Design, CAD & BOMs

How to lock approved materials on a facade project

Locking materials means the project’s approved system is what purchasing and the shop can use. Spectr’s panel system manager is built to stop unapproved substitutions from hitting POs or the floor.

See this on your jobs Approved materials

Key facts

Leftover inventory is a temptation, not a permission slip.
Color lots and core types are where “close enough” becomes a callback.
The lock has to live in the system of record, not in an email to the buyer.
Revisions to the spec should update the system, then the open POs.

How shops handle this

Write the allowed list into the project
Brand, finish, thickness, core — whatever the spec actually cares about.
Issue BOMs that only reference that list
A free-text “ACM as equal” in Excel is how equals appear.
Receive against the job
Do not dump all sheet into a nameless pile and hope.
Escalate substitutions
If the specified lead time slips, change the system on purpose.

Common questions

What about commodity screws?

Approve the grade and brand if the spec cares. Bulk-count the rest. Do not pretend every washer is a unique product.

Can the shop override in an emergency?

Emergencies need a named person and a record. Silent overrides become the culture.

Experience how Spectr could fit in your shop

From the jobs you're quoting now to the installs you're managing next month — we'll walk through your actual work, not a canned tour.

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