Getting Started
Log in, find your way around, and understand how Shop Commander keeps your whole team in sync.
Shop Commander runs entirely in your browser — nothing to install. It works on the front-desk PC, a tablet in the bay, and your phone in the parking lot.
Logging in
Go to app.shopcommander.com and sign in with the username and PIN your shop set up. Each team member gets their own login, so time tracking, job assignments, and the audit trail always know who did what.
Don't have an account yet? Hit Get It Free on shopcommander.com and we'll set your shop up — the software is 100% free, every feature, every user.
The dashboard
After login you land on the dashboard: today's picture of the shop at a glance — active jobs, appointments, revenue, and anything that needs attention.
Finding your way around
The left navigation is organized the way a shop day flows:
| Area | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Job Board | Drag-and-drop Kanban view of every active job |
| Repair Orders | Every RO — create, estimate, invoice, collect |
| Appointments | Calendar and scheduling |
| Inspections | Digital vehicle inspections with photos |
| Customers | Profiles, vehicles, history, alerts |
| Messages | Two-way SMS with customers |
| Reports | Revenue, techs, parts — 15 report types |
…plus Canned Jobs, Inventory, Tire Storage, Loaners, Bay Management, Campaigns, Tasks, Time Tracking, Shop Talk, and Settings — each covered in its own docs section.
Everything updates live
Shop Commander is real-time. When your service advisor adds a part, the tech's tablet shows it instantly — no refreshing, no "who has the ticket open." A customer approves an estimate from their phone and the shop knows the same second. If two people are viewing the same repair order, each sees a badge showing who else is in it.
Your profile
Click your name in the top-right corner to open your profile — change your PIN, review your time clock, and find the Help & Docs link back to this documentation.
Next up: the Job Board, where most shops live all day.