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. Seamless Integration with Product Library
  2. Tailored PDF Exports
  3. Intuitive Schedule Navigation
  4. Interior Design Software For Professional Interior Designers
  5. Simplify Your FF&E Selection Process
  6. Effortless Updates and Revisions
  7. Collaboration Made Easy
  8. Optimized Finishes Schedule Management
  9. The Future Of FF&E With Programa
  10. Wish there was a way to grow sales and better connect with clients?
  11. Why Does This Matter To Me As A Brand / Supplier?
  12. What Does That Translate To?
  13. How Does the Trade Portal Work?
  14. <strong>How Will It Solve My Problems?</strong>
    1. What does the Trade Portal Offer?
    2. What will it be like day to day?
    3. The Trade Portal Advantage
      1. Why Winning Work Matters for Interior Designers
      2. The Benefits of CRM Software for Interior Designers
      3. Using Project Management Tools as a CRM
      4. Outcome
    4. ⼻ From concept to final delivery
  15. Managing your interior design business with clarity—and profit
    1. Ideal for:
  16. Programa’s design studio workshop—Live with ASID Illinois at NeoCon
  17. Are you managing your interior design projects—or are they managing you?
  18. 1. Audit your services and workflows
  19. 2. Create custom templates inside Programa
  20. 3. Package your services like products
  21. 4. Centralise your product information
  22. 5. Use your software to manage interior design clients
  23. Key takeaways from “Profitability by Design”
  24. Programa is the operating system for your design studio
    1. What you’ll learn in this article:
      1. Price Is Positioning
      2. Strategic Pricing
      3. Profitability = Power
      4. Clarity Is Luxury
      5. Embodied Confidence = Energetic Alignment
      6. Your Next Move
      7. Programa Interior Design Software: A Comprehensive Project Management and Collaboration Solution for Architects and Interior Designers
      8. User-friendly Interface and Tools for Seamless Project Management
    2. Schedules: Organized and Up-to-Date Project Tracking
      1. Benefits:
    3. Pinboards: Visual Inspiration and Design Curation
    4. Canva Sharing: Collaborative and Seamless Presentation Integration
    5. Invoices: Simplified Financial Management and Transparency
    6. Client Dashboard Controls: Complete Access Management at Your Fingertips
      1. How the Client Dashboard Transforms Your Workflow
      2. Benefits of the Update
      3. What’s New at Programa?
      4. Looking Ahead: Upcoming Features
      5. Pricing Update: Supporting Continuous Improvement
      6. Thank You for Being Part of the Programa Community
      7. The Hidden Cost of Chaos
      8. Enter the Digital Design Revolution
      9. Master Your Design Universe
      10. Design Intelligence at Work
      11. The Feedback Doesn't Lie
      12. Beyond Organization: Empowering Creativity
      13. A Day in the Life with Programa
      14. The Future of Interior Design is Here
    7. Interior Design & Architecture Software For Professional Interior Designers & Architects
      1. Hommeboys Interiors
      2. CUAIK | CDS
      3. AKI Design
      4. Meraki Design
      5. Nickolas Gurtler Design
      6. Mera Studio Architects
      7. A Note from Zoe
    8. Join the Future of Design
    9. Key Benefits:
      1. From Contributing Editor, Andrew Mitchell, director of MR. MITCHELL, Interior designer and founder of The Design Coach.
      2. <strong>6 Procurement Tips</strong>
  25. Comprehensive Guide to Client Communication Software for Interior Designers
    1. The Importance of Effective Client Communication in Interior Design
      1. Scheduling with Programa and Client Approvals
      2. Streamlined Procurement Management
      3. Budget Tracking for Financial Clarity
      4. Hidden Feature for Internal Reviews
      5. Client Dashboard for Transparency and Easy Communication
      6. Centralized Project Management for Cohesion and Control
      7. Long-Term Efficiency with Programa
    2. Information about the Programa Terms of Service
      1. 1. Account Terms
      2. 2. Account Activation
      3. 3. Programa Rights
      4. 4. Your Responsibilities
      5. 5. Payment of Fees and Taxes
      6. 6. Confidentiality
      7. 7. Limitation of Liability and Indemnification
      8. 8. Intellectual Property and Your Materials
      9. 9. Additional Services - Programa In App Communication Tools<br />
      10. 10. Third Party Services and Integrations
      11. 11. Beta Services
      12. 12. Feedback and Reviews
      13. 13. Takedown Procedure
      14. 14. Privacy and Data Protection
      15. 15. Programa Contracting Party
      16. 16. Term and Termination
      17. 17. Modifications
      18. 18. General Conditions
    3. <strong>Contact Support</strong>
    4. <strong>Meet Brightgreen’s MINI Collection: When Less, Meets More</strong>
    5. <strong>Revolutionise Your Lighting Design and Layouts</strong>
      1. <a href="https://brightgreen.com/sample-case-request?utm_source=Programa-EDM&utm_medium=Meet+Brightgreen%E2%80%99s+MINI+Collection%3A+When+Less%2C+Meets+More&utm_campaign=Mini+Collection" target="_blank">Fill out this quick form, and we’ll send the pocket-sized party to your doorstep.</a>
    6. <strong>How It Works</strong>
    7. <strong>Why It Matters</strong>
    8. <strong>Your New Shortcut for Smart Scheduling</strong>
      1. What it does
    9. Tablet-friendly update
      1. How it helps
      2. Where to find it
    10. 13 September 2024
    11. 11 September 2024
    12. 06 September 2024
    13. 05 September 2024
    14. 03 September 2024
    15. 02 September 2024
      1. What is the ‘Hidden’ Status?
      2. Use Case: Building a Custom Product
      3. Simplifying Financials with Hidden Status
      4. Reusing and Grouping Components
  • Interior Design
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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.