2.6.1 Overview — why leaving all Auto-Suggestions ON saves time
Overview — why leaving all Auto-Suggestions ON saves time
2.6.1 TIP auto
Spectre Cloud includes a suite of auto-suggestion features that automatically populate recommended values across spec sheets as you work — finger and thumb sizes, pitches, spans, surface finishes, and more. These suggestions are grounded in IBPSIA standards and the bowler's own fitting history. This page explains what the auto-suggestion system does, why it is designed to be left on by default, and when manual override makes sense.
✨ What Auto-Suggestions Do
As a spec sheet is filled in, Spectre Cloud's auto-suggestion engine monitors the values entered and surfaces recommended figures for fields that haven't been completed yet. Suggestions draw from two sources:
- ✅ IBPSIA standards — industry-recognised starting points for pitch, span, and sizing based on hand measurements and grip style.
- ✅ Bowler history — values from the bowler's previous spec sheets, weighted toward their most recently drilled equipment.
Together these sources mean that for a returning bowler, most of a new spec sheet can be populated in seconds — and for a first-time bowler, IBPSIA-based defaults give the fitter a reliable, professionally grounded starting point rather than a blank form.
⏱️ The Time Saving Case for Keeping Auto-Suggestions On
The cumulative time saved by auto-suggestions is significant in a busy pro shop. Consider a typical spec sheet workflow:
| Task | Without Auto-Suggestions | With Auto-Suggestions |
|---|---|---|
| Returning bowler — same grip style | Re-enter all values from memory or a paper record | Review pre-populated values, confirm or adjust, done |
| New bowler — first fitting | Calculate IBPSIA starting points manually | IBPSIA values suggested automatically; adjust from there |
| Cloned spec sheet — new ball | Re-enter all values from the original sheet | History-based suggestions pre-fill unchanged values |
| Multi-ball session — same bowler | Repeat full entry for each ball | Consistent values suggested across all sheets in the session |
Across dozens of fittings per week, the difference between reviewing a pre-filled form and building one from scratch adds up to hours of saved time — and reduces the risk of transcription errors introduced by manual re-entry.
🛡️ Auto-Suggestions Are Starting Points, Not Locks
Every auto-suggested value in Spectre Cloud can be overridden manually at any time. The suggestion engine is designed to do the heavy lifting on values that are likely to be correct, so the fitter's attention can focus on the values that require judgment.
- ✅ Accept a suggestion by leaving the field as populated — no extra step needed.
- ✅ Override a suggestion by simply typing or selecting a different value — the system does not resist or warn against overrides.
- ✅ Overridden values are saved to the bowler's history and inform future suggestions — the engine learns from actual drilled values, not just IBPSIA defaults.
- ❌ Auto-suggestions are not a substitute for a physical fitting — always verify suggested values against the bowler's hand before drilling.
Note: A suggestion appearing in a field does not mean it has been confirmed or saved. Always review every field on a spec sheet before saving, regardless of whether the value was suggested or entered manually.
🔌 Which Fields Are Covered by Auto-Suggestions
Auto-suggestions apply across a range of spec sheet fields. The exact set of suggested fields is configurable — individual suggestion types can be turned off in Settings if your shop's workflow calls for it. The full list of configurable auto-suggestion settings begins at 2.6.2. Fields that can be auto-suggested include:
- ✅ Finger hole sizes
- ✅ Thumb hole size
- ✅ Finger and thumb pitches
- ✅ Span measurements
- ✅ Surface finish recommendations
- ✅ Layout values (where a structured layout type is selected)
Note: ⚠️ Verify with your Spectre team: confirm the complete list of fields covered by auto-suggestions, and whether any fields are always suggested regardless of individual toggle settings.
⚙️ When Turning Off Individual Suggestions Makes Sense
While leaving all auto-suggestions on is the recommended default, there are legitimate reasons to disable specific suggestion types:
- ✅ Training new staff — turning off suggestions temporarily forces trainees to calculate values independently, building genuine fitting knowledge rather than relying on the system.
- ✅ Specialist fitting styles — shops with highly specific surface or pitch philosophies may prefer not to have IBPSIA defaults suggested, as they create an extra dismiss step in every fitting.
- ✅ Data integrity during migration — when importing legacy data, turning off history-based suggestions prevents old records from influencing new fittings until the imported data has been reviewed.
- ❌ Turning off all suggestions globally is not recommended for ongoing shop use — the time cost accumulates quickly and the risk of manual re-entry errors increases.
🌐 Auto-Suggestions Across Devices
Because Spectre Cloud is cloud-based, auto-suggestion data — including the bowler's fitting history that informs suggestions — is available on every device logged into the account. A fitting started on a desktop in the morning will inform suggestions on a tablet in the afternoon, with no manual sync required.
- ✅ History-based suggestions are consistent across all devices in real time.
- ✅ IBPSIA-based suggestions are the same regardless of device or location.
- ✅ Multi-location shops benefit from shared suggestion history across sites — a bowler fitted at one location will have their history available at any other location on the same account. ⚠️ Verify with your Spectre team: confirm whether bowler fitting history is shared across locations on a multi-location account, or whether it is scoped per location.
Related Sections
- 2.6.2 — Auto-suggestion settings: finger hole sizes
- 2.6.3 — Auto-suggestion settings: thumb hole size (if applicable)
- 2.6.x — Individual auto-suggestion toggle pages
- 4.x — Spec Sheet: reviewing and confirming auto-suggested values
- 9.x — Tips and Troubleshooting: auto-suggestions not appearing
Tip: Think of auto-suggestions as a well-trained assistant who has read every spec sheet your shop has ever produced. They will pre-fill the form based on what has worked before — but you are always the fitter, and the final call is always yours.
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