Help Articles Separating Rooms from Jobs in Cabinetshop Maestro

Separating Rooms from Jobs for Optimized Workflow

Managing complex cabinet shop projects often requires breaking jobs into smaller, more manageable parts.

In Cabinetshop Maestro, the "Rooms" feature allows you to subdivide jobs into logical sections that can move through the workflow board independently of the parent job. This flexibility helps streamline production, particularly when different parts of a job progress at different paces.

This article explores how and when to separate rooms from jobs on the workflow board, as well as how to optimize visibility and organization when using this feature.


The Problem: Jobs with Multiple Components Moving at Different Speeds

In a typical job, not all components progress through production simultaneously. Some parts may need to be completed earlier than others, such as:

  • A batch of drawer boxes being built and finished before the rest of the job.
  • Doors being outsourced for finishing, requiring them to be tracked separately.
  • A special cabinetry section (e.g., a built-in bookcase) moving faster or slower than the kitchen cabinets within the same job.
  • Large projects with multiple rooms, such as a full-home cabinetry install, where different areas (kitchen, bath, office) are in different production stages.

The Solution: Enabling Rooms to Move Independently on the Workflow Board

By default, rooms are nested within a job and move through the workflow board together. However, you can separate a room by selecting "Show this ROOM on Workflow Board separately from JOB? " This allows the room to be managed independently while still remaining linked to the parent job.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Go to the Job Folder and create or open a room.
  2. Enable Independent Tracking by selecting the "Show this ROOM on Workflow Board separately from JOB?" checkbox.
  3. Assign the Room a Milestone so it moves through the workflow board like a standalone job.
  4. Track Progress Separately: The room now appears as its own entity, ensuring better visibility and control.

Practical Applications: Rooms as Batches, Sections, or Components

The term "Room" might sound limiting, but in Cabinetshop Maestro, a "Room" can represent:

  • A batch of cabinets that need to be cut, assembled, and installed separately.
  • All the doors for a job, which might need a different workflow than the cabinet cases.
  • A specific cabinetry section, like a bar area or laundry room, that follows a different timeline than the main kitchen.
  • Custom components (e.g., floating shelves, a decorative range hood) that require separate tracking.

Best Practices for Managing Separated Rooms

While this feature provides significant flexibility, here are a few best practices to keep everything organized:

  1. Use Color Coding for Cohesion
    • If a job has multiple rooms that are separated, color-code the parent job so that all its rooms inherit the same color on the workflow board.
    • This ensures that visually scattered rooms remain easy to identify and track.
  2. Hiding the Parent Job When All Rooms Are Separated
    • If a job has no remaining open tasks and all its rooms are separated, you can hide the parent job from the workflow board by assigning its milestone to "None."
    • This keeps your board cleaner and avoids redundant job entries.
  3. Reattaching Separated Rooms Back to the Parent Job
    • If needed, separated rooms can be returned under the parent job by setting their milestone to "None."
    • This means a room can initially move separately but later reattach to the parent job for final processing, invoicing, or completion tracking.

Real-World Example: Managing a Kitchen Job with Multiple Moving Parts

Let’s say you’re building a large kitchen with:

  • Cabinets for the main kitchen
  • A separate island that needs a unique finish
  • A pantry with custom shelving
  • Floating shelves that require special fabrication

Instead of tracking everything under a single job milestone, you can:

  • Create rooms for "Island Cabinets," "Pantry Shelving," and "Floating Shelves."
  • Mark the island to move separately since it needs a different finishing process.
  • Keep the pantry and main kitchen under the parent job since they follow the same timeline.
  • Monitor floating shelves separately since they’re a specialty item needing extra attention.

Once the floating shelves and island are finished, they can be reattached to the main job by setting their milestone to "None." This allows them to be grouped back into the larger project for final delivery and installation.


Conclusion: Take Control of Your Workflow

Separating rooms from jobs in Cabinetshop Maestro offers next-level flexibility for managing complex projects. Whether you’re tracking separate cabinetry components, managing production batches, or streamlining multi-room projects, this feature ensures nothing gets lost in the mix.

By following best practices like color-coding jobs, properly managing milestones, and reattaching rooms when necessary, you can maintain a clean and efficient workflow board that adapts to the way your shop operates.


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