Sample Workflow Guide

This guide covers how to use Mac Leather Dashboard to manage samples. It explains system codes, field definitions, status meanings, and step-by-step procedures.

System Codes

Sample Number Format

All samples are assigned an automatic number: SMP-YYYY-XXX

Part	Meaning	Example
`SMP`	Sample prefix	SMP
`YYYY`	Year created	2026
`XXX`	Sequential number (resets each year)	001, 002, 003…

Example: SMP-2026-042 = The 42nd sample created in 2026

Other System Codes

Code	Record Type	Example
`SMP`	Sample	SMP-2026-001
`PRD`	Production Order	PRD-2026-001
`PO`	Purchase Order	PO-2026-001
`JC`	Job Card	JC-2026-001
`SHP`	Shipment	SHP-2026-001

Sample Statuses

Status Reference

Status	Meaning	How It’s Set
New Sample	Sample created, no materials ordered	Automatic on creation
Procurement	At least one material is being ordered	Automatic when any material → “Ordered”
In House	All materials received and approved	Automatic when all 3 materials → “Approved”
Production	Sample is being manufactured	Manual
Inspection	Sample complete, undergoing QC	Manual
Ready to Ship	Passed QC, awaiting dispatch	Manual
Shipped	Sent to customer	Manual
On Hold	Paused	Manual
Delay	Behind schedule	Manual, or automatic if past delivery date

Automatic Status Changes

The system changes sample status automatically in these cases:

When you change any material to “Ordered” → Sample becomes “Procurement”
When all three materials are “Approved” → Sample becomes “In House”

You don’t need to manually update the sample status in these situations.

Creating a Sample

Location: Sidebar → Samples → + New Sample button

Form Fields

Field	Required	What to Enter
Customer	Yes	Select from dropdown
Style Name	Yes	Descriptive name for this sample
Delivery Date	Yes	Target completion date
Quantity	Yes	Number of sample units
Notes	No	Additional information
Stitcher Rate	No	Labor rate for stitching (PKR)
Fuser Rate	No	Labor rate for fusing (PKR)

What the system does when you click Save:

Generates sample number (SMP-YYYY-XXX)
Creates 3 material records: Leather, Accessories, Lining
Sets all material statuses to “Not Ordered”
Sets sample status to “New Sample”
Logs creation in Activity tab
Redirects to Sample Detail page

Sample Detail Page

Page Layout

Header Section:

Sample number (e.g., SMP-2026-042)
Style name
Customer name
Status badge
Action buttons

Action Buttons:

Button	What It Does
Edit	Open edit form for sample details
Change Status	Open status dropdown
Archive	Archive this sample
Move to Production	Convert to production order (only visible when all materials approved)

Tabs:

Tab	Contents
Overview	Basic info, dates, notes, labor rates
Materials	The 3 material cards
Files	Uploaded documents and images
Activity	History of all changes

Below Tabs: Landed Cost card

Materials Section

Location: Sample Detail → Materials tab

The Three Materials

Every sample has exactly 3 materials (created automatically):

Material	Purpose
Leather	Main outer material
Accessories	Hardware, zips, buckles, trims
Lining	Interior material

Editing a Material

Click on the material card
Edit dialog opens
Update fields
Click Save

Common Fields (All Materials)

Field	Description
Status	Current status in workflow
Supplier	Supplier name
Unit Rate	Cost per unit (PKR)
Quantity	Amount needed
Expected Delivery	When you expect it
Actual Delivery	When it arrived
Notes	Additional notes

Leather-Specific Fields

Field	Options/Format
Leather Type	Full Grain, Top Grain, Split, PU, Bonded
Color	Text field
Pantone Shade	Pantone code (e.g., 19-4052)
Thickness	Number in mm (e.g., 1.2)
Finish	Matte, Glossy, Semi-Gloss, Embossed

Accessories-Specific Fields

Field	Options/Format
Accessory Type	Zipper, Buckle, Snap, D-Ring, Rivet, Clasp, Other
Brand	Text field (e.g., YKK)
Model	Text field (e.g., #5 Metal)
Specifications	Text field for details

Lining-Specific Fields

Field	Options/Format
Lining Type	Cotton, Polyester, Suede, Satin, Canvas
Weight	Number in GSM
Composition	Text field (e.g., 100% Cotton)

Material Statuses

Status Reference

Status	Meaning	When to Use
Not Ordered	Default state	Material not yet ordered
Ordered	PO sent to supplier	After placing order
Started	Supplier is working on it	When supplier confirms production started
In Transit	Shipped from supplier	When tracking shows shipped
In House	Physically received at factory	When material arrives
Approved	Passed quality check	After inspecting and accepting
Delay	Running late	When behind expected delivery
On Hold	Paused	When waiting on something
Sent Back	Returned to supplier	If material rejected

Status Flow

Normal flow: Not Ordered → Ordered → Started → In Transit → In House → Approved Exception paths:

Delay: Can occur from Ordered, Started, or In Transit
Sent Back: From In House, returns to Ordered when replacement ships
On Hold: Can pause from Not Ordered or Ordered

Changing Statuses

To Change Sample Status

Open sample

Go to Samples → Click on the sample

Click status badge or Change Status button

Located in the header area

Select new status

Choose from dropdown

Add note (optional)

Explain the change if needed

To Change Material Status

Open sample

Go to Samples → Click on the sample

Go to Materials tab

Click Materials in the tab bar

Click on the material card

Leather, Accessories, or Lining

Change Status field

Select new status from dropdown

Update related fields

If changing to “Ordered”: enter Supplier, Unit Rate, Expected Delivery If changing to “In House”: enter Actual Delivery

Save

Click Save button

Files Section

Location: Sample Detail → Files tab

File Categories

Category	Use For
Worksheets	Tech packs, specifications, patterns
Images	Product photos, reference images, swatches
Comments	Customer feedback, notes, markups
Purchase Orders	Supplier PO documents

Uploading Files

Go to Files tab

Sample Detail → Files

Click Upload or drag file

Upload button or drag-and-drop area

Select category

Choose: Worksheets, Images, Comments, or Purchase Orders

Add description (optional)

Brief description of the file

Click Upload

File uploads and appears in list

Supported Formats

Category	Formats
Worksheets	PDF, XLSX, XLS, DOCX, DOC
Images	PNG, JPG, JPEG, WEBP, GIF
Comments	PDF, DOCX, TXT
Purchase Orders	PDF, XLSX

Maximum file size: 25MB

File Versioning

When you upload a new version of a file:

New file is marked as Latest
Previous file is marked as Previous
Both versions are kept

To upload a new version: Click on existing file → Upload New Version

Landed Cost Section

Location: Sample Detail page → Landed Cost card (below tabs)

Fields

Field	Description	Editable
Materials Cost	Sum of all 3 material costs	Auto-calculated
Stitcher Rate	Rate per unit for stitching	Yes
Fuser Rate	Rate per unit for fusing	Yes
Labor Cost	(Stitcher + Fuser) × Quantity	Auto-calculated
Additional Costs	Other costs you add	Yes
Total Cost	Materials + Labor + Additional	Auto-calculated
Per Unit Cost	Total ÷ Quantity	Auto-calculated

Currency Display

Costs display in both:

PKR (Pakistani Rupee) - primary
GBP (British Pound) - converted

Exchange rate shown at top of card and updates automatically.

Calculation

Materials Cost = Leather cost + Accessories cost + Lining cost
Labor Cost = (Stitcher Rate × Qty) + (Fuser Rate × Qty)
Total Cost = Materials + Labor + Additional
Per Unit = Total ÷ Quantity

Converting to Production

Button Location: Sample Detail → Header → Move to Production

Prerequisite: All three materials must have status “Approved” before this button appears.

Conversion Steps

Verify materials

Check all 3 materials show “Approved” status

Click Move to Production

Button in sample header

Enter production details

Quantity (total units)
Size breakdown (if applicable)
Delivery date
Customer PO number

Confirm

Click Confirm to create production order

What Gets Created

The system automatically:

Creates new production order (PRD-YYYY-XXX)
Copies sample details, material specs, labor rates
Links production order to this sample
Sample remains viewable as reference

Common Scenarios

Situation	Action in App
Material arrived at factory	Materials tab → Click material → Status = “In House” → Save
Material passed inspection	Materials tab → Click material → Status = “Approved” → Save
Supplier reports delay	Materials tab → Click material → Status = “Delay” → Update Expected Delivery → Save
Material failed QC	Materials tab → Click material → Status = “Sent Back” → Add note → Save
Need to pause sample	Header → Change Status → “On Hold” → Add note
Sample manufacturing started	Header → Change Status → “Production”
Sample finished, needs QC	Header → Change Status → “Inspection”
Sample passed QC	Header → Change Status → “Ready to Ship”
Sample dispatched	Header → Change Status → “Shipped” → Add tracking to notes
Customer approved, ready for bulk	Header → Move to Production → Enter details → Confirm
Customer wants changes	Add note with changes → Status = “On Hold” if pausing
Sample cancelled	Header → Archive → Select reason

Troubleshooting

Problem	Cause	Solution
”Move to Production” button not visible	Not all materials are “Approved”	Change all 3 materials to “Approved” status
Sample stuck on “New Sample”	No materials have been ordered	Change at least one material to “Ordered”
Sample stuck on “Procurement”	Materials not all approved	Approve remaining materials
Can’t change material status	Dialog not saving	Check required fields are filled
File won’t upload	File too large	Reduce file size to under 25MB
File won’t upload	Unsupported format	Convert to supported format
Landed cost showing wrong	Material costs not entered	Enter Unit Rate and Quantity for each material
Customer not in dropdown	Customer not added to system	Contact admin to add customer

Quick Reference

Button Locations

Action	Location
Create new sample	Sidebar → Samples → + New Sample
Edit sample details	Sample Detail → Edit button
Change sample status	Sample Detail → Status badge or Change Status button
Edit material	Sample Detail → Materials tab → Click card
Upload file	Sample Detail → Files tab → Upload
View activity log	Sample Detail → Activity tab
Convert to production	Sample Detail → Move to Production button
Archive sample	Sample Detail → Archive button

Status Colors

Status	Color
New Sample	Gray
Procurement	Blue
In House	Purple
Production	Orange
Inspection	Yellow
Ready to Ship	Teal
Shipped	Green
On Hold	Gray
Delay	Red

Creating Samples

Detailed field reference

Material Workflow

Material status details

Uploading Files

File management guide

Landed Costs

Cost calculation details

​Sample Workflow Guide

​System Codes

​Sample Number Format

​Other System Codes

​Sample Statuses

​Status Reference

​Automatic Status Changes

​Creating a Sample

​Form Fields

​Sample Detail Page

​Page Layout

​Materials Section

​The Three Materials

​Editing a Material

​Common Fields (All Materials)

​Leather-Specific Fields

​Accessories-Specific Fields

​Lining-Specific Fields

​Material Statuses

​Status Reference

​Status Flow

​Changing Statuses

​To Change Sample Status

​To Change Material Status

​Files Section

​File Categories

​Uploading Files

​Supported Formats

​File Versioning

​Landed Cost Section

​Fields

​Currency Display

​Calculation

​Converting to Production

​Conversion Steps

​What Gets Created

​Common Scenarios

​Troubleshooting

​Quick Reference

​Button Locations

​Status Colors

​Related Guides

Creating Samples

Material Workflow

Uploading Files

Landed Costs

Sample Workflow Guide

System Codes

Sample Number Format

Other System Codes

Sample Statuses

Status Reference

Automatic Status Changes

Creating a Sample

Form Fields

Sample Detail Page

Page Layout

Materials Section

The Three Materials

Editing a Material

Common Fields (All Materials)

Leather-Specific Fields

Accessories-Specific Fields

Lining-Specific Fields

Material Statuses

Status Reference

Status Flow

Changing Statuses

To Change Sample Status

To Change Material Status

Files Section

File Categories

Uploading Files

Supported Formats

File Versioning

Landed Cost Section

Fields

Currency Display

Calculation

Converting to Production

Conversion Steps

What Gets Created

Common Scenarios

Troubleshooting

Quick Reference

Button Locations

Status Colors

Related Guides