Navigating the Materials Page in Ontraccr
📘 Navigating the Materials Page in Ontraccr
Overview
The Materials Page in Ontraccr is your central hub for organizing, viewing, and managing your material and assembly data. Whether you're building quotes, tracking inventory, or simply browsing your database, understanding the layout and features of this page is the first step to mastering the Materials Database.
This guide walks you through every part of the Materials Page interface, including how to search, navigate, and access critical functions like adding new items, filtering, exporting, and more.
🚪 Accessing the Materials Page
To access the Materials Page:
- From the main sidebar, click on the “Materials” option.
- You will be taken directly to the Materials Database.
🔍 Top Navigation Bar Features
The top navigation of the Materials Page includes several key tools:
1. Search Bar
- Searches across all folders and materials in your database.
- Example: Searching for "wire" will return any material or folder containing that term.
📌 Tip: This is a cross-folder search, making it easy to locate materials even if you don't remember the exact folder they're in.
➕ Add Button (Creating Items)
Clicking the “Add +” button provides three options:
- Add Folder – Organize materials by category (e.g., “Wood,” “Electrical Wire”).
- Add Material – Manually create a new material entry.
- Add Assembly – Combine multiple materials into a composite item (e.g., an “Electrical Outlet”).
These actions are explained in detail in separate articles.
📁 Materials Table & Navigation
Within the main table:
- All materials and assemblies are shown in a folder-style hierarchy.
- Each folder can contain:
- Materials (individual items like wire, fasteners, piping)
- Assemblies (composite items made from multiple parts)
You can click any folder or item to view details (non-editable mode), including historical data (see “Audit Trail” article for more).
🔽 Filtering Your View
The Filter option lets you refine what you see:
- Filter by Material or Assembly
- Combine filters to view only what you need
📤 Exporting Materials Data
Use the Export button to export a list of materials from your current view:
- It exports only what is currently visible based on your filters and selections.
- Exported format is Excel-friendly for external reporting or analysis.
📊 Column Configuration
Customize what data appears by using the “Columns” configuration button:
- Show or hide any of the following:
- ID, Description, Part Number, Supplier
- Material/Labor Costs, Markups, Prices
- Quantity, Allocated Quantity, Threshold
- Unit Type, Cost Code, Locations
This allows you to simplify your view or tailor it to different users.
📦 Sorting Materials
You can sort by any column with arrows in the header:
- Click once for ascending, again for descending.
- Great for finding the most expensive items, lowest inventory, etc.
🧠 Real Use Cases
- Estimators use the search and filtering to find parts to include in quotes.
- Project managers filter assemblies to prep for upcoming installs.
- Procurement teams sort by threshold to spot low-stock items.