Metal Guru — Support and User Manual

Metal Guru manages suppliers, customers, metal purchases, sales, weighbridge tickets, supporting compliance information and selected QuickBooks Online and DEFRA workflows.

Before the first live ticket:

1. Sign in to Metal Guru and select the correct company. Check the company shown before setting up integrations or saving transactions.
2. An administrator adds the people who need access under Users.
3. Create the receiving yard under Sites, including its permit/authorisation number and address.
4. Enter the materials the yard handles under Materials & prices, including the appropriate QuickBooks purchase account and waste classification.
5. Create initial suppliers and customers and, where needed, upload suppliers’ identity documents.
6. Connect the correct QuickBooks company and configure any automatic email options under Integrations.
7. If the business will submit waste receipts to DEFRA, arrange its DEFRA-issued company API code and ask an administrator to save it under Integrations.
8. Make a test transaction and check its result under Transactions before relying on the workflow operationally.

Important: Metal Guru’s demo company does not send live customer/supplier emails or make live DEFRA submissions.

Connect the accounting company

1. Select the appropriate Metal Guru company.
2. Look for the QuickBooks connection controls above the main page content. If not connected, select Connect to QuickBooks.
3. Sign in to Intuit, select the matching QuickBooks Online company, and approve access.
4. Return to Metal Guru and confirm QuickBooks Online connected is displayed.
5. Under Materials & prices, check the purchase expense account and any required class and sales item mapping for each material before posting transactions.

The Integrations menu includes information about the QuickBooks connection; the connect/disconnect control appears at the top of Metal Guru’s main area.

Disconnect or reconnect

1. Select the company and choose Disconnect from the QuickBooks connection controls.
2. Confirm the warning. Further QuickBooks syncing and QuickBooks invoice emails stop until the company is reconnected; existing saved records remain.
3. Use Connect to QuickBooks again when authorisation is required. If Metal Guru shows a revoked or expired connection, reconnect to resume syncing.

What sync means

When Metal Guru saves a supported sales or purchase transaction, inspect the transaction’s status and any QuickBooks error in Transactions. A saved Metal Guru record does not necessarily mean that QuickBooks has accepted it. If there is an error, review the account, tax or item mapping and confirm in QuickBooks before retrying or creating a duplicate.

Record customer money received

1. Open Transactions and locate the existing Sale whose QuickBooks invoice has synced.
2. Choose Record receipt. Only an administrator or a user with Record customer receipts permission sees this option.
3. Verify the invoice and amount outstanding. Enter Payment amount (£), Payment date, QuickBooks bank account and Payment method.
4. Choose Record bank receipt and wait for the result. Check the confirmation and QuickBooks payment entry.
5. For partial receipts, check the remaining balance. A failed or uncertain result must be reconciled with QuickBooks before another attempt.

When creating a new sale, an authorised user may instead choose Completed / paid — record receipt and supply the receipt information. Metal Guru creates the QuickBooks invoice first, then the linked receipt. Do not resubmit a saved sale if payment confirmation fails.

Record a supplier bill payment

1. Arrange the actual supplier payment through the bank or approved payment process first.
2. As an administrator, open Transactions, find the synced Purchase and choose Record supplier payment.
3. Check the supplier and QuickBooks bill details. Enter the payment amount, date, bank account, method and any reference.
4. Tick I confirm this supplier payment has actually been made, then choose Record supplier payment.
5. Check QuickBooks for the bill payment and any outstanding balance.

Accounting entries are not bank transfers. Recording a customer receipt or supplier bill payment updates QuickBooks; it does not move money between bank accounts. Cash payments for scrap metal purchases are not permitted.

Add a supplier

1. Choose Suppliers in Metal Guru.
2. Select Individual or Business, then enter the full name and, where applicable, company name.
3. Enter the email address, phone, address, waste-carrier registration or reason not registered, and broker/dealer registration details where applicable.
4. Choose a Default pricing tier: Standard (S), Preferred (P), Low-volume (L), or Contract (C).
5. In Identity check, select the document type, expiry date if applicable, and upload a JPG, PNG or PDF document (maximum 10 MB).
6. Use Save supplier. Check the success message, then choose View suppliers to review the saved record.

Supplier email addresses should be checked before enabling purchase documents. The marketing consent checkbox is separate from operational transaction notifications.

Edit, deactivate or set contract prices

1. Choose View suppliers, locate the supplier, then select Edit.
2. Update the relevant details and choose Save changes.
3. For agreed rates, open the supplier for editing and use Agreed contract prices to enter the fixed price per kg for each material. Save each agreed price.
4. Use Deactivate only when the supplier must no longer be available for active use.

The supplier’s internal code and pricing tier may also appear on weighbridge tickets and transaction history.

1. Choose Customers and select Add customer.
2. Enter customer name, company name, email, telephone and address details.
3. Save the customer, then check its details in Current customers.
4. To correct details, select Edit, amend the record and save.

A customer must be available for selection before creating a sale. Email addresses are used for applicable customer invoice and receipt emails; check them before sending.

1. Open Sites.
2. Enter a distinct Site code and Site name.
3. Enter the Permit / authorisation number, contact email and address details.
4. Save the site and check the confirmation/list of available sites.

Select the correct Receiving site on each weighbridge ticket. The site details support the receipt-of-waste record; enter the information from your actual operating permit, not sample values.

Configure a material

1. Open Materials & prices and choose Add a material or edit a listed material.
2. Enter the material name and the Current purchase price (£/kg) and Current sale price (£/kg) as appropriate.
3. Select the required QuickBooks purchase expense account. Map a QuickBooks class or sales item where appropriate for your company’s books.
4. If using the buy-price calculator, select a market reference or enter an expected sale-price override, recovery percentage, costs and target margin as applicable; review the resulting recommendation before applying it.
5. Complete the material’s Digital waste tracking defaults: relevant EWC classification, physical form, recovery code and other displayed waste details.
6. Save and review the material in Current materials.

Market prices versus transaction prices

Refresh market prices updates the market references and recommended purchase prices; it does not automatically change your current purchase prices. Review and save the purchase price that should actually be used on tickets. On the weighbridge, a supplier’s pricing tier or contract price may influence the displayed rate. Confirm the chosen rate before saving.

Record a purchase receipt

1. Choose Weighbridge, then select the Supplier. Check the supplier’s displayed address.
2. Select the Pricing tier and optional Broker / dealer, then choose the Receiving site.
3. Choose the Material. The material’s configured waste classification is displayed for review.
4. Enter the Ticket number and Vehicle registration.
5. Enter Gross weight (kg) and Tare weight (kg). The Net weight (kg) is calculated automatically; check that it is positive and correct.
6. Confirm the Price per kg, calculated Purchase value, appropriate VAT treatment and Total including VAT. Contract pricing is fixed by the agreed supplier/material rate.
7. Enter the number and type of containers, operator details and any additional EWC codes as applicable.
8. If hazardous substances or persistent organic pollutants are relevant, complete the additional fields displayed, including consignment information where required. Mark Weight is estimated only where appropriate.
9. Choose Save weighbridge ticket once and wait for confirmation.
10. Review Recent weighbridge tickets, then open Transactions for the saved purchase, email/QuickBooks status and DEFRA submission.

Example (illustrative figures only): 2,500 kg gross less 1,000 kg tare = 1,500 kg net. At £0.40 per kg, the purchase value before VAT is £600. Choose the applicable VAT treatment; do not assume a particular tax rate for every scrap purchase.

A saved weighbridge ticket is not evidence that the corresponding QuickBooks purchase document has synced or that DEFRA has accepted a waste record. Review each status separately.

1. Open Sales, choose the Customer and Material.
2. Enter the Invoice number, Weight (kg) and Sale price per kg.
3. Check VAT rate (%), the calculated net/VAT/gross amounts and any notes.
4. Use Draft / unpaid when the sale is not being recorded as paid. A permitted user may choose Completed / paid — record receipt if money has already been received; this reveals payment amount, date, QuickBooks bank account and method.
5. Choose Save sale and wait for the response. Where a receipt is requested, Metal Guru attempts the QuickBooks invoice first and only then the payment.
6. Review the saved sale under Transactions. Check invoice sync and email status independently of the saved sale message.

Do not duplicate a sale if QuickBooks invoice creation succeeded but payment posting failed. Check the QuickBooks invoice/payment first; use the existing transaction to reconcile the issue.

Open Transactions to inspect the transaction date, number, type, supplier/customer, net/VAT/gross, status, DEFRA status and document email status.

• View document opens the available purchase or sale document for inspection.
• Record receipt is shown for eligible synced sales to authorised users.
• Record supplier payment is shown for eligible synced purchases to administrators only.
• Submit is used for eligible purchase/weighbridge receipt records to send the waste details to DEFRA.
• Retry email may appear for documents with failed or missing-email statuses. Review the cause and address before trying again.
• Process invoice email may appear on eligible sale records. It is an email action, not a payment action.

A partial payment may leave the transaction showing a remaining outstanding balance. Any requires QuickBooks reconciliation warning means you should investigate the corresponding QuickBooks entry before attempting another payment.

1. To capture an ID document, open Suppliers, select the document type and upload the file during supplier registration.
2. Open ID checks to see submitted supplier identity documents.
3. Use View document to inspect the uploaded evidence.
4. Record the outcome using Approve or Reject, according to the company’s compliance procedure.
5. Delete document permanently removes the file after confirmation. Use only when authorised and consistent with the company’s record-retention obligations.

The application helps maintain ID records, but staff must still apply the company’s identification and legal compliance procedures.

Obtain and save your organisation’s API code

1. The business must register for DEFRA’s receipt-of-waste reporting and obtain its own API code from DEFRA. Refer to GOV.UK: Report receipt of waste.
2. An administrator selects the correct company, opens Integrations and finds DEFRA – Receipt of Waste.
3. Enter the DEFRA-issued code into Company DEFRA API code and choose Save DEFRA code.
4. Check for DEFRA API code configured. This confirms only that the code was securely stored, not that DEFRA validated it.
5. To replace the code, enter another and save. To revoke it locally, select Remove DEFRA code; future submissions will then be blocked until another code is saved.

The saved code is encrypted and cannot be viewed after saving. Never email codes to support or put them in screenshots. A normal user cannot change company DEFRA settings. The demo company cannot submit live waste records.

Check and submit a waste receipt

1. Create a weighbridge purchase ticket with the correct supplier, receiving site, material, weights, transport and required waste information.
2. Open Transactions and locate the purchase associated with its ticket number.
3. Select Submit. Metal Guru runs its DEFRA readiness check before attempting submission.
4. If information is missing, read the displayed list and correct the underlying company, material, supplier, site or ticket details as appropriate before retrying.
5. Wait for the result. If DEFRA accepts the submission, check the DEFRA status and returned waste tracking reference in Transactions.
6. If DEFRA rejects it, read the error, investigate the source of the problem, and retry only after correction.

Three different states: Configured = code saved. Ready = Metal Guru’s local required-information check passed. Submitted = the submission was accepted by DEFRA. The first two are not proof of acceptance by DEFRA.

Integrations contains information for QuickBooks, company DEFRA code management and automatic emails. Only authorised administrators can change protected settings.

Configure emails

1. Select the correct company, then open Integrations → Automatic document emails.
2. Check for warnings such as Sending is currently switched off or supplier email mailbox still needs to be configured. These must be resolved before successful delivery is possible.
3. Turn on only the email types your business requires:
   • Email the customer when a sale is completed — customer invoice through QuickBooks Online.
   • Email the supplier when a weighbridge ticket is saved — purchase confirmation document through the configured outgoing mailbox.
   • Automatically email a receipt after each successful QuickBooks customer payment — customer receipt PDF after a confirmed receipt.
   • Automatically email a remittance advice after each confirmed supplier payment — remittance PDF after an administrator confirms actual payment and QuickBooks posts it.
4. Enter Supplier email reply-to address if needed and select Save email settings.
5. Check the email address saved on each supplier or customer record before completing the relevant action.
6. Inspect the email status in Transactions, including any error. View document lets you inspect the associated document.

Important: Payment email settings apply to future successful payments; enabling an option does not send historic receipts/remittances retroactively. Supplier remittance advice is not proof of a bank transfer. The purchase confirmation does not replace a supplier VAT invoice or valid agreed self-billing document.

1. An administrator selects the relevant Metal Guru company and opens Users.
2. Check the displayed number of users against the company’s licence allowance.
3. Under Add user, enter name, email, password for a new account (at least 12 characters) and a User or Admin role.
4. Choose Add user. If the email already belongs to another Metal Guru user, their existing password remains unchanged when access to this company is added.
5. Under Company users, check each person’s role, status and last login. Deactivate an account’s access if required.
6. For active standard users, the administrator may enable or disable the Record customer receipts checkbox. This is a separate permission; company access alone is not enough.

Administrators can record supplier payments; standard users cannot, even when customer-receipt recording is enabled. Administrators can save or remove company DEFRA API codes. The demo company does not expose the standard Users menu.

Message or symptom	Check and next action
QuickBooks Online not connected / reconnect required	Select the correct Metal Guru company; connect to the matching QuickBooks company using the control at the top of the page.
Purchase or sales invoice did not sync	Check the transaction status and error. Review required QuickBooks accounts, class, item or tax-code mappings, then verify QuickBooks before attempting to create anything again.
Record receipt missing	The transaction must be an eligible synced sale and the user must be an administrator or have Record customer receipts permission.
Record supplier payment missing	Only administrators can use it for eligible synced purchase bills. It is not a bank transfer.
Receipt requires QuickBooks reconciliation or supplier equivalent	Do not repeat posting. Reconcile with the QuickBooks record and obtain administrator/support help if needed.
DEFRA code not configured	Ask an administrator to save the DEFRA-issued code for the correct company under Integrations. Code saved does not mean code validated.
DEFRA reports missing fields	Review the supplier, site permit, material EWC/recovery settings, ticket and any hazard/POP information shown as missing.
DEFRA submission rejected	Read the returned DEFRA error and correct the record or registration issue before resubmitting.
Automatic email failed or disabled	Check the recipient email, chosen Integrations switch, enabled sender mailbox and exact error. Review the email status before retrying.
Material price unexpected	Check the pricing tier, any supplier contract rate and whether a manual material purchase price was saved after refreshing market references.
User cannot change settings	Confirm the currently selected company and whether the user has Admin access to that company.

For problems involving missing data or an uncertain payment sync, preserve the exact error message and record number and check QuickBooks before making another attempt.