Every repair,
from drop-off to pick-up.

To create a new work order, navigate to the Work Orders tab in the sidebar and click the + button, or press ⌘N on macOS. On iPad, tap the + button in the toolbar.

The work order form includes the following fields:

• Title (required) — a short description of the job (e.g., "Fret Level & Crown - Martin D-28")
• Description — detailed notes about the work to be performed
• Customer — select an existing customer or create a new one inline
• BOM Link — attach a Bill of Materials if the repair uses specific parts
• Quantity — number of units if the work order covers multiple identical items
• Due Date — when the customer expects the work to be completed
• Date Requested — when the customer brought the item in or made the request
• Notes — internal notes visible only to your team, not printed on the customer PDF
• Header Text — custom text that appears at the top of the printed work order PDF
• Terms — terms and conditions printed at the bottom of the PDF

Click Save to create the work order. It appears immediately in your chosen view mode with a Pending status.

StringsTheory offers three ways to view your work orders. Switch between them using the view mode toggle in the Work Orders toolbar:

• Kanban Board — visual columns organized by status (Pending, In Progress, Completed, Cancelled). Drag cards between columns to update status instantly. Best for shops that want a visual overview of all active work
• Compact List — a dense table view showing title, customer, status, and due date. Best for shops with many orders that need to scan quickly
• Detailed List — an expanded table view with additional columns including description, notes, dates, and tags. Best for detailed review and sorting

Your selected view mode is remembered between sessions. All three views support sorting and filtering by status, customer, date, and search terms.

Every work order follows a status workflow with color-coded badges for instant visual recognition:

• Pending — the work order has been created but work has not started yet. This is the default status for new orders
• In Progress — a technician is actively working on this repair
• Completed — the work is finished and the item is ready for customer pickup
• Cancelled — the work order was cancelled by the customer or the shop

Change status by clicking the status badge in any view, or by dragging the card to a different column on the Kanban board. Status changes are timestamped and can trigger automatic email notifications if configured (see Email Notifications below).

Save time on recurring job types by creating templates in Settings → WO Templates. A template pre-fills fields when you create a new work order, so you do not have to type the same information for every string replacement or amp recap.

Templates can include:

• Title — pre-filled job title (e.g., "Full Setup - Electric Guitar")
• Description — standard description of the work involved
• Notes — internal notes for the technician
• BOM — linked Bill of Materials for parts used in this job type
• Tags — pre-assigned progress tags for tracking
• Checklist Items — a predefined list of steps the technician should complete
• Custom Fields — additional data fields specific to this job type
• Header Text — standard header for the printed PDF

When creating a new work order, select a template from the template picker at the top of the form. All template fields are pre-filled but remain editable — adjust anything before saving.

Checklists help technicians follow a consistent process for each repair. They are driven by your work order templates — define the checklist items in the template, and they appear on every work order created from that template.

• Each checklist item has a checkbox to mark it complete
• Add per-item notes to record observations (e.g., "Fret 7 had a high spot, leveled down 0.002 in")
• Checklist progress is visible in the work order detail view
• Items can be checked and unchecked as work proceeds

Example checklist for a "Full Setup" template:

• Inspect neck relief and adjust truss rod
• Check and adjust string action at 12th fret
• Set intonation at each saddle
• Check nut slot depth
• Clean fretboard and condition
• Polish frets
• Clean and lubricate tuning machines
• Test electronics (if applicable)
• Final string stretch and tune

Custom fields let you capture job-specific data that does not fit into the standard work order form. Define them in your work order templates and they appear on every order created from that template.

Three field types are available:

• Text — free-form text input (e.g., "Guitar Serial Number", "Amp Chassis Number")
• Number — numeric input (e.g., "String Gauge", "Bias Reading mA")
• Dropdown — pick from a predefined list of options (e.g., "String Brand" with options: D'Addario, Ernie Ball, Elixir, GHS, Other)

Custom field values are stored with the work order and appear in the detail view. They are also included in CSV exports for reporting.

Progress tags are color-coded labels you can assign to work orders for additional categorization beyond the four status states. Configure your tags in Settings → Progress Tags.

• Each tag has a name and a color
• Assign multiple tags to a single work order
• Tags appear as colored badges on the work order card in all view modes
• Use tags for priority levels (Urgent, Rush, Standard), job categories (Warranty, Insurance Claim), or workflow stages (Waiting for Parts, Customer Notified)

Tags can also be pre-assigned in work order templates, so every order of a certain type gets the right tags automatically.

Capture a customer's signature at drop-off to document their agreement to the work and terms. The signature pad is built into the work order form — no external apps or hardware needed.

• Open the work order and scroll to the Signature section
• Hand your Mac or iPad to the customer and let them sign with a finger or Apple Pencil
• The signature is saved with the work order and cannot be modified after capture
• The signature appears on the generated PDF for the customer's records

Generate a professional PDF from any work order for printing, emailing, or saving to your files. The PDF includes your business branding, all work order details, and the customer signature if one was captured.

• Open a work order and click the PDF button in the toolbar
• A preview window shows the formatted one-page document
• From the preview, choose Print (⌘P) to send to a printer, or Share to save or email the file
• The PDF uses your business name, logo, and contact details from Settings → Business

The PDF layout is a clean one-page format with the work order title, customer information, description, checklist status, custom field values, terms, and signature — everything the customer needs in one document.

StringsTheory can automatically email your customers when a work order is created, when its status changes, or when it is completed. Configure email in Settings → Email.

• Auto-trigger on creation — sends a confirmation email when a new work order is saved with a customer attached
• Auto-trigger on status update — notifies the customer when you move the order to a different status
• Auto-trigger on completion — sends a "your item is ready for pickup" email when the status changes to Completed

Email templates use merge fields to automatically insert the customer's name, work order title, status, due date, and other details. You can customize the email subject, body, and formatting in the template editor, which includes a live preview so you can see exactly what the customer will receive.

There are 19 merge fields available, covering customer information, work order details, business information, and dates.

Print a small adhesive label to attach to the physical item being repaired. The label includes the work order number, customer name, and a brief description — everything your technician needs to identify the item on the bench or in the queue.

• Open the work order and click the Print Label button
• The label is formatted for standard label printers
• Attach the label to the guitar case, amp chassis, or repair bag

Labels help prevent mix-ups when you have multiple repairs in progress. Stick one on the instrument and one on the case, so even if they get separated in your shop, you can match them back up.

StringsTheory automatically detects work orders that have passed their due date. Overdue orders receive a visual indicator in all view modes so they stand out immediately.

• An overdue badge appears on the work order card when today's date is past the due date and the order is not yet Completed or Cancelled
• The Kanban board and list views both show the overdue indicator
• Use the status filter to show only overdue work orders for a focused review

Check your overdue list at the start of each day to prioritize which repairs need immediate attention. Communicate proactively with customers if a due date needs to be extended — they will appreciate the heads-up over radio silence.

Move work order data in and out of StringsTheory using CSV files. This is useful for migrating from another system, sharing data with your accountant, or creating reports in a spreadsheet.

• Export: Click the export button in the Work Orders toolbar to download all work orders (or filtered results) as a CSV file
• Import: Click the import button and select a CSV file. StringsTheory shows a preview of the data with column mapping before importing
• Customer names in the CSV are matched against existing customers in your database
• Dates should be formatted as yyyy-MM-dd for best results (MM/dd/yyyy and M/d/yyyy are also accepted)