# User Guide

End-user guide for Venue Events Manager staff.

## Logging In

1. Open your site URL (provided by your administrator).
2. Enter your email and password.
3. Click **Sign In**.

Contact your System Administrator if your account is inactive or you forgot your password.

## Dashboard

The dashboard summarizes upcoming events, recent activity, and key metrics. Access depends on your role.

## Customers

**Customers → List** shows all clients. Use **Create** to add a new customer.

On a customer record you can:

- View contact and billing details
- Upload **attachments** (contracts, IDs) if you have permission
- See linked bookings and history

## Spaces & Availability

**Spaces** lists venue rooms and halls. Each space has capacity, rates, and layouts.

**Availability** calendar shows confirmed bookings and blocks. Use this before promising dates to clients.

## Bookings

The booking workflow:

1. **Enquiry** — initial request
2. **Provisional / Hold** — tentative reservation with expiry
3. **Confirmed** — firm booking after availability check
4. **In Progress / Completed** — event day statuses

Create a booking from **Bookings → Create**. Add spaces, line items, and requirements. Confirm when the client commits.

Attachments (floor plans, BEO documents) can be uploaded on the booking detail page.

## Quotations

Create quotations from a booking or standalone. **Issue** sends the quote to the client (PDF available).

Statuses: Draft → Issued → Accepted / Rejected / Expired

**Convert to invoice** when the client accepts.

## Invoices

Invoices can be created from bookings or quotations. **Issue** locks the invoice for payment.

Record **payments** against issued invoices. Void only when permitted by finance policy.

## Payments

**Payments → Create** records receipts against an invoice. Print or download PDF receipts.

Finance users can **reverse** posted payments with a reason.

## Products & Packages

**Products** are individual billable items (catering, AV, etc.).

**Packages** bundle products for common event types. Apply packages when building bookings or quotes.

## Attachments

On customer, booking, quotation, invoice, and payment pages, the **Attachments** panel allows:

- Upload (PDF, images, Office documents, CSV, TXT)
- Download
- Delete (managers only)

Files are stored securely and are not publicly accessible.

## Settings (Administrators)

**Admin → Settings** configures:

- Property name and contact details
- Timezone and currency
- Tax, service charge, deposit defaults
- Document prefixes and terms
- Attachment size limit

## Reports

Users with report access can view operational and financial summaries. Export where enabled.

## Tips

- Always check **availability** before confirming bookings
- Use **internal notes** for staff-only information
- Customer-facing text belongs in **customer notes** or document terms
- Upload signed documents as attachments for audit trail

For role-specific capabilities, see [ROLES_AND_PERMISSIONS.md](ROLES_AND_PERMISSIONS.md).
