Products

Overview

Products are the core items that you manufacture and sell to your customers. Each product in Pilot represents a specific item or service that can be ordered, scheduled for production (if necessary), and invoiced. Proper product configuration is essential for accurate pricing, scheduling, and case management.

Creating a Product

To create a new product, you will need to configure the following essential information:

1. Product Name. Provide a clear, descriptive name that uniquely identifies the product. This name will appear throughout Pilot on cases, invoices, and reports, so choose something that is easily recognizable to both your team and your customers.

2. Restoration Type (Optional). Select the appropriate restoration type that categorizes this product within your dental laboratory offerings. This field helps organize products by clinical category and can be used for reporting and analysis purposes. Common restoration types include crowns, bridges, dentures, implants, and other dental appliances.

3. Taxable Status. Determine whether this product is subject to tax calculations. When a product is marked as taxable, Pilot will automatically calculate and apply taxes based on the tax area rate associated with the doctor's location.

4. Rate Change Permission. Configure whether users are allowed to modify the standard rate for this product when adding it to cases. Enabling this option provides flexibility for custom pricing situations, while disabling it maintains consistent pricing across all cases.

5. Discount Permission. Specify whether discounts can be applied to this product on individual cases. When enabled, users can apply percentage or fixed-amount discounts during case creation.

6. Bridge Notation Capability. Determine whether this product supports bridge notation ("A" or "P" suffixes) functionality. When enabled, Pilot bridge products where individual units serve different structural functions.

7. Shade Permission. Specify whether this product supports shade selection.

8. Both Arches Only. Specify whether this is a double-arch product. Upon adding this product to a case, its quantity will always be 1 with "Upper, Lower" notation.

9. Turnaround Days. Determine how many business days it takes to manufacture this product, which is used in automatic due date calculations. When a case in in "Entry" state, we will take all products, find the largest number of turnaround days, and add that number to today's date.

10. Custom Price Creation. Configure whether custom prices can be established for this product. When enabled, you can create doctor-specific pricing that overrides the standard product pricing.

11. Quantity Type Configuration. Select how the product quantity relates to the units selected in the notation graphics. This setting fundamentally affects how the product behaves during case creation:

    • Tooth Number: The product quantity equals the number of individual teeth selected on the notation graphics. This option is ideal for products where each unit corresponds to a specific tooth, such as individual crowns or fillings.
    • Arch Number: The product quantity corresponds to the number of arches selected on the notation graphics, with a maximum of two arches per line item. This setting is appropriate for arch-based products like full arch models, complete dentures, or occlusal guards.
    • Custom Selection: The product quantity and notation operate independently of each other. This option is suitable for materials, appliances, or services where the quantity is not directly related to specific tooth selections.

12. Material Classification. Set the material flag to identify whether this product should be classified as a material for reporting purposes. Currently, this designation is used exclusively for generating material-specific reports and analytics, helping you track material usage and costs separately from finished products.

13. Warning Text. Enter any important warning or instructional text that should be displayed when this product is added to a case. This text appears prominently during case creation to alert users to special handling requirements, material considerations, or other important product-specific information.

14. Price List Configuration. Configure pricing for each active price list in Pilot. Products must have prices set on specific price lists to be available for selection when creating cases for doctors assigned to those price lists.

    Beware

    If a product lacks pricing on a doctor's assigned price list, that product will not be available for selection when creating cases for that customer.

    Price list configuration ensures that:

    • Customers see only appropriately priced products
    • Pricing is consistent within customer tiers
    • Product availability aligns with your pricing strategy

15. Custom Fields. Configure any additional custom field values that provide supplementary information specific to your business requirements. Custom fields allow you to track product-specific data that extends beyond the standard product attributes, such as material specifications, vendor information, or internal categorization codes.

Post-Creation Configuration

Default Production Template Assignment

After successfully creating a product, you will have the ability to assign a default production template that defines the manufacturing workflow. This template serves as the blueprint for creating production schedules whenever the product is added to a case.

The default production template:

• Automatically generates a complete production schedule when the product is added to a case
• Defines the sequence of manufacturing steps required
• Specifies workstation assignments and timing
• Ensures consistent production processes across all cases

Events Log Access

The product detail sheet includes an events log section at the bottom that provides a complete audit trail of all changes made to the product configuration. This log tracks modifications to pricing, settings, templates, and other product attributes, providing transparency and accountability for product management activities.

Product Integration with Case Management

Once properly configured, products integrate seamlessly with the case management system:

• Case Creation: Products appear in selection lists when creating new cases, filtered by price list compatibility and customer assignments.
• Automatic Scheduling: When a product with a default production template is added to a case, Pilot automatically generates the complete production schedule with all required steps.
• Pricing Calculation: Product rates, discount eligibility, and tax settings are automatically applied during case pricing calculations.
• Notation Support: Products with appropriate quantity type settings support dental notation graphics for accurate unit specification.

Best Practices for Product Configuration

• Consistent Naming: Use clear, standardized naming conventions that make products easily identifiable across your organization.
• Appropriate Quantity Types: Choose quantity types that match how the product is actually manufactured and ordered in your workflow.
• Price List Completeness: Ensure all products have appropriate pricing on all relevant price lists to avoid selection issues during case creation.
• Warning Text Usage: Include helpful warning text for products with special requirements, material considerations, or handling instructions.
• Template Assignment: Assign production templates to ensure consistent manufacturing workflows and accurate scheduling.
• Regular Review: Periodically review product configurations to ensure they remain current with your manufacturing capabilities and business requirements.

Reporting and Analysis

Products serve as the foundation for various reports and analytics within Pilot:

• Revenue analysis by product type
• Material usage tracking for products marked with the material flag
• Production efficiency analysis based on workstation assignments and production templates
• Pricing analysis across different customer tiers and price lists

Proper product configuration ensures accurate and meaningful reporting that supports business decision-making and operational optimization.