From fa9fa76231cd2145d975c3f044e5a183643cbf0d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Scott Pouliot Date: Sat, 25 Apr 2026 22:55:05 -0400 Subject: [PATCH] Document AI Catalog Price Check in knowledge base and help article - HelpKnowledgeBase: full AI price check section (verdicts, confidence, category paths, run limit, how to use, common questions) - Inventory help article: new 'AI Catalog Price Check' section with verdicts, step-by-step instructions, caveats, and on-page nav link Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 --- .../Helpers/HelpKnowledgeBase.cs | 36 +++++++++++++++ .../Views/Help/Inventory.cshtml | 46 +++++++++++++++++++ 2 files changed, 82 insertions(+) diff --git a/src/PowderCoating.Web/Helpers/HelpKnowledgeBase.cs b/src/PowderCoating.Web/Helpers/HelpKnowledgeBase.cs index d2906ac..f16f8f9 100644 --- a/src/PowderCoating.Web/Helpers/HelpKnowledgeBase.cs +++ b/src/PowderCoating.Web/Helpers/HelpKnowledgeBase.cs @@ -959,6 +959,42 @@ public static class HelpKnowledgeBase --- + ## AI CATALOG PRICE CHECK + + **Where:** [Catalog Items](/CatalogItems) → "AI Price Check" button (top-right of the catalog list) + + **What it does:** Reviews every active, priced catalog item against your shop's actual operating costs. For each item the AI estimates a realistic surface area and processing time, calculates a cost floor (labor + equipment + materials), then compares that to the item's current price and returns a verdict. Results are saved so you can review them any time without re-running the analysis. + + **Verdicts:** + - **Below Cost** — price is at or below the cost floor; the shop loses money on this item + - **Thin Margin** — price is above cost but below the shop's target margin + - **High** — price appears significantly above typical market rates + - **OK** — price is within a reasonable range + + **Confidence levels:** Each result shows a confidence level (High / Medium / Low) based on how specific the item name is. Vague items like "Custom Part" or "Special Job" will be flagged as Low confidence — treat those results with extra skepticism. + + **Category paths:** The AI uses the full category path (e.g. "Cerakote > Firearms") to determine the coating process. Cerakote and other specialty coatings have very different cost profiles than standard powder coat — make sure items are in the correct category for the most accurate results. + + **Run limit:** Analysis can be run once per quarter (every 90 days). The button shows the next available date when a recent run exists. This limit applies per company. + + **Before running:** Make sure your operating costs (labor rate, oven cost, powder cost, etc.) are up to date in [Company Settings](/CompanySettings). Stale costs will produce inaccurate verdicts. + + **How to use the results:** + 1. Go to Catalog Items → click "AI Price Check" + 2. Click "Analyze Catalog with AI" — a progress overlay shows estimated completion time (allow 7–10 minutes for large catalogs) + 3. Review the results sorted by severity (Below Cost first, then Thin Margin, High, OK) + 4. For flagged items, click "Edit Price" to update the price directly from the results page + 5. Items marked Low confidence should be verified manually — the AI had limited information to work with + + **Common questions:** + - "How accurate is the AI analysis?" → Results are estimates based on industry knowledge and your operating costs. Always apply your own judgment before changing prices. + - "Why is an item showing $0.00 cost floor?" → The item likely had an error during analysis. Re-run the check or verify the item has a valid name and category. + - "Can I run it more often?" → The quarterly limit is enforced to manage costs. Contact your administrator if you need an exception. + - "Items in my Cerakote category are priced wrong" → Make sure those items are in a category whose full path includes 'Cerakote' (e.g. "Cerakote > Firearms"). The AI uses the category path to determine the coating type. + - "The progress bar finished but the page didn't load" → The analysis is still running server-side. Wait for the page to redirect automatically — do not close the tab. + + --- + ## USER PROFILE **Where:** [My Profile](/Profile) — via the user menu (top-right) diff --git a/src/PowderCoating.Web/Views/Help/Inventory.cshtml b/src/PowderCoating.Web/Views/Help/Inventory.cshtml index cca40df..06de2b9 100644 --- a/src/PowderCoating.Web/Views/Help/Inventory.cshtml +++ b/src/PowderCoating.Web/Views/Help/Inventory.cshtml @@ -430,6 +430,51 @@ +
+

+ AI Catalog Price Check +

+

+ The AI Price Check reviews every active, priced item in your + Catalog Items list against your + shop's actual operating costs. It estimates a realistic surface area and processing time + for each item, calculates a cost floor, and compares that to your current price — flagging + anything that may be losing money, leaving margin on the table, or priced above market rates. +

+ +

Verdicts

+
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  • Below Cost — price is at or below the estimated cost floor. The shop loses money on every sale of this item.
    • +
  • Thin Margin — price covers costs but falls below your target margin percentage.
    • +
  • High — price appears significantly above typical market rates, which may cost you work.
    • +
  • OK — price is within a reasonable range given your costs and market context.
    • +
+ +

How to run it

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  1. Make sure your operating costs are up to date — stale rates produce inaccurate verdicts.
    2. +
  2. Go to Catalog Items and click AI Price Check in the top-right.
    3. +
  3. Click Analyze Catalog with AI. A progress overlay appears while the analysis runs (allow 7–10 minutes for large catalogs).
    4. +
  4. Review results sorted by severity — Below Cost items appear first. Click Edit Price on any item to update it directly from the results page.
    5. +
+ +

Things to know

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  • Run limit: Analysis can be run once per quarter (90 days). The button shows the next available date when a recent run exists.
    • +
  • Confidence levels: Each result shows High, Medium, or Low confidence. Vague item names like "Custom Part" will be Low — verify those manually.
    • +
  • Category paths matter: The AI uses the full category path (e.g. "Cerakote › Firearms") to determine the coating type. Make sure specialty items are in the correct category.
    • +
  • $0 items skipped: Placeholder items and category headers with no price are automatically excluded from analysis.
    • +
+ + +
+
@@ -449,6 +494,7 @@ Powder Insights Inventory Categories & Is Coating Powder Usage on Jobs + AI Catalog Price Check