Admin Setup Wizard Guide¶

Complete guide for admins to configure MessWala for the first time.

🎯 Overview¶

The Admin Setup Wizard configures your mess on first login. It's a 3-step process that takes ~5 minutes.

What you'll configure: 1. Mess information (name, contact) 2. Expense categories 3. Meal times

After setup, the system is ready for students to join.

⏱️ When to Do Setup¶

When: First time any admin logs in
Where: Automatic redirect to /admin/setup
Time: ~5 minutes
Required: Yes (can't skip)

Step 1️⃣: Mess Information¶

What You're Configuring¶

Basic information about your mess/hostel.

Fields¶

Mess Name (Required) - Example: "Krishna Bhawan", "Hostel Block A" - Used in dashboard, reports, etc. - Can change later in settings

Description (Optional) - Brief info about your mess - Example: "Main hostel for engineering students" - Visible in some reports

Email (Optional) - Contact email for the mess - Example: "mess@college.edu" - Shown to members for inquiries

Phone (Optional) - Contact phone/mobile - Example: "9876543210" - Shown to members for contact

Best Practices¶

✅ Use clear, formal names
✅ Include email/phone for member inquiries
✅ Keep description brief (<100 chars)
✅ Use consistent naming across all systems

Save & Continue¶

Click "Next" to proceed to Step 2.

Step 2️⃣: Expense Categories¶

What You're Configuring¶

The types of expenses you'll track (e.g., Vegetables, Salary).

These appear as dropdown options when recording expenses.

Preset Categories¶

MessWala provides these common categories:

☑ Vegetables      (Produce, greens, onions, tomatoes)
☑ Rice            (Rice, other grains, staples)
☑ Gas             (Cooking fuel, LPG cylinders)
☑ Salary          (Cook, helper, staff payment)
☑ Dairy           (Milk, yogurt, paneer, cheese)
☑ Spices          (Seasonings, spice powders)
☑ Miscellaneous   (Misc expenses that don't fit)

Select Preset Categories¶

1. Check the boxes for categories your mess will use
2. Most messes use all 7 presets
3. You can always add more later

Add Custom Categories¶

For expenses not in presets:

Click "Add Category"

Enter category names: - WiFi charges - Electricity (if separate) - Water tank maintenance - Cleaning supplies - Kitchen equipment - Advance payment - [Any others specific to your mess]

Recommendations¶

Minimum: 3-4 categories (Vegetables, Rice, Gas, Misc)

Ideal: 6-8 categories (provides good breakdown)

Maximum: 15+ (too many for easy selection)

Examples by Mess Type¶

Hostel with cook: - Vegetables - Rice - Gas / Electricity - Salary (for cook) - Dairy - Spices - Miscellaneous

Student co-op mess: - Vegetables - Rice & Staples - Gas / Cooking - Dairy - Spices - Costs (containers, cleaning)

Professional mess: - Food (Vegetables, Fruits, Proteins) - Grains (Rice, Wheat, Dal) - Utilities (Gas, Water, Electricity) - Salaries - Supplies (Containers, Equipment) - Maintenance

Save & Continue¶

Click "Next" to proceed to Step 3.

Step 3️⃣: Meal Times¶

What You're Configuring¶

When meals are served (breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc.).

These appear as options when: - Marking attendance - Planning menus - Recording feedback

Default Meal Times¶

MessWala provides these standard times:

Breakfast (Morning meal) - Start: 7:30 AM - End: 9:00 AM - Duration: 1.5 hours

Lunch (Midday meal) - Start: 12:30 PM - End: 2:00 PM (14:00) - Duration: 1.5 hours

Dinner (Evening meal) - Start: 7:30 PM - End: 9:00 PM - Duration: 1.5 hours

Customize Times¶

If your mess has different meal times:

For each meal: 1. Click "Edit" to change times 2. Set Start Time (e.g., 8:00 AM) 3. Set End Time (e.g., 9:30 AM) 4. Save

Common Customizations¶

Early breakfast mess: - Breakfast: 6:00 - 7:30 AM - Lunch: 12:00 - 1:30 PM - Dinner: 7:00 - 8:30 PM

Late breakfast mess: - Breakfast: 8:30 - 10:00 AM - Lunch: 1:00 - 2:30 PM - Dinner: 8:00 - 9:30 PM

Two-meal mess: - Lunch: 12:30 - 2:00 PM - Dinner: 7:30 - 9:00 PM - (Remove breakfast)

Add More Meals¶

Click "Add Meal Type" for: - Snacks - Tea time - Second breakfast - Late dinner - Any meals your mess serves

Important Notes¶

🔔 Meal times are for reference only, not enforced
🔔 Students can mark attendance anytime during windows
🔔 Times shown on Attendance & Menu pages

Save & Complete¶

Click "Complete Setup" to finish.

✅ After Setup¶

What Happens¶

1. Configuration saved to database
2. System becomes operational
3. Dashboard shows empty state
4. Ready to invite members

Next Steps¶

1. Approve Users
2. Students register
3. You approve them

4. They can now use system

5. Record First Expenses

6. Manager records expenses
7. Establish categories

8. Build history

9. Plan Meals

10. Manager creates menu
11. Set weekly schedule

12. Members see upcoming meals

13. Members Mark Attendance

14. Students mark meals eaten
15. Data starts building up
16. Analytics populate

🔄 Editing Configuration Later¶

Change Mess Information¶

Go to: Settings → Mess Configuration

Can edit: - Mess name - Description - Email - Phone

Change Expense Categories¶

Go to: Settings → Manage Categories

Can: - Add new categories - Delete unused categories - Note: Old records keep original category

Change Meal Times¶

Go to: Settings → Manage Meals

Can: - Edit times - Add new meal types - Delete meals (if unused) - Note: Old records keep original meal type

❓ Setup Troubleshooting¶

Setup Page Won't Load¶

Solution: - Clear browser cache - Try incognito/private mode - Try different browser - Refresh page (Ctrl+F5)

Can't Save Changes¶

Check: - All required fields filled - No special characters in names - Internet connection active - Try clicking Save again

Already Configured (can't redo setup)¶

Current limitation: Setup can only be done once

To change: 1. Ask super-admin to reset 2. Or manually update in database 3. Or delete MessConfig and re-login

📋 Setup Checklist¶

Before clicking "Complete Setup":

• [ ] Mess name entered
• [ ] Relevant expense categories selected
• [ ] Custom categories added if needed
• [ ] Meal times match your schedule
• [ ] All times in 24-hour format
• [ ] No typos in names

🎯 Pro Tips¶

1. Start simple — Add more categories as needed

2. Use consistent naming — Match expense receipts

3. Align meal times — Match kitchen schedule

4. Plan flexibility — Buffer time (e.g., 7:30-9:00 AM not 7:45-8:45 AM)

5. Test immediately — Record first expense after setup

6. Communicate — Share meal times with members

📞 Help & Support¶

Setup not working? - See Troubleshooting Guide - Check Deployment Guide - Contact system admin

Want different configuration? - You can edit most settings later - See "Editing Configuration Later" section above

Last Updated: March 17, 2026
Version: 2.0