Complete onboarding from registration to first order

Introduction

Onboarding turns a verified owner account into a lab workspace that can receive work without manual workarounds. It is optional at sign-in: you can skip it and return later, but operational modules stay locked until a lab company and first branch exist.

The best onboarding path is simple: choose the plan, enter company details, create the main branch, invite the first team, build a starter catalog, check prices, then run one complete practice order. New accounts start on the Free plan by default unless a different plan is selected during onboarding.

Do not try to configure every advanced module before the first order. A new lab needs a reliable minimum workflow first. Once the team understands the core cycle, you can expand into inventory, automation, advanced permissions, website publishing, patient portal, and AI assistance.

Use the operational readiness checklist

Open Lab readiness from the top bar in either the Lab workspace or a Branch workspace. The panel turns the setup sequence into grouped tasks for lab foundation, test catalog, pricing, branch operations, finances, inventory, and quality control.

The checklist reads the current lab and branch data. You do not tick tasks manually. Creating the required record completes the task automatically, and the group and overall progress update on the next page load. Tasks that are still open stay at the top in dependency order; completed tasks move into the Completed tasks section at the bottom.

Select any task to open the page where that setup is managed. Start with the task marked Next. A lock icon means an earlier prerequisite is still incomplete, such as creating a sample type before a tube type or preparing a storage rack and laboratory device before collecting the first sample. You can still open the related page to understand what will be needed.

In the Lab workspace, branch-specific tasks follow the first branch you can access. In a Branch workspace, they follow the branch currently selected. Switch to another branch to review its own operational progress. Tasks outside your role stay visible but do not bypass permissions; ask a manager to complete restricted setup.

Step 1: Choose the plan and company setup

Start with the verified owner account, subscription plan, and company profile. Free is selected by default. If you choose a paid plan, Kashef may send you to checkout after the onboarding form is completed.

Enter the lab company name, company email, default currency, and language. These values appear in reports, invoices, receipts, and patient communications.

The plan, branch, currency, and company identity affect everything that comes later. If they are wrong, orders, prices, receipts, and reports will also feel wrong.

If you skip onboarding

Use Skip for now when you are not ready to create the lab company or branch. Skipping clears the onboarding requirement so you can continue signing in normally. The lab dashboard will show a setup notice with a button back to onboarding.

Skipping does not create a lab workspace. Resources and pages that require a lab company or branch remain unavailable until you complete onboarding or another lab adds you as a member.

Step 2: Invite the first working team

Invite only the people needed for the first training cycle:

• One manager or owner who can approve settings.
• One receptionist who can create orders.
• One technician who can receive samples and enter results.
• One reviewer or senior technician who can release results.
• One cashier or accountant if finance will be tested separately.

Assign roles based on real responsibility. Reception does not need owner permissions. Technicians do not need billing settings. Finance does not need result release unless your lab policy says so.

After invitations are accepted, ask each person to sign in and confirm they can see the expected pages. Permission problems are easier to fix before the team starts using real patient data.

Step 3: Build the starter catalog

Create only the tests needed for training and the first real day. For many labs, 10 to 20 high-volume tests are enough. Examples might include CBC, glucose, liver enzymes, kidney functions, lipid profile, thyroid tests, and urine analysis.

For each test, define:

• Arabic and English name.
• Code or abbreviation used by the lab.
• Category.
• Sample type and collection requirement.
• Turnaround time.
• Result parameters and units.
• Reference ranges.
• Base price.
• Whether it appears in packages or public pages.

Do not activate a test until sample requirements, price, and result behavior are clear. Reception should not guess missing catalog details during live work.

Step 4: Set pricing and payment basics

Set base prices first. Then add special prices for contracts, companies, insurers, or partner labs only if they are needed immediately.

Define payment methods before testing the cashier workflow. Common methods include cash, card, bank transfer, wallet, insurance, and company credit. Keep the first setup simple enough for staff to reconcile at the end of the day.

If your lab allows discounts, decide who can apply them and whether a reason is required. Manual discounting without approval creates finance disputes quickly.

Step 5: Run a complete practice order

Create one test patient and one practice order. Add a small set of tests from the starter catalog. Review the calculated price, collect a test payment, print sample labels, mark samples as collected and received, enter results, review the report preview, release the report, and print or view the released report.

This practice order proves that the workflow is connected:

• Reception can find the patient and select tests.
• The catalog produces correct sample and result requirements.
• Pricing calculates correctly.
• Cashier can collect payment.
• Barcodes print correctly.
• Technicians can enter results.
• Reviewers can approve and release.
• The report looks professional.

If anything fails, fix the configuration before creating more test data.

Step 6: Decide what is ready for live use

After the practice order, review the workflow with the team. Ask each role what was confusing. Common issues include missing tests, wrong prices, unclear sample labels, report layout problems, or permissions that are too strict or too broad.

Only open reception for real orders when the first workflow is clear. If you still need to import a large catalog, add contracts, publish the website, or configure inventory, do those after the core order cycle is stable.

Go-live checklist

You are ready for first live orders when:

• The owner and manager can sign in.
• The owner email is verified.
• The subscription plan is correct.
• The main branch is correct.
• Staff roles match real responsibilities.
• Starter tests have sample types, prices, parameters, and reference ranges.
• Payment methods are configured.
• Barcode labels print clearly.
• A test report was released and reviewed.
• Staff know what to do when pricing, sample, or result data looks wrong.

When this checklist is complete, continue with Add a new test, Set up pricing, and Create the first order.