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Customer Onboarding Guide

Table of Contents

Welcome to GoSmarter.ai! This comprehensive onboarding guide will help you get started quickly and begin realizing the benefits of AI-driven production assistance for your metals manufacturing operation.

1. Introduction: Welcome to GoSmarter.ai

What is GoSmarter?

GoSmarter.ai is your AI-driven production assistant designed specifically for metals manufacturers. We help you:

  • Automate paperwork - Eliminate manual data entry and reduce administrative burden
  • Track inventory - Real-time visibility into stock levels and material locations
  • Optimise production - AI-powered cutting plans that minimize waste and maximise efficiency
  • Ensure compliance - Digital mill certificate /aterial test report management with instant search and retrieval

Built for Manufacturing

GoSmarter was created by people who understand the challenges of metal fabrication and production. We know your time is valuable, which is why we’ve made setup fast and easy.

Onboarding Overview

This guide will walk you through everything you need to get GoSmarter up and running in your facility. The entire onboarding process typically takes 1-2 days, and you’ll start seeing time savings immediately.

What you’ll learn:

  1. How to set up your account and invite team members
  2. How to configure GoSmarter for your operation
  3. How to use core features for daily tasks
  4. A structured action plan for your first week

Key Benefits: What to Expect

GoSmarter customers have achieved remarkable results:

  • 50% scrap reduction in rebar cutting with AI-powered production planning
  • 120+ hours saved per year on mill certificate processing and management
  • Instant access to quality documentation for audits and customer requests
  • Reduced errors in inventory tracking and order management

Quick Time-to-Value

Most customers see measurable time savings within the first week of using GoSmarter. This guide will help you achieve similar results.

2. Account Setup and Access

Sign-Up and Login

Getting started with GoSmarter is simple - no complex installation required!

  1. Access the platform - GoSmarter is cloud-based and accessible via any web browser
  2. Sign up - Visit app.gosmarter.ai and click Register
  3. Verify your email - Check your inbox for a verification email and click the confirmation link

Free Trial Available

GoSmarter offers a free trial so you can evaluate the platform risk-free. No credit card required to start, no software to install.

We then do a quick verification with you to confirm your account setup and answer any initial questions. After that, we make you your company space and support you in getting started.

Adding Team Members

GoSmarter works best when your whole team is on board. You can invite people to register and then we can assign them to your company or you can give us a list of people to invite.

Start Small, Scale Up

Begin with 2-3 key users during onboarding. Once they’re comfortable, they can help train additional team members.

Platform Tour: Understanding the Interface

When you first log in, you’ll see the main GoSmarter dashboard. Here’s what each section does:

Key Navigation Areas:

  • Company core data - Manage information about your company and how you work
  • Production Planning - The space to manage stock, orders, scrap, and generate cutting plans
  • Compliant Metals - The area to manage mill certificates and quality documentation
  • Utilities - Additional tools like a scrap rate calculator

Company Selector

If you manage multiple locations or companies, use the company selector in the top-left corner to switch between them. GoSmarter will remember your selection for future visits.

3. Technical Configuration

Data Onboarding: Getting Your Information into GoSmarter

The key to getting value from GoSmarter is having your data in the system. Don’t worry - we’ve made this easy!

Configure core data (OPTIONAL)

GoSmarter comes pre-configured with sensible defaults for common materials and processes. However, you can customise core data to match your specific operation:

  1. Go to Company core data > Organisations to manage customers and suppliers. You can add new organisations (manually or bulk upload) or edit existing ones.
  2. Navigate to Company core data > Materials to review and customise materials and grades. You can start from our list, bulk upload, or start from scratch.
  3. Navigate to Company core data > Inventory Types to review and customise types of goods. You can start from our list, bulk upload, or start from scratch.
  4. Navigate to Company core data > Stock Locations to set up your storage locations (yards, warehouses, bins). You can start from our list, bulk upload, or start from scratch.

Pre-Configured Defaults

GoSmarter includes a library of common materials and processes to help you get started quickly. Customisation is optional - you can use the defaults if they fit your needs. Setting your defaults now makes it easier for people to enter data later, with fewer risks of picking an incorrect value.

Inventory Import

There are two ways to add your initial inventory:

Option 1: Manual Entry (Good for small inventories or getting started quickly)

  1. Go to Inventory in the main menu
  2. Click + New item
  3. Fill in the details:
    • Mandatory fields
      • Name (e.g., Rebar 12x2500mm)
      • Material (e.g., Rebar Grade 60)
      • Quantity
    • Optional fields
      • Diameter, length, width, and depth
      • Type (e.g., bars, rods, etc.)
      • Supplier
      • Stock location (e.g., yard, bin)
      • Unit price
      • Weight
  4. Click Add item

View detailed Inventory Guide

Option 2: Bulk Upload (Recommended for larger inventories)

  1. Go to Inventory
  2. Click Bulk actions > Download CSV template
  3. Fill in your inventory data using the template
  4. Click Bulk actions > Upload CSV
  5. Select Choose file and upload your inventory file
  6. Click Upload to import

No IT Setup Required

GoSmarter uses simple interfaces. No technical expertise needed - if you can use a spreadsheet, you can upload your data.

Order Import

There are two ways to add your initial orders:

Option 1: Manual Entry (Good for small inventories or getting started quickly)

  1. Go to Orders in the main menu
  2. Click + New order
  3. Fill in the details:
    • Mandatory fields
      • Order Reference (e.g., Cus ABC-001)
      • Order Date
    • Optional fields
      • Status (e.g., Pending, In Progress)
      • Site (e.g., Project A)
      • Delivery Date
      • Line item(s)
        • Line Item Reference (e.g., Cus ABC-001-001)
        • Shape code (e.g., 01 for rebar)
        • Diameter, length, width, and depth
        • Quantity
        • Price
        • Status (e.g., Pending, In Progress)
        • Heat code (if applicable / when known)
  4. Click Add order

View detailed Orders Guide

Option 2: Bulk Upload (Recommended for larger order books)

  1. Go to Orders
  2. Click Bulk actions > Download CSV template to get a zip file with a template for orders and one for order line items
  3. Fill in your orders and line item data using the templates - the line items use the order reference to link to the parent order
  4. Click Bulk actions > Upload orders & line items
  5. Select Choose orders file and upload your orders file
  6. Optionally, select Choose line items file and upload your line items file
  7. Click Upload to import

Mill Certificate Upload

Getting your quality documentation into GoSmarter is equally straightforward:

  1. Navigate to Compliant Metals > Mill Certificates
  2. Click Upload Mill Certificate
  3. Select Choose file and upload your completed file
  4. GoSmarter’s AI automatically extracts key information including:
    • Heat/batch numbers
    • Chemical composition
    • Test results
  5. Review the extracted data
  6. The certificate is now searchable and linked to your inventory

AI-Powered Data Extraction

GoSmarter automatically reads your mill certificates and extracts the important data. What used to take 10-15 minutes of manual data entry now happens in seconds!

View detailed Mill Certificates Guide

Integration Options

GoSmarter works standalone, but can also integrate with your existing systems:

  • Standalone Use - No integrations required; GoSmarter works perfectly on its own
  • Data Export - Export your data anytime to Excel, CSV, or PDF for use in other systems
  • API Integration - Connect to ERP or order management systems (contact support for details)

Start Standalone

We recommend starting with GoSmarter as a standalone tool. You can always add integrations later once your team is comfortable with the platform.

4. Orientation and Key Features Training

This section covers the essential features you’ll use daily. We’ll focus on quick wins and practical tasks.

Daily Operations Basics: Managing Inventory and Orders

Working with Inventory

Your inventory is the foundation of everything in GoSmarter. Here’s what you need to know:

Viewing Your Stock:

  1. Click Inventory in the main menu
  2. See all your materials at a glance
  3. Use filters to find specific items (by grade, size, location)
  4. Click any item to see full details

Quick Exercise: Try adding a new material to your inventory right now using the manual entry option. This will help you get familiar with the interface.

Updating Stock Levels:

  1. Find the item you want to update
  2. Click the Edit icon (pencil)
  3. Update the quantity
  4. Click Save

Replace Spreadsheets

GoSmarter’s inventory management replaces clumsy spreadsheets with a simple, searchable interface. No more hunting through multiple Excel files!

View complete Inventory Management Guide

Managing Orders

Track customer orders from receipt to completion:

  1. Go to Orders in the main menu
  2. Click + New order to add a new customer order
  3. Enter order details (customer, materials needed, quantities, due date)
  4. Track order status as it moves through production

View complete Order Management Guide

Compliance: Working with Mill Certificates

One of GoSmarter’s most powerful features is instant access to quality documentation.

Step-by-Step Example: Upload and Retrieve a Certificate

  1. Upload:

    • Go to Mill Certificates
    • Click + Upload Certificate
    • Select your PDF certificate -
    • Click Upload and GoSmarter’s AI extracts all key data automatically

  2. Search and Retrieve:

    • Use the search bar to find certificates by:
      • File name
      • Date range
      • Status
    • Click on Actions > View Certificate to see the fully extracted document data
    • Download or email directly to customers

Instant Traceability

What used to take hours of searching through filing cabinets or folders now takes seconds. During audits or customer requests, you’ll have instant access to all quality documentation.

Time Saved: Customers report saving 120+ hours per year on certificate processing alone!

View complete Mill Certificates Guide

Production Planning: AI-Powered Optimisation

See GoSmarter’s AI in action with production planning:

Quick Demo: Generate Your First Draft Cutting Plan

  1. Go to Production Planning > Cut Long Products
  2. Select the orders you want to plan
  3. Choose available stock materials
  4. Click Generate Plan
  5. GoSmarter’s AI creates an optimised cutting plan that:
    • Minimises scrap and waste
    • Shows exactly which bars to cut
    • Provides cut lists for the shop floor
    • Calculates material utilisation

The 'Aha' Moment

This is where customers really see the power of AI. A task that might take hours manually is done in seconds enabling you to review / tweak the plan with your expertise

Real Results: Customers have achieved 50% scrap reduction in rebar cutting using GoSmarter’s optimisation.

Scrap Tracking

Keep track of waste and identify savings opportunities:

  1. Navigate to Production Planning > Scrap
  2. Log scrap by weight
  3. Use insights to reduce waste over time

View Scrap Calculator Guide

Scrap with provenance

You can use the main inventory tracker for scrap or offcuts where you need to maintain full traceability. Just set the inventory type to “scrap” or “offcut” when adding an item or split an existing item to create a new scrap/offcut item with all the existing properties of the original.

5. First Week Action Plan

Follow this structured timeline to ensure successful onboarding and early wins:

Day 1: Setup and Initial Data

Tasks:

  • Complete account setup and log in successfully
  • Add 2-3 key team members
  • Upload initial inventory data (start with current stock)
  • Give us examples of mill certificates from any suppliers we don’t currently have on the platform so we can add them to your company space
  • Upload 5-10 recent mill certificates
  • Complete a quick tour of all main sections

Expected Time: 2-3 hours

Goal: By end of Day 1, you should be able to log in, navigate the platform, and see your data in the system.

Day 2: First Production Tasks

Tasks:

  • Enter 2-3 current customer orders
  • Search for a mill certificate by heat number
  • Update inventory quantities based on actual stock

Expected Time: 2-3 hours

Goal: Experience core workflows and see AI in action.

Day 3: Team Training

Tasks:

  • Train 2-3 additional team members on logging in
  • Show them how to check inventory
  • Demonstrate certificate search
  • Have them try basic tasks (view orders, search materials)

Expected Time: 1-2 hours

Goal: Build confidence across your team and distribute knowledge.

Day 4: Real-World Usage

Tasks:

  • Use GoSmarter for all new orders received today
  • Update inventory for any materials used
  • Upload any new mill certificates
  • Generate your first AI-powered cutting plan
  • Review the plan with a colleague

Expected Time: Ongoing during normal work

Goal: Make GoSmarter part of your daily routine.

Day 5: Review and Reflect

Tasks:

  • Hold a 30-minute team meeting to discuss:
    • What time was saved this week?
    • What problems were solved (e.g., found missing certificate data quickly)?
    • Any questions or confusion?
    • What features to explore next?
  • Document any outstanding questions for support
  • Plan next week’s rollout to additional team members

Expected Time: 30-60 minutes

Goal: Celebrate early wins, address issues, and maintain momentum.

Progressive Milestones

This structured approach helps you build confidence gradually. By Day 5, many customers have already freed several hours by eliminating manual paperwork and reducing planning time.

6. Support and Resources

Getting Help

We’re here to support your success!

Documentation:

Customer Support:

  • Email Support: support@gosmarter.ai
  • Response Time: Within 24 hours on business days
  • Live Chat: Available during business hours (coming soon)

We're Here to Help

Don’t hesitate to reach out! Our team has deep experience in metal manufacturing and can help with setup, questions, or customization needs.

Customer Success Check-ins:

We recommend scheduling a check-in call with our customer success team after your first two weeks. We’ll review your progress, answer questions, and help you get even more value from GoSmarter.

Common Onboarding Questions (FAQ)

Q: What if my inventory data is in an unusual format?
A: We can help guide you in transformaing data from other systems into the needed format. If you’re having trouble, contact support and we can help you prepare your data or do a custom import.

Q: How secure is my data?
A: GoSmarter uses enterprise-grade security with encryption in transit and at rest. We follow industry best practices for data protection. Your data is stored securely in the cloud with regular backups.

Q: Can GoSmarter integrate with my ERP system?
A: GoSmarter works standalone but can integrate with many systems via our API. Contact our technical team to discuss your specific integration needs.

Q: What if I make a mistake entering data?
A: All data can be edited or deleted. We also maintain audit logs so you can see what changed and when. Don’t worry - you can’t break anything!

Q: Do I need special software or hardware?
A: No! GoSmarter is cloud-based and works in any modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge). No installation required.

Q: Can I export my data?
A: Yes! You can export data to CSV at any time. Your data is always yours.

Q: What happens when my trial ends?
A: You can choose a subscription plan that fits your needs. Your data and configuration are preserved - there’s no disruption to your workflow.

User Community

Coming soon: user forum and community features

Join other GoSmarter users to share best practices, tips, and success stories.

7. Conclusion and Next Steps

Congratulations!

By following this onboarding guide, you now have:

✅ GoSmarter set up and configured for your operation
✅ Your initial inventory and mill certificates in the system
✅ Knowledge of core features and daily workflows
✅ Team members trained on basic usage
✅ Real experience using AI-powered production planning

Immediate Benefits You’re Already Seeing

  • Digitised certificates - No more filing cabinet or inbox searches
  • Centralised inventory - One source of truth for all stock data
  • Automated planning - AI helps you do in minutes what used to take hours
  • Time savings - Less paperwork means more time for productive work

Next Phase: Full Deployment

Now that you have the basics in place, you’re ready to fully integrate GoSmarter into your operations.

Recommended Next Steps:

  1. Expand Usage - Roll out GoSmarter to additional team members
  2. Explore Advanced Features - Dive deeper into optimisation
  3. Optimise Workflows - Customize GoSmarter to match your specific processes
  4. Measure Results - Track time savings and efficiency gains

Additional Resources:

Keep Learning

GoSmarter is designed to grow with you. As you become more comfortable with the basics, explore more features and advanced capabilities.

Continuous Improvement

The most successful GoSmarter customers start simple and progressively add capabilities. There’s no rush - focus on mastering the basics first, then expand when you’re ready.

We’re Here to Support Your Success

Remember, you’re not alone in this journey. Our team is committed to your success:

  • Comprehensive documentation and guides
  • Responsive customer support
  • Regular product updates and improvements
  • A growing community of manufacturing professionals

Ready to take the next step? Explore our process-specific guides or contact our customer success team to schedule a check-in call.

Welcome to the GoSmarter family! We’re excited to be part of your journey toward more efficient, data-driven metal manufacturing.

Quick Wins Build Momentum

You’ve already accomplished a lot in your first week. Keep building on this momentum - the more you use GoSmarter, the more value you’ll discover. Many customers tell us they wonder how they ever managed without it!