The complete production system for direct-client custom merchandise — workflow, transparency, accountability, production plan, and rollout. Companion addendum to the Custom Order SOP v1.0, with the full SOP included in Part VIII.
Every custom order — first-contact client or standing account — moves through one system: one order record, fourteen working stages, three hard gates enforced by software, and a cost record that closes with true margin. This document is the granular operating detail behind the one-page workflow, and the adoption plan that puts it into effect.
Exora is never out of pocket on materials for an unpaid order. No blank purchase order until the deposit clears. Enforced by the system, not by memory.
Every design file, quote, payment, PO, production job, shipment, and cost attaches to the order number. Nothing lives in a text thread alone.
Stages advance only when exit criteria are met. A stalled order is visible on the pipeline board with its blocking reason — not discovered when the client calls.
Responsibilities assign to roles; one person can hold several today. As headcount grows, roles reassign without rewriting the process.
Blanks, film and ink, Alphabet invoices, freight, design time, commission, fees — all book to the order so closed margin is real, against the 65–82% band.
The gates are the reason the system exists. They are enforced in the transaction layer of the Order Command Center — a blocked transition returns an error and does not commit. The only bypass is a recorded Owner override with a note, logged to the order's audit trail.
Color coding is used consistently through this document, the pipeline board, and the production calendar — the color tells you who owns the step.
The one-page workflow, elaborated to full operating depth. Each stage shows its owner, exit gate, SLA, and — new in v1.1 — exactly who gets notified when the stage completes, internally and on the client side. Stage numbers now align one-to-one with the order state machine in SOP §3.
Look the client up first. Repeat client: confirm contact, terms tier, pull prior orders — a reorder with unchanged art on file can skip straight to Quoting. New client: create the full client record (org, contact, email, phone, ship-to, tax status, source). Capture every requirement: garment types and target brands, quantities by size and color, decoration per placement (DTF or embroidery), artwork status, in-hands date, budget frame. Tag service type — Full Service or P&P (client-supplied garments) — and decoration route per line. An order does not leave Intake with an open requirement.
Path A — uploaded logo: print-ready (vector or 300dpi+ at print size) proceeds to mockup; minor cleanup ≤30 min is absorbed as cost of sale and logged at internal rate; vectorization/recreation bills $45 per the design fee schedule, client-approved before work. Path B — new design: quoted from the fee schedule ($150 minimum), client approves the fee in writing before design starts; two revision rounds included. Embroidery-routed art adds digitizing via Alphabet, costed to the order. Every order gets a visual proof: garment color, placement, dimensions, print/thread colors.
Stock check at S&S Activewear and SanMar for the exact style / color / size curve before the quote goes out — never quote a garment that can't be sourced inside the timeline. Stockout: offer a client-approved substitute at the same price tier, or a split-supplier PO. P&P orders: record expected inbound count and the agreed spoilage allowance (default 2%); Exora does not replace client garments beyond the allowance, and the quote says so.
Price against locked rate card v4.3 across every dimension: tier, service type, quantity break, placement tier, complexity, color count. The quote worksheet shows effective margin next to the price — revenue minus blanks, decoration, digitizing, freight estimate, design cost, and commission — against the 65–82% target band. Below-floor pricing requires Owner approval with the strategic reason recorded on the order. Quote contents: line items, design/digitizing fees, shipping, tax, spec qualifiers, payment terms, production timeline from cleared deposit, 14-day expiration, and remake/spoilage policy reference.
Written acceptance on file. Terms assign from the §6 matrix: new client = 50% deposit / balance before ship; repeat good standing = 50% / Net 15 (Owner-approved); established account = negotiated 25–50% / Net 15–30; strategic partner = per agreement; COD (standard) = Owner-approved every time, deposit covering 100% of out-of-pocket; COD — no deposit = select Owner-approved accounts run COD with no deposit at all, full amount collected at handoff — Gate 1 opens on the recorded Owner COD approval, meaning the Owner is explicitly accepting the materials exposure on that order. Large orders (>$5K or >250 pcs): verify the 50% actually covers blanks + embroidery + inbound freight — if not, the deposit rises to that number. Commission is set on the order now, at quote approval — rate or flat amount, assigned by the Owner — never reconstructed at payout time. Deposit invoice (with design fees) goes out same day.
One PO per supplier per order (split-supplier orders carry two). PO records supplier, items, quantities by size/color, unit cost, freight, expected delivery, and its parent order. PO actuals become the blanks cost — no estimated costs at close. Order 2–3% overage on runs of 100+ to cover decoration spoilage; overage cost books to the order, undamaged extras to inventory. Phase 1: supplier web portals, PO logged in the system same day. Supplier delay: Coordinator informed same day, client informed if the in-hands date is at risk.
Count by style/color/size against the PO. Shortages and misships reported to the supplier same day and flagged on the order with a revised timeline. P&P inbound counted against the client's stated count — discrepancies reported before production. Spot-check garment quality (holes, stains, dye lots). Stage garments by order with the order traveler: order number, approved proof, placement specs, quantities. v1.1 Receiving photo of the staged count attaches to the order record.
Runs per the Production function's own SOP: print → powder → cure → press. This system requires two things of that run: a first-piece check against the approved proof before the full run — v1.1 first-piece photo attaches to the order — and actual decoration cost (film/ink standard cost per print) reported back to the order at completion. Spoilage counted and logged; replacements pull from overage.
Liaison sends Alphabet the PO at wholesale pricing with digitized files, garments, placement specs, and required return date. Alphabet's invoice books to the order as Outsourced Embroidery cost. Returned goods are QC-checked before pack. Alphabet delay = same-day Owner escalation — a partnership conversation, not a ticket. Mixed orders run both legs in parallel; the order sits In Production until the last leg completes.
Client touchpoint 5 "Your order is in production" — sent when the first production leg starts; mixed orders send once.
Placement, dimensions, colors, quantity per size — checked against the approved proof, which is the contract. Random-pull inspection at 10% on runs over 100 pieces; 100% visual on small runs. Fold/pack per client spec, packing slip with counts by size/color, cartons weighed and labeled with the order number. Photo of the packed order attaches to the record — dispute protection, delivery evidence, and the best collection letter ever written.
Balance invoice out the day QC passes, with final counts and the packed-order photo. Skipped entirely on prepaid-in-full orders; net-terms orders pass the gate on approved terms. Chase cadence: reminder at 48 hours → Account Rep call at day 5 → Owner decision at day 10 on holding vs. terms conversion. Goods do not leave the building outside the gate.
Label from the order record, carrier chosen on cost/timeline, tracking number recorded and sent to the client automatically. Local delivery or pickup follows the same gate and gets a signed or photographed handoff. COD orders: payment collected at handoff and recorded same day. Carrier confirmation flips the order to Delivered.
Every cost booked: blanks (PO actuals), decoration materials, Alphabet invoice, digitizing, freight in, shipping out, design labor (billed or absorbed — both recorded), commission, processing fees, remakes. Closed-order P&L compares closed margin to quoted margin; variance over 5 points gets a one-line explanation — this is how the rate card learns. Closing the order marks its commission payable. Commission is never payable on unpaid or open orders; cancelled orders pay none. Costs are immutable after close except by Owner correction.
Satisfaction touch within 5 business days of delivery; issues route to the §9 exception paths. Art and specs are on file — say so: reorders skip design and quote in one day. Repeat clients advance toward better terms per the matrix, which is the built-in incentive to come back. Orders and clients feed the acquisition pipeline: seasonal reorder prompts, program expansion, referral asks on satisfied delivery. End state: client delivered on time, paid in full, order shows true margin — and the next order is easier than this one.
One person can wear several hats on a given order — the matrix holds as headcount grows because it binds work to roles, not names. O = owns · S = supports · A = approves exceptions.
| Stage | Rep | Designer | Purchasing | Production | Billing | Shipping | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Intake & onboarding | O | S | |||||
| 2–3 Design & proof approval | S | O | A (fee waivers) | ||||
| Garment availability | S | O | |||||
| 4–5 Quote & margin | O | S | A (below floor) | ||||
| 6–7 Terms, commission, deposit | S | O | A (terms, COD, commission) | ||||
| 8–9 Blanks PO | O | S | A (gate override) | ||||
| 10 Receiving & pre-pro QC | S | O | |||||
| 11 Production (both routes) | O | A (Alphabet escalation) | |||||
| 12 Final QC & pack | O | S | S | ||||
| 13 Balance collection | S (day-5 call) | O | A (day-10 decision) | ||||
| 14–16 Ship & delivery | O | ||||||
| 17 Close & costing | S | O | A (post-close corrections) | ||||
| Follow-up & reorder | O |
Transparency is a design property of the system, not a promise. Every status transition writes to the audit trail (who, what, when, why), every stakeholder has a live view scoped to their role, and the client hears from Exora at seven defined milestones without anyone remembering to send an update.
| # | Milestone | The client receives | Evidence attached |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Order confirmed | Order number, rep contact, next steps, expected proof date | — |
| 2 | Proof ready | Visual proof with written-approval link; confirmation echo on approval | Mockup / proof file |
| 3 | Quote approved | Deposit invoice + locked production calendar with the in-hands date | Production calendar |
| 4 | Deposit received | "You're in production" — schedule confirmed, dates locked | Confirmed timeline |
| 5 | Production started | In-production notice (first leg start on mixed orders) | — |
| 6 | Order ready | Packed-order photo + final counts + balance invoice | Packed photo, packing slip |
| 7 | Shipped / delivered | Tracking number on ship; confirmation on carrier delivery scan | Tracking link |
The pattern is deliberate: the client is never more than one stage away from their last update, every money moment (deposit, balance) arrives attached to visible progress, and the packed-order photo does the balance collection before anyone makes a call.
| Stakeholder | Live view | What total visibility means for them |
|---|---|---|
| Account Rep | Own-accounts pipeline + collections | Sees every order's status, blocking reason, and days-in-stage without asking production. Answers any client question from the order record in under a minute. Commission entered at quote approval is visible on the order from day one — no payout-time surprises. |
| Designer | Design queue | A clean queue of what's waiting, each with complete intake requirements attached — no chasing specs through texts. Approval status and fee treatment (billed vs. absorbed) visible per asset; absorbed work still books to the order so design labor is never invisible. |
| Purchasing | Purchasing queue (deposit paid, no PO) | The queue only ever contains funded orders — Gate 1 guarantees it. Never has to ask "can I order these blanks?" |
| Production | Production schedule, both routes | Jobs by scheduled date with traveler, proof, and counts attached. First-piece check is against the same approved proof the client signed — the contract travels with the garments. |
| Billing | Collections + close queue | Deposit and balance exposure by order with days outstanding. Every payment recorded once, on the order, drives the gates automatically. |
| Owner | Whole-company pipeline + exception digest | Sees everything; touches only exceptions. Every override, waiver, and below-floor approval carries the Owner's name and reason in the audit trail — accountability runs upward too. |
| Client | Seven touchpoints (above) | Knows their dates from the quote, sees proof and packed photos, and never has to call to ask "where's my order?" |
Every status transition writes an immutable event: order, from-status, to-status, actor, timestamp, note. Every Owner override records its reason. Every cost records its source document (PO, invoice, label). The result: any order can be reconstructed end-to-end months later — who approved the proof and when, why the deposit gate was overridden, what the Alphabet invoice was, why closed margin ran 4 points under quote. If it isn't in the system, it didn't happen.
Every stage has an owner, an SLA, and an escalation path — and every order gets a back-scheduled calendar built from its in-hands date, with deadlines, deliverables, and payment events on it. The calendar is generated at quoting, locked at deposit, and shared with the client.
| Stage | Owner | SLA | Breach escalation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intake complete | Account Rep | Same business day | Coordinator flag next morning |
| Proof to client | Designer | 2 business days | Coordinator day 3; Rep informed |
| Art approval (client side) | Account Rep | — | Auto-reminder 48h → call day 5 → hold day 10 |
| Quote out | Account Rep | 1 business day from approval | Coordinator flag |
| Deposit chase | Billing / Rep | Reminder 48h, call day 5 | Quote expires day 14 |
| PO issued | Purchasing | Same/next day after Gate 1 | Coordinator same day; Owner day 2 |
| Receiving & pre-pro QC | Production | Same day as arrival | Coordinator flag |
| DTF production | Production | 2–3 business days | Coordinator day 4; client informed if in-hands at risk |
| Embroidery at Alphabet | Liaison | 5–7 business days | Same-day Owner escalation on any slip |
| Final QC & pack | Production | Same day | Coordinator flag |
| Balance chase | Billing | Invoice day of QC pass; reminder 48h; call day 5 | Owner decision day 10 — hold vs. terms conversion |
| Ship | Shipping | Same/next day after Gate 2 | Coordinator flag |
| Job close | Billing / Coordinator | 5 business days from delivery | Owner weekly digest |
The client's in-hands date drives the calendar, not the other way around. At quoting, the system works backward: delivery date → ship date (minus transit) → QC/pack → production window (2–3 days DTF / 5–7 embroidery) → blanks arrival (3–5 days from PO) → PO date → required deposit-cleared date. That last date goes on the quote in bold: "to hit your in-hands date, deposit must clear by ___." Internally, the schedule carries a 2-business-day buffer the client never sees; the quote always states business days from cleared deposit — the clock never starts on a promise.
Business days from cleared deposit. Embroidery route stretches production to day 12–15; mixed orders run both legs in parallel and pack on the later one.
Close follows within 5 business days of delivery: all costs booked, margin vs. quote reviewed, commission marked payable, rep satisfaction touch by day 5. Rush orders compress at Owner discretion with a rush fee (+20% suggested).
| Deliverable | Produced at | Lives on |
|---|---|---|
| Order record with full requirements | Intake | Order |
| Approved proof (the production contract) | Design approval | Design asset + traveler |
| Quote with margin check + calendar | Quoting | Order |
| Deposit invoice / balance invoice | Terms lock / QC pass | Payments |
| Supplier PO(s) with actuals | Gate 1 + receiving | Purchase orders |
| Receiving photo · first-piece photo · packed photo v1.1 | Stages 10–12 | Order record |
| Packing slip + tracking | Pack / ship | Order |
| Closed-order P&L + commission entry | Close | Order costs / commission report |
The physical plan mirrors the workflow: goods move left to right through six stations, the order traveler moves with them, and nothing sits on the floor without an order number. Two production routes — DTF in-house and embroidery through the Alphabet partnership — converge at QC & pack.
Count vs PO by style/color/size · shortage flagged same day · receiving photo
Garments racked by order number with traveler: proof, placements, counts
Print + powder + cure · film/ink standard cost per print reported to order
First-piece check vs approved proof before the run · then full run
Check vs proof · 10% random pull on 100+ runs · spoilage counted
Fold/pack per spec · slip · weigh · label · packed photo · carrier handoff
The traveler is the law. Every staged order carries its traveler — order number, approved proof, placement specs, quantities. If garments are on the floor without a traveler, they go back to staging until they have one. The approved proof at the press is the same document the client signed; the first-piece check is against it, not against memory.
One order per rack section. No commingling. P&P client garments stage separately with the client's stated count and the agreed spoilage allowance (default 2%) written on the traveler.
Overage lives with the order until close. The 2–3% overage ordered on 100+ runs covers spoilage; replacements pull from it during the run. Undamaged extras move to inventory only at close.
Cost capture happens at the station. Decoration cost at production completion, spoilage at occurrence with reason, ship weight at pack. Costs recorded when they happen — never reconstructed at close.
| Step | What moves | Owner | Control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handoff out | Garments + digitized files + placement specs + required return date, on a wholesale PO | Liaison | PO logged on the order before goods leave |
| At Alphabet | 5–7 business day window, tracked against return date | Liaison | Any slip = same-day Owner escalation (partnership conversation) |
| Return | Decorated goods back to S5 QC bench | Production | QC vs proof before pack; Alphabet invoice books to order as Outsourced Embroidery |
Shipping runs at the production site under the same two rules that govern everything else: nothing ships before Gate 2, and everything that ships is photographed, weighed, and tracked on the order. Labels generate from the order record; carrier selection is cost/timeline per shipment; local delivery and pickup get a signed or photographed handoff. COD collections are recorded on the order same day.
| Item | Standard | Confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Station layout | Six stations in sequence, staging racks labeled by order number | Myles / Anthony |
| Traveler stock | Printed traveler template at receiving; proof printout capability at the press | Production |
| Photo points | Phone/tablet at S1, S4, S6 uploading to the order record | Production |
| DTF standard cost | Film/ink/powder cost per print set and reviewed quarterly | Production + Billing |
| Scale + label printer | At S6, weights recorded on the order | Shipping |
| Capacity baseline | Daily press throughput documented → feeds the production schedule view | Production Lead |
Every client gets one Dropbox root, provisioned automatically at intake from a standard template and connected to the production dashboard via the Dropbox API. The dashboard is the working view; Dropbox is the permanent archive. Together they form the built-in CRM: client profile, brand kit, files, notes, and complete order history — detailed enough that any previous order can be repeated in one day.
The folder structure below is created identically for every client. Nothing is filed by memory; every file has exactly one home, named by convention, and the dashboard links each order record to its order folder so the two never drift.
/Exora Ink — Clients/
└── /{Client Name}/
├── /_Brand Kit/
│ ├── /Logos/ vector masters (.ai .eps .svg) + raster exports (.png 300dpi)
│ ├── /Fonts/ font files + license notes — never substitute without approval
│ ├── /Colors/ brand color codes (Pantone · HEX · thread chart equivalents)
│ └── brand-notes.md usage rules, do's and don'ts, client preferences
├── /_Client Notes/ call notes, preferences, terms history, key contacts
└── /Orders/
└── /EI-2026-014/
├── /01-Intake/ requirements checklist · size curves · client-supplied specs
├── /02-Design/
│ ├── /Source/ working files (.ai .psd), digitizing files (.dst)
│ ├── /Proofs/ every proof version sent (EI-2026-014_proof_v1.pdf …)
│ ├── /Approved/ ★ the approved proof — read-only after approval
│ └── /Production/ print-ready output generated only from /Approved
├── /03-Quotes-Invoices/ quote PDF · deposit invoice · balance invoice · receipts
├── /04-Purchasing/ supplier POs · order confirmations · receiving docs
├── /05-Production/ receiving photo · first-piece photo · QC notes · spoilage log
└── /06-Shipping/ packed-order photo · packing slip · labels · tracking · POD
| Event | What happens automatically |
|---|---|
| New client at intake | Dashboard creates the client's Dropbox tree from the template and links it to the client record |
| New order (EI-YYYY-NNN) | Order folder tree provisioned; order record carries a live link to its folder |
| File uploaded in the dashboard | Written to the correct Dropbox subfolder by stage — proofs to /Proofs/, PO docs to /04-Purchasing/, photos to /05-Production/ |
| Proof approved | Approved file copied to /Approved/ and locked; approval date stamps the design asset (Gate 2 input) |
| Invoice / PO / label generated | PDF archived to its folder at creation — the archive builds itself as the order moves |
| Order closed | Folder becomes the permanent record backing the closed-order P&L and audit trail |
Access is scoped: the team works through the dashboard (role views from Part III); client-facing share links expose only /Proofs/ and /03-Quotes-Invoices/ — never source files, never costs.
Opening a client in the dashboard shows everything in one place. This is what makes the reorder loop real: the rep answers any question and quotes a repeat without leaving the record.
| Panel | Contents | Feeds |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | Org, contacts, phone/email, ship-to, client class, default payment terms, tax status, source/referral | Intake speed · §6 terms assignment |
| Brand kit | Logos (vector + raster), fonts with licenses, color codes with thread equivalents, brand usage notes — mirrored from /_Brand Kit/ | Design accuracy · zero re-asking for assets |
| Projects & files | All active and past orders with their folders one click away: proofs, mockups, PDFs, photos | Any client question answered in under a minute |
| Notes | Timestamped notes timeline: calls, preferences, commitments, terms conversations | Continuity when roles reassign |
| Order history | Every closed order in full detail: line items with garment style / brand / supplier / colors / size curves, decoration and placements, approved art on file, pricing paid, margin, timeline actuals | One-day repeats — reorder pulls the approved art and full spec, skips design entirely per SOP Stage 1, and quotes same day |
| Money view | Lifetime value, payment behavior (on-time vs. chased), current exposure, terms trajectory per the §6 matrix | Terms promotion decisions · collections posture |
Go-live rule: the pilot order's client is provisioned first and the order runs entirely inside the structure — every file filed as it's created, nothing retro-filed. Existing active clients get their tree provisioned at their next order; brand assets migrate at that moment (30 minutes per client, once, versus hunting through inboxes forever). Legacy files older than the last closed order migrate opportunistically, not as a project. Within one quarter, every active client is on the tree without anyone having run a "migration."
Effective immediately for all direct and phone orders. The pending high-value order runs through the system first — every stage, every gate, no shortcuts — because a live order surfaces friction a document can't. Capture what breaks, revise, then the rule is permanent: if it isn't in the system, it didn't happen.
| Step | Action | Owner | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Owner sign-off on this package: workflow v1.1, terms matrix, commission mechanics, calendar rules | Colin | This week's discussion |
| 2 | Team briefing — 30 minutes, whole team: the five principles, the three gates, each person's role view. This document is the handout. | Tim / John | Within 2 days of sign-off |
| 3 | Role one-pagers issued — each person gets their stages, exit gates, SLAs, and notification duties (extracted from Part II) | Tim / John / Coordinator | With the briefing |
| 4 | Written commission confirmations to reps with commission on active orders — recorded on the order at quote approval, visible from day one | Colin (approval) / Tim / John (issue) | Same day as sign-off |
| 5 | Order Command Center go-live check — gates verified against the acceptance tests, seed roles match §4 authority, pipeline/purchasing/collections/production views live | Tim / John + build team | Before first order enters |
| 6 | Pilot order end-to-end — the pending high-value custom order runs every stage and gate; friction logged daily | All roles | Immediately after go-live |
| 7 | Revision pass — SOP updated from pilot findings; v1.2 issued; team onboarded on the revision | Tim / John / Colin | At pilot close |
| Audience | What they're told | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Colin (Owner) | Full package for approval; thereafter the daily SLA-breach digest and exception approvals only | This week's discussion + system digest |
| Whole team | System is live for all direct/phone orders; the five principles; the three gates; where their queue lives | Team briefing + this document |
| Ian (example — not Ohio-based), Tommy (Reps) | Intake checklist, quote/margin duties, chase cadences, commission-at-quote-approval mechanics | Role one-pager |
| Designer(s) | Design queue, fee schedule and approval-before-work rule, proof standard, written-approval requirement | Role one-pager |
| Myles, Anthony (Purchasing / Production) | Purchasing queue = funded orders only; PO discipline; six-station floor rules; photo points; cost capture at the station | Role one-pager + floor walkthrough |
| Ohio ship team | Gate 2 rule, label-from-order, packed photo, tracking recording | Role one-pager |
| Reps with commission on transitioning accounts | Written commission terms, signed by Owner, recorded on the order | Written confirmation (per the agenda annex) |
| Active clients with open orders | Nothing changes for them except more visibility — they enter the seven-touchpoint cadence at their current stage | Next natural touchpoint |
The SOP is the specification; the Order Command Center is its software. The mapping is one-to-one by design:
| SOP element | System implementation |
|---|---|
| §3 state machine (17 statuses) | Single transitionOrder() service validating the transition table + gates in one transaction; every transition logged to the audit table |
| Three gates | Enforced in the transaction layer — blocked transitions return a typed error and do not commit; Owner overrides recorded with note |
| §4 roles & authority | Role field per user; Owner is the only privileged role (overrides, waivers, COD, below-floor) |
| §6 terms matrix | Payment-terms enum on the order; both COD classes (standard and no-deposit) carry an owner-approval flag that also satisfies Gate 1 on no-deposit COD orders |
| §7 design cost policy | Fee + billed-to per design asset; absorbed fees > $0 require Owner actor and auto-create the design-labor cost |
| §8 commission | Set at quote approval; auto-books as cost and marks payable only at Closed; cancelled = none |
| §9 costing | Ten cost categories per order; margin computed live, flagged below 65% |
| §10.2 views | Pipeline board, purchasing queue, production schedule, collections, closed-order P&L, commission report |
| Phase 2 seams | Stripe webhook (behind flag) advancing status through the same transition service; supplier adapter interface stubbed for SanMar / S&S |
The system is live when: the three gate tests pass (happy path, blocked path, override path), the commission-on-close rule passes, the seed data demonstrates the full pattern (order at deposit-paid with cleared deposit, placed PO, approved design asset, cost records), the pipeline board shows days-in-status with SLA breach flags, and every team member can find their queue. The pilot order is the final acceptance test — it must run intake to close without leaving the system once.
The full standing document, unabridged. Where Parts I–VII of this package add operational detail (notification lanes, calendar mechanics, site plan, rollout), this SOP remains the canonical policy reference. Conflicts resolve to the SOP until v1.2 is issued after the pilot order.
EXORA INK
Custom Order Operations SOP & System Specification
Direct-client custom apparel: intake through delivery, payment, and job close
v1.0 | July 11, 2026 | Internal — Operations
Task. Define the complete production workflow for Exora Ink direct-client custom orders — the DTF store operation that runs outside the website. Every custom order, from a first-contact client to a standing account, moves through the same system: onboarding, design, quoting, terms, purchasing, production, payment, shipping, and job close.
End game. The customer receives their package on time, the balance is collected before or at delivery per terms, and the order closes with a complete cost record — blanks, decoration, design, freight, commission — so every order shows its true margin. The SOP doubles as the build specification for the order management app; Phase 2 wires Stripe and supplier integrations into the same structure without redesign.
Scope. Covers Full Service and Client Relationships tier work plus P&P (client-supplied garments), routed to DTF in-house or embroidery via the Alphabet Embroidery partnership. Website POD self-serve flow is out of scope. Production execution mechanics (press settings, scheduling detail) stay in Production scope; this SOP governs the commercial workflow that feeds and surrounds production.
Finish line. This document is complete when a new team member can take an order from intake to close using only the stage procedures below, and when the data model in Section 11 is sufficient to build the system without further discovery.
Five rules govern the whole system. Everything downstream is an implementation of these.
Cash before commitment — Exora is never out of pocket on materials for an unpaid order. No blank purchase order is issued until the deposit has cleared. This is the single most important control in the system and it is enforced by the system, not by memory.
One order, one record — Every order gets one order number at intake and every event — design file, quote, payment, PO, production job, shipment, cost — attaches to that number. Nothing lives in a text thread or an inbox alone.
Gates, not reminders — Stages advance only when the exit criteria of the prior stage are met. A stalled order is visible on the pipeline board with its blocking reason, not discovered when the client calls.
Roles, not people — The SOP assigns responsibilities to roles. One person can hold multiple roles on a given order (today, most will). As the team grows, roles reassign without rewriting the process.
Every cost lands on the order — Blanks, film and ink, Alphabet invoices, freight, design time, commission, processing fees — all book to the order so the closed order shows real margin against the 65–82% target band from the rate card.
The order status field is the backbone of the app. One status per order at any time; statuses advance in sequence except where noted. Exception statuses (On Hold, Cancelled) can apply from any stage and preserve the prior status for resume.
| # | Status | Meaning | Advances when |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Intake | Order request captured; client record confirmed new or repeat | Requirements complete (garments, quantities, decoration, date) |
| 2 | Design – In Progress | Art being prepared: uploaded logo processed or new design created | Production-ready art + mockup ready |
| 3 | Design – Client Approval | Mockup/proof sent to client | Written client approval received |
| 4 | Quoting | Pricing built across all dimensions; margin checked | Quote passes margin review |
| 5 | Quote Sent | Quote delivered to client with terms | Client accepts (or quote expires day 14) |
| 6 | Quote Approved | Client accepted; payment terms locked on the order | Deposit invoice issued |
| 7 | Awaiting Deposit | Deposit invoice out | Deposit recorded as cleared by Billing |
| 8 | Deposit Paid | GATE OPEN: purchasing released | PO issued to supplier |
| 9 | Blanks Ordered | PO placed with SanMar / S&S (or client garments inbound for P&P) | Goods received |
| 10 | Blanks Received | Received, counted, pre-production QC passed | Production job scheduled |
| 11 | In Production | DTF in-house or embroidery at Alphabet (route recorded) | Decoration complete |
| 12 | Final QC & Pack | Output inspected against proof; packed and weighed | QC pass + package ready |
| 13 | Awaiting Balance | Balance invoice out (skipped if prepaid in full / net terms) | Balance recorded cleared, or net terms apply |
| 14 | Ready to Ship | Payment gate satisfied | Label created and handed to carrier |
| 15 | Shipped | In transit; tracking to client | Delivery confirmed |
| 16 | Delivered | Client has the goods | Job costing completed |
| 17 | Closed | All costs booked; margin final; commission payable | — |
Exception statuses: On Hold (any stage; reason required; resumes to prior status) and Cancelled (deposit refund rules per Section 6). Remake is not a status — a remake is a new production job attached to the same order with its cost booked to the Remake category.
Ten roles run the system. Today most orders will see the same few people wearing several hats; the system assigns roles per order so the process holds as headcount grows. Commission attaches to the Account Rep role.
| Role | Owns | Current default |
|---|---|---|
| Account Rep (Sales) | Client relationship, intake, quote presentation, approval chase, reorder development. Earns commission where assigned. | Ian (example — not Ohio-based) (his accounts); Colin (direct) |
| Order Coordinator | The order record itself — status accuracy, stage handoffs, SLA clock, blocking reasons. The air-traffic controller. | Ian (example) |
| Designer | Art processing, vectorization, new design creation, mockups/proofs, print-file prep. | Assigned per order |
| Purchasing | Supplier selection (SanMar / S&S), availability check, PO issue, inbound tracking, receiving reconciliation. | Myles / Anthony |
| Production Lead | Pre-pro QC, DTF production scheduling and execution, final QC. Owns the in-house route. | Myles / Anthony |
| Embroidery Liaison | Alphabet handoff: digitizing coordination, PO to Alphabet, timeline tracking, return QC. Owns the embroidery route. | Order Coordinator until volume justifies a dedicated owner |
| Billing | Deposit and balance invoicing, payment recording, terms enforcement, refunds. | Colin (approval) / Ian (example) (execution) |
| Shipping | Pack verification, labels, carrier handoff, tracking to client, delivery confirmation. | Ohio production team |
| Customer Service | Status inquiries, issue intake, remake/credit requests (resolution authority per Section 9). | Account Rep for their accounts |
| Owner / Executive | Terms exceptions, margin exceptions, design-fee waivers, commission assignment, COD approval, cancellation calls. | Colin |
Approval authority summary: quotes inside rate-card pricing and standard terms need no owner sign-off. Anything below the margin floor, non-standard terms (COD, net terms, deposit under 50%), design-fee waivers, and cancellations after purchase require Owner approval, recorded on the order.
Owner: Account Rep. SLA: same business day.
New vs. repeat — Look the client up first. Repeat client: confirm contact, terms tier, and pull prior orders — a reorder can skip Stage 2 entirely if art is on file and unchanged. New client: create the client record (organization, contact, email, phone, ship-to, tax status/exemption cert if applicable, source/referral).
Requirements capture — Garment types and target brands/styles, quantities by size and color, decoration type per placement (DTF or embroidery), artwork status (print-ready upload, needs recreation, or new design), in-hands date, ship-to, and any budget frame. Use the intake checklist; an order does not leave Intake with an open requirement.
Service type + route — Tag the order: Full Service (we supply garments) or P&P (client supplies garments). Tag decoration route per line item: DTF in-house or Embroidery via Alphabet. Mixed orders carry both routes.
Exit gate: requirements complete, client record current, order number issued, Account Rep and Coordinator assigned.
Owner: Designer. SLA: mockup within 2 business days of intake.
Path A: Uploaded logo — Client supplies art. Print-ready (vector, or raster at 300dpi+ at print size): proceed to mockup. Not print-ready: minor cleanup up to 30 minutes is absorbed as cost of sale; vectorization/recreation beyond that bills per the design fee schedule (Section 7) and the client approves the fee before work starts.
Path B: New design — Original design work is quoted from the design fee schedule, approved by the client in writing before design starts. Two revision rounds included; further rounds billed. Design fees are invoiced with the deposit.
Embroidery digitizing — Embroidery-routed art requires digitizing. Coordinate with Alphabet; digitizing cost books to the order (billed to client as a line item on new logos; on file for repeats).
Mockup and approval — Every order gets a visual proof: garment color, placement, dimensions, thread/print colors. Client approval must be written (email or portal click). Verbal approval is not approval. The approved proof is the production contract — what QC checks against at Stage 10.
Exit gate: production-ready art on file + written client approval of the proof. Art stall: auto-reminder at 48 hours, Account Rep call at day 5.
Owner: Purchasing. SLA: same day as design approval (runs in parallel with Stage 2 where garments are known early).
Availability check — Check stock at S&S Activewear and SanMar for the specified style/color/size curve before the quote goes out. Never quote a garment we cannot source inside the timeline.
Stockout handling — Offer the client a substitute (equivalent blank, same price tier) or a split across suppliers. Substitutions are client-approved in writing before quoting.
P&P orders — Client-supplied garments: record expected inbound count and agreed spoilage allowance (default 2%). Exora does not replace client-supplied garments beyond the spoilage allowance; this is stated on the quote.
Exit gate: confirmed sourceable garment list with supplier, cost, and lead time per line.
Owner: Account Rep builds, Owner reviews only on exceptions. SLA: 1 business day from design approval.
Price against the rate card — B2B work prices from locked rate card v4.3 across all dimensions: tier, service type, quantity break (100+/250+), placement tier, complexity level, color count. Full Service retail work uses the variable structure with spec qualifiers stated on the quote (what the price covers: e.g., one center-chest print; additional placements priced separately).
Margin surfaced — The quote worksheet shows effective margin next to the price: revenue minus blanks, decoration cost, digitizing, freight estimate, design cost, and commission. Target band 65–82% by tier and quantity. Below-floor pricing requires Owner approval with the strategic reason recorded on the order.
Quote contents — Line items with quantities and unit prices, design/digitizing fees, shipping, tax, spec qualifiers, payment terms, production timeline from deposit, quote expiration (14 days), and remake/spoilage policy reference.
Exit gate: quote passes margin review and is sent. Follow-up at day 3 and day 7; expires day 14 (re-quote required after — supplier costs move).
Owner: Account Rep; Billing locks terms. SLA: same day as client acceptance.
Terms from the matrix — Payment terms assign from the policy matrix in Section 6 — new client, repeat in good standing, or strategic partner. Case-by-case deviations are Owner-approved and recorded. The goal is that the matrix absorbs the case-by-case decisions over time.
Commission set — If an Account Rep earns commission on this order, the rate or flat amount is entered on the order now, at quote approval — not reconstructed at payout time. Section 8 covers the policy.
Exit gate: written acceptance on file, terms locked on the order, deposit invoice issued.
Owner: Billing. SLA: invoice out same day as approval; deposit chased at 48h and day 5.
Phase 1 (manual) — Deposit invoice sent (Stripe payment link created manually, or check/ACH/cash). Billing records the payment on the order: amount, method, date, reference. Recording a cleared deposit flips the order to Deposit Paid — this is the event that releases Purchasing.
Phase 2 (Stripe integrated) — Deposit and balance invoices generate from the order record as Stripe invoices/payment links; webhook confirmation advances the status automatically. Same gate, zero manual steps.
Cancellation rules — Cancel before PO issued: full deposit refund. Cancel after blanks ordered: deposit less blanks cost and any design fees incurred. Cancel after production: no refund. Stated on every quote.
Exit gate: deposit cleared (not merely promised). No PO before this point without Owner override, which is recorded on the order.
Owner: Purchasing. SLA: PO issued same or next business day after Deposit Paid.
PO discipline — One PO per supplier per order (split-supplier orders carry two POs). PO records supplier, items, quantities by size/color, unit cost, freight, expected delivery date, and the order it belongs to. PO actuals become the Blanks cost on the order — no estimated costs at close.
Ordering channel — Phase 1: supplier web portals, PO logged in the system immediately after placement. Phase 2: supplier integration (S&S API / SanMar electronic ordering) for live inventory and electronic PO from inside the app.
Overage rule — Order 2–3% overage on runs of 100+ to cover decoration spoilage. Overage cost books to the order; undamaged extras to inventory.
Exit gate: PO confirmed with expected date inside the order timeline. Supplier delay: Coordinator informed same day, client informed if in-hands date is at risk.
Owner: Production Lead. SLA: same day as delivery arrival.
Receive against the PO — Count by style/color/size against the PO. Shortages and misships reported to the supplier same day and flagged on the order with revised timeline. P&P inbound counted against the client’s stated count; discrepancy reported before production.
Pre-pro QC — Spot-check garment quality (holes, stains, dye lots). Stage garments by order with the order traveler (order number, approved proof, placement specs, quantities).
Exit gate: full count staged, traveler attached, production job scheduled with a date.
Owner: Production Lead (DTF) / Embroidery Liaison (Alphabet). SLA: DTF 2–3 business days; embroidery 5–7 business days at Alphabet.
Route A: DTF in-house — Production runs per the Production function’s own SOP (print, powder, cure, press). This SOP’s requirement of that one: first-piece check against the approved proof before the run, and actual decoration cost (film/ink standard cost per print) reported back to the order.
Route B: Embroidery via Alphabet — Liaison sends Alphabet the PO at wholesale pricing with digitized files, garments, placement specs, and required return date. Alphabet’s invoice books to the order as Outsourced Embroidery cost. Returned goods QC-checked before Stage 10. Alphabet delay: same-day escalation to Owner (partnership-level conversation, not a ticket).
Mixed orders — DTF and embroidery legs run in parallel where possible; the order sits In Production until the last leg completes.
Exit gate: all decoration complete, spoilage counted and logged (replacements from overage; shortfall triggers client conversation before pack).
Owner: Production Lead. SLA: same day as production completion.
QC against the proof — Placement, dimensions, colors, quantity per size — checked against the approved proof, which is the contract. Random-pull inspection at 10% for runs over 100 pieces; 100% visual on small runs.
Pack and stage — Fold/pack per client spec, packing slip with counts by size/color, cartons weighed and labeled with the order number. Photo of the packed order attached to the record (dispute protection and delivery evidence).
Exit gate: QC pass recorded, package ready, actual ship weight known (final freight cost).
Owner: Billing. SLA: balance invoice out the day QC passes.
The gate — Nothing ships until the payment gate is satisfied: balance cleared, or approved net terms on the order, or Owner-approved COD (Section 6). The system blocks the Ready to Ship status until Billing records the gate as satisfied.
Balance chase — Invoice with final counts and the packed-order photo (“your order is ready” is the best collection letter). Reminder at 48 hours; Account Rep call at day 5; Owner decision at day 10 on holding vs. terms conversion.
Exit gate: payment gate satisfied and recorded.
Owner: Shipping. SLA: ships same or next business day after gate opens.
Ship — Label from the order record (carrier per cost/timeline), tracking number recorded, tracking sent to client automatically. Local delivery/pickup follows the same gate and gets a signed/photographed handoff.
Confirm delivery — Carrier confirmation flips the order to Delivered. COD orders: payment collected at handoff and recorded same day.
Exit gate: delivery confirmed.
Owner: Billing/Coordinator. SLA: within 5 business days of delivery.
Book every cost — Blanks (PO actuals), decoration materials, Alphabet invoice, digitizing, freight in, shipping out, design labor (billed or absorbed — both recorded), commission, payment processing fees, remake costs. Categories in Section 9.
Margin check — Closed-order P&L: revenue minus all costs, margin against the quoted margin. Variance over 5 points gets a one-line explanation on the order (supplier price move, spoilage, underquoted freight) — this is how the rate card learns.
Commission payable — Closing the order marks its commission payable. Commission is never payable on unpaid or open orders.
Exit gate: order Closed; costs immutable except by Owner correction.
Owner: Account Rep. SLA: touch within 5 business days of delivery.
Follow-up — Delivery-satisfaction touch; issues route to Section 9 resolution. Art and specs are on file — say so: reorders skip design and quote in one day. Repeat clients advance toward better terms per the matrix, which is the incentive to come back.
Account development — Orders and clients feed the Client Acquisition pipeline: seasonal reorder prompts, program expansion (uniform programs, spirit wear cycles), referral asks on satisfied delivery.
Terms assign from this matrix at Stage 5. Case-by-case is the Phase 1 reality; every case-by-case decision is recorded on the order, and the matrix is revised quarterly from those records until deviations are rare. The invariant behind every row: deposits must cover Exora’s out-of-pocket costs (blanks + outsourced embroidery + inbound freight) before those costs are incurred.
| Client class | Deposit | Balance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| New client (all) | 50% at quote approval | Cleared before ship | Non-negotiable in Phase 1 except Owner override. Design fees invoiced with deposit. |
| New client, large order (>$5k or >250 pcs) | 50% minimum; raise to cover out-of-pocket if blanks-heavy | Cleared before ship | Check that 50% actually covers blanks + embroidery + freight; if not, deposit rises to that number. |
| Repeat, good standing (3+ closed orders, no late balances) | 50% | Net 15 from delivery, Owner-approved | First step of earned terms. |
| Established account (standing program) | Negotiated (25–50%) | Net 15–30 | Owner-set per account, recorded on the client record as the account default. |
| Strategic partner (B2B) | Per partnership agreement | Per agreement | Alphabet reciprocal flow at agreed wholesale/preferred pricing; Long Island-model partners at B2B Standard with negotiated net terms. |
| COD — standard | Deposit must cover 100% of out-of-pocket costs | Balance collected at handoff | Owner approval required, every time. COD is a collection method, not a credit decision. |
| COD — no deposit (select accounts) | None | 100% collected at handoff | Owner approval required on every order. Gate 1 opens on the recorded Owner COD approval — the Owner explicitly accepts the out-of-pocket exposure. Reserved for accounts the Owner designates; recorded on the client record as the account default where standing. |
Stripe phasing: Phase 1 records payments manually whatever the method (Stripe link created by hand, check, ACH, cash). Phase 2 generates deposit and balance invoices from the order record and advances status on webhook confirmation. The terms policy is identical in both phases — Stripe changes the plumbing, not the rules.
The standing question — who absorbs design costs — has a default answer: the customer pays for design work, and the company absorbs it only as a deliberate, visible account-development decision. Absorbed design work is still costed on the order at the internal rate so margin is never silently overstated.
| Design work | Fee | Who pays | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Print-ready art supplied | None | — | Vector or 300dpi+ at print size. |
| Minor cleanup (≤30 min) | None billed | Company (cost of sale) | Logged at internal rate as order cost; not invoiced. |
| Vectorization / logo recreation | $45 flat | Customer | Waivable by Owner on orders ≥ $1,500; waived fee books as order cost. |
| New original design | $150 minimum, quoted | Customer | Two revision rounds included; additional rounds $50/round. Client owns final art after payment in full. |
| Embroidery digitizing | At Alphabet cost + handling | Customer (new logos) | On file for repeats at no charge; digitized file is order cost when absorbed. |
| Rush design (<24h) | +50% of design fee | Customer | Capacity permitting. |
Waiver mechanics: only the Owner waives fees, the waiver reason is recorded, and the order P&L shows the absorbed cost. “Free design” as a sales tool is fine — invisible free design is how margin leaks.
There is no formal commission structure in place today — commission structure design is Executive scope for the group. The system is built so manual commission works now and a structured plan drops in later without rework.
Phase 1 (manual) — Commission is entered per order at quote approval: a percentage of pre-tax order revenue or a flat amount, assigned to the Account Rep by the Owner. Suggested working range while the structure is designed: 5–15% of order revenue on Client Acquisition orders; 0% on house accounts and partner-channel flow.
Payable rules — Commission becomes payable only when the order reaches Closed — delivered and paid in full. Cancelled orders pay no commission; partially refunded orders recalculate. Payout runs monthly from the commission report.
Costing — Commission books as an order cost, so quoted margin and closed margin both show it. A quote’s margin check already includes the commission the order carries.
Phase 2+ — When the Executive-scope structure lands (tiers, splits, new-vs-repeat rates), it replaces the manual entry with computed defaults; manual override remains for exceptions.
Every dollar spent on an order books to one of these categories, attached to the order:
| Category | Source | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Blanks | Supplier PO actuals (SanMar / S&S) | At receiving reconciliation |
| Decoration materials | DTF standard cost per print (film, ink, powder), reviewed quarterly | At production completion |
| Outsourced embroidery | Alphabet invoice | On invoice receipt |
| Digitizing | Alphabet / vendor invoice | At design stage |
| Design labor | Billed fee, or internal rate when absorbed | At design stage |
| Freight in | Supplier freight on PO | At receiving |
| Shipping out | Carrier label cost | At ship |
| Commission | Order commission entry | At close |
| Processing fees | Stripe / card fees on payments received | At payment recording |
| Remake / spoilage | Materials + blanks consumed beyond overage | At occurrence, with reason |
Weekly: open-PO review (everything ordered has landed or has a date), unbooked-invoice sweep (Alphabet, freight), payments recorded vs. bank/Stripe. Monthly: closed-order margin report by client and service type against the 65–82% band, commission payout run, and case-by-case terms decisions reviewed for promotion into the matrix. The closed-order file is the input QuickBooks-side bookkeeping reconciles against; the order system is the source of truth for job-level profitability.
| Exception | Response | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier stockout | Substitute or split-supplier PO, client-approved in writing | Purchasing; Account Rep for client approval |
| Art approval stall | Auto-reminder 48h; call day 5; order On Hold day 10 with client notified | Account Rep |
| Deposit stall | Reminder 48h; call day 5; quote expires day 14 | Billing / Account Rep |
| Misprint / defect (our fault) | Remake at company cost from overage; ships priority; cost booked to Remake with root-cause note | Production Lead; Owner if remake >$500 |
| Client-caused error (approved proof was wrong) | Client pays for remake; proof approval is the contract | Account Rep, Owner on disputes |
| P&P garment damage beyond spoilage allowance | Credit at agreed garment value cap, per quote terms | Owner |
| Balance non-payment | Goods held; day 10 Owner decision; no future orders until resolved | Owner |
| Alphabet timeline slip | Same-day Owner escalation (partnership conversation) | Owner |
Standard order to 250 pieces, from cleared deposit: blanks landed day 3–5, DTF complete day 6–8, ship day 8–10. Embroidery route adds Alphabet’s 5–7 days: ship day 12–15. Quote timelines to the client always state business days from cleared deposit — the clock never starts on a promise. Rush orders compress at Owner discretion with a rush fee (suggested +20%).
The app is a database with a state machine and gates on top. Eight entities cover the whole workflow; the Airtable prototype implements this model one-for-one, and a Phase 2 custom build carries the same schema.
| Entity | Key fields | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Clients | Org, contacts, class (new/repeat/account/partner), default terms, tax status, lifetime value, orders link | Onboarding + terms memory |
| Orders | Order #, client, status (state machine), service type, routes, Account Rep, dates (intake, promised, shipped), revenue, terms, commission %/amount, margin quoted vs. closed | The spine — one record per order |
| Order Items | Order, garment style/brand, supplier, color, size curve, qty, decoration type, placement, unit price | Line-level pricing and purchasing input |
| Design Assets | Order, path (upload/recreation/new), status, fee, billed-to (customer/company), approval date, proof file, production files | Art pipeline + design cost policy enforcement |
| Purchase Orders | Order, supplier, PO #, lines, cost, freight, expected/received dates, status | Blanks purchasing + blanks cost actuals |
| Production Jobs | Order, route (DTF/Alphabet), scheduled date, first-piece check, completed date, spoilage count, QC result | Both production routes on one board |
| Payments | Order, type (deposit/balance/full/refund/COD), method, amount, date, reference, recorded-by | The gates run off this table |
| Order Costs | Order, category (Section 9.1), amount, vendor, reference, date | Job costing — order P&L rolls up from here |
Gate 1 — Status cannot reach Blanks Ordered without a cleared deposit Payment on the order (or a recorded Owner override).
Gate 2 — Status cannot reach Ready to Ship without the payment gate satisfied: balance Payment cleared, or terms = approved net, or Owner-approved COD.
Gate 3 — Status cannot leave Design without an approval date on the Design Asset.
Margin visibility — Orders compute quoted margin from items minus linked costs and commission; closed margin from actuals. Both visible on the order at all times.
Blocking reasons — Any order idle in a status beyond its SLA shows on the pipeline dashboard with its blocking reason.
Pipeline board grouped by status (the whole-company view); Purchasing queue (Deposit Paid, no PO); Production schedule (Blanks Received + In Production by date); Collections (Awaiting Deposit / Awaiting Balance with days outstanding); Order P&L (closed orders, margin vs. band); Commission report (closed orders by rep, payable month).
| Phase | Scope | Trigger to advance |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 — now | Airtable base live; manual quotes off rate card v4.3; manual Stripe links / check / ACH recorded by Billing; POs via supplier portals, logged same day | Current big order runs end-to-end through the system |
| Phase 2 — integration | Stripe invoices generated from the order, webhook status advance; supplier integration (S&S API, SanMar electronic ordering) for live stock + PO; quote generator wired to order items | Order volume makes manual recording the bottleneck (~15–20 orders/month) |
| Phase 3 — automation (Lyra) | Auto-quotes from intake specs, client proof-approval portal, reorder prompts, account management automation; team shifts to review-and-relationship work | Phase 2 stable + catalog/pricing distillation complete |
Run the pending big order through the system first — every stage, every gate, no shortcuts. It will surface the friction a document can’t. Capture what breaks, revise the SOP, then onboard the team on the revised version. From that point the rule is simple: if it isn’t in the system, it didn’t happen.