There are a few options when it comes to managing your Materials in Clearstory
A lot of trades can have a large list of Materials they use on jobs, and it might vary significantly from project to project. Importing Materials can help save your team a lot of time, but if / how much you import might differ from contractor to contractor.
This article can walk you through how to import, and we typically see contractors follow one of the following approaches:
Import all of your Materials at the start of the Project in Clearstory
If your Materials list isn't too long or doesn't change much, you can import the whole list using our excel template. Once imported, when you create a Tag, you will be able to pick from the list or use the type ahead feature to quickly select the appropriate Material.
NOTE: You can import your Material rates as well as the item names and units, or you can choose to leave the rates blank if you want to price them later. This will still allow your Field Users to quickly make Tags by picking the Material name, and keep the naming consistent.
Import the most common Materials at the start of the Project in Clearstory
If your project has a huge amount of Materials or you don't have a full list, import the most common Materials. This enables Field Users to save time on the most common items, and they are still able to add Materials manually on the fly.
NOTE: You can import your Material rates as well as the item names and units, or you can choose to leave the rates blank if you want to price them later. This will still allow your Field Users to quickly make Tags by picking the Material name, and keep the naming consistent
Import two Materials groups into Clearstory, one a more extensive list, the other a shorter list
You may have some Projects that use a shorter Materials list, and some that are longer. If that's the case, you can import two groups so you can choose which list to use per Project.
NOTE: You can import your Material rates as well as the item names and units, or you can choose to leave the rates blank if you want to price them later. This will still allow your Field Users to quickly make Tags by picking the Material name, and keep the naming consistent
Don't import any Materials and have your Field Users create the Materials when they create Tags
Finally, if you'd prefer to have your Field Users add Material when they are creating the Tag, they can enter the name and amounts manually. You will then need to price the Materials manually when creating a Change Order.