====== Design Request Management ======

SarasX **Design Request** is used to capture a new design requirement, route it through the design workflow, assign it to the right designer, complete the **pre-cal BOM** and finally create the linked design file when the request is approved for execution.

===== Create a Design Request =====

You can create a new Design Request in **three** ways:

  * From **Design Request Search** using **Create New**
  * From **Design Request Search** using **Quick Add**
  * From the **Designer Dashboard** using the **+** button at the bottom of a lane

==== Option 1: Create from Search Screen ====

  * Open **Design Request Search**
  * Click **Create New**
  * Fill the request header details
  * Save the record to open the full Design Request screen

Use this option when you want to create the request and continue with the full working screen immediately.

==== Option 2: Quick Add from Search Screen ====

  * Open **Design Request Search**
  * Click **Quick Add**
  * A popup will open with **two tabs**:
    * **Header**
    * **Additional Info**

In the **Header** tab, provide the main request details such as:

  * Request Date
  * Due Date
  * Priority
  * Design Category
  * Product Type
  * Concept
  * Material Instruction
  * Special Instruction

In the **Additional Info** tab, provide the request-category details such as:

  * Design For
  * Design Edition
  * Price Range
  * Design Channel
  * Design Collection
  * Main Material
  * Mother Design
  * Size

**Important**: In this tab, fields such as **Design Edition**, **Price Range** and **Design Channel** may be mandatory depending on configuration.

Click **Confirm** to create the request.

==== Option 3: Add from Designer Dashboard ====

  * Open the **Designer Dashboard**
  * Go to the lane where you want to add the request
  * Click the **+** button at the bottom of that lane
  * Fill the same **Header** and **Additional Info** tabs
  * Click **Confirm**

Use this option when the team is already working from the dashboard and wants to add the request directly in workflow context.

===== Review and Open Existing Requests =====

You can open an existing request from:

  * **Design Request Search**
  * **Designer Dashboard**

The **Design Request Search** helps you:

  * search by request details
  * review images and planned finish date
  * open the request for detailed action

The **Designer Dashboard** helps you:

  * review requests by **Status**
  * review requests by **Designer**
  * review requests by **Requestor**
  * review requests by **Category**
  * review requests by **Product Type**

===== Work Through the Workflow =====

Once the request is created, users move it through the workflow using the buttons shown in the **Workflow** panel on the right side of the Design Request.

Typical working flow is:

  * **Concept Proposed**
    * Review the concept request
    * Accept it to move forward, or reject it if it should not proceed
  * **Concept Accepted**
    * Concept is approved
    * SarasX automatically moves the request to **Brief Pending** after save
  * **Brief Pending**
    * Attach the design brief and ensure the responsible designer is assigned
    * SarasX automatically moves the request to **Ready to Start** when both the **Design Brief** attachment and **Designer** assignment are available
  * **Ready to Start**
    * Designer is identified and the request is ready for work preparation
    * Click **Start Design** when the assigned designer begins the work
  * **Design Started**
    * Designer works on the design concept
    * Images, notes and design progress can be updated in the request
    * Click **Submit for Review** when the design is ready for review
  * **Submitted for Review**
    * Design is submitted for internal review
    * Reviewer can click **Prepare Precal** or **Rework**
  * **Rework**
    * Review comments are addressed and the design is corrected
    * Click **Resubmit for Review** after the corrections are completed
  * **Ready for Precal**
    * Request is ready for pre-cal BOM creation
    * Use **Add Precal** to create or open the linked pre-cal BOM
    * SarasX automatically moves the request to **Pending to Score** when the linked **pre-cal BOM** is completed
  * **Pending to Score**
    * Upload the score document in the request attachment section
    * While uploading, set the attachment **Type** to **Product Score**
    * SarasX automatically moves the request to **Ready for Presentation** when the score document is detected
  * **Ready for Presentation**
    * Pre-cal BOM is complete and request is ready for presentation review
    * Reviewer can click **Start Technical** to continue or **Reject Concept** to stop the request
  * **Ready for Technical**
    * Design Request is ready for detailed technical drawings and detailing
    * Reviewer can click **Prepare Design File** when technical preparation is complete
  * **Ready for Design File**
    * Request is ready to be converted into a linked design file
    * Use **Create Design File** to generate the linked design record from the request and pre-cal BOM
    * SarasX automatically moves the request to **Request Closed** when the linked **Design File** and linked completed **Design File BOM** are detected
  * **Request Closed**
    * Design Request workflow is complete

Some stages also allow **Add Comment** so that users can record working notes directly in the workflow context. Many workflow actions also require a comment when the user confirms the action.

**Important**: Workflow buttons are role-based. Depending on responsibility and permission, actions may be visible only to users such as **DesignDirector**, **Designer**, **DesignReviewer** or **DesignAdmin**.

===== Complete the Brief =====

The **Brief Pending** stage is used to confirm that the Design Request has the required brief document attached.

  * Open the Design Request
  * Upload the brief in the **Attachment** section
  * While uploading, set the attachment **Type** to **Design Brief**

The brief can be in any practical format such as:

  * Excel
  * Word
  * PDF
  * PowerPoint
  * scanned document
  * image

**Important**: The file format is flexible, but it must be uploaded with attachment type **Design Brief** so SarasX can recognize it correctly in the workflow.

===== Assign the Designer =====

The **Ready to Start** stage is used to confirm which designer will work on the request.

  * Open the Design Request
  * Select the responsible designer in the **Designer** section
  * Save the request after assignment

This assignment makes ownership clear for the team and prepares the request for the next working stage.

===== Create the Pre-cal BOM =====

The **Ready for Precal** stage is used to create the **pre-cal BOM** for the request.

  * Open the Design Request
  * Move it to the stage where **Add Precal** is available
  * Click **Add Precal**
  * System will open or create the linked **pre-cal BOM**
  * Fill the required BOM details
  * Save the BOM
  * Change the BOM status to **Mark Complete**

**Important**: To complete this step, the user must create the linked **pre-cal BOM**, enter the required BOM details, save the BOM and then change its status to **Mark Complete**. Once SarasX detects that the linked pre-cal BOM exists and is marked complete, the Design Request will automatically move to the next workflow stage.

===== Upload the Product Score =====

The **Pending to Score** stage is used to confirm that the presentation scoring document has been attached to the Design Request.

  * Open the Design Request
  * Upload the score document in the **Attachment** section
  * While uploading, set the attachment **Type** to **Product Score**

The score document can be uploaded in the business format used by your team, provided it is tagged correctly during upload.

**Important**: SarasX clears this stage only after the score document is attached and marked with attachment type **Product Score**.

===== Create the Design File =====

The **Ready for Design File** stage is not just a reference stage. It performs an actual SarasX action.

  * Open the Design Request
  * Move it to the stage where **Create Design File** is available
  * Click **Create Design File**

System will automatically take the following actions:

  * create a new record in **Design Master**
  * copy the request details into the design file
  * copy the **pre-cal BOM** into the new design file
  * link the design file back to the Design Request

After the design file link is created, the Design Request can complete its closing logic in the workflow.
After the design file link is created, SarasX closes the Design Request only when the linked **Design File BOM** is also available and marked complete.

===== Use the Designer Dashboard =====

The **Designer Dashboard** is used to review work from multiple operational angles.

From the dashboard, users can also take direct working actions such as:

  * add a new Design Request from the **+** button in a lane
  * generate the report available for that dashboard list
  * move items up or down within a lane to adjust working priority

==== By Status ====

Use this view to see how many requests are waiting in each workflow stage such as:

  * Concept Proposed
  * Concept Accepted
  * Brief Pending
  * Ready to Start
  * Design Started
  * Submitted for Review
  * Rework

==== By Designer ====

Use this view to see the active requests grouped by assigned designer.

==== By Requestor ====

Use this view to review requests based on who initiated the request.

==== By Category ====

Use this view to review requests by business category such as **Home Decoration**, **Jewellery** or **Accessory**.

==== By Product Type ====

Use this view to review requests by more specific product grouping.

===== Important Points =====

  * Design Request can be created from **Search**, **Quick Add** or **Dashboard**
  * The **Quick Add** and dashboard popup both contain **Header** and **Additional Info** tabs
  * **Design Edition**, **Price Range** and **Design Channel** may be mandatory
  * The workflow is action-driven and users should use the buttons shown in the **Workflow** panel
  * **Brief Pending** is cleared only when the required brief and designer assignment conditions are satisfied
  * **Ready for Precal** is the stage for building the **pre-cal BOM**
  * **Create Design File** creates a new linked design master record and copies request + pre-cal BOM data into it