Quick Start Guide¶

This guide walks you through the four essential steps to get up and running with LoupeFactory: creating your account, adding your first inventory item, setting up a production process, and placing your first order. By the end, you'll have a working foundation to manage your manufacturing or trade operations.

Step 1: Create Your Account¶

If you haven't signed up yet, head to app.loupefactory.com and click Get Started.

1. Enter your work email address and choose a password, or sign in with Google, Microsoft, or your organization's SSO provider.
2. Verify your email using the confirmation link sent to your inbox.
3. Complete the onboarding flow to create your organization — enter your organization name, industry, default currency, and timezone.

Once your organization is created, you'll land on the main dashboard. If you already have an account, log in at app.loupefactory.com and continue to Step 2.

For a more detailed walkthrough of account setup and authentication options, see Account Setup.

Step 2: Add Your First Inventory Entry¶

Inventory is the foundation of LoupeFactory. Before you can track production or fulfill orders, you need items in your inventory.

1. From the dashboard, navigate to Inventory in the left sidebar.
2. Click Add Item in the top-right corner.
3. Fill in the item details:
   • Name — a clear, descriptive name (e.g., "Round Diamond 1ct").
   • SKU — a unique identifier for the item.
   • Category — group items by type (e.g., Raw Materials, Finished Goods).
   • Unit — the unit of measure (e.g., pcs, grams, carats).
   • Quantity — the current stock on hand.
   • Unit cost — the cost per unit for valuation and reporting.
4. Click Save to add the item to your inventory.

Your item now appears in the inventory list. You can add more items, import in bulk via CSV, or organize items into categories at any time.

For full inventory management capabilities, see Inventory Management.

Step 3: Create a Production Process¶

A production process defines how raw materials are transformed into finished goods. LoupeFactory supports multi-stage processes so you can track inputs, outputs, and waste at each step.

1. Navigate to Production in the left sidebar.
2. Click New Process to open the process builder.
3. Enter a Process Name (e.g., "Diamond Cutting & Polishing").
4. Add stages to the process:
   • Click Add Stage and give the stage a name (e.g., "Cutting").
   • For each stage, specify the input materials from your inventory and the expected output items.
   • Optionally set expected waste, rejection, and scrap percentages for the stage.
5. Repeat for each stage in your workflow.
6. Click Save Process when done.

Once saved, you can start a production run against this process to track real-time progress and material consumption.

For detailed guidance on managing production runs and recording stage outcomes, see Production Tracking.

Step 4: Place Your First Order¶

With inventory stocked and a production process defined, you're ready to create a customer order.

1. Navigate to Orders in the left sidebar.
2. Click New Order.
3. Select or create a Customer — enter the customer's name, contact details, and billing address.
4. Add line items to the order:
   • Search for items from your inventory.
   • Set the quantity and unit price for each line item.
5. Set the order date and an optional expected delivery date.
6. Review the order summary and click Place Order.

Your order is now created and visible in the Orders list. From there you can track its status, generate an invoice, and create a shipment once the order is ready to dispatch.

For more on managing orders through fulfillment, see Order Management.

Next Steps¶

• Dashboard Overview — learn how to read key metrics and navigate the platform.
• Inventory Management — bulk import items, manage categories, and set reorder alerts.
• Production Tracking — start a production run and record stage-by-stage outcomes.
• Order Management — track orders from creation through fulfillment and invoicing.