Getting Started

Creating Your First Report

Click "Create New Report" from the dashboard
Fill in customer and part information
Add measurement rows
Enter dimensional data
Save and export as PDF

Report Fields Explained

Customer: Client or company name
Part Name: Description of the part being inspected
Drawing Number (DRW NO): Engineering drawing reference
Revision (REV): Drawing revision number
Inspector: Person performing the inspection
Order Number: Purchase order or work order reference
Sample Size: Number of parts being inspected
Machine: Inspection equipment used

Machine File Upload

How to Upload Machine Files

Automatically fill in report details by uploading a machine inspection file:

Click "Create New Report"
Look for "Machine File Upload (Optional)" section at the top
Click the file input and select your machine file (.txt or .rep)
Fields will auto-fill: Customer, Drw No, Rev, Order No, Machine, Inspector
Review the auto-filled data (highlighted briefly)
Complete any remaining fields manually

Smart Features

Detects and corrects common typos (e.g., "BACH NO" → "BATCH NO")
Supports multiple field name variations
Maximum file size: 5MB
Supports .txt and .rep formats
Safe: Won't overwrite existing form data

Expected File Format

Lines in machine files start with double asterisk (**) followed by field name and value:

CUSTOMER: ACME CORP
DRW NO: 142-DS-5421
REV: C
BATCH NO: 1456775
INSPECTOR: ALEX
MACHINE: LK

User Roles & Permissions

Role Types Overview

Role	Report Visibility	Inspector Assignment	Use Case
User	Own reports only	Self only (auto-assigned)	Individual inspectors
PowerUser	Own + group members' reports	Self + group members	Team leads, supervisors
Admin	All organization reports	Anyone in organization	Quality managers, owners

User Role Details

Report Visibility: Can see only reports where they are assigned as the inspector
Creating Reports: Automatically assigned as inspector. Dropdown shows only their own name.
Editing: Can edit their own reports
Deleting: Cannot delete reports (admin only)

PowerUser Role Details

Report Visibility: Can see their own reports plus all reports from users in the same groups
Creating Reports: Inspector dropdown shows themselves and all users from their groups
No Group Membership: If not assigned to any group, functions like a regular User
Editing: Can edit reports they have visibility to
Deleting: Cannot delete reports (admin only)

Admin Role Details

Report Visibility: Can see all reports in the entire organization
Creating Reports: Can assign any user in the organization as inspector
Editing: Can edit any report in the organization
Deleting: Can delete any report in the organization
User Management: Can add, remove, and change roles of users
Group Management: Can create and manage groups
Organization Settings: Can modify organization settings, measurement types, tools

Understanding Groups

What Are Groups?

Groups organize users into teams and affect what PowerUsers can see.

Creating Groups: Admin Panel → Group Management → Create Group
Adding Users to Groups: Admin Panel → User Management → Edit User → Select Groups
Effect on PowerUsers: A PowerUser sees all reports from users in any group they share membership with
Multiple Groups: Users can belong to multiple groups. PowerUsers see reports from ALL their shared groups.

Example Scenario

If PowerUser "John" belongs to "Team A" and "Team B":

John sees his own reports
John sees all reports from Team A members
John sees all reports from Team B members
When creating a report, John can assign to himself or any Team A/B member

Dashboard

Dashboard Overview

The Dashboard provides a quick overview of your inspection work:

Statistics Cards: Total reports, active inspections, team members
Quick Actions: Create new report, search reports
Kanban Board: Visual workflow of all reports by status
Admin Section: Quick access to admin panel (admins only)

Kanban Board

Visual workflow management with drag-and-drop:

To Do: New reports ready to start
In Progress: Reports currently being worked on
For Review: Reports ready for quality review
Done: Completed reports (shows last 2 weeks)

Drag report cards between columns to change status instantly.

Measurement Types

Supported Measurement Types

QA Scribe Pro supports various measurement types including:

Dimensional: Linear measurements (length, width, height)
Geometrical (GD&T): Position, flatness, perpendicularity, parallelism, concentricity, cylindricity, circularity, profile, runout, angularity, symmetry, straightness

Tolerance Types

Bilateral: Equal plus/minus tolerance (e.g., 10.0 ±0.1)
Unilateral: One-sided tolerance
Limit: Upper and lower limit values

Canvas / Drawing Page

Canvas Features

The Canvas page allows you to:

Upload and view engineering drawings (PDF, images)
Add balloon callouts to drawings
Link balloons to measurement rows
Rotate and zoom drawings
Export annotated drawings to PDF
Use drawing tools for annotations
Auto-detect existing balloons on drawings

Adding Balloons

Upload a drawing or select an existing one
Click on the drawing where you want to place a balloon
The balloon number corresponds to the Dim NO in the measurement table
Balloons are saved automatically with the report
Drag balloons to reposition them
Delete balloons by selecting and pressing Delete or using the toolbar

Balloon Styling

Customize balloon appearance in Admin → Display Settings:

Balloon Color: Background color of the balloon circle
Balloon Size: Diameter of the balloon
Text Color: Color of the dimension number inside

Per-report styling can also be set from the Canvas page toolbar.

Auto-Detect Balloons

Automatically detect existing balloon numbers on your drawing:

Click the Scan button in the toolbar
The system analyzes the drawing image
Detected balloons appear in a dialog for review
Select which balloons to import
Balloons are placed at detected positions

Note: Works best with clear, high-contrast drawings. Manual adjustment may be needed.

Drawing Tools

Unlock the canvas to access drawing tools:

Circle: Draw circles for highlighting areas
Rectangle: Draw rectangles for marking regions
Line: Draw straight lines
Arrow: Draw arrows pointing to features
Free Draw: Freehand pencil drawing
Text: Add text annotations

To unlock: Click the Lock icon in the toolbar. Remember to lock when done to prevent accidental changes.

Multi-Page Drawings

Navigate multi-page PDF drawings:

Use the page navigation arrows at the bottom
Each page can have its own balloons
Balloons are linked to specific pages
When exporting, all pages with balloons are included

Zoom and Pan

Navigate the drawing:

Desktop:

Scroll wheel: Zoom in/out
Click + Drag: Pan the drawing
Zoom buttons: Use +/- in toolbar

Mobile/Tablet:

Pinch: Zoom in/out
Two-finger drag: Pan the drawing
Double-tap: Reset zoom

Rotate Drawing

Rotate the PDF drawing if it's oriented incorrectly:

Click Rotate Left (↺) or Rotate Right (↻) in the toolbar
Rotation is saved to the PDF file
All balloons maintain their relative positions

Lock / Unlock Mode

The canvas has two modes:

Locked (default):

Can only pan and zoom
Cannot add or move balloons
Prevents accidental changes

Unlocked:

Can add, move, delete balloons
Access to drawing tools
Full editing capability

Click the Lock/Unlock icon to toggle. The canvas auto-locks when you leave the page.

PDF Export

Export Settings

Export reports to PDF with customizable settings:

Header Color: Set your organization's brand color
Banner Image: Upload company logo
Signature: Include inspector signature (if configured)
Show/Hide Balloons: Toggle balloon visibility in PDF

Export Options

Export PDF: Single report export
Export All: Batch export multiple reports
Include Drawing: Export report with annotated drawing

Report Search

Search Features

Search and filter reports across your organization:

Configure visible columns
Per-column filtering with operators (Contains, Equals, Starts With)
Sort by any column
Pagination with customizable page size
Drag-and-drop column reordering
Group column: shows the report group (see Report Status & Kanban → Report Groups). It is on by default, filters like any other column and suggests existing group names while you type.

Wizard Mode

Measurement Wizard Overview

The Measurement Wizard helps streamline data entry by guiding you through each dimension:

Navigate through dimensions one at a time
See which measurement tool to use
Canvas auto-pans to show the relevant balloon
Large input field optimized for quick entry
Filter options to focus on specific dimensions

Starting the Wizard

Go to the Canvas page for your report
Ensure balloons are placed on the drawing
Click the Wizard button (magic wand icon)
A popup shows available measurement tools
Select which tools you'll be using this session
Choose ordering: By Dim No or By Tool
Click Start to begin

Tip: Select only the tools you have ready to minimize switching.

Wizard Filters

Focus on specific dimensions:

Critical Only: Show only dimensions marked as critical
Empty Only: Show only dimensions without measurements
Show Empty Tool: Include dimensions with no tool assigned

Filters help you focus on what matters most for your current inspection.

Entering Measurements

For each dimension the wizard shows:

Dimension number (balloon number)
Measurement tool icon (what to use)
Nominal value with tolerances
Large input field for your measurement

Enter the value and press Enter or click Next to proceed. Out-of-tolerance values are highlighted.

Order by Tool

When Order by Tool is selected:

Dimensions are grouped by measurement tool
Complete all dimensions for one tool before moving to the next
Reduces tool switching time
More efficient for batch measurements

Example: All caliper dimensions first, then all CMM dimensions.

Design Mode

If nominal/tolerance values are missing, Design Mode lets you enter them:

Nominal: The target dimension value
Tol+: Upper tolerance (positive)
Tol-: Lower tolerance (negative)

These values are saved to the report and used for OOT calculations.

Mobile Wizard

On mobile devices, the wizard provides:

Full-screen interface for focused entry
Large numeric keyboard for easy tapping
Swipe gestures for navigation
Haptic feedback on supported devices

The mobile wizard is optimized for shop floor use with gloves or in challenging conditions.

Report Details & Editing

Display Modes

Switch between different views of your measurement data:

Results: Shows actual measured values
Deviation: Shows difference from nominal (actual - nominal)
Error: Shows percentage error from nominal
Min/Max: Shows range across all samples
Critical: Highlights out-of-tolerance measurements
Statistics: Shows mean, std dev, Cp, Cpk

Select the mode from the dropdown in the report toolbar.

Sample Numbers (SN)

Manage multiple samples for each dimension:

Sample Size: Set total number of samples in report settings
SN Columns: Each sample gets its own column (SN1, SN2, SN3...)
Navigation: Use SN selector to show specific sample columns
Per-page: Configure how many SN columns to show at once

Data entry can be done per-sample or via the Wizard mode.

Critical Dimensions

Mark dimensions as critical for special attention:

Click the star icon next to a dimension row
Critical dimensions are highlighted in the table
Filter by critical in the Wizard mode
Critical status appears in PDF exports

Use this for safety-critical or customer-specified important dimensions.

Out of Tolerance (OOT) Panel

When measurements exceed tolerance limits:

The cell is highlighted (color configurable in Admin)
OOT Panel appears at the top of the table with the correction tools
Select rows first: while the panel is open, every row shows a checkbox in the Dim No column and the header has a select-all box. Correct Selected, the slider and AutoFill act only on the ticked rows. With nothing ticked the buttons are disabled and nothing changes.
Correct Selected (n): replaces out-of-tolerance values in the ticked rows with in-tolerance values and fills empty cells. Restore Original brings the values back.
Correction range: the slider adjusts the ticked rows by a percentage of their tolerance
Decimals: corrected values are rounded to the tool's precision set in Admin → Measurement Tools, or to the toolbar precision when the tool has none
Save to DB stores the result; closing the panel discards it

Enable/disable the OOT panel in Admin → Display Settings.

Report Locking

Lock reports to prevent accidental changes:

Click the Lock icon in the report toolbar
Locked reports cannot be edited
Only Admins can unlock reports
Useful for completed/approved inspections

Locking preserves the report state for audit purposes.

Adding Measurement Rows

Add new dimensions to your report:

Click Add Row button below the measurement table
Enter dimension number (Dim No)
Select measurement type (Diameter, Position, etc.)
Enter nominal value and tolerances
Select measurement tool (optional)
Mark as critical if needed

Rows can be reordered by dragging or sorted by Dim No.

Document Attachments

Attach supporting documents to reports:

Drawings: Engineering drawings, sketches
Materials: Material certificates, test reports
Misc: Any other relevant documents

Upload via the Attachments section in the report details panel. Documents can be included in PDF exports.

Sharing & Collaboration

Units & Precision

Measurement Units

Choose between measurement units:

Millimeters (mm): Metric system, default
Inches (in): Imperial system

Set the unit when creating a report or change it in report settings. The unit applies to all dimensions in the report.

Decimal Precision

Configure how many decimal places to display:

mm default: 3 decimal places (0.001)
inch default: 4 decimal places (0.0001)
Range: 0 to 6 decimal places

Higher precision for tighter tolerances. Precision affects display and PDF export, not stored data accuracy.

Statistics & Analysis

Statistical Calculations

For each dimension with multiple samples:

Mean (X̄): Average of all measurements
Range (R): Max value - Min value
Std Dev (σ): Standard deviation

View statistics in the Statistics display mode.

Process Capability (Cp/Cpk)

Measure how well your process meets specifications:

Cp: Process capability (spread vs tolerance)
Cpk: Process capability index (accounts for centering)

Interpretation:

Cpk > 1.33: Process is capable
Cpk 1.0-1.33: Process needs monitoring
Cpk < 1.0: Process needs improvement

Requires at least 2 samples for calculation.

Bonus Tolerance

For geometric dimensions with MMC (Maximum Material Condition):

Bonus tolerance is calculated based on actual feature size
Toggle Show Bonus Adjusted in report settings
Affects OOT highlighting when enabled

Common for position tolerances in GD&T.

Projects

What are Projects?

Projects let you group related reports that belong to the same production order, drawing, or customer job. Instead of tracking individual reports in isolation, you can:

See aggregate progress across all reports in an order
Organize work by customer, order number, or drawing number
Track project status on a dedicated kanban board
Attach documents like POs, specs, and work instructions at the project level

Creating a Project

To create a new project:

On the Dashboard, click the view toggle and select Projects
Click Create New Project
Fill in the project details:

Name (required) - e.g., "Order 12345 - Shaft Assembly"
Customer - the customer this order belongs to
Order No - production or purchase order number
Drawing No - the drawing reference number

Click Create

The project appears as a card in the Todo column of the project kanban.

Switching Between Reports and Projects View

The Dashboard has a toggle to switch between two views:

Reports View (default): Shows individual report cards on the kanban board
Projects View: Shows project cards with aggregated progress

Click the segmented control at the top of the kanban area to switch. Your last selected view is remembered for next time.

Project Kanban Board

The project kanban board works the same as the report kanban:

Four columns: Todo, In Progress, Review, Done
Drag and drop: Move project cards between columns to update status
Project cards show: name, customer, report count, and a progress bar
Progress bar: Shows percentage of reports completed within the project

Click any project card to open the project detail view.

Assigning Reports to a Project

You can assign reports to projects in several ways:

From Project Detail: Open a project, go to the reports section, and click Add Report
Auto-assign: Set up auto-group rules on the project to automatically assign matching reports
On Report Creation: When creating a new report from within the project view, it is automatically assigned to that project

A report can belong to only one project at a time. To reassign, remove it first then assign to the new project. To label reports freely without a project, use Report Groups (see Report Status & Kanban).

Auto-Group Rules

Auto-group rules automatically assign reports to a project based on matching field values:

Open a project's detail view
In the Auto-Group Rules section, configure matching criteria:

Match by Customer name
Match by Order Number
Match by Drawing Number

Click Run Auto-Assign to apply rules to existing reports

New reports that match the rules will be automatically assigned to the project when created. Reports are assigned by creation date order.

Project Detail View

Click a project card to open the detail view with five sections:

Metadata: Project name, customer, order number, drawing number
Auto-Group Rules: Configure automatic report assignment criteria
Add Report: Manually search and add reports to the project
Reports List: All reports assigned to this project with their status
Documents: Attach project-level documents (POs, specs, work instructions)

Project documents are stored at the project level and are not inherited by individual reports.

Project Documents

Attach files to a project for reference:

Supported files: PDFs, images, spreadsheets, and other documents
Purpose: Store purchase orders, engineering specs, work instructions, or quality plans
Access: All team members with access to the project can view attached documents

Project documents are separate from report-level attachments (drawings, material certificates). They provide context for the entire order, not individual inspections.

Internal Notes

Every manufacturing project has an Internal Notes section at the bottom of the left panel, under Project Documents.

Click the header to expand it and type. Notes save by themselves a second after you stop typing; Saved appears when done.
The section remembers whether you left it open, and a small dot on the collapsed header shows that notes exist.
Anyone who can edit the project can write notes; others see them read-only.
Notes are for your team only. They never appear on the Route Card or any customer-facing document.

Adding a Part: Drawing Number Suggestions

When you add a part to a project and type its Drawing Number, a list of matches appears after two characters:

Existing parts from any project in your organization, with the part and project name
Reports with that drawing number, with part name, revision and date

Pick a match with the mouse or the arrow keys and Enter. Typing an exact match and leaving the field counts as a pick.

Part match: choose Use as template to copy the part's name, revision, material, notes, custom fields, process flow (route steps) and its drawing file and image, or Fill fields only to copy just the fields. Part number, quantities, stock, dates and material allocation are never copied.
Report match: choose Pull details from report to fill part name and revision and copy the report's drawing file and part image.

Copied files become the new part's own files, so later changes or deletion of the source do not affect it. Filled fields flash briefly, and a copied drawing shows its name in the upload slot where you can still replace it.

Finding Projects and Reports

Projects are integrated into the search system:

Report Search: The search table includes a Project column to filter reports by project
Project Kanban: Use the kanban board to browse projects by status
Report Cards: Report cards on the kanban show which project they belong to

Unassigned reports (not in any project) can be found by filtering for empty project field in the search table.

Report Status & Kanban

Report Statuses

Track report progress with four statuses:

To Do: New reports ready to start inspection
In Progress: Measurements actively being entered
For Review: Ready for quality review or approval
Done: Completed and approved reports

Change status by dragging cards on Kanban board or from report details.

Using the Kanban Board

The Kanban board on the dashboard shows all reports:

Four columns: To Do, In Progress, For Review, Done
Drag and drop: Move cards between columns to update status
Report cards: Show key info (customer, part, drawing number) and the group tag when the report is in a group
Card menu (⋮): Duplicate, Template, Assign to Group, Delete
Done column: Shows reports completed in last 2 weeks

Click any card to open the full report.

Report Groups

Group related reports under a free-text label, for example a batch, a customer order or a campaign. A report can be in one group and still belong to a manufacturing project.

Assign to Group: open the card menu (⋮) on the kanban and choose Assign to Group. Type to search existing groups or type a new name and press Enter to create it. Choose Remove from group to clear it.
Rename or delete a group: hover a group in the same dialog and use the pencil or trash icons. Renaming updates every report in the group; deleting only removes the label, the reports stay. Available to Admin and PowerUser.
Group tag: cards in a group show a small tag. Click it to see every report in the group, open any of them or remove it from the group.
Search: the Group column on the Report Search page lets you filter and sort by group.

CMM Data Import

Importing CMM Measurements

Import measurement data from CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine) files:

Open the report with dimensions already set up
Click Import button in the toolbar
Select your CMM output file
System parses and matches dimensions
Review the import preview
Confirm to apply measurements

Supported formats: .txt, .rep, and common CMM outputs.

Dimension Matching

The import system matches CMM data to report dimensions:

Automatic: Matches by dimension number (Dim No)
Manual: Review unmatched dimensions in preview
Partial: Import only matched dimensions

If dimensions don't match, verify Dim No numbering in both the report and CMM program.

Dimension Identifiers: lines starting with `DIM` are read as dimensions. An Admin can add other labels in Admin > Report Fields Settings > Dimension Identifiers (e.g. `D`, `DIMENSION`), separated by commas. `DIM 1`, `dim-1`, `D1`, `DIM_1` and `dim1` then all become Dim No 1. Case and the separator (space, -, _, .) do not matter. Only lines starting with `**` are checked.

Import Summary

After import, a summary shows:

Number of dimensions matched
Number of values imported
Any unmatched or skipped dimensions
Warnings for out-of-tolerance values

Review the summary to ensure all expected data was imported correctly.

MCOSMOS Setup Guide

Step-by-step guide to configuring MCOSMOS software to generate output files compatible with QA-Report: serial numbers, part information, dimensions, GD&T tolerances, and manual measurements.

[Open MCOSMOS Setup Guide →](/help/mcosmos-setup)

Report Export/Import

Export/Import Overview

The Report Export/Import feature lets you download reports as portable ZIP archives and import them back. Use it to:

Back up important reports locally
Transfer reports between environments
Share report data externally

Each ZIP archive contains the full report data, all attached drawings, material certificates, miscellaneous files, and the part image.

Exporting Reports

To export reports:

Go to the Search page
Select one or more reports using the checkboxes
Click Actions and choose Export Reports
Click Start Export
Each report downloads as an individual ZIP file to your Downloads folder

The export includes all report data (measurements, dynamic fields, balloon data) and all attached files. A progress bar shows the current status.

Importing Reports

To import a report from a ZIP file:

Open the Create New Report dialog
Click Import from ZIP
Select a previously exported .zip file
Review the preview (Part Name, DRW NO, REV, Customer, file count)
Click Import Report

The imported report gets a new ID, is assigned to you as the inspector, and starts with Todo status. All files are re-uploaded to storage.

Feature Access

Report Export/Import is a plan-controlled feature. If the buttons appear greyed out, your subscription plan does not include this feature. Contact your administrator to upgrade the plan.

Troubleshooting

Reports Not Showing on Dashboard

Possible Causes:

Wrong time period filter selected
Inspector filter applied
No reports created yet

Solutions:

Reset all filters to "All"
Extend time period to "Last 1 year"
Check if you have permission to view reports

PDF Export Not Working

Solutions:

Ensure all required fields are filled
Check browser pop-up blocker settings
Try a different browser (Chrome, Firefox recommended)
Clear browser cache and retry

Machine File Upload Issues

"No metadata found in file"

Check file has **FIELD: format (double asterisk)
Ensure metadata is at the top of the file
Verify file is .txt or .rep format

"Inspector not found"

Inspector name from file may not match system users
Manually select the correct inspector from dropdown
Ask admin to add inspector to system

"File size exceeds 5MB limit"

Use a smaller or compressed file
Only metadata section is needed (trim excess data)

Drawing Upload Issues

Supported formats: PDF, PNG, JPG, WEBP
Maximum file size: 10MB
If PDF doesn't display, try converting to image format
Ensure PDF is not password protected

Subscription Plans

Free Plan

Get started with basic inspection capabilities:

1 inspection report
PDF drawing ballooning
Basic measurement modes
Manage measurement tools

Basic Plan

Essential tools for growing QA teams:

Up to 50 inspection reports
PDF drawing ballooning
Interactive drawing mode
PDF settings & branding
Custom report fields
Report sharing
Document attachments

Pro Plan

Complete solution for enterprise QA operations:

Unlimited inspection reports
All Basic features plus:
Measurement wizard
All measurement modes & statistics
Out-of-tolerance correction
Report sharing & batch export
Team & group management
Priority support & updates

Admin Panel Features

User Management

Two ways to add users:

Email invite — enter an email address. The user receives an invite link and sets their own password.
Username account — leave email empty, enter a username and temporary password. Give the credentials to the worker. On first login they set a new password and a 4-6 digit PIN.

To use username accounts, first set an Org Login ID in Admin > Organization settings. Workers log in with: Org Login ID + Username + Password.

Other actions:

Change user roles (Admin, PowerUser, User)
Remove users
Assign users to groups
Reset Password — for username users sets a new temp password; for email users resends the invite

Group Management

Create and name groups
Add/remove members
Groups affect PowerUser visibility

Measurement Types Management

Add custom measurement types
Edit existing types
Set display order
Configure SVG icons

Measurement Tools Management

Add measurement tools (Caliper, CMM, etc.)
Upload tool icons
Set tool availability
Precision per tool: an optional number of decimals (0 to 6) next to each active tool. Auto-corrected values on reports are rounded to the tool's precision when it is set, otherwise to the precision selected in the report toolbar. Leave it blank to use the toolbar setting. It only affects values generated by the OOT correction, never values typed by hand.

PDF Settings

Upload banner/logo image
Set header background color
Set header font color
Toggle signature display

Display Settings

Configure OOT (Out of Tolerance) highlighting color
Set correction range for batch updates
Configure bonus tolerance settings

Report Fields Settings

Add/remove custom fields
Configure field data types
Set mandatory fields
Configure autofill options
Set field order
Configure PDF visibility

Auto Increment field type: choose Auto Increment as the type and set a Base (prefix), a Separator and a Start number (e.g. `RPT`, `-`, `001`). Every new report gets the next serial automatically (RPT-001, RPT-002, ...). The value is generated when the Create Report dialog opens, checked again when the report is saved, and is read-only afterwards. Duplicated reports and reports made from a template also get a fresh serial. The number of digits follows the start number, so `001` gives three digits.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Report Page Shortcuts

Tab: Move between input fields
Enter: Save and move to next field
Escape: Cancel editing

Canvas Page Shortcuts

Scroll: Zoom in/out
Click + Drag: Pan the drawing
Click: Place balloon

Wizard Mode Shortcuts

Arrow Up/Down: Navigate dimensions
Enter: Save measurement
Tab: Move between fields

Contact & Support

Getting Help

For additional help:

Email: support@qascribepro.com
Documentation: Check the Help section
In-app: Use the AI Help Assistant (floating button)

Inventory Control

What is Inventory Control?

Inventory Control tracks the raw material your shop buys, holds and consumes, and links it to the parts you make.

It covers four things:

Material Catalog - every item you stock, its size, where it lives and how much is left
Suppliers - who you buy from
Orders - purchase orders from draft through to receiving
Settings - material types and your company details for printed POs

The central idea: when you take material for a part, it comes off your stock immediately. What the part does not hand back is what it used. There is no separate "consume" step to remember.

Who can use it

Inventory Control is available to the Admin and PowerUser roles.

Users with the User role cannot open the page, and cannot take or return material.

You reach it from the Dashboard. Inside, the left sidebar switches between Materials, Suppliers, Orders and Settings.

Adding a material to the catalog

Click Add Material on the Material Catalog page.

Code (required) - your own reference, unique per organization, e.g. `ss-304`
Name - a readable description, e.g. "SS-Rod"
Material Type - the family it belongs to, e.g. SS-320 or Aluminum. Pick from the list or add a new one with the + button
Stock Format - how the material is physically shaped (see below)
Dimensions - depends on the format
Location - where it is stored, e.g. "Bin 23". This is a label, not an enforced warehouse system

Stock formats and their dimensions:

Pieces - counted units, with an optional size (L, W, H, diameter)
Rod (D x L) - diameter and length
Bar (W x H x L) - width, height and length
Sheet (W x L x T) - width, length and thickness

The format decides what a stock quantity means. A rod's stock is a count of rods, not millimetres - the dimensions describe how big one rod is.

Understanding stock numbers

Each material shows:

Available - what you can take right now
On Order - quantity on issued purchase orders that has not arrived yet

Available goes down when you take material for a part, and up when material is received from a purchase order or handed back.

There is no "allocated" figure. Material taken for a part has genuinely left the shelf, so it is not counted as available. To see where it went, open the material and look at Held by parts, which names each part and how much it is holding.

Taking material for a part

Material is taken from the part, not from the catalog.

Open a project and Add Part, or open an existing part and click Edit
Go to the Materials Required tab
Filter by Material Type or search by code or name
Type a quantity into the Take column for each item you want
Save

You can take from several materials at once - fill in the Take column on as many rows as you need. The footer at the bottom of the dialog shows what will be taken, on every tab, so you can check it without switching back.

On an existing part, the tab also shows Currently held by this part - how much was taken, how much came back, and what is still out.

If you ask for more than is available the save is refused and nothing is taken. Either the whole basket succeeds or none of it does.

Pieces and the part's Stock Qty: pcs taken from a Pieces material are added to the part's Stock Qty. This works one way only: returning material does not lower Stock Qty, and you can still edit Stock Qty by hand.

If you save a part whose Stock Qty is below its Required Qty, a warning appears with Save anyway. The save is no longer blocked.

Offcuts (Remains)

When you cut a 3000 mm rod down and have 1800 mm left over, that leftover becomes its own row in the catalog.

It is coded after its parent: an offcut of `ss-304` becomes `ss-304_1`, then `ss-304_2`, and so on
It inherits the parent's name, material type, format and location - only the size differs
It is marked with a REMAIN badge so you can tell it from full-size stock
It can be taken for another part exactly like any other material

Offcuts look after themselves:

Take an offcut and it disappears from the catalog - it is on the job now
Hand it back untouched and it comes back
Cut it down further and you get a new offcut, numbered from the original parent - so an offcut of `ss-304_1` is `ss-304_3`, not `ss-304_1_1`

Numbers are never reused. Each one refers to one specific physical piece, permanently.

Returning material to inventory

Open the part and click Return to Inventory in the Material Information panel.

For each item the part is holding you decide:

Whole units back - complete, uncut pieces going back on the shelf
Offcuts - cut-down pieces. Enter the new size; the dialog shows the code it will create before you commit

Only the dimension a cut can actually change is editable. A rod gets shorter but keeps its diameter. A sheet loses width and length but keeps its thickness. Pieces cannot be cut at all.

Anything you do not hand back simply stays with the part. It is not written off and not marked used. You can hold material for weeks and return it in stages. Whatever the part still holds when the job ends is what it consumed - you never have to declare that.

Suppliers

The Suppliers page holds who you buy from - code, name, contact details, payment terms and notes.

Click a row to open it, then click any field to edit it in place.

A supplier that has never been used can be deleted. One that appears on any purchase order can only be archived, which hides it from new orders while keeping the history intact.

Creating a purchase order

On the Orders page click New Order.

Pick the supplier
The PO number is generated for you
Set an expected date and any notes
Add line items - each needs a material, a quantity and a unit cost
Optionally attach the supplier quote and any other documents
Save as Draft, or Issue it straight away

A draft can still be edited freely. Issuing locks the order number into a generated PDF, sets the order date, and starts counting the quantity as On Order against those materials.

You can print or re-print the PO at any time from the order panel. A draft prints with (DRAFT) in the title so it cannot be mistaken for a real order.

Receiving an order

Open the order and click Receive on a line.

Enter the quantity that actually arrived - it does not have to be the full amount. Stock for that material goes up immediately, and the line records what is still outstanding.

The order status follows along by itself:

Issued - nothing received yet
Partially Received - some lines or some quantities have arrived
Received - everything has arrived

Once anything has been received the order's lines can no longer be edited, and the supplier quote can no longer be replaced. This is deliberate: the order has to keep matching what was actually delivered.

Documents on an order

An order can carry three kinds of file:

Supplier Quote - attach it when creating the order or later with Attach Quote. It can be replaced right up until something is received
Issued PO - the PDF generated when you issue the order
Other documents - delivery notes, certificates, correspondence. Attach as many as you like with Attach Document

Supporting documents can be attached at any stage, including after the order is fully received or cancelled - which is usually exactly when the delivery note or certificate turns up. Click any document to open it; click the × to remove one.

Minimum stock alerts

There are two different low-stock alerts. They are easy to confuse, so be clear which one you want.

Material stock alert - set on a material in Inventory Control. Warns when the *available raw stock* of that material falls below a threshold, so you know to re-order. Quantity only.

Part stock alert - set on the Minimum Stock Alert tab of the Add or Edit Part dialog. Warns when the *finished stock* of that part falls below a buffer against its required quantity. Supports a quantity or a percentage, and shows you the resulting piece count as you type.

Both send an alert to the recipients you choose, as a sticker note on the relevant page.

The movements log

Every change to stock is recorded. Open a material and go to the Movements tab to see its full history:

Receive - arrived from a purchase order
Issue - taken for a part
Return - handed back from a part, or a new offcut created
Adjust In / Adjust Out - a manual correction, which always requires a reason

The log is permanent. Entries cannot be edited or deleted by anyone, which is what makes it usable as an audit trail. If something is wrong, correct it with an adjustment - the mistake and the correction both stay visible.

Use Adjust Stock for genuine physical corrections - scrap, a miscount, a write-off. Do not use it to hand material back from a part; use Return to Inventory, so the ledger keeps the two apart.

Common questions

"This part still holds material" when deleting a part

The part has not returned everything it took. Deleting it would remove that stock from the catalog with no record of where it went. Use Return material in the message to go to the part, hand the material back, then delete it.

A material cannot be deleted

A material that has ever been used - in a movement, on a purchase order, by a part, or as the parent of an offcut - cannot be deleted, because doing so would break that history. Archive it instead: it disappears from the catalog and from new orders, and the history stays intact.

"Insufficient stock" when taking material

Another part may have taken it, or it was never received. Check Available on the material, and On Order to see if a delivery is outstanding.

An offcut vanished from the catalog

It was taken for a part. Tick Archived in the Status filter to find it, or open the material it was cut from and look at Held by parts.

Stock looks wrong

Open the material's Movements tab. Every change is listed with its date, type and who did it.

Platform Architecture & Security

Our Technology Foundation

QA-Report is built on a modern, secure and scalable architecture:

Database: Supabase, a SOC 2 Type II certified data platform (independently audited for security, availability and confidentiality), trusted by organizations like Mozilla, Johnson & Johnson and 1Password
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Learn more on the Technology & Security page at qa-report.com/technology

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