Stone Fabrication Software Data Export Checklist

To evaluate a stone fabrication software data export, ask the vendor to export a representative sample and check that another person can reconstruct its meaning outside the application. Verify identifiers, linked records, line items, files, dates, and status definitions. Agree in writing what can be retrieved, in which formats, by whom, at what cost, and under what access conditions. A successful download alone does not establish a usable exit plan.

A shop downloads its job list before switching systems. Customer names and totals appear in the file, but the approved drawings, line items, and slab allocations are missing. The team has a spreadsheet and still cannot explain an active kitchen.

Define What You Need to Keep

Start with the records your shop must use after a transition or for its own approved recordkeeping. Identify current jobs, customers, quotes, approved orders, material records, schedules, financial documents, and supporting files relevant to your agreed scope.

Separate a human-readable archive from reusable structured data. A PDF can preserve a quote’s presentation. A structured line-item file may be needed to analyze or import quantities and prices. One format does not automatically meet both needs.

A data export is also different from a backup. The export test asks whether your authorized team can retrieve and understand the agreed records. Backup and recovery require their own scope and verification. Do not assume that one establishes the other.

Ask for a Representative Test

Use a synthetic example or information your shop is authorized to share. Include an open job with more than one room, a revised drawing, a selected material piece, and a financial document. Avoid transferring unnecessary customer or employee information during evaluation.

Ask the vendor which parts of the sample can be exported today and which need separate downloads, assistance, or another service. Record the actual answer rather than turn a verbal assurance about “all your data” into a complete technical requirement.

For a planned migration, this test complements the software migration checklist. Export usability is a purchasing and continuity question even when you are not yet moving.

Original Export Requirements Worksheet

Use these fields to record evidence for each record type. The worksheet is vendor-neutral and does not assert that Stonify or another product supports every listed export.

• Record type and business reason for keeping it.

• Fields needed, including stable job, customer, document, or piece identifiers.

• Related records that must remain traceable.

• Available format and a sample file actually received.

• Attachments or drawings included, and how separate files are identified.

• History or revision information included or excluded.

• Who may request or perform the export, and any assistance required.

• Charges, retrieval time, access conditions, and post-cancellation arrangements.

• Reconciliation checks performed, unresolved gaps, and the reviewer.

• Written vendor confirmation of the agreed scope.

Have the person who will use the files review them. An owner can approve the commercial requirement, but the estimator, warehouse lead, or bookkeeper may recognize missing context that a generic export demonstration overlooks.

Test Relationships, Not Only Rows

Check whether a job can be matched to its customer, quote lines, current drawing, reserved pieces, and relevant documents using the delivered identifiers. A customer name alone can be ambiguous when several jobs belong to the same builder.

Inspect units and definitions. Does a material quantity mean finished square feet, purchased slab area, or piece count? Does a payment amount represent a receipt, an application to an invoice, or a balance? Keep the vendor’s explanations with the export record.

Check dates and version labels too. If a file contains several revisions, the reviewer should be able to identify the approved one. A folder of drawings is insufficient if their relationship to the job cannot be established.

Original Example: Reconstruct a Sample Kitchen

Create a hypothetical sample job J-310 with customer C-44, two rooms, quote Q-310 revision B, slabs S-51 and S-52, and one deposit receipt. Ask for the agreed exports and attachments.

A second employee receives only the delivered files and the vendor’s data definitions. Ask them to identify the customer, chosen quote, current drawing, allocated pieces, and how the receipt relates to the job. Record which answers come from the files and which still require opening the application.

If the export has a job total but no quote lines, note that gap. If slab IDs appear but the piece file omits dimensions, note that separately. Do not call the sample complete because the number of jobs matches.

The example illustrates a test design, not a guarantee about any vendor’s export formats or import compatibility.

Reconcile the Sample Before Accepting It

Compare the exported sample with the agreed source records. Check record counts, selected totals, identifiers, attachment counts, and the meaning of each status. Totals need a consistent basis; for example, a tax-inclusive order should not be compared with a subtotal without explaining the difference.

Open a selection of the delivered files using the tools your team intends to keep. Check that text is readable, relevant files open, and the structure remains understandable without an undocumented manual step.

Record unresolved gaps with the vendor and agree on the response before purchase. If a required output is future development, evaluate the software on what is available now rather than assume the planned output will arrive when needed.

Confirm Retrieval Conditions in Writing

Ask how your team obtains an export during normal use and before ending service. Confirm which actions require an administrator or vendor assistance, any applicable charge, and how much time the process needs.

Have your authorized reviewer check the agreement’s access and retention terms. This article does not establish a legal right to particular records, a retention period, or a deadline. Translate your operational needs into requirements the vendor actually confirms.

The broader fabrication software evaluation guide covers comparing the complete system and implementation scope.

Evaluate Stonify With the Connected Job in Mind

Stonify’s public quoting, inventory, and scheduling pages describe connected quotes, individual material records, drawings, and job tasks. That connection makes Stonify a strong candidate for shops trying to stop rebuilding the job across separate tools.

It also gives you a concrete export test. Ask how the records that matter to your shop can be retrieved and understood together. This article does not verify Stonify’s complete export scope, file formats, fees, retention periods, or post-cancellation access. Obtain those answers for your required setup.

Test One Job Before Choosing Software

Book a Stonify demo and bring the export requirements worksheet. Review a connected sample job, identify the records your shop needs to retain, and ask for a demonstrated export scope and written answers before making your software decision.