---
title: Get started
summary: Learn how to sign in, find your way around Superwise, and understand how a project moves from setup to payment.
---

Superwise is a web portal for construction projects. You plan the work, buy materials, hire contractors, record what happens on site, and pay the bills. All of it is in one place, and every record belongs to a project.

Read this book first if you are new. It explains the screen you see after you sign in, the words that Superwise uses, and the order in which work moves through the system.

![The dashboard of the sample project Acme Heights, with the left menu, the top bar and the Needs your action list.](../media/dashboard-overview.png)

## What you see after you sign in

The first screen is the **Dashboard**. The left menu lists the parts of Superwise. The top bar holds the project picker, the search box, the **Ask Superwise** button, the bell for notifications and your account menu. The middle of the page shows what needs your attention today.

## How work moves through a project

Most work follows one of two chains. Each step is a record that you create, check and approve.

| Chain | Steps |
| --- | --- |
| Materials | Indent, request for quotation (RFQ), quotation, purchase order (PO), delivery, purchase bill, payment |
| Contract work | Request for proposal (RFP), proposal, work order, measurement, running account (RA) bill, payment |

The chapter [How a project flows](how-a-project-flows.md) explains both chains and links to the book for each step.

## Which chapter to read

| If you want to | Read |
| --- | --- |
| Sign in, reset a password or change your details | [Sign in and password](sign-in-and-password.md) |
| Find a screen quickly | [Find your way](find-your-way.md) |
| Understand the first screen | [The dashboard](the-dashboard.md) |
| See the whole project path | [How a project flows](how-a-project-flows.md) |
| Look up a Superwise word | [Words we use](words-we-use.md) |
| Know why a menu or button is missing | [Roles and access](roles-and-access.md) |
| Search, filter and save list views | [Lists, filters and saved views](lists-filters-and-saved-views.md) |
| Understand why a record waits | [Approvals in plain words](approvals-in-plain-words.md) |
| Get answers inside Superwise | [Ask Superwise](ask-superwise.md) |
| Load old data from Excel | [Bulk import](bulk-import.md) |

If you want a short guide for your own job, open [Start by role](../start-by-role/index.md).

> **Note:** All pictures in this help use sample data. The company Acme and the project Acme Heights are made up.