Skip to main content

Terminology

This page defines the core terms and concepts used across Caramel. If you encounter an unfamiliar label, status, or concept while working with orders, items, processes, or accounting, refer to this page.

How to use this page

Use site search or your browser’s in-page search (Ctrl / Cmd + F) to quickly find a term.

General concepts​

Article​

An Article represents the type or nature of an item. Examples include hat, t-shirt, pants, or jacket.

Articles usually act as the base element for defining operations and pricing rules.

Option​

An Option is an additional attribute applied to an Article, such as color, pattern, material, or size.

Options help describe the final form of an item and may affect pricing depending on configuration.

Operation​

An Operation is an action performed on an item.
Examples include washing, ironing, repairing, or selling.

Operations are executed during the process stage and tracked by the system.

Pricing is also defined based on Operations.
Combining Operations with Articles and Options allows more precise pricing.
These pricing rules are configured in the Service Configuration page.

Groups & catalogs​

Article group​

A collection of multiple Articles grouped together.

In the Drop-off page, Article groups may appear as Categories and are often the first selectable column.

Option group​

A collection of related Options used to simplify selection and management.

Service​

A Service is a logical grouping of multiple Operations (for example: Cleaning, Repair, Ironing).

Services help organize operations and simplify configuration and reporting.

Items & records​

Item​

Core

An Item is the result of combining an Article with the selected Options.

Each Item belongs to a Customer and represents a physical object. Items can be reused across multiple orders by scanning their barcode.

Record​

A Record is an order-specific instance of an Item.

  • Each Item creates one Record per order
  • Records only exist during the lifetime of an order
  • All operations, statuses, and tracking data are stored on the Record
Important distinction

Items can be reused across orders, but Records are temporary and tied to a single order.

Container​

A Container is a physical or logical storage location where Items are placed.

Examples include shelves, racks, boxes, or bins. Containers may have capacity limits.

Statuses & states​

Pending​

A pre-confirmation state.

  • In Orders: the initial state of an order or when it is being edited
  • In Accounting: payments that are not yet completed

Draft​

Similar to Pending.

Indicates that an order is still in its initial or editable state and has not been finalized.

Overdue​

  • In Orders: the expected ready time has passed and the order is delayed
  • In Accounting: the payment due date has passed
Configuration dependent

What counts as Overdue may depend on time and deadline settings.

Pricing & configuration​

Service Configuration​

Defines how Operations are priced based on Articles and Options.

Pricing is typically configured as a matrix that determines the final price & cost for each combination.

Business entities​

Customer​

Any individual or company that generates revenue for the business.

This includes sales of goods or services as well as other financial interactions such as fees or settlements.

Vendor​

Any individual or company that creates expenses for the business.

This includes suppliers, contractors, personnel, and other cost-related entities.

Branch​

Represents a physical or logical branch of the business.

Used mainly by organizations with multiple locations.

Role​

Defines a user’s responsibility and access level within Caramel.

Examples include manager, receptionist, guard, operator, driver, or tailor.

Search & filtering​

Exception​

Special conditions usually available in search filters.

Exceptions allow filtering edge cases or uncommon scenarios that are not covered by standard filters.

Order lifecycle​

Drop-off​

The first step of registering an order from a customer.

Assign​

The stage where barcodes are assigned or edited for Items.

In many workflows, this step is already completed during Drop-off and does not require a separate visit.

Process​

The operational and tracking stage where most operational staff interact with the system.

Collect​

The final collection stage after all Items are ready, including final quality checks.

Pick-up​

  • In main or internal pages: final delivery to the customer
  • In driver pages: receiving Items from the customer

Delivery​

The final shipment of Items to the customer after preparation is complete.

Priority & operational lists​

Priority / Priorities​

Orders or Items that are marked to be handled sooner than others based on customer request.

Queue​

Items that are not yet ready, typically ordered by proximity to their ready time.

Placement​

Items that are ready but have not yet been assigned to a final storage location.

Dates & timestamps​

Date Created​

The date an Item or Order was created.

Date Confirmed​

The date an Item or Order was finalized and confirmed.

Date Ready​

  • For an Item: when all required Operations are completed
  • For an Order: when all Items within the order are ready

Date Closed​

After final delivery, an order is typically closed automatically after a defined period (usually about one week), but it can also be closed manually.

Delivery Date​

The scheduled date for delivering Items to the customer.

Pickup Date​

  • In Pick-up or Item Reports pages: the date Items are delivered to the customer
  • In Driver pages: the date Items are collected from the customer

Pick-up & quality control​

Checked Items​

In the Pick-up page, Items that were checked out using barcode or RFID scanning rather than manual confirmation.

Requested Items​

Items that were returned or flagged by quality control or authorized users for re-processing.

Accounting concepts​

Transaction​

Every accounting entity in Caramel is treated as a Transaction.

Invoices, bills, deposits, withdrawals, transfers, and adjustments are all transaction types.

Transaction type​

Categorizes transactions based on their nature, such as payment, transfer, invoice, or bill.

Transaction mode​

Used for payment transactions:

  • Deposit
  • Withdraw

Transfer​

Moving money between accounts.

A transfer consists of:

  • one withdrawal transaction
  • one deposit transaction

Statement / Check (Stmt / Check)​

Special accounting documents used for cases such as refunds, damages, or loans.

For Customers, these usually create withdrawal records. For Vendors, they usually create deposit records.

Accounting summaries​

Category​

A custom classification used to group transactions for reporting purposes.

Balance​

The difference between deposits and withdrawals.

A balance may be negative if withdrawals exceed deposits.

Invoice​

An accounting document issued to a Customer and counted as income.

Invoices can later be settled using deposits or credits.

Bill​

An accounting document issued to a Vendor and counted as an expense.

Bills can later be settled using withdrawals or credits.

Credit​

A virtual deposit or withdrawal applied to a Customer or Vendor.

  • Customers become creditors
  • Vendors become debtors

Discount​

A special type of Credit that can only be created for an Invoice or Bill.

The discount amount cannot exceed the remaining unpaid balance.

Inquiry​

A system log report generated by devices or online services such as online payments or POS terminals.

Income​

Total Invoices minus applied Credits for Customers.

Expense​

Total Bills minus received Credits from Vendors.

Profit​

Income minus Expense for a specific time period.

Cash Flow​

Total deposits minus total withdrawals for a specific time period.

Allocation​

Linking a payment transaction to an Invoice or Bill either partially or fully in order to settle it.