ProtoLedger

ProtoLedger is a web app (with optional mobile companion) for product designers and small hardware teams to track prototype iterations like a lightweight accounting ledger. Each build gets a version card that logs BOM changes, supplier quotes, lead times, unit cost, build notes, photos, test results, and decision rationale. It auto-generates a clean “why we changed this” timeline for stakeholders and future you. The AI component can parse invoices/quotes and extract line items into the BOM, flag cost creep, and suggest which parts are driving variance across iterations. This is not CAD and not PLM; it’s the missing middle for teams who are too small for enterprise tools but too busy to maintain messy spreadsheets and folders. Exportable reports help with handoffs to manufacturers, grant applications, and internal reviews.