Overview
Staying on top of customer communication is one of the hardest parts of running a busy service operation.
The AI Status Updates feature takes the guesswork out of it. Boatyard automatically identifies which orders have had recent technician activity and uses that information to generate a ready-to-send customer update -- so you always know who to reach out to and what to say.
Note: The updates are never automatically sent to the customer! You can review and edit any update before you send it.
Sending an Update from the Status Updates Screen
Step 1: Open Status Updates
In the left sidebar, click Status Updates. You'll land on the Pending Updates tab.
Step 2: Review your pending list
Pending Updates shows every order where a technician has logged time and notes within the last 5 days, and no update has been sent yet.
Each row shows the order number, customer name, vessel, and the most recent technician activity.
This list is your starting point for knowing which customers are ready to hear from you.
Note: Only orders with technician activity in the last 5 days appear here. This keeps the list focused on current work, so you're never sending a customer outdated information.
Step 3: Generate and send the update
Click any row in the Pending Updates list.
Boatyard generates a draft message based on the technician's notes and work summaries. The message is addressed to your customer by name and signed off with your location.
Review the draft. Edit anything you'd like to change.
Click Send. The message is delivered to the customer and the order moves off the Pending Updates list.
Tip: The quality of the AI draft depends on how much detail the technician entered in their work summary. If the draft looks thin, you can add context yourself before sending. Or use it as a reminder to coach your technicians on filling in work summaries when they log time.
No Duplicate Updates
Boatyard tracks which technician notes have already been sent to a customer. When you send an update, those notes are marked as communicated. The next time you generate a draft for the same order, it will only pull in new activity -- never anything the customer has already received.
Sending an Update from an Order
You can also send an AI update directly from within any order. Open the order, click the Status Update button, and select the AI Update tab.
If there are new technician notes that haven't been sent yet, you'll see a draft ready to review. If everything has already been communicated, the tab will show "No new job activity since last update was sent."
Viewing Sent Updates
To see a history of AI updates that have been sent, click the Sent Updates tab on the Status Updates screen. Each row represents one sent message. Click any row to see the full text of what was sent. Sent updates are also recorded on the order's activity timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will updates ever be sent without my approval?
No. Every message requires you to review and click Send. Boatyard will never send a customer update on your behalf automatically.
What is the message based on?
The draft is generated from the work summaries your technicians enter when logging time. It only includes work that hasn't already been sent to the customer.
Can I edit the message before sending?
Yes. The draft is fully editable. You can change any part of the message before you send it.
What does the customer actually receive?
A Boatyard chat message, delivered by SMS and email. It looks like any other message from your team -- there's no indication it was AI-generated.
What if an order isn't showing up in Pending Updates?
The order will only appear if a technician has logged time within the last 5 days and that activity hasn't already been sent as an update. If no time entries have been logged, or if all recent activity has already been communicated, the order won't appear in the list.
Can I send more than one update for the same order?
Yes. As your technicians continue logging time, new activity will queue up a fresh update. Each draft will only include work logged since the last update was sent.