WoPora
Getting Started

First-Time Setup

Step-by-step guide for organisation administrators to configure WoPora for the first time.

First-Time Setup

This guide walks organisation administrators through the recommended setup sequence for WoPora. Complete these steps once per organisation before relying on day-to-day operations.

Before You Start

You need:

  • An admin account created by your organisation
  • Access to the WoPora dashboard at your deployed instance
  • Information about your organisation's sites, teams, awards, and payroll policy

Step 1: Sign In and Verify Organisation

  1. Sign in to the WoPora dashboard with your admin account:

    • Option A (Recommended): Click "Continue with Google" for fast single-click login
    • Option B: Use email and password if you prefer traditional login

  2. If prompted, select the correct organisation from the dropdown

  3. Open Overview (/dashboard) and confirm the page loads without errors

-�� Check: You should see a dashboard with metrics like "Active Staff", "Hours Today", etc.

Step 2: Set Organisation Preferences

Configure fundamental settings that affect all operations:

  1. Go to Settings -> Organisation preferences (/dashboard/setting/organization)

  2. Set the following:

    • Timezone --- Your organisation's primary timezone (affects payroll calculations and reporting)
    • Locale --- Language and regional format
    • Currency --- AUD (for Australian operations)
    • Display formats --- Date, time, and number formats

  3. External agency hiring --- Decide if you hire staff through labour agencies:

    • If enabled, the Employers menu appears; you'll configure agency records there
    • If disabled, only internal employment paths apply

  4. Click Save

-�� Check: Preferences are saved; no errors in the interface

Step 3: Create Locations (Sites)

Locations represent your physical work sites. Managers use locations to scope their visibility; timesheets and attendance may be location-based.

  1. Open Workforce -> Locations (/dashboard/locations)

  2. Click Create location for each physical site:

    • Name the location (e.g. "Sydney CBD", "Melbourne North")
    • Add coordinates (latitude/longitude) if you use geofencing for clock-in
    • Add any other location-specific details

  3. Repeat for all your work sites

-�� Check: Each location appears in the list; managers can select them later for scope

Step 4: Create Teams

Teams reflect how you plan shifts and organize staff --- commonly by department, shift pool, or region.

  1. Open Workforce -> Teams (/dashboard/teams)

  2. Click Create team for each team:

    • Name (e.g. "Operations", "Security", "Cleaning")
    • Add a description of the team's role
    • Assign locations the team works at

  3. You'll assign employees to teams later

-�� Check: Teams appear in the list

Step 5: Configure Awards and Payroll Policy

This is critical for compliance and pay accuracy.

  1. Set payroll policy Go to Settings -> Payroll settings (/dashboard/setting/payroll):

    • Pay period windows --- Dates when timesheets open/close
    • Timesheet approval behaviour --- Who approves, deadline rules
    • Auto-lock rules --- When timesheets lock automatically
    • Break deduction policy --- If breaks are deducted automatically or manually

  2. Configure awards Go to Payroll -> Awards (/dashboard/awards):

    • Enter or import award master data (rates, shift penalties, leave entitlements)
    • Ensure these match your enterprise agreement and modern awards

  3. Set public holidays Go to Payroll -> Public holidays (/dashboard/public-holidays):

    • Add holidays that affect your region
    • Mark which holidays affect ordinary hours and which trigger penalties

-�� Check: Award rates and holiday dates are accurate; no payroll errors will occur

Step 6: Configure Attendance and Kiosk

Define how staff clock in and what is considered a valid punch.

  1. Set attendance rules Go to Settings -> Attendance settings (/dashboard/setting/attendance):

    • Clock rules --- Minimum time between clock-in and out, grace periods
    • Geofence requirement --- If enabled, staff must be within distance of site to clock in
    • Face verification --- Whether to require a photo at punch
    • Time rounding --- Round punches to nearest 5/15 mins if needed

  2. Register kiosk devices (if using shared tablets/kiosks) Go to Settings -> Device management (/dashboard/devices):

    • Register each kiosk device with a name and PIN policy
    • Test a device on /clock to ensure face/geofence/PIN flow works before staff use it

  3. Image storage (if capturing photos) Go to Settings -> Image storage (/dashboard/setting/image):

    • Confirm you have sufficient storage headroom
    • Review image retention policy

-�� Check: Attendance rules are clear; at least one test device works on /clock

Step 7: Mail and Integrations (Optional)

  1. Email notifications Go to Settings -> Mail settings (/dashboard/setting/mail):

    • Verify your email provider configuration (SMTP)
    • Check sending quota --- sufficient for notifications (roster publish, timesheet approvals, etc.)

  2. API keys (if integrating with other systems) Go to Settings -> API keys (/dashboard/setting/api-keys):

    • Create API keys only for trusted integrations
    • Rotate keys quarterly or when staff changes

Step 8: Create Dashboard Users

Invite admins, managers, supervisors, and accounts staff to the dashboard.

  1. Go to Users -> All users (/dashboard/users)

  2. Click Invite user:

    • Enter their email
    • Select role (admin, manager, supervisor, accounts)
    • Attach rights only where needed (e.g., "add/edit/delete staff", "view timesheet")
    • Indicate location scope if applicable (managers may be scoped to a site)

  3. They'll receive an invite email; click the link to accept and set a password

-�� Check: Users appear with correct roles; they can sign in

Step 9: Create Staff Accounts and Assign Teams

Ensure every worker has a staff account so they can access the staff portal (/staff).

  1. Go to Workforce -> Staff (/dashboard/staff)

  2. Add staff or import if you have a CSV:

    • Email address (used for login and notifications)
    • Full name
    • Employment details (role, start date, etc.)
    • Assign to teams

  3. Staff will receive an email or can log in at /staff with Google OAuth

-�� Check: Staff can sign into /staff portal and see their empty timesheet

Step 10: Test End-to-End Flow

Before going live with staff, test the complete flow:

  1. Create a test shift Go to Time & Attendance -> Scheduling (/dashboard/scheduling):

    • Add a shift for a test staff member
    • Publish the roster

  2. Test kiosk clock-in (if applicable) Go to /clock:

    • Use a test device/browser
    • Clock in using the test staff's PIN or Google OAuth
    • Verify photo/geofence/break workflow

  3. Test staff portal timesheet Go to /staff as a test staff user:

    • View the published shift in "My Roster"
    • Enter hours manually in "My Timesheet"
    • Submit the timesheet

  4. Approve timesheet as admin Go to Payroll -> Timesheet approvals (/dashboard/timesheet-approvals):

    • Review the test timesheet
    • Approve or reject

-�� Check: Complete workflow works; no errors; staff can see their data

Step 11: Communicate with Staff

Give every employee a one-pager or onboarding email with:

  1. Portal URL --- https://yourapp.com/staff
  2. Login methods --- Google OAuth recommended, or email/password
  3. How to enter time --- Navigate to "My Timesheet", enter hours, submit
  4. How to request leave --- Go to "Leave", request early so managers can plan
  5. How to see roster --- "My Roster" shows published shifts
  6. Kiosk clock rules (if applicable):
    • Keep PIN confidential
    • Face capture is optional (will be prompted)
    • Allow GPS for geofence validation
  7. Who to contact --- Manager or support email for help

Step 12: Security Hygiene Checklist

Before going live, verify:

  • All dashboard users are intended (no former staff)
  • API keys exist only for active integrations
  • Geofence coordinates are correct for all locations
  • Awards and payroll settings match your enterprise agreement
  • Mail settings are tested (test email was received)
  • Audit logs are accessible (/dashboard/admin/audit-logs)
  • Compliance dashboard is visible (/dashboard/admin/compliance)

Next Steps

After completing setup:

  1. Weekly Operations --- See Scheduling & Rostering for shift planning
  2. Timesheet Management --- See Timesheets & Approvals
  3. Payroll Preparation --- See Payroll & Awards
  4. Settings Reference --- See Settings Guide
  5. Staff Portal Features --- See the Staff Portal Guide

Congratulations! Your WoPora instance is now configured and ready for day-to-day operations.

Authentication & Access Management

Learn about login methods, user roles, and security best practices in WoPora.

Configuration Reference

A reference guide to WoPora's configuration settings --- what each setting does and when to change it.

On this page

First-Time SetupBefore You StartStep 1: Sign In and Verify OrganisationStep 2: Set Organisation PreferencesStep 3: Create Locations (Sites)Step 4: Create TeamsStep 5: Configure Awards and Payroll PolicyStep 6: Configure Attendance and KioskStep 7: Mail and Integrations (Optional)Step 8: Create Dashboard UsersStep 9: Create Staff Accounts and Assign TeamsStep 10: Test End-to-End FlowStep 11: Communicate with StaffStep 12: Security Hygiene ChecklistNext Steps