Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for cabinet manufacturers.
A checklist built from how cabinet manufacturers work, to print or save as a PDF and bring to any supplier meeting.
What the software should cover
Tick each one that matters to your business.
- Quotations and customer approvals
- Cut lists and bills of materials
- Production stages and work orders
- Board, hardware and finish stock
- Quality checks and rework
- Delivery and installation scheduling
- Stage invoices and warranty calls
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- For owners
- For designers and sales
- For production planners and supervisors
- For stores and purchasing
- For installers and accounts
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Quotations pending, won and lost
- Orders by production stage and station
- Board and hardware used against each order
- Stock below reorder level
- Installations done and snags open
- Customer balances, oldest due at the top
- Service calls by cause and warranty status
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- WhatsApp or other messaging
- SMS
- Design software import
- Barcode labels
- Accounting software export
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- Is it for factory production, site installation or both?
- Will quotations use our own board and labour rates?
- Can it import cut lists from our design software?
- Can it show where each order is on the floor?
- How does it stop kits leaving incomplete?
- Can we handle warranty calls?
- Can open orders and stock be moved?
- Who owns the data?
- What does it cost?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- Design revisions never get to the floor
- Board and hardware stock is guessed
- Orders are not tracked by stage
- Installation depends on complete kits
- Costs are known only at the end
Prefer to talk it through? See the cabinet manufacturers page.