

## See a job's profitability

Use this flow to turn on cost tracking and see margin on a job.

1. Turn on Job Costing and set each technician's hourly cost rate. [Turn on Job Costing and set cost rates](/administration/settings/turn-on-job-costing-and-set-cost-rates.md)
2. Open a job to see revenue against labor and material cost. [Job Costing on a job: revenue, costs, and margin](/customers-and-work/jobs/job-costing-on-a-job.md)
3. Add revenue billed outside Essential, or labor that wasn't clocked. [Add manual revenue or a manual labor entry to a job](/customers-and-work/jobs/add-manual-revenue-or-labor-to-a-job.md)
4. Compare margin across jobs and technicians. [Job costing reports: profitability, cost breakdown, and more](/reporting-and-integrations/reporting/job-costing-reports.md)

## Set up recurring service automation

Use this flow when a property has equipment that should generate service requests, outreach, or internal tasks on a cadence.

1. Understand the automation lifecycle before changing setup. [How recurring service automation works (the full cycle)](/administration/how-recurring-service-automation-works-the-full-cycle.md)
2. Create or review the asset group. [What an asset group page shows](/field-operations/assets/what-an-asset-group-page-shows.md)
3. Add the assets that belong to the group. [Add or bulk-add assets to an asset group](/field-operations/assets/add-or-bulk-add-assets-to-an-asset-group.md)
4. Choose recurring service settings on the asset group. [Set up recurring services on an asset group](/field-operations/assets/set-up-recurring-services-on-an-asset-group.md)
5. Set what automation should do when service is due. [Set or change an asset group's automation (Automation Setup)](/field-operations/assets/set-or-change-an-asset-groups-automation-automation-setup.md)
6. Use blockers guidance if automation does not run. [Why isn't an asset group's automation running? (blockers)](/administration/how-recurring-service-automation-works-the-full-cycle/why-isnt-an-asset-groups-automation-running-blockers.md)


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