The stages, in order
Each build order moves through these stages. The order page shows the stage it is in and the date it reached each one before.
| Stage | What happens | Moved by |
|---|---|---|
| Intake | Files received and the product described. We confirm everything parses. | Starts here when you ask for a quote |
| Fit report review | The operator reads your latest fit report, if you have one. No new check runs here. A fit check is a separate order that measures the board against its case: clearance, stack height, mounting holes, and connector openings. | The operator |
| Quote | The operator confirms or revises the rate card estimate and sends you the quote to approve. | The operator |
| Approved by you | You review the quote and the fit report and give the go. | You |
| Operator review | A Safegrows operator checks the files, the fit report, the quote, and picks the shop before anything is committed. Every order passes through a person here. | Automatic, right after your approval |
| Fabrication | Boards are fabricated and the case is produced. | The operator, with a verified shop assigned |
| Assembly | Parts are placed, soldered, and the unit is assembled into its case. | The assigned shop, or the operator |
| Testing | The shop powers the unit on and records photos of it. No compliance testing. | The assigned shop, or the operator |
| Shipping | Packed and handed to the carrier with tracking. | The assigned shop, or the operator |
| Delivered | In your hands. | The operator |
Who moves each stage
- The operator moves a new order from intake to fit report review, then sets the quote.
- You approve the quote. The order then goes to operator review on its own.
- Only the operator starts fabrication, with a verified shop assigned, and only the operator marks an order delivered.
- The assigned shop moves the order through assembly, testing and shipping, each with a note for the record.
Stopping an order
You can cancel your own build order from its page up to and including the Operator review stage. After that the shop has started, and only the operator can stop it.
How long it takes
We do not promise a time for each stage yet. A shop states its own lead time on its listing, and the directory marks it as stated. Measured times fill in only from builds a shop has delivered, never from what a shop says about itself.
Following your order
- Every stage change is recorded in the order's history with its date, and with the note the operator or the shop left.
- Your order page shows every change, so it is the one place to follow an order.
- A shop sees only the orders assigned to it, from fabrication onward. It never sees your other projects.