Welcome to LockVentory
LockVentory is a multi-tenant field service and inventory platform built for locksmith shops. Every technician carries their own truck stock, every job creates an audit trail, and every part on the team is searchable in seconds — from the field, on your phone.
This guide covers everything from first-time setup to advanced team features. Use the sidebar to jump to any section.
Org-wide parts catalog with per-tech truck inventory. Every key blank, cylinder, and piece of hardware has a home.
Create service calls, dispatch techs, and log parts used on every job. Inventory deducts automatically.
Team Stock shows every part across every tech's truck — so you know who has a Kwikset cylinder before you drive back to the shop.
Start with the Quick Setup wizard — it covers first-time organization setup, inviting your team, and logging a first call in under five minutes.
Quick Setup
Follow this walkthrough the first time you sign in as an admin. It covers everything from creating your org to logging a real call.
The account used to create the organization is always an Admin. You can promote other members to Admin later from the Team page, but you cannot demote yourself below Admin if you're the last one.
Dashboard Overview
The dashboard is the first thing you see after logging in. It gives you a quick read on where things stand — your inventory, open calls, and team size — without having to dig into individual pages.
The Four Stats
Total Parts How many distinct part types are in your org's catalog — not quantity, but unique items.
Truck Stock The total quantity of items currently on your personal truck across all part types.
Open Calls Service calls in New or In Progress status. This is your active workload at a glance.
Team Members Active members in your org, not counting blocked accounts.
Open Calls List
Below the stats, a scrollable list shows your most recent open service calls — customer name, status, and when the call was created. Click any call to open it directly. When a call is closed it drops off this list automatically.
The dashboard loads fast on mobile — it's designed as a quick morning check before you head out. Open Calls is the key column: anything in New status hasn't been dispatched yet.
Inventory
The Inventory page is where you manage your shop's organized stock — tools, hardware, supplies, and any items you want to track by folder. Unlike the Parts Catalog (which is a flat list tied to service calls), Inventory uses a folder tree so you can organize things exactly how your truck or shop is laid out.
Nest folders as deep as you need — "Door Hardware > Deadbolts > Schlage" or "Key Blanks > Automotive." Each folder has a color and icon.
Each item gets a unique LV-XXXXXX ID and an auto-generated QR code. Choose quantity tracking (a number) or Low / Med / High stock indicators.
Every team member tracks their own quantities. Switch between My Stock and Team Stock tabs to see your count or the whole team's.
Tabs: My Stock vs. Team Stock
The two tabs at the top of the Inventory page control whose counts you're seeing. My Stock shows your personal quantities for every item. Team Stock shows a read-only view of all your teammates' quantities side by side — useful for knowing who has what before making a run.
Navigating Folders
Tap a folder to open it. A breadcrumb trail at the top — HOME > Tools > Picks — shows where you are. Tap any crumb to jump back up. The checkbox in the toolbar lets you toggle quantity display on or off.
Adding a Folder
Tap + Add Folder at the bottom of any folder view. Enter a name, optional description, then pick a color and icon. The "Show as dropdown" option lets sub-folders expand in place instead of opening a new view — useful for small categories you want to see at a glance.
Admins can always create folders. Members can create folders if the admin has granted them the Can Add Folders permission (set on the Team page).
Adding an Item
Tap + Add Item inside any folder. Fill in:
- Name — if an item with the same name exists elsewhere, you'll see a merge prompt. You can merge them under one ID or keep them separate.
- Qty Type — Quantity (exact count, with an optional minimum reorder number) or Low / Med / High (for items you just want to flag as "running low").
- Starting qty / level — sets your personal initial count when the item is created.
- Supplier link — optional URL to the item on your supplier's website.
Members can add items if the admin has granted them the Can Add Items permission.
Adjusting Your Quantities
Tap any item in the list. A small popup appears with:
- View — opens the full item detail sheet
- + / − buttons (quantity items) — increments or decrements your personal count by 1
- Low / Med / High buttons (level items) — tap to set your current level
Changes save immediately. On the full item sheet you can also type in an exact quantity.
Set a minimum reorder quantity on any quantity item and it will automatically appear on the Restock > Low Stock tab when your count drops to or below that number. This is the trigger for your reorder workflow.
Search & Filter
The Search button in the Inventory toolbar opens a search bar. Type to search across all items in your org — not just the current folder.
Scope
The scope dropdown controls where the search looks:
- All folders — searches every item in your org.
- Current folder — limits results to the folder you're currently in.
Fields
Three checkboxes let you control which fields are searched:
- Name — the item's name.
- Description — the optional description text.
- Tags — any tags attached to the item.
All three are checked by default. Uncheck Description and Tags to get faster, name-only results.
Results appear in the item list in place. Tapping a result opens its detail sheet. Press ✕ Close to exit search mode and return to the normal folder view.
Run Inventory
Run Inventory is a fast-counting mode designed for a physical inventory audit. Tap the Run button in the Inventory toolbar to open a full-screen overlay showing your entire inventory grouped by folder.
− button Subtracts 1 from your count. Good for walking down a list and marking off what you're counting.
+ button Adds 1. Tap repeatedly to adjust up. Each tap saves immediately.
Low / Med / High Tap the level that matches what you see in front of you. The active level is highlighted. Saves immediately on tap.
Collapsing Folders
Tap any folder header to collapse that section. Collapsed folders show a ▸ chevron. Tap again to expand. Use this to skip sections you've already counted.
Finishing
Tap Done in the top-right corner to close Run Inventory. The main inventory view reloads to reflect your updated counts.
Do a Run Inventory at the start of each week or after a big restock. It's faster than opening items one by one because everything is on one screen and every tap saves without a modal.
Edit Mode
Edit mode lets you reorganize, move, and delete folders and items. Tap the Edit button in the Inventory toolbar to enter edit mode. The button turns into a Done button — tap it to exit without changes.
Drag to Reorder
In edit mode, each row shows a ⠿ handle on the left. Press and hold the handle, then drag the row up or down. A placeholder shows where the item will land when you release. The new order saves automatically when you lift your finger.
Multi-Select
Tap anywhere on a row (not the handle) to check its checkbox. Select as many rows as you like — folders and items can be selected at the same time. A count appears at the top showing how many are selected.
Actions on Selected Items
Tap Duplicate to copy every selected item or folder into the same location. Copies are named with a (Copy) suffix and get a brand-new unique ID. Folder duplicates are shallow — the folder itself is copied but not its contents.
Tap Move to open the folder picker. The entire folder tree loads — tap the destination folder (or "Root" to move to the top level). All selected items and folders are moved at once.
Tap Delete and confirm. Items are permanently removed. Folders are removed and their contents are re-parented to the folder above — nothing inside a deleted folder is lost.
You don't need to enter edit mode just to duplicate one item. Tap any item row to open the quick popup — the ⧉ button duplicates it instantly without selecting or entering edit mode.
Only admins can delete items or folders. The Delete button won't appear in edit mode if you're a member without admin rights.
Inventory Changelog
The Log button in the Inventory toolbar (and on the Restock page) opens the Inventory Changelog — a feed of recent stock changes, item additions, and item deletions across your org.
What Gets Logged
- Every quantity change (shows old → new and the ± difference)
- Every stock level change (Low, Med, High transitions)
- Every item added or deleted
Filtering
Use the two dropdowns at the top of the changelog sheet:
- Change type — filter by stock changes, item changes, or folder changes.
- Team member — see only changes made by a specific tech.
The list loads 30 entries at a time. Tap Load more at the bottom to see older entries.
Restock — Low Stock
The Restock page is your replenishment workflow. The Low Stock tab automatically surfaces every item that needs ordering — you don't have to go looking for them.
What Shows Up
An item appears in Low Stock when:
- It's a quantity item and your count is at or below its minimum reorder quantity, OR
- It's a level item and your current level is Low or Med.
Items where you haven't set a minimum reorder qty (and that aren't level items) won't appear here — set a minimum on any item from its detail sheet to start tracking it.
Sending to Your Order List
Each row has a + Order button. Tap it to add the item to your To Be Ordered list. The button changes to a ✓ In list badge once it's been added so you can see at a glance what's already queued.
Refresh
Tap ↺ Refresh to re-query the database. This is useful after you've done a Run Inventory and updated counts — the list updates to remove items that are now above their minimums.
Restock — To Be Ordered
The To Be Ordered tab is your order list. Items added from Low Stock (or from any item's detail sheet) appear here, grouped by supplier. This is where you place your actual orders.
Supplier Groups
Items assigned to a supplier appear under that supplier's section header. Items with no supplier assigned appear in a No Supplier Assigned group at the top. Each group has its own actions:
- 🛒 Add to Cart — opens the supplier's website in a new tab and copies your item list for that supplier to the clipboard. When the supplier's site opens, paste the list into their search or order form so you know exactly what to grab.
- ✓ Ordered — marks the whole group as ordered. The items are removed from your list and added to Order History. Tap Order History to see past orders.
Removing an Item
Tap the ✕ button on any item to remove it from your order list. It will still appear in Low Stock (if it's still low) — you can re-add it any time.
Order History
Tap the History button to see past completed orders — who placed them, which supplier, which items, and when. Orders are paginated; tap Load More for older entries.
Suppliers & Optimize Order
The Suppliers button on the To Be Ordered tab manages the suppliers your org uses. Suppliers appear as group headers in your order list and power the Optimize Order feature.
Adding Suppliers
Tap Suppliers to open the supplier sheet. You can:
- Type a name and optional website URL and tap Add Supplier.
- Tap one of the preset buttons (IDN Hardware, HPC Inc, Major Lock, Medeco, Schlage, Kwikset, Corbin Russwin, Arrow Lock) to add a common locksmith supplier in one tap.
Each supplier in the list shows a ↗ Open button. Tapping it opens the supplier's website inside the app — a full-screen panel slides up over LockVentory so you can browse, log in, or shop without leaving the app. When you're done, tap the ✕ to close it. If a supplier's site blocks in-app loading, a "Open in browser" button appears as a fallback. Tap ✕ next to a supplier name to delete that supplier from your list.
Linking Items to Suppliers
Supplier linking (attaching a price and in-stock status to a specific item-supplier pair) is done from the item's detail sheet in Inventory. Open an item, find the Suppliers section, and link it to one or more suppliers with their current price. This is what powers the Optimize Order feature.
Optimize Order ✨
The ✨ Optimize button on the To Be Ordered toolbar automatically assigns the cheapest in-stock supplier to every item in your order list — based on the prices you've set in the item-supplier links.
After running Optimize, each item is moved under the supplier group with the best price. A toast shows how many items were assigned and how many couldn't be matched (because they have no supplier links). Review the groupings and make any manual adjustments before placing your orders.
Optimize Order is only as good as the price data you've entered. Before relying on it, open your most-ordered items, link each one to your suppliers, and enter the current prices. Once that's done, Optimize runs in seconds and tells you exactly where to buy everything.
LockVentory does not scrape live prices from supplier websites. You enter and maintain prices yourself. Update them when you get a supplier quote or notice a price change on their site.
Parts Catalog
The parts catalog is your org's master library. It defines every part that can appear on a tech's truck or be logged against a service call. All techs share the same catalog — only admins can add or edit items.
- Key blanks (by brand & keyway)
- Cylinders and cores
- Deadbolts and knobsets
- Padlocks and hasps
- Transponder chips and fobs
- Tools and consumables
- A searchable item library all techs can reference
- Consistent part names across all calls
- Accurate deductions when parts are logged on a call
- Team Stock searches that actually match
Adding a Part
From the Parts Catalog page, click Add Part. Fill in:
- Name — be specific. "Kwikset KW1 Key Blank" is more useful than "Key Blank."
- Part Number — use your supplier's SKU so reorders are one search away. Also useful in Team Stock.
- Category — Key Blank, Cylinder, Hardware, Padlock, Electronic, Tool, or Consumable.
- Default Qty — optional starting quantity when a tech adds this part to their truck for the first time.
- Notes — optional. Good place to record which vehicles a key blank cuts for, or compatibility notes.
Use a consistent format: Brand + Keyway/Model + Type. Example: "Schlage SC1 Key Blank," "Kwikset SmartKey Cylinder," "Medeco M3 Padlock 1-inch." This makes Team Stock searches much more reliable.
Searching the Catalog
The search bar at the top of the Parts Catalog does partial matching on both the part name and part number. Type "kw" to see all Kwikset items. Type "SC1" to pull up every SC1 key blank and cylinder. Results update as you type — no need to press Enter.
Categories
My Truck
My Truck is your personal on-vehicle inventory. It shows what you're currently carrying, how many of each item you have, and where on the truck each item lives. It's yours alone — no other tech can modify it (admins can view it).
Part name & number Pulled from the catalog — always consistent naming.
Quantity on hand How many you currently have. Updates when you log parts on a call.
Bin location Where on the truck this item lives — optional but highly recommended.
Add to truck Pick from the catalog to add a new part type to your stock.
Adjust quantity Tap + or − to correct the count after a restock or manual use.
Set bin location Edit the bin field inline. Tap to change it anytime.
Remove from truck Remove a part type you no longer carry. Doesn't delete it from the catalog.
Adjusting Quantities
Use the + and − buttons on any item to manually adjust the count. This is for restocking, corrections, or recording parts used off-ticket. Quantities are updated immediately — no save button needed.
Bin Locations
A bin location is any label you want — "Tray B Slot 3," "Left cabinet top shelf," "Drawer 2." It appears in Team Stock searches, so when a teammate is looking for a part you have, they can see exactly where to find it on your truck when you meet up.
When parts are logged against a service call assigned to you, the quantities automatically deduct from your truck. You don't need to manually adjust — logging a call takes care of it. Check the count after each call if something seems off.
If a part drops to zero, it stays in your truck list with a red count — it's still in the catalog and will show in Team Stock searches (as zero). This reminds you to reorder without losing the item from your truck configuration.
Service Calls
A service call is a job record. It captures the customer, the work performed, the parts used, and the tech who did the job. Calls are the source of truth for billing history, parts consumption, and team activity.
Call Status Flow
Every call moves through three statuses. You control when it transitions — LockVentory never closes a call automatically.
Creating a Call
Click New Call from the Service Calls page or dashboard. You'll fill in:
- Customer name — who the job is for.
- Address — the job location. Used for reference only — LockVentory doesn't navigate.
- Description — what the job is: "Rekey front door, Schlage B60N" or "Car lockout, 2021 F-150."
- Assigned tech — which member is handling this call. Parts deductions come from their truck.
Logging Parts Used
Inside an open call, tap Log Part and search for the item from your catalog. Enter the quantity used. When you save, two things happen simultaneously:
- The part and quantity are recorded against the call for the permanent job record.
- That quantity is deducted from the assigned tech's truck stock.
You can log multiple parts on one call. Parts can be added as long as the call is not Closed.
Parts logged on a call deduct from truck stock the moment you save them. If you log the wrong part or quantity, you'll need to manually adjust the count in My Truck and remove the part from the call record.
Closing a Call
Set the status to Closed when the job is complete and all parts are logged. A closed call can still be viewed but parts can no longer be added. The call moves off the Open Calls list on the dashboard.
There's no billing integration — LockVentory doesn't know when you're paid. The convention is to close a call when payment is collected, not just when the work is done. This gives you a clean "Closed = paid" workflow if you're using the list as a billing reference.
Team Stock
Team Stock is the killer feature. It shows every tech's truck inventory in one searchable view. When you're on a job and realize you're out of something, Team Stock tells you who on your team has it — and where on their truck — before you drive back to the shop.
All members — not just admins. Every tech can search the whole team's inventory. The only thing that's private is the bin location, which is visible in the results so teammates know where to find it on your truck when you meet up.
How to Search
Go to Team Stock in the sidebar or mobile menu. Type any part of a name or part number into the search box. Results show:
- Part name and part number
- Each tech who has that part on their truck
- Their current quantity and bin location
If no techs have the part, the result shows "0 on team." This means it's in the catalog but not currently stocked on any truck.
Why This Matters
"Do you have a Kwikset SC4 blank?" — check Team Stock instead of texting every tech. Results in seconds.
If a teammate has what you need and they're nearby, a quick meetup beats a round trip to the shop.
If no one on the team carries a part you're repeatedly needing, that's a restocking signal for the whole org.
Before radioing in "I need a Schlage B60N deadbolt," search Team Stock. If Mike has three and he's two miles away, that's your answer. Save the shop call for true shortages.
Managing Your Team
The Team page is admin-only. It shows all members in your org, their roles, and their active status. From here you can invite new techs, promote members to admin, and block access.
Admin vs Member
| Capability | Member | Admin |
|---|---|---|
| View & search Parts Catalog | ✓ | ✓ |
| Manage own truck stock | ✓ | ✓ |
| Create and work service calls | ✓ | ✓ |
| Search Team Stock | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ask Cosmo AI | ✓ | ✓ |
| Add / edit parts in catalog | — | ✓ |
| View any tech's truck inventory | — own only | ✓ all techs |
| Assign calls to other techs | — own only | ✓ |
| Add folders to Inventory | Permission required | ✓ |
| Add items to Inventory | Permission required | ✓ |
| Delete items / folders | — | ✓ |
| Invite new members | — | ✓ |
| Promote / block members | — | ✓ |
Inventory Permissions
Two granular permissions let you give members limited write access to Inventory without making them admins:
- Can Add Folders — the tech can create new folders in Inventory.
- Can Add Items — the tech can add new items to any folder.
Toggle these on the Team page — click the permission badge next to a member's name. Admins always have both permissions; you can't restrict an admin.
Inviting a Tech
Go to Team in the sidebar and click Invite Member. Enter their email address. LockVentory generates a unique invite link — they click it, choose a name and password, and they're in with the Member role.
Each invite link can only be used once. If a tech loses their invite email or the link expires, generate a new one from the Team page. The old link becomes invalid as soon as a new one is issued for the same email.
Blocking Access
If a tech leaves the company or you need to suspend their access, click Block on their row in the Team page. A blocked member cannot log in — their existing data (truck inventory, call records) stays in the org for audit purposes. You can unblock them at any time to restore access.
Blocking is a soft lock on login, not deletion. All of their service calls and parts history remain intact. This is intentional — you may need that history for billing review or compliance even after a tech has left.
Cosmo AI
Cosmo is a built-in AI assistant available throughout the app. It knows locksmithing — from keyway compatibility to vehicle transponder systems — and can answer questions about how LockVentory works. Tap the glowing blue button in any corner to open the chat.
What to Ask
Cosmo is knowledgeable but not a substitute for a manufacturer's spec sheet or technical service manual. For automotive transponder programming and high-security lock specs, cross-check with OEM references or trusted industry sources.
Send Feedback
Got something you want changed in the app? The feedback tool lets you take a screenshot, draw on it to mark exactly what you mean, add a short note, and send it directly to the admin team — no texts, no calls needed.
How to Send Feedback
- Tap More in the bottom navigation, then tap 💬 Feedback. On desktop it's in the left sidebar under Resources.
- Tap the camera placeholder and pick a screenshot from your camera roll — any screenshot from the app works.
- Draw on it with your finger. Circle things, draw arrows, mark up whatever you want changed. Use the color buttons in the toolbar to switch between orange, red, and white lines.
- Type a short note explaining what you want: "Move this button to the top", "This text is too small", etc.
- Tap Send Feedback. Done.
If you just have a quick idea or request, skip the screenshot and just type your note. A screenshot isn't required — only the note or the image, one or the other.
Drawing Tools
- Color buttons — switch between orange (default), red, and white lines
- Clear Drawing — removes your annotations and reloads the original screenshot so you can start over
- Change Photo — swap to a different screenshot without closing the sheet
All submissions appear in the Feedback Review page, linked in the sidebar under Resources (admin-only). Each card shows the annotated screenshot, the note, who sent it, and when. Mark items as Done once actioned, or delete them to clean up. Done items collapse into a separate section at the bottom.
Frequently Asked Questions
Glossary
Locksmith trade terms and LockVentory-specific terminology in one place.