Your project is reviewed and approved before machining begins. At each stage, you will know what has been agreed, what information is still needed and what happens next.
Project lifecycle
- Enquiry received: you send an idea, sketch, technical request or seller/batch brief.
- Information review: Wood to Spec identifies any missing dimensions, files, material choices, quantities or responsibilities.
- Feasibility review: geometry, tool access, workholding, fit risk and dispatch constraints are considered.
- Quote issued: you receive the proposed scope, assumptions and exclusions in writing.
- Approval: you approve the quoted revision and any agreed test or prototype route.
- Test or prototype: a physical sample can answer a proportionate design, fit or finish question before a batch.
- Machining: only the approved revision enters production.
- Checks: agreed critical features, quantities and visible condition are checked.
- Packing and dispatch: parts are prepared for the quoted UK-mainland courier or postal service.
The acknowledgement or quotation identifies the next action and who needs to take it. Any production timing is specific to the actual job; the initial-response target is not a promised workshop slot.
When a project is paused
A project may pause because information is missing, a material is outside the service scope, geometry cannot be machined safely, design rights are unresolved, dispatch is unsuitable or approval has not been received. Wood to Spec will explain the reason and the practical next step. If the work cannot be accepted, you will be told plainly.
A pause should come with a practical next step
You may be asked to supply mating hardware, choose between two material routes, confirm your right to use artwork or revise a parcel constraint. Once that question is answered, review resumes from the affected stage; information that is still current does not need to be sent again.
Changes after approval
If geometry, material, quantity or finish changes, the affected parts of the quote and feasibility review may need to be revisited. Previous files remain distinguishable from the current approved version. Use part IDs and revisions.
See the workshop stages
The CNC workshop examples show how a settings test, full-size prototype, repeated sheet layout and CNC-completed part answer different questions. They are internal demonstrations or work from the earlier CNC offering, not Wood to Spec customer testimonials.
If a project changes after quotation
If a quoted prototype changes material or quantity, the earlier approval may no longer cover the work. Wood to Spec will review the affected geometry, material, fit, cost, packing and production timing again. You only need to clarify the changed information, provided the current revision and quantity remain unambiguous.
Decisions recorded through the project
| Stage | What you can expect | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Enquiry received | An acknowledgement and any essential follow-up questions | Sending a form is not mistaken for job acceptance |
| Quotation | Scope, assumptions and exclusions tied to a revision | You can see exactly what your approval covers |
| Change review | Reconsideration of the affected fit, cost or test decision | A late change cannot silently enter production |
| Production | Machining and checks against the approved information | Parts and quantities remain traceable through dispatch |
Problems this process is designed to prevent
An acknowledgement could be mistaken for a confirmed slot
Messages distinguish between received, under review, quoted, approved and scheduled. Your workshop slot is confirmed through the quotation and approval process, not by the initial acknowledgement.
It is unclear who must supply missing information
If something is missing, you will be told what it is and whether it must come from you, Wood to Spec or an external specialist.
A prototype result could be separated from its revision
The sample, material, question being tested and resulting decision are linked to the approved project information.
Dispatch information could be lost before a problem is reported
Order, packing and tracking information is retained according to the published privacy and service terms so an issue can be investigated.
Information that keeps your project clear
- the enquiry route that best describes your project;
- the files supplied and their current revision;
- any missing information and who will provide it;
- the quoted scope, assumptions and exclusions;
- your explicit approval;
- any test or prototype decision;
- the revision released for production;
- agreed checks and quantities;
- packing and dispatch details; and
- the previous order and revision used for a repeat enquiry.
Questions people ask
When does work begin?
Only after the actual quote, revision and approval requirements are satisfied; an enquiry receipt is not scheduling.
What happens if information is missing?
The project pauses with a specific question and recovery action rather than continuing on an assumption.
Does a material change need another quote?
It needs review because fit, tooling, finish, stock and cost may change; the commercial effect is then confirmed.
Response and production timing
An initial response is normally sent within 1–2 working days. This is an initial-response target, not a production lead time or confirmed workshop slot. The quotation records production timing, material supply, included stages, dispatch assumptions and approval requirements for the actual job.