Why should I wait for “Confirmation” before starting production?

In 2026, customization is a massive trend, but it is also where the most errors occur. Catching a misspelling or a wrong size selection before you cut the material saves you 100% of the material cost. The "Pre-Production Message" acts as your final legal and financial safeguard against customer error.

How does “Batching” my tasks improve my profit margins?

Successful operators use the “Gather and Group” method. Instead of finishing one order at a time, you gather materials for 10 orders at once and group similar tasks (e.g., doing all cutting, then all assembly). This reduces "context switching" and ensures your equipment—like 3D printers or ovens—operates at maximum efficiency.

What are the 2026 rules for “Digital Receipts” for materials?

The ATO is increasingly strict on digital record-keeping. Use the Sole App to snap photos of receipts for raw materials immediately. Sole’s OCR technology extracts the GST and total, categorizing it as Cost of Goods Sold (COGS). This provides an accurate, real-time view of your Gross Margin on every order.

Can I claim the cost of “Wasted Stock” or damaged items?

Yes. Materials damaged during production or returns that cannot be resold are considered business losses. Recording these in Sole ensures your end-of-year “Stock on Hand” valuation is accurate, reducing your taxable income by reflecting the true value of your inventory.

Why is “Payment Before Dispatch” the gold standard for eCommerce?

You should never ship a product before funds have cleared. By using the WorldPay link in Sole, you can offer Apple Pay and Google Pay. These payments clear almost instantly, allowing you to move from “Order Received” to “Shipped” without the 3-day wait often associated with traditional bank transfers.

How do I use the “Production Prep” AI prompt to reduce waste?

By pasting order details into the ChatGPT prompt, the AI acts as a Quality Assurance Manager. It can identify technical oversights, such as checking the shelf-life of adhesives or ensuring you have sufficient protective packaging for fragile items, preventing costly shipping errors.

Pre-task checklist for retail, ecommerce and manufacturing teams

Prepare orders and production tasks efficiently

Errors here = returns, remakes, wasted stock, poor reviews.

This checklist ensures accuracy before production or dispatch.

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Production and dispatch scheduling process for retail and ecommerce businesses to manage fulfillment capacity and batch production

Wrong specs = wasted production

Making the wrong item, size, or colour without a pre-production spec check destroys your margin before the order ships.

No payment before production = financial exposure

Custom orders started without upfront payment can leave you holding unsellable stock if the customer cancels.

Missing materials = delays and disputes

Discovering you're out of stock mid-production after promising a delivery date damages customer trust and creates fulfilment failures.

Why production and fulfilment problems happen before the order is made

For solo sellers, makers, and micro-manufacturers, the most expensive mistakes happen before production starts: wrong specifications not caught upfront, missing materials discovered mid-run, and payment not confirmed before work begins. All of these are preventable with a simple pre-production checklist. This checklist gives you a five-section pre-production process: confirm the order specs in writing, verify customer and shipping details, check all required materials are in stock, confirm pricing and payment, and send a professional pre-production confirmation message before starting. Use the two AI prompts to run a final spec check before production begins, or to generate a professional pre-production confirmation message your customer will appreciate.

What You Get

5-Section Pre-Production Checklist

Confirm order specifications in writing, verify customer and shipping details, check all materials and stock are available, confirm pricing and payment received, and send pre-production confirmation message.

Pre-Production Message Template

A professional copy-paste message to send before starting any custom or made-to-order production — confirming specs, timeline, and payment received.

2 AI Prompts + 7 FAQs

Prompt A - runs a pre-production gap check on your order details.
Prompt B - generates a professional confirmation message. The 7 FAQs cover confirming before production, batching orders, digital receipts, claiming wasted stock, safe drop delivery, and AI for waste reduction.

preview

A preview of what's inside

Here are the first three items from Section 1 of your free checklist:

Confirm the exact product, variant, size, colour, quantity, and any customisation details against the original order.

Review any special instructions or notes provided by the customer with the order.

For custom orders: confirm the design, artwork, or specifications are approved in writing before starting production.

+ 4 more sections, pre-production message template, two AI prompts, and 7 FAQs — all inside the free download. Unlock Full Checklist — Free

Who It’s For

Built for solo product sellers and small-scale manufacturers operating in Australia.

Online store owners

Market stall operators

Makers & artisans

Micro-manufacturers

Custom product sellers

Handmade goods sellers

ATO & Compliance Note

Important

Raw materials, packaging, production supplies, and shipping costs are all deductible Cost of Goods Sold for retail and manufacturing sole traders. The instant asset write-off threshold (currently $20,000 for eligible assets) may allow you to deduct the full cost of production equipment in the current financial year. Track all costs in Sole.

Download your free checklist

Enter your details and we'll send the Pre-Production Checklist for Retail & eCommerce straight to your inbox.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions

Should I always confirm order specifications in writing before starting production?

Yes — always, for every custom or made-to-order item. Verbal confirmations lead to disputes when the finished product doesn’t match what the customer claims they requested. Get written approval of the specs (via email, message, or Sole invoice description) before a single item is made.

Is it worth batching similar orders to save materials and time?

For standard product lines, batching is highly efficient and reduces per-unit material and time costs. For custom orders, batching is riskier — any error affects multiple units. Check carefully that all batched custom orders have identical specifications before running them together.

Can a customer cancel a custom or personalised order after production has started?

If you have collected a non-refundable deposit upfront (as recommended for all custom orders), you are entitled to retain that deposit if the customer cancels. State this clearly in your terms and conditions before accepting any order. Include the deposit terms on your Sole invoice so the customer has it in writing before they pay.