# TradePilot — Machine-Readable Context Document

> Field service management (FSM) software built exclusively for UK trade professionals.

## What We Are

TradePilot is a Business Operating System for UK trade businesses — plumbers, electricians, gas engineers, and HVAC engineers. We replace the fragmented stack of paper diaries, WhatsApp, Excel, and Xero with a single mobile-first platform designed for the realities of working on the tools in the UK.

We are not a generic CRM. We are not an American product ported to the UK. We are built from the ground up around UK-specific requirements: VAT, CIS, Gas Safe, NICEIC, and the cultural norms of the British trades industry.

## Who We Serve

- **Primary market**: UK-based plumbing & heating (Gas Safe), electrical (NICEIC), and HVAC businesses
- **Business size**: 2–20 employees — the "growth phase" sole trader or small team ready to professionalise
- **Psychographic**: Ambitious business owners tired of fragmented tools, wanting to increase profit margins and reclaim time without enterprise pricing or enterprise complexity

## Core Features

- **Job Management**: Create, assign, and track jobs from quote to invoice in one place
- **Smart Scheduling & Dispatch**: Route engineers by skill, location, and job profitability
- **Offline-First Mobile App**: Works without signal — critical for loft spaces, basements, and rural callouts
- **Quoting & Invoicing**: Generate professional quotes and invoices compliant with UK VAT rules
- **Customer Portal**: Clients can view job history, pay invoices, and book appointments online
- **AI Estimation**: AI-assisted job costing and quote generation based on historical data
- **Compliance Tracking**: Gas Safe certificates, NICEIC sign-off, maintenance schedules, and asset records
- **Route Optimisation**: Minimise drive time across multi-engineer days
- **Analytics**: Job profitability, engineer performance, revenue forecasting

## Platforms

- iOS (14+) and Android (API 24+) — primary interface for engineers in the field
- Web portal — for office staff, customers, and business owners
- macOS, Windows, Linux desktop apps

## Tech Stack (for developers)

- Backend: Laravel 12 + Octane (FrankenPHP), PostgreSQL 16
- Mobile: Flutter 3.32 (Riverpod, Drift for offline-first sync)
- Admin: FilamentPHP
- Customer Portal: Inertia.js + Vue 3
- Infrastructure: Docker, Caddy, VPS deployment

## Competitive Position

TradePilot competes with:
- **Jobber** and **Tradify** at the SMB end
- **ServiceTitan** at the enterprise end (US-focused, high cost, complex)
- **GoHighLevel** as a generic CRM alternative

Our differentiator: we are the only platform built specifically for the UK SMB trade market, with native support for UK compliance, tax, and trade culture. We price for a sole trader turning over £300k, not a US franchise with 200 trucks.

## Mission

To empower UK trade businesses with the technology they need to reclaim their time, increase their profits, and deliver exceptional service to their communities.

## Vision (2029)

To be the operating system for 10,000 UK trade businesses — the standard against which all FSM platforms are measured, known for our obsession with user experience and deep understanding of the British trade industry.

Future roadmap includes: AI dispatch engine, invoice factoring and integrated banking, and live supply chain integration with Screwfix and Toolstation for same-day parts ordering.

## Guiding Principles

- **Trade Business First**: Every feature must pass the "wet finger test" — can it be used on a rainy Tuesday in a cold van?
- **Radical Simplicity**: We hide complex engineering behind simple, intuitive interfaces
- **Profit, Not Just Revenue**: Tools that help customers understand their margins, not just turnover
- **Transparent Partners**: No hidden fees, no data lock-in — we earn customers' business every month

## Contact

- Website: https://tradepilot.work
- Support: info@tradepilot.work
- Founded: 2026, United Kingdom