Understanding Your Morning Brief
How to read the Morning Brief — your daily snapshot of KPIs, revenue, alerts, and what needs attention.
The Morning Brief is your daily one-page summary. It shows yesterday's key numbers (revenue, jobs, tickets, cash), trend sparklines, and color-coded alerts so you can see how the business is doing in under 30 seconds.
What the Brief page shows
The Morning Brief is the first page you see when you log in. It is designed to answer one question: "How is my business doing right now?"
Every number on this page is pulled from your live data — ServiceTitan for jobs and revenue, QuickBooks for financials, and Gusto for payroll. The Brief updates overnight so the data is fresh when you arrive.
The KPI cards
At the top of the Brief, you see a row of KPI cards. Each card shows:
- The current value — the big number front and center
- A comparison — how it compares to the previous period (day, week, or month depending on the metric)
- A sparkline — a tiny trend chart showing the last 7-30 data points
- A delta badge — a colored indicator showing whether the trend is up or down
Read the big number
This is the current value of the metric — for example, yesterday's total revenue or the number of jobs completed. It is the headline figure.
Check the delta badge
Below the number, you will see a small colored badge showing the change from the prior period. Blue means up, orange means down. The percentage tells you how much it moved.
Glance at the sparkline
The tiny line chart to the right of each card shows the recent trend. You do not need to read exact values — just notice the shape. An upward slope is good for revenue metrics; a downward slope is good for cost metrics.
What the colors mean
Nightshift uses a simple traffic-light system across the entire dashboard:
| Color | What it means | What to do | |---|---|---| | Green | Metric is healthy and within target range | Nothing — keep doing what you are doing | | Yellow | Metric is approaching a threshold or showing an unusual trend | Take a look. Not urgent, but worth monitoring this week | | Red | Metric is outside acceptable range or needs immediate attention | Act on this today. Check the alert details for specifics |
You will see these colors on KPI cards, alert badges, agent status indicators, and forecasting scorecards. The meaning is always the same.
Key metrics explained
Here are the most common metrics on the Brief page and what they mean for your business:
| Metric | What it measures | Healthy range | Watch out when... | |---|---|---|---| | Revenue | Total invoiced revenue for the period | Trending up vs. same period last year | Down more than 10% week-over-week | | Jobs Completed | Number of jobs closed out | Consistent with tech headcount | Dropping while call volume is steady (dispatch issue) | | Average Ticket | Revenue per job | Varies by trade, typically $300-$800 for glass | Dropping steadily (could signal discounting or mix shift) | | Close Rate | Percentage of estimates that became jobs | 40-60% for residential, 30-50% for commercial | Below 30% — review your estimating process | | Cash Balance | Current bank balance from QuickBooks | Enough to cover 4+ weeks of payroll | Below 2 weeks of operating expenses | | AR Outstanding | Total unpaid invoices | Under 15% of monthly revenue | Aging past 60 days or growing month over month | | Membership Revenue | Recurring revenue from service agreements | Growing quarter over quarter | Flat or declining — check renewal rates |
The revenue trend chart
Below the KPI cards, you will see a larger area chart showing revenue over time. This chart defaults to the last 30 days but you can switch the range using the selector above it.
The shaded area represents daily revenue. The trend line smooths out day-to-day noise so you can see the real direction. Hover over (or tap on mobile) any point to see the exact figure for that day.
The alerts panel
On the right side of the Brief (or below the chart on mobile), you will see the alerts panel. These are the items Nightshift thinks you should know about today.
Alerts are generated by your agents and the intelligence engine. They fall into categories:
| Alert type | Example | Who generated it | |---|---|---| | Revenue alert | "3 jobs over $5K completed yesterday" | Dash | | Collection alert | "AR over 60 days increased by $4,200" | Dash | | Payroll alert | "Payroll prep ready for review" | Sterling | | Accounting alert | "12 transactions need categorization" | Penny | | Operational alert | "Callback rate spiked to 8% this week" | Dash | | System alert | "QuickBooks sync delayed by 2 hours" | Vigil |
Each alert has a severity badge (green, yellow, or red) and a short description. Click any alert to see the full details and what you can do about it.
The date range selector
At the top right of the Brief, you will see a row of range buttons: 1D, 7D, 30D, MTD, QTD, YTD. These control the time window for all metrics on the page.
Pick your range
Click a range button. All KPI cards, charts, and comparisons update instantly to reflect that period.
Use custom dates
Click the calendar icon next to the range buttons to pick a custom start and end date. This is useful for comparing specific weeks or running a monthly review.
Reading the Brief on mobile
The Brief is designed for your phone. On smaller screens:
- KPI cards stack vertically instead of sitting in a row
- The sparklines shrink but remain visible
- The alerts panel moves below the revenue chart
- Tap any card to expand its details
The goal is the same: get the picture in 30 seconds, even from the truck.
Tips for getting the most out of the Brief
- Check it at the same time every day. The Brief is most useful as a habit. Morning coffee and the Brief — that is your routine.
- Focus on the colors first. Scan the KPI cards for anything that is not green. Green means fine. Yellow or red means look closer.
- Read the alerts panel second. Alerts are sorted by urgency. Start at the top and work down.
- Use the date range to compare. Switch to 7D or 30D to see if today's numbers are part of a trend or just a one-day blip.
- Tap the info icons. Every metric has a tooltip explaining what it measures and what healthy looks like. If you are ever unsure what a number means, the answer is one tap away.