Frequently asked questions

About BayAutomate

What is BayAutomate?

BayAutomate is automated workshop management software for Australian mechanical and service workshops. It connects bookings, job cards, digital inspections, quotes with online approval, parts and purchase orders, supplier invoice matching, stock, invoicing, counter sales, trade accounts, a customer timeline (CRM) and follow-up marketing in one web app.

Who is BayAutomate for?

Independent Australian workshops with 1 to 20+ staff. General mechanical workshops first. 4x4, auto-electrical, caravan, marine, motorcycle, mobile and equipment workshops can use the core job, quote, parts and invoice flow.

Is BayAutomate available now?

BayAutomate is in early access and onboarding Australian workshops now. Core workshop features are built and tested. Features marked Coming soon or Planned on our site aren't available yet.

Does it work on a phone or tablet?

Yes. It runs in the browser on desktop, tablet and phone. Technicians get a phone-friendly My Work screen for jobs, inspections, timers and parts.

Automation and data entry

What does BayAutomate automate?

It prepares the next step from the last one so details are entered once: a booking becomes a job, inspection findings become quote lines, approved lines reserve stock and draft purchase orders, supplier invoices are read and matched to the PO and delivery, real costs land on the job, payments are allocated oldest-first, and reminders and follow-ups are prepared from customer history. Your team approves prices, orders, invoices and messages.

Does BayAutomate match supplier invoices to purchase orders automatically?

Yes. Each supplier invoice line is matched to your purchase-order and delivery lines using the supplier, PO reference and the actual parts (a PO number alone is never enough). Totals are checked to the cent, duplicates are blocked and price changes are held for approval. See PO to invoice matching.

Can it finalise supplier bills without anyone checking?

Only in autopilot, which the owner switches on, and only for invoices that pass every rule: under your limit ($1,500 by default), every line matched to a delivery, a trusted supplier, totals reconciled and AI confidence above your threshold (85% by default). Everything else waits for a person.

Does an invoice ever receive stock by itself?

No. Stock is only received at the goods-receiving step. An invoice updates cost, never quantity on hand.

Which supplier invoices can it read?

PDFs and photos of supplier invoices, credit notes and statements, including common Australian parts supplier layouts such as Repco, Burson and NAPA. That is document reading only. There is no partnership or ordering integration with those suppliers today.

Will I still need to type anything?

Much less. Details are entered once and reused. People still make the decisions: prices, what to recommend, sending orders, approving exceptions and anything the automation flags as unusual.

Pricing and AI usage

How much does BayAutomate cost?

Starter $79, Workshop $129 and Workshop Plus $179 per month + GST (AUD). Every feature and automation is on every plan. Plans differ only by staff logins (3, 15, 20) and the included monthly AI allowance ($5, $10, $10).

What is the AI allowance?

AI features such as supplier invoice reading and inspection voice notes use a monthly AI allowance included in your plan. It resets each month and doesn't roll over. Rule-based automation never uses it.

What happens when AI credit runs out?

Only AI features pause. Bookings, jobs, quotes, invoices and payments keep working, and supplier invoices can still be entered by hand. Buy a prepaid top-up to switch AI back on straight away.

How do AI top-ups work?

Top-ups are paid in advance in $5, $10, $15, $20, $25 or $30 amounts, added instantly, used after the monthly allowance and don't expire. There are no automatic overage charges.

Is data migration free?

Yes. Assisted data migration is free with a 6-month subscription. The scope is agreed after we check your current system's export.

Switching and integrations

Can I move from MechanicDesk to BayAutomate?

Yes. MechanicDesk exports customers, vehicles, suppliers, inventory, jobs and invoices as CSV. We migrate them free with a 6-month subscription.

Does BayAutomate replace Xero?

No. Keep Xero for accounting. The Xero sync is built and tested in the Xero sandbox and is not yet connected to live Xero files.

Does BayAutomate take card payments?

Not yet. Take cards on your own EFTPOS terminal and BayAutomate records the payment. Online pay-by-link is planned.

Does it send SMS and email?

Reminders, quote chasers and follow-ups are prepared automatically. Real SMS and email delivery switches on at launch. SMS is prepaid credit at the rate shown before you buy.

Data and security

Where is my data stored?

The main database is in Sydney, Australia. Some processing, such as AI document reading, uses providers outside Australia. See Data processing.

Can other workshops see my data?

No. Every record belongs to one workshop and every request is checked on the server. Automated tests confirm cross-workshop access is refused.

Who owns the data?

You do. You can export your workshop's data at any time, and we keep it for 90 days after cancellation so you can export it.