Simplify Custom Product Specs

Use Programa’s ‘Hidden’ Status
Programa
Programa
Updated: 25 October 2024
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The ‘Hidden’ functionality in Programa is an essential tool for managing complex custom products and simplifying schedules for clients. This feature gives you full control over how much detail you share with your clients, allowing you to hide specific components of a product while keeping the overall line item visible for approval, invoicing, or purchase orders. Whether you’re working on custom furniture or assembling a detailed product, the ‘Hidden’ status streamlines communication and presentation with your clients, without compromising internal details.

Plain Product Display

What is the ‘Hidden’ Status?

The ‘Hidden’ status allows you to create multiple components for a single product without showing all the detailed breakdowns to your client. This is particularly useful when you need to manage:

  • Custom Products: Break down the materials, labor, and components for a custom item, but only show the total cost to your client.
  • Quote Comparisons: Hide alternate quotes or drafts from client-facing schedules to present a more polished view.
  • Internal Documentation: Keep all technical details or drafts hidden while allowing the client to see only the finalized product.

Use Case: Building a Custom Product

Let’s say you’re designing a Custom Armchair. The chair may have various components—such as fabrics for different sections, frame materials, and labor costs. Here’s how to handle it in Programa:

 

  1. Create the Main Product:
    First, set up the main product in your schedule, like the Custom Wingback Chair. Include the primary specifications—dimensions, materials, finishes, etc.—and add a visual (sketch, 3D image, etc.).
  2. Add Components:
    Now, create individual line items for each component of the product:
    1. Frame: Note the frame material and finish.
    2. Labor: Add assembly and labor costs.
    3. Fabrics: Specify the fabric for the seat, back, and panels.
  3. Use ‘Hidden’ Status:
    Once all components are added, mark them as Hidden. This ensures that your client will only see the main Custom Wingback Chair line item when you share the schedule. All the detailed components are still tracked internally but are invisible to the client.
  4. Approval and Sharing:
    Share the schedule with your client using Client Dashboard. They will only see the top-level product (the Custom Wingback Chair), with the total cost and relevant details. They can approve or reject this single item, making the process more straightforward for them.
Product Financials

Simplifying Financials with Hidden Status

By using the ‘Hidden’ functionality, you can also streamline your financials. Here’s how:

  • Invoice with Ease: When invoicing a client, the ‘Hidden’ components remain invisible. The client sees only the total cost of the product, simplifying billing.
  • Purchase Orders: When placing a purchase order, all hidden components (such as specific fabrics, labor, or assembly fees) will still be included in the PO, ensuring no detail is missed during manufacturing or sourcing.
Product Details Tray

Reusing and Grouping Components

One of the key flexibilities of the ‘Hidden’ status is that it allows you to group components without embedding them in the main product. These components can be saved to the Product Library for future use, allowing you to:

  • Reuse Custom Items: Save frequently used items (like labor costs or materials) to the library, and apply them across different projects without recreating them each time.
  • Flexible Spec Management: Copy and reuse hidden items across multiple specs within the same project, giving you more flexibility in managing your products.
Plain

Invoice

Invoicing with 'Hidden' Status applied

Programa’s ‘Hidden’ functionality provides designers with the tools to manage complex products efficiently while presenting a polished, simplified view to clients. Whether you’re working on custom furniture, sending quotes, or managing schedules, this feature ensures that internal details remain confidential while clients get a clear, easy-to-approve version of the final product.

Table of contents
  1. What is an Interior Design Quotation?
  2. Key Components of an Interior Design Quotation
  3. Interior Design Quotation Format and Free Template
  4. How Do You Create an Interior Design Quotation Quickly & Easily?
  5. Beyond the Proposal: Invoicing with Programa
  6. Start Your Project Proposals with Programa
  7. Recognized for Excellence in Design Software
  8. Why Use Interior Design Client Proposal Templates?
  9. Key Components of an Interior Design Presentation Template
  10. Conclusion
  11. Interior Design Software For Professional Interior Designers
  12. Why Don’t Spreadsheets Suit The Needs Of Interior Designers?
  13. Enter Programa
  14. Clear and Precise Presentations
  15. Easier Management of Data
  16. Exports That Work The Way You Do
  17. Support for ASID (American Society for Interior Design) members
    1. The Importance of Project Management in Interior Design
    2. Tips for Becoming a Better Interior Designer
    3. Real-World Examples of Successful Project Management in Interior Design
      1. Tasks: The Building Blocks of Effortless Studio Management
      2. Phases: Your Project's Roadmap to Success
      3. The Magic of Combining Tasks and Phases
      4. Getting Started is a Breeze
      5. Information about how Programa handles your data
      6. Introduction
      7. Our Values<br />
      8. Why we process your information
      9. <br />Your rights over your information
      10. Where we transfer your information
      11. How long do we retain your information
      12. Our use of advanced technologies
      13. How we protect your information
      14. How we use “cookies” and other tracking technologies
      15. How you can reach us
      16. Types of data we collect and process
      17. What Personal Data we receive
      18. Retention
      19. Our purpose for using your personal data
      20. Disclosing your personal data<br />
      21. Changes to this Privacy Policy
      22. Additional Privacy Information for Brands & Suppliers<br />
      23. When and why we share your information with others
      24. Your rights over your information
      25. How long we retain your information
      26. Your customers’ information
      27. Additional Information about how we process data globally
      28. Processing data globally to fulfil our service obligations
      29. United States Regional Privacy Notice
      30. What information we collect and share about you
      31. Why we collect and share your Personal Information
      32. Sources of Personal Information
      33. How long we keep your information
      34. What is the ‘Hidden’ Status?
      35. Use Case: Building a Custom Product
      36. Simplifying Financials with Hidden Status
      37. Reusing and Grouping Components
  • Interior Design
Reading: Simplify Custom Product Specs, Use Programa's Hidden Status
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Programa’s ‘Hidden’ status is a game-changer for interior designers managing complex custom products. This feature allows you to break down components—like materials, labor, and custom details—without cluttering client-facing schedules. Designers can create and hide individual product components, simplifying the client’s view while maintaining full control over internal documentation.

This feature is perfect for those working on custom furniture, intricate product builds, or anything requiring multiple components. With Programa, you can easily manage your schedules and client communication in one platform, ensuring clarity and efficiency in every project.