Key concepts
Six words carry most of the meaning in Installer.com. Learn these and the rest of the help center reads easily.
Order
One job, for one customer, at one address. The order is the unit everything else hangs off: the schedule, the quote, the photos, the payment. An order has a status — Pending, Done or Cancelled — and a workflow that describes the work still to do.
Workflow
The ordered set of steps an order moves through. Workflows come from a template, so every order of the same type is handled the same way. A workflow for a heat pump install looks different from one for an EV charger, and you decide how.
Step
One unit of work inside a workflow. A step waits until the steps it depends on are finished, then becomes active and asks somebody to act. The common ones:
| Step | What it asks for |
|---|---|
| Dispatching | Offer the order to installer companies |
| Booking | Agree a date and time with the end client |
| Offer | Build a quote, get it confirmed, get it paid |
| Documentation | Attach photos, checklists and certificates |
| Rating | Collect feedback once the work is done |
Routing operator
The organisation that owns the order. Usually the brand or retailer that sold the product. They set the workflow, choose who gets dispatched to, and see everything.
Contractor
An installer company that accepts orders and performs them. A contractor has installers, a service area and a set of skills. Contractors only see the orders they have been dispatched.
End client
The customer at the address. They confirm booking times, approve offers that they are paying for, and follow progress in the client portal.
How they fit together
A routing operator creates an order. Its workflow dispatches to a contractor, who books a time with the end client, sends an installer to do the work, and documents it. When the last step is done, the order is Done.
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