Material Usage Reports
Track which filament materials are most popular and plan your inventory accordingly
Overview
The Material Usage Leaderboard ranks filament materials by how frequently they're used in your completed orders. This data helps you identify your most popular materials, plan inventory purchases, and understand client preferences. The leaderboard only counts completed orders within the selected time range.
Tip: Material names must be specified in orders to appear in the leaderboard. Orders without material information are excluded from the analytics.
Material Usage Leaderboard
What It Shows
The leaderboard table displays materials ranked by usage frequency. Only the top 5 materials are tracked and displayed (materials ranked 6th and beyond are not shown).
- • Data Source: Completed orders in selected time range
- • Material Field: Uses order.material property
- • Filter: Only orders with non-empty material names count
- • Display Limit: Maximum 5 materials shown (top 5 only)
- • Pagination: Shows 10 items per page (relevant if you have 5+ materials)
Table Columns
Position number (#1, #2, #3, etc.) based on usage frequency. Top 3 materials highlighted with different background color.
Material name as entered in orders (e.g., "PLA", "PETG", "ABS", "TPU", "Nylon"). Names are case-sensitive and must match exactly to be grouped together.
Number of completed orders using this material in the selected time range. Displayed with shopping cart icon.
Percentage of total orders using this material. Calculated as: (Material Orders / Total Orders with Materials) × 100.
Horizontal progress bar showing usage percentage visually. Helps quickly identify dominant materials.
Footer Statistics
Below the table, a footer displays three aggregate metrics:
- • Total Materials: Count of unique materials (maximum 5)
- • Total Orders: Sum of all orders across all materials shown
- • Most Popular: Name of the #1 ranked material
How Material Names Are Tracked
Material Name Matching
Material names are matched exactly as entered in the order's material field. This means:
- • Case-sensitive: "PLA" and "pla" are counted as different materials
- • Whitespace matters: "PLA " (with trailing space) differs from "PLA"
- • Brand included: "Hatchbox PLA" differs from "PLA"
- • Color excluded: Material name should not include color (use color field instead)
Best Practices for Consistency
- • Use standardized material names across all orders (e.g., always "PLA", never "pla" or "Pla")
- • Don't include brand names in material field (use a separate field or notes)
- • Avoid trailing spaces or special characters
- • Create a material naming convention and stick to it
- • Common standard names: PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU, Nylon, ASA, PC (Polycarbonate)
Orders Without Material Data
Orders with empty, null, or undefined material fields are excluded from the leaderboard:
- • Not counted in "Total Orders" footer statistic
- • Don't affect percentage calculations
- • Won't appear in leaderboard even if you have many such orders
Using Material Usage Data
Inventory Planning
- Stock popular materials: Keep 2-3 spools of top 3 materials on hand to avoid delays
- Order in bulk: Purchase #1 material in larger quantities for volume discounts
- Minimize rare materials: Stock 1 spool or less of materials outside top 5
- Track consumption rate: Use 1M view to estimate monthly material usage
Client Preferences
- Understand demand: High PLA usage suggests hobby/prototype clients
- Adjust offerings: Promote materials you have in stock (top 3)
- Educate clients: Suggest top materials for cost-effectiveness
- Seasonal trends: Use 1Y view to identify if material preferences change by season
Pricing Strategy
- Standard material discount: Offer lower prices for top 3 materials (bulk purchasing)
- Premium material pricing: Charge more for materials outside top 5 (special order)
- Steer clients: Make top materials more attractive pricing-wise
- Track profitability: Compare material costs to usage frequency
Operational Efficiency
- Load printers with popular materials: Keep top 3 loaded to minimize filament changes
- Batch printing: Group orders by material to reduce printer setup time
- Quality control: Focus testing on top 3 materials to ensure consistent results
- Printer calibration: Optimize profiles for most-used materials
Interpreting Material Patterns
Common Material Distribution Patterns
Common for hobbyist/consumer market. Easy to print, inexpensive, beginner-friendly. Indicates general-purpose printing business.
Suggests functional/engineering parts. PETG for strength and ABS for heat resistance. Indicates professional/industrial clients.
Niche material. Presence indicates specialized capabilities and technical expertise. Premium pricing opportunity.
Diverse client base with varied needs. Requires broader inventory but shows versatility and wider market appeal.
Seasonal and Trend Changes
- • Compare 1M vs. 3M vs. 1Y to identify shifting preferences
- • Growing PLA usage might indicate more consumer/hobby orders
- • Increasing engineering materials (PETG, ABS) suggests business growth into professional market
- • New materials appearing in top 5 indicates evolving client needs
Empty States and Troubleshooting
No Material Data Available
If the leaderboard shows an empty state:
- • Package icon displayed
- • Message: "No material data available"
- • Hint: "Create orders with materials to see usage"
This means either no completed orders exist in the time range, or all orders have empty material fields.
Common Issues
Problem: "PLA", "pla", and "PLA " appear as separate entries.
Solution: Standardize material names in existing orders. Update old orders to match your naming convention.
Problem: You know you used a material, but it doesn't appear.
Solution: Check if orders using that material are marked as completed, within selected time range, and have material field filled.
Problem: Material shows fewer orders than expected.
Solution: Try "ALL" time range to see total historical usage. Verify material names are spelled consistently.
Best Practices
- Always fill material field in orders - Ensures accurate tracking and useful analytics
- Use consistent naming - Standardize on "PLA", "PETG", "ABS", etc. (all caps, no variations)
- Review monthly - Check material usage with "1M" range to plan next month's inventory
- Track top 3 materials - Keep these in stock at all times to minimize delays
- Compare time ranges - Use 1M vs. 3M vs. 1Y to identify trends and seasonal patterns
- Clean up old orders - Update historical orders to standardize material names for better analytics
- Set reorder points - When material drops below threshold, reorder before running out