Materials Catalogue

What's the Materials Catalogue?

The materials catalogue is your database of everything you buy regularly — timber, fixings, tiles, pipes, cables — whatever your trade uses. Store prices, suppliers, and stock levels so you can quote jobs faster and track what you've got in the van.

Build it once, use it forever. No more guessing at material costs or hunting through old invoices for prices.

Adding Materials

1. Go to Materials from the main menu
2. Tap + Add Material
3. Fill in the details:
4. Name — what it is (e.g., "18mm Marine Ply")
5. Description — extra details if needed
6. Category — group similar items (timber, fixings, plumbing)
7. Unit — how you buy it (each, metre, roll, box)
8. Unit price — cost per unit
9. Supplier — where you buy it from
10. SKU/Product code — supplier's reference number
11. In stock — whether you currently have it
12. Hit Save

Bulk Import

Got a spreadsheet of materials already? Upload it as a CSV file and import everything at once.

1. On the materials page, tap Import CSV
2. Download the sample template to see the format
3. Fill in your materials data using the same column headings
4. Upload your CSV file
5. A.X.E.L will import all valid rows and tell you about any problems

This is perfect if you've got supplier price lists or your own spreadsheet to convert.

Using Materials in Quotes

When creating a quote, you can pick materials straight from your catalogue instead of typing everything manually. The name, unit, and price fill in automatically — you just set the quantity.

This makes quoting faster and more accurate. No more underpricing jobs because you forgot how much that special bracket costs.

Categories and Suppliers

Organise your materials with categories that make sense for your trade:

• Timber — boards, studwork, decking
• Fixings — screws, bolts, nails, brackets
• Plumbing — pipes, fittings, valves
• Electrical — cables, sockets, switches
• Tools — consumables, blades, bits
• Hardware — hinges, locks, handles

Track suppliers too — B&Q, Screwfix, local merchants. You can filter your catalogue by supplier to see everything you buy from each place.

Stock Tracking

Mark items as "in stock" or "out of stock" to track what's in your van or workshop. It's not full inventory management — just a simple flag to remind you what you've got.

Handy when you're quoting a job and want to check if you already have the materials before factoring in purchase costs.

Pricing Updates

Material prices change. When you notice a price increase, update it in your catalogue and all future quotes will use the new price automatically.

Keep your catalogue current and your quotes will stay profitable even when supplier prices creep up.

Searching and Filtering

Use the search box to find materials quickly — type "ply" to find all plywood products, or "screw" for all fixings. Filter by category or supplier to narrow things down further.

The catalogue shows you statistics too — total items, categories, average price, and number of suppliers. Good for spotting if you're spreading purchases too thinly or getting good value.