«Client material» is a panel, edge or fitting belonging to the client that they attach to the project instead of buying a new one from your factory. The client doesn’t pay for the material itself — only for the work (cutting, edging, operations). The platform supports three sources of client material.
Three sources of client material
1. Material brought by the client
The client bought the material themselves (at a hardware store, from a dealer, from another factory) and brings it to you for processing. Legally this is called «materials supplied by the customer» — the platform uses this term in the add forms.
Example: the client brings a chipboard remainder from a past renovation (1500×800 mm) and wants the back wall of a cabinet cut from it. You accept the material, log it in the client’s project, the factory does the cutting, and the client pays for the work.
2. Client remainders from past orders
If the client has already placed orders with you and a business remainder is left from those cuts, this remainder can be recorded in your stock under the client’s name, separately from the factory’s general stock. The client sees their remainders in the «Client rests of materials» item of the order menu (the «⋮» icon in the project header).
Two types are available:
- Whole client sheets — sheets the client paid for under the «full sheet» type but didn’t use in the current order and left in your storage.
- Partial client remainders — cut-offs left after cutting past client projects; the business size is set in the material settings.
3. Client’s own edges
The client brought their own edge (a roll from a hardware store, a remainder from another shop, a specific decor not in your catalog). It is connected separately via the «Client edges» section on the project card — the client enters the roll length, the width (= panel thickness) and the characteristics. The edge is attached to parts as usual; in the calculation it has no price for the edge itself — only for the edging service.
What sets client material apart from a catalog one
- The material price is zero. The client doesn’t pay the factory for the material itself, only for the processing (cutting, edging, operations, packaging).
- Visibility is private. Client material and remainders are visible only to that client — they are not shown in the catalog to other clients of your factory.
- Sizes and characteristics are entered by the client. When a new material is added, the client themselves provides length/width/thickness/decor. The platform stores it in the project.
- Quantity accounting is simplified. The platform doesn’t require proof of material availability and trusts the figures provided by the client. Physical control stays with the factory (at material intake).
When this is useful
For the client:
- Cheaper if they already have the material — no need to buy a duplicate.
- Lets them use a rare or non-standard decor that isn’t in your catalog.
- Keeps the value of remainders from past orders — they don’t go to waste.
For the factory:
- Lowers the «entry barrier» — the client doesn’t walk away just because they already have a piece of chipboard.
- Expands the available decor base (without keeping rare positions in stock).
- Builds loyalty — the client returns because their remainders are stored with you.
Related topics
- Receiving client material into the factory’s stock — how to accept the brought material and add it to the records.
- Using client material in cutting — how the client’s material enters the part list.
- Edge–panel compatibility — about client edges.