1. What is PQM Free?

PQM Free is a production workflow management plugin for WordPress. It helps small production teams organize tasks, track work progress, manage production statuses, communicate with clients and view essential production reports directly inside the WordPress admin panel.

The plugin is especially useful for businesses where work passes through multiple internal stages before it is completed. Examples include print shops, workshops, small manufacturing companies, service departments, custom product businesses and internal production teams.

What PQM Free is designed for

• Creating and managing production tasks.
• Tracking the current status of each task.
• Organizing work by departments or production stages.
• Keeping task notes and communication in one place.
• Using a client panel for controlled task-related communication.
• Sending basic email notifications through the WordPress email system.
• Viewing essential reports about production activity.

What PQM Free is not

PQM Free is not a full ERP system, accounting system, warehouse system or courier integration platform. It is a practical production workflow foundation for WordPress. Advanced automation, warehouse management, CRM, shipping integrations, mobile apps and extended analytics belong to the separate PQM Pro ecosystem and optional Pro modules.

2. How the PQM Workflow Works

PQM is built around a simple production flow: a task is created, assigned to a status or department, updated during production and finally completed, cancelled or marked as a complaint when needed.

Basic workflow example

1. New task is created — a production job enters the system.
2. Task is reviewed — the team checks files, notes, deadline and client data.
3. Task moves to production — the status changes to an active production stage.
4. Task passes through departments — for example prepress, printing, finishing and packing.
5. Task is completed — production is finished and the task is archived or marked as done.
6. Reports use task data — statuses, dates and departments help generate production insights.

Example for a print shop

3. Requirements and Recommended Setup

PQM Free runs inside WordPress, so the reliability of your WordPress installation, hosting environment and email configuration affects how smoothly the plugin works.

Recommended technical requirements

• WordPress 6.0 or newer.
• PHP 7.4 or newer.
• MySQL or MariaDB supported by WordPress.
• Modern browser for the WordPress admin panel.
• Administrator access to WordPress.
• Working WordPress email delivery.

Recommended WordPress setup

• Use a reliable hosting environment.
• Keep WordPress, plugins and themes updated.
• Use SSL/HTTPS on your website.
• Use regular backups before production use.
• Use a staging copy for testing updates when possible.

Email delivery requirements

PQM uses the standard WordPress email system. If your WordPress installation cannot send emails correctly, PQM email notifications may also fail.

• Test basic WordPress email delivery.
• Use SMTP if your hosting server does not send emails reliably.
• Configure SPF, DKIM and DMARC records for your sending domain.
• Check spam folders during first tests.

4. Installation

Install from WordPress admin

1. Log in to your WordPress admin panel.
2. Go to Plugins → Add New.
3. Search for PQM or upload the plugin ZIP file.
4. Click Install Now.
5. Click Activate.

After activation

After activation, PQM adds production management screens to your WordPress admin area. Depending on your configuration and plugin version, these screens may include tasks, departments, settings, calendar, reports, client communication and help/about pages.

First test after installation

1. Open the PQM admin menu.
2. Create one test task.
3. Change its status.
4. Add a test note.
5. Check whether the task appears in the task list and reports.
6. Test email notification delivery if you use email features.

5. First Setup Checklist

The best way to start with PQM Free is to configure only the elements you actually need. A simple workflow is easier for your team to learn and maintain.

Recommended setup order

1. Review general settings — check company and plugin settings.
2. Create or review statuses — define how tasks move through production.
3. Create departments — match your real production areas.
4. Test task creation — create a sample job and move it through statuses.
5. Test email delivery — verify notifications before using them with clients.
6. Check reports — confirm that tasks are counted as expected.
7. Train your team — explain when and how statuses should be changed.

Questions to answer before daily use

• Who creates new production tasks?
• Who updates task statuses?
• Which statuses mean active production?
• Which status means completed?
• Which status means cancelled?
• Which department is responsible for each production stage?
• Should clients receive email notifications?
• Who checks reports and production progress?

6. Production Tasks

A task is the main production object in PQM. It represents work that needs to be produced, processed, checked, delivered or completed by your team.

What should a task contain?

• Clear task name — use a name that your team can understand quickly.
• Client or customer information — useful for communication and identification.
• Status — shows the current stage of the task.
• Department — shows who is responsible for the current production stage.
• Production notes — important instructions, quantities, materials or special requirements.
• Dates — creation date, planned date, deadline or completion date depending on your workflow.
• Files or references — if your configuration supports file-related workflow.

Good task naming examples

Daily task handling

1. Open the task list at the beginning of the workday.
2. Filter tasks by active status or department.
3. Check deadlines and priority items.
4. Move tasks to the correct status when work starts.
5. Add notes when something important happens.
6. Move the task forward when a department finishes its part.
7. Mark the task as completed only when production is really finished.

7. Statuses: How to Design a Good Workflow

Statuses are one of the most important parts of PQM. They tell your team what is currently happening with each task.

Recommended basic statuses

Status best practices

• Use short and clear names.
• Avoid duplicate statuses with similar meaning.
• Do not change status names too often after production use begins.
• Make sure your team knows when each status should be used.
• Keep special statuses such as completed, cancelled and complaint consistent.

8. Departments and Production Stages

Departments help divide work between internal teams, machines or production stages. They make it easier to see where a task currently belongs.

Examples of departments

How many departments should you create?

Create departments that match real responsibility areas. If a department does not change who works on the task or how the task is managed, it may not need to be a separate department.

Department best practices

• Use departments to show responsibility.
• Use statuses to show progress.
• Do not create too many departments at the beginning.
• Keep names short and understandable for production staff.
• Review department usage after a few weeks and simplify if needed.

9. Client Panel and Communication

The client panel helps keep task-related communication connected to the production task. This can reduce confusion caused by scattered emails, phone notes or separate communication channels.

What the client panel is useful for

• Sharing selected task information with a client.
• Keeping messages connected to the task.
• Receiving client comments or confirmations.
• Reducing repeated questions about production progress.
• Keeping communication history available for the team.

Recommended communication rules

• Use clear and professional messages.
• Do not include sensitive internal notes in client-facing messages.
• Confirm important production decisions in writing.
• Use task notes for internal production details.
• Use client communication for information that the client should see.

10. Email Notifications

PQM Free can use WordPress email functionality to send basic notifications. This can help inform clients or internal users about important task events.

Before enabling email workflow

1. Check that WordPress can send emails.
2. Check your sender email address.
3. Configure SMTP if your hosting email delivery is unreliable.
4. Send a test message.
5. Check spam and junk folders.
6. Confirm that task email fields contain correct addresses.

Common email problems

11. Calendar and Production Planning

The calendar view helps visualize production tasks over time. It is useful for checking upcoming work, reviewing deadlines and understanding production load.

How to use the calendar effectively

• Enter realistic task dates.
• Use clear task names so calendar entries are easy to read.
• Keep statuses updated so the calendar reflects real progress.
• Use the calendar for planning, not as the only source of production truth.
• Check the task list when you need detailed task information.

Calendar troubleshooting

• If tasks do not appear, check whether they have dates assigned.
• If colors or statuses look wrong, check status configuration.
• If the calendar does not load, check browser console errors.
• If caching plugins are active, clear cache and reload the admin page.

12. Reports and Production Insights

Reports help you understand production activity. They can show how many tasks were created, completed, delayed, cancelled or assigned to different statuses or departments.

How to make reports more accurate

• Make sure tasks have correct statuses.
• Use completion status only when work is truly finished.
• Use cancelled status for jobs that should no longer be produced.
• Use complaint status for quality issues or rework.
• Keep task dates accurate.
• Train your team to update tasks consistently.

How to read production reports

13. Recommended Daily Routine

PQM works best when it becomes part of your daily production routine. The team should update tasks during real work, not only at the end of the day.

Morning production check

1. Open the task list.
2. Check new and active tasks.
3. Review urgent deadlines.
4. Check tasks waiting for client or materials.
5. Assign or move tasks to the correct departments.

During production

1. Update status when work starts.
2. Add notes when something important happens.
3. Move the task to the next department after finishing a stage.
4. Mark blocked tasks as waiting instead of leaving them in progress.

End-of-day review

1. Check tasks still in progress.
2. Complete finished tasks.
3. Review blocked or delayed tasks.
4. Check whether any client communication is still waiting.
5. Review basic reports if needed.

14. Data Quality Best Practices

PQM stores production workflow data. The better your team enters data, the more useful the system becomes.

Rules for clean production data

• Use consistent task names.
• Do not create duplicate tasks unless necessary.
• Use statuses according to team rules.
• Complete tasks when they are actually finished.
• Use cancelled status instead of deleting business history.
• Add notes for important production decisions.
• Review old open tasks regularly.

Common mistakes

• Leaving finished tasks in progress.
• Using too many similar statuses.
• Adding production details only in external emails.
• Not updating departments when work moves forward.
• Not testing email delivery before client use.

15. Troubleshooting Guide

Tasks are missing from the list

• Clear search filters.
• Check whether completed tasks are hidden.
• Check whether cancelled tasks are hidden.
• Confirm that the task was actually created.
• Check user permissions.

Task changes are not saved

• Refresh the page and try again.
• Check whether your WordPress session expired.
• Disable browser extensions that may interfere with admin pages.
• Check WordPress debug logs for PHP errors.
• Check for conflicts with security or optimization plugins.

Email notifications do not work

• Test WordPress email delivery.
• Configure SMTP.
• Check spam folder.
• Check sender and recipient addresses.
• Check whether email features are enabled in plugin settings.

Reports look wrong

• Check selected date range.
• Check task statuses.
• Check whether completed/cancelled tasks are included or excluded.
• Check if tasks were updated consistently by the team.

Calendar does not load

• Clear browser cache.
• Check browser console for JavaScript errors.
• Check whether another plugin is causing admin script conflicts.
• Disable optimization/minification plugins for admin pages if needed.

16. Backups and Updates

Production workflow data can be important for your business. Treat it as operational data and protect it with regular backups.

Before updating PQM

1. Create a full WordPress database backup.
2. Create a backup of WordPress files.
3. Test the update on a staging site if possible.
4. Check task creation, status changes, emails and reports after updating.

Recommended backup frequency

• Daily backups for active production use.
• Extra backup before plugin updates.
• Extra backup before major workflow changes.
• Off-server backup storage when possible.

17. PQM Free, PQM Pro and Optional Pro Modules

PQM Free is designed as a practical production workflow foundation. PQM Pro is designed for companies that need advanced production control, stronger automation, deeper reporting and optional modules.

Optional Pro Modules are not included in PQM Free. They are part of the separate PQM Pro ecosystem and may be available depending on product version, license, roadmap and implementation status.

18. Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use PQM Free for real production?

Yes. PQM Free can be used as a practical production workflow system for small teams. Before using it with real business data, configure your workflow, test email delivery and create backups.

Can PQM Free replace a full ERP system?

No. PQM Free is a production workflow plugin for WordPress. It can help organize tasks and production communication, but it is not a full ERP, accounting, warehouse or shipping platform.

Do I need WooCommerce?

Some workflows may work without WooCommerce, but WooCommerce-related order workflows require WooCommerce. Check your configuration and use case before relying on WooCommerce integration.

Why are my reports not accurate?

Reports depend on task data. If tasks are not completed, statuses are not updated or dates are missing, reports may not reflect real production activity.

Why are emails not delivered?

PQM uses the WordPress email system. If WordPress mail is not configured correctly, PQM emails may not be delivered. Configure SMTP and test email delivery.

Are Pro modules included in PQM Free?

No. Optional Pro modules are not included in PQM Free. They are part of the separate PQM Pro ecosystem.

Can I upgrade from PQM Free to PQM Pro later?

PQM Pro is designed as an advanced path for businesses that need more production control. Always create a full backup before upgrading or changing production workflow tools.

19. Glossary

20. Support and Next Steps

Before requesting support, collect basic technical and workflow information. This makes it easier to understand the problem and provide useful guidance.

Information useful for support

• PQM version.
• WordPress version.
• PHP version.
• WooCommerce status, if your workflow uses WooCommerce.
• Short description of the issue.
• Steps needed to reproduce the issue.
• Screenshots, if they help explain the problem.
• Relevant error messages from WordPress debug log or browser console.

This documentation is provided for PQM Free users. Feature availability may vary depending on plugin version, configuration and product edition.