Photos and documents
The Photos and documents section appears on a vehicle page, on a client page and on a work order page. It keeps in one place:
- the condition of the vehicle on arrival (photos of scratches, dents, the odometer);
- the registration certificate;
- the technical inspection report;
- the signed quote (photographed or as a PDF).
Take a photo on a tablet
Section titled “Take a photo on a tablet”Click Take a photo: the tablet opens the camera (rear camera). The first time, the browser asks for permission to use the camera: accept it. After the shot, the photo is downsized in the browser before it is sent, which speeds up the upload on a slow workshop network. The original file is not kept.
Import files
Section titled “Import files”Import files opens the file picker. Accepted formats: JPEG, PNG, WebP and PDF. A HEIC photo (the iPhone and iPad format) is accepted if your device can convert it; otherwise, convert it to JPEG or take it with the Take a photo button.
- Maximum size: 20 MB per file.
- Up to 10 files at a time: beyond that, the first ten are sent and a message tells you so.
- Files are sent one after the other. The status of each one is shown (Waiting, Sending…, Failed with the reason). Cancel sending abandons the upload in progress; Dismiss errors clears the list of failures.
Virus scan
Section titled “Virus scan”Every file is scanned before it can be used.
| Status shown | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Scan in progress | The file has just been uploaded. | Wait a moment: the thumbnail appears by itself. |
| Available (no badge) | The file is clean. | Open it, download it. |
| Quarantined | A threat was detected. The file cannot be accessed; it is deleted automatically after 30 days and counts towards the storage space until then. | Delete it. |
| Scan error | The scan did not complete. | Open the document, then Scan again. |
Metadata removed
Section titled “Metadata removed”Photos are re-encoded: the GPS position, the camera model and other metadata are removed from the served file (preview, download, thumbnail). A document with a scan error or in quarantine keeps the uploaded file as is, metadata included, never served, until it is deleted. The original file name is kept to help you find your way around.
Categories
Section titled “Categories”Every document has a category: Photo, Administrative, Technical, Invoice, Quote, Vehicle reception form, Estimate, Repair order, Vehicle return form or Other. Choose it before sending in File uploads under: Automatic files a photo taken with Take a photo under Photo and an imported file under Other. To change it later, open the document and choose the category from the list.
On a work order page, the section only keeps the photos and attachments (categories Photo, Administrative, Technical and Other). The files of the work order’s flow (Invoice, Quote, Vehicle reception form, Estimate, Repair order, Vehicle return form, pro forma) are stored under Documents › Stored copies on the same page, which offers these categories when uploading (see Work orders).
File registration certificates and any document bearing a person’s name under Administrative: on a vehicle page, these are the only documents deleted when the client is anonymized (see GDPR good practice).
Invoice: a copy of an issued invoice (PDF); the original stays in your invoicing software.
Quote: a sent quote (saved automatically on the work order when sent by email) or a quote signed by the client (PDF that you upload). The PDF of a sent quote keeps its Quote category: it cannot be changed.
Vehicle reception form, Estimate, Repair order, Vehicle return form: workshop documents (condition of the vehicle on arrival, repair estimate, repair order, handing the vehicle back), for example a signed paper copy that you photograph. Like invoices and quotes, they carry the client’s name: they are deleted when the client is anonymized.
The PDF of a signed document (stored automatically when it is signed) can neither be deleted nor change category: it is the proof of what the client signed. It is only deleted when the client is anonymized.
Rename
Section titled “Rename”Open the document, edit Document name, then click Rename. The name is cleaned up (120 characters at most, no path or invisible character); when downloading, the extension follows the stored file (a HEIC photo is downloaded as .jpg).
Describe a document
Section titled “Describe a document”A document can carry a short description (“Scratch on left tank”, 120 characters at most), editable in the preview (Description, then Save the description) and shown under its thumbnail. Clear it to remove it. The garage log records that a description changed, never its text; it is erased with the other personal data when the record is anonymized.
Cover photo of a vehicle
Section titled “Cover photo of a vehicle”In the preview of a photo of the vehicle, Set as cover photo shows it at the top of the vehicle page and in the vehicle list; Remove cover photo takes it away. You need the permission to edit vehicles. Only a photo of this vehicle, scanned and clean, can be chosen: not a PDF, nor a photo of a job or a client. If the photo changes category or is deleted, the vehicle no longer has a cover photo.
Preview and download
Section titled “Preview and download”Click a thumbnail to open the preview of an image. A PDF has no preview: use Download. The download link is valid for one minute only: it is requested when you click, and there is no point in copying or saving it.
Delete
Section titled “Delete”Delete erases the document permanently, after confirmation (Delete permanently). There is no recycle bin: the operation cannot be undone.
Archived record
Section titled “Archived record”On an archived record, documents can still be viewed but cannot be added, edited or deleted. Restore the record to resume uploading. An anonymized client no longer has a documents section.
Who can do what
Section titled “Who can do what”| Action | Permission needed |
|---|---|
| See the section, open, download | View photos and documents, and the permission to view the record (client or vehicle) |
| Upload, change the category or the name, scan again | Add photos and documents, change their category and name |
| Delete | Delete photos and documents |
A photo can be attached to a work order; you must then also be able to view work orders.
The Technician role can upload documents but not delete them. Roles are set in Roles and permissions.
GDPR good practice
Section titled “GDPR good practice”- Do not photograph people: frame the vehicle, the odometer, the part.
- A registration certificate is personal data (the holder’s name and address); only upload it if it is useful for follow-up.
- When a client is anonymized, the following are deleted: all the documents on their client page, and, on the page of their vehicles, the Administrative, Invoice, Quote, Vehicle reception form, Estimate, Repair order and Vehicle return form documents uploaded while they were the holder; on their work orders, the documents in these categories, including the PDFs of the quotes issued to them. Photos and documents in another category stay on the vehicle page (without their original name). So file registration certificates and documents bearing a name under Administrative invoice copies under Invoice, signed quotes under Quote, when uploading or afterwards.
- Delete documents that are no longer needed.
Storage space
Section titled “Storage space”Each garage has a storage space limited according to its plan. The space used can be checked in Garage details. When it is full, uploads are refused with a message: delete documents or upgrade your plan.
The quota depends on your plan; Vehitis can set a quota specific to your garage. The space used and the quota in force are shown in Settings › Garage.