This template applies the four-block method — THE THINGS, THE LINKS, THE STATES, THE NUMBERS — to running a repair or fabrication workshop. It's filled in for a musical-instrument repair shop: the example shows how to describe the job queue — a workshop's real question: what's in progress, for whom, for when.
To adapt it, replace the tracked object (instrument, bike, device, furniture) and above all the STATES block: the exact stages an order goes through in your shop, in order, including the waiting stage that blocks everything — often "waiting on parts" or "waiting on client approval".
Filled with your own words, this text briefs a developer — or is submitted as-is to Blueprint Maker, which turns it into an application plan you validate, then a generated application: database, screens, job queue and dashboard with demo data.
The template to copy
My business: wind-instrument repair workshop, 3 people, about thirty repairs in progress at any time. THINGS tracked: - Repairs (date received, diagnosis, quote amount, date promised to the client) - Clients (name, phone, e-mail, type private, music school or orchestra) - Instruments (type, brand, serial number) - Ordered parts (description, supplier, order date, expected delivery date) LINKS: - A repair concerns an instrument. - An instrument belongs to a client. - An ordered part is attached to a repair. STATES of a repair: received, diagnosed, quote accepted, waiting on parts, in progress, done, returned. NUMBERS to see every morning: - Repairs in progress by stage - Repairs waiting on parts - Repairs late against the promised date - Repairs completed this month
Adapting this template to your workshop
- Fabrication rather than repair: replace "Repair" with "Work order", the instrument with the fabricated product, and parts with materials — the structure is the same, only the words change.
- Your own stages: the example's state list comes from one specific shop. Use yours — some workshops have "in testing", "finishing" or "ready for pickup"; put them in the real order of your queue.
- Priorities and rush jobs: if urgency structures your days, add a priority field on the repair (or a rule: priority by promised date) — it becomes a sort order in the job queue.
- Repair and sales: if the workshop also sells (accessories, second-hand), add Items and Sales entities linked to clients — the same client then carries both repairs and purchases.
- The quote here is an amount and an approval status: compliant invoicing stays in your invoicing tool.