HearthsteadHearthstead

User Guide

How to Use Hearthstead

A complete, step-by-step guide to every feature in the platform. Whether you are just getting started or looking for a specific workflow, you will find it here.

Table of Contents

Getting Started

?Creating an account (new company)
  1. 1Open the Hearthstead app or web portal and tap Register.
  2. 2Enter your full name, email address, and a secure password.
  3. 3Fill in your company name. This creates a new company account and makes you its Super Admin.
  4. 4Once registered you are logged in automatically and taken to the dashboard.

Tip: Your email is your username. Make sure it is correct because password resets are sent there.

?Joining an existing company (invite code)
  1. 1Ask your company admin for an invite code or registration link.
  2. 2Open the link or enter the invite code on the Register screen.
  3. 3Complete your profile details. You will be added to the company with the permissions your admin assigned.
?Logging in and resetting your password
  1. 1Enter your email and password on the Login screen.
  2. 2If you have forgotten your password, tap "Forgot Password" and follow the email instructions.
  3. 3After resetting, log in with your new password.
?Understanding your dashboard
  1. 1The dashboard shows key performance indicators (KPIs) such as employee attendance, pending deliveries, and inventory alerts.
  2. 2An activity feed displays recent actions across the company so you can see what your team has been doing.
  3. 3Use the farm selector at the top to switch between farms and see farm-specific data.

Employee Management

?Signing employees in and out
  1. 1Navigate to Employee Log from the sidebar.
  2. 2Select the employee from the list and tap Sign In. The current time is recorded automatically.
  3. 3To sign out, find the employee in the signed-in list and tap Sign Out.
  4. 4Both actions are timestamped and linked to the current farm.
?Bulk uploading employees from Excel
  1. 1Go to User Administration and tap the upload icon.
  2. 2Download the provided Excel template.
  3. 3Fill in employee details (name, surname, ID number, employee number) and upload the completed file.
  4. 4The system validates each row and creates employee records. Any errors are shown in a summary.

Tip: Employee numbers must be unique within your company. The system auto-assigns numbers if you leave the column blank.

?Viewing employee status
  1. 1The Employee Log screen shows a live list of who is currently signed in and who is signed out.
  2. 2Use the date picker to view historical attendance for any past date.
?Offline sign-in and sign-out
  1. 1If you lose connectivity, sign-in and sign-out actions are queued locally on your device.
  2. 2When the connection returns, queued actions sync automatically in the background.
  3. 3A sync indicator shows pending items so you always know what is waiting to upload.

Weighbridge (Delivery Tracking)

?Creating a new delivery
  1. 1Navigate to Weighbridge from the sidebar.
  2. 2Tap New Delivery. Select the supplier, product, and truck from the dropdowns.
  3. 3If the truck is not registered yet, tap Add Truck to register it with its registration number and driver details.
?Weighing in and weighing out
  1. 1On the delivery form, enter the Tare Weight (empty truck weight) when the truck arrives.
  2. 2Once loaded or offloaded, enter the Gross Weight.
  3. 3The system calculates the Net Weight automatically.
  4. 4Sign the delivery on screen (digital signature) and tap Complete.

Tip: You can save a delivery as Pending if you are waiting for the truck to return for the second weigh.

?Viewing deliveries
  1. 1The Weighbridge screen shows Pending and Completed tabs.
  2. 2Use date filters and the farm selector to narrow results.
  3. 3Tap any delivery to view its full details, weights, and attached signature.
?Generating delivery PDFs
  1. 1Open a completed delivery and tap the PDF/export icon.
  2. 2A delivery note PDF is generated with all weights, driver details, and the captured signature.
  3. 3Share the PDF directly from the app via email or messaging.

Purchase Orders

?Creating a new purchase order
  1. 1Navigate to Purchase Orders from the sidebar.
  2. 2Tap New PO. Select the supplier, farm, and currency.
  3. 3Add line items by entering a description, quantity, and unit price.
  4. 4VAT is calculated automatically based on your settings.
?Changing PO status
  1. 1A new PO starts as Draft.
  2. 2Submit it for approval to move it to Pending.
  3. 3An authorized user approves or rejects it. Approved POs can then be marked as Received when goods arrive.
  4. 4Every status change is recorded in the audit trail with the user and timestamp.

Tip: Only users with the appropriate permission level can approve purchase orders.

?Exporting POs to PDF
  1. 1Open any PO and tap the export icon.
  2. 2A formatted PDF is generated showing all line items, totals, VAT breakdown, and approval status.
  3. 3Share the PDF with suppliers or keep it for your records.

Inventory Management

?Creating folders to organize stock
  1. 1Navigate to Inventory from the sidebar.
  2. 2Tap New Folder to create a category (e.g., Feed, Chemicals, Spare Parts).
  3. 3You can nest folders inside each other for deeper organization.
?Adding items to inventory
  1. 1Open the folder where the item belongs and tap Add Item.
  2. 2Enter the item name, description, part number (optional), unit of measure, and minimum quantity alert threshold.
  3. 3Add an image if you like, then save.
?Adding and issuing stock
  1. 1Open an item and tap Add Stock. Enter the quantity, supplier, and any notes.
  2. 2To issue stock, tap Issue Stock. Enter the quantity, recipient or customer, and notes.
  3. 3Each movement updates the running balance immediately.

Tip: When stock falls below the minimum quantity you set, the item is highlighted with an alert so you know to reorder.

?Viewing audit trails
  1. 1Open any item and scroll to the Audit Trail section.
  2. 2Every stock addition and issue is listed with the date, user, quantity, and notes.
  3. 3Use the Export button to download the full audit trail as an Excel spreadsheet.

Shopping List

?Creating and managing lists
  1. 1Navigate to Shopping List from the sidebar.
  2. 2Tap New List and give it a name (e.g., Weekly Supplies, Fencing Materials).
  3. 3Add items with quantities. Tap the checkbox next to an item to mark it as purchased.
?Sharing lists with team members
  1. 1Open a list and tap the share icon.
  2. 2Select team members from the dropdown to give them access.
  3. 3Shared members can add items, check them off, and see real-time updates.

Tip: Shopping lists work offline. Changes sync automatically when you are back online.

Machine Management (R&M)

?Adding machines with service intervals
  1. 1Navigate to Machines from the sidebar.
  2. 2Tap Add Machine. Enter the machine name, type, make, model, and current hours or mileage.
  3. 3Set the service interval (e.g., every 250 hours or every 10,000 km).
?Tracking service progress
  1. 1Each machine card shows a progress bar indicating how close it is to its next service.
  2. 2Green means plenty of life left. Yellow means service is approaching. Red means overdue.
  3. 3Update the current hours or mileage regularly to keep the indicator accurate.

Tip: The app sends reminders when a machine is nearing its service interval so you can plan ahead.

?Recording service history
  1. 1Open a machine and tap Record Service.
  2. 2Enter the service date, hours/mileage at service, and a description of work done.
  3. 3The service interval resets automatically based on the new reading.
?Copying specs between machines
  1. 1If two machines use the same filters and oils, open the source machine and tap Copy Specs.
  2. 2Select the target machine. Filter numbers, oil types, and quantities are copied across.
  3. 3You can still edit the target machine independently afterwards.

Feed Sheet

?Recording daily feed runs
  1. 1Navigate to Feed Sheet from the sidebar.
  2. 2Tap New Feed Run. Select the date, herd, camp, and feed type.
  3. 3Add trailers with feed box details and the quantity in kilograms.
  4. 4Save the feed run. It appears in the feed history immediately.
?Managing herds and camps
  1. 1Before your first feed run, set up your herds and camps in the Feed Sheet settings.
  2. 2Herds represent groups of animals. Camps represent physical locations or paddocks.
  3. 3You can add, rename, or deactivate herds and camps at any time.
?Viewing feed history
  1. 1Use the date range filter to view feed runs over a specific period.
  2. 2The history shows each run with its herd, camp, trailer details, and total kilograms.
  3. 3Tap Export to PDF to generate a formatted feed schedule document.

Tip: Feed records work offline. Runs recorded without connectivity sync when you reconnect.

Farm Map (Field Management)

?Drawing field boundaries
  1. 1Navigate to Farm Map from the sidebar.
  2. 2Tap on the map to start drawing a field boundary. Tap each corner point, then close the shape.
  3. 3Name the field and assign it to a season.
?Managing field activities
  1. 1Select a field on the map and tap Add Activity.
  2. 2Choose the activity type: Spraying, Planting, Harvesting, Fertilizing, or custom types.
  3. 3Fill in the details (product, rate, date, operator) and save.
  4. 4Activities are color-coded on the map by type and status.
?Tracking activity status and seasons
  1. 1Each activity has a status: Planned, In Progress, or Completed.
  2. 2Update the status as work progresses.
  3. 3Switch between seasons using the season selector to view historical field data.

Tip: Use seasons to keep a complete record of what was planted and applied to each field year over year.

Notes (Farm Diary)

?Writing daily notes
  1. 1Navigate to Notes from the sidebar.
  2. 2Select the farm and date. Type your observations, tasks completed, or anything worth recording.
  3. 3Tap Save. Notes are stored per farm per day.
?Navigating between days
  1. 1Use the left and right arrows next to the date to move between days.
  2. 2Or tap the date to open a calendar picker and jump to any date directly.
?Exporting notes
  1. 1Tap the Export button to download your notes as an Excel file.
  2. 2The export includes dates, farm names, and the full note text for your selected date range.

Tip: Use notes as a daily farm diary. They are invaluable when you need to recall what happened weeks or months ago.

Reporting & Analytics

?Generating reports
  1. 1Navigate to Reports from the sidebar.
  2. 2Choose the report type: Weighbridge, R&M, Purchase Orders, Inventory, Activities, Feed, or Employee Log.
  3. 3Set your date range and select the farm(s) to include.
  4. 4Tap Generate. The report is displayed on screen with charts and summary tables.
?Exporting reports to Excel
  1. 1After generating a report, tap the Export to Excel button.
  2. 2The spreadsheet includes all the data shown in the report, formatted and ready to share.
?Executive Dashboard
  1. 1The executive dashboard provides high-level charts covering attendance trends, delivery volumes, inventory levels, and more.
  2. 2Use it for a quick overview without diving into individual modules.

Tip: Reports respect your farm selector. To see data across all farms, select 'All Farms' before generating.

User Administration

?Inviting new users
  1. 1Navigate to User Management from the sidebar.
  2. 2Tap Add User and enter the new user's email address.
  3. 3Choose their role (Admin or Normal) and select which farms and modules they should access.
  4. 4The user receives an email invitation to complete registration.
?Registering shell users (employees without email)
  1. 1For employees who only need to be tracked (not log in), tap Register Shell User.
  2. 2Enter their name, surname, and employee number.
  3. 3Shell users appear in the Employee Log for sign-in tracking but do not have login credentials.

Tip: Shell users are ideal for field workers who need attendance tracking but do not use the app directly.

?Managing permissions and farm access
  1. 1Open any user's profile to edit their permissions.
  2. 2Toggle individual modules on or off: Inventory, Weighbridge, Feed, Machines, POs, etc.
  3. 3Assign or remove farm access. Users only see data for farms they are assigned to.
?Understanding subscription plans
  1. 1Hearthstead offers tiered subscription plans based on the number of users and features.
  2. 2Your current plan and usage are visible in Settings.
  3. 3Upgrade or change plans through the app. Changes take effect immediately.

Offline Mode

?How offline sync works
  1. 1When you lose internet connectivity, the app detects it automatically and switches to offline mode.
  2. 2A banner at the top of the screen indicates you are offline.
  3. 3All supported actions are saved locally on your device.
?What actions are queued offline
  1. 1Employee sign-in and sign-out
  2. 2Feed records
  3. 3Delivery records
  4. 4Inventory stock additions and issues
  5. 5Shopping list changes
  6. 6Purchase order creation
  7. 7Notes
?How to manually sync and check status
  1. 1When connectivity returns, the app syncs automatically in the background.
  2. 2To force a sync, pull down on the main screen or tap the sync icon in the header.
  3. 3The pending sync indicator shows how many items are waiting to upload.
  4. 4A periodic check every 5 minutes also triggers sync automatically.

Tip: Never close the app immediately after going back online. Give it a moment to finish syncing pending actions.

Silo Dashboard

?Monitoring silo fill levels
  1. 1Navigate to Silo Dashboard from the sidebar (available where silo sensors are installed).
  2. 2Each silo is displayed as a visual gauge showing its current fill percentage.
  3. 3Tap a silo to see detailed sensor readings and historical fill levels over time.

Tip: Silo monitoring requires compatible hardware sensors. Contact support if you need help with setup.

Weather

?Managing weather station links
  1. 1Navigate to Weather from the sidebar.
  2. 2Add your weather station by entering its ID or linking it from a supported provider.
  3. 3Current conditions and forecasts are displayed on the dashboard.
  4. 4Use weather data alongside your field activities to make informed spraying and planting decisions.

Tip: Weather data updates automatically. If readings seem stale, check that your weather station is online and transmitting.

Still have questions?

Our team is happy to help. Reach out anytime and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.

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