Sidekick brings Sherpa to the production floor.
Built for real shops where production is not sitting next to the office computer.
Run Sidekick on iPads in the shop to count, inspect, approve, pack, and ship without paper or interruptions.
Built for production
-
Production-first workflows, not a tiny website on an iPad
-
Local-first + auto-discovery, multiple iPads per shop
-
Office stays private, production sees only what they need
Why Sidekick • How it works • Workflows • Status Board • Hardware • Requirements • FAQ
Why
Why Sidekick exists
Most software is built for the office. Production happens behind a door, across a big shop, surrounded by ink, screens, water, and motion.
The office computer is too far away
Production needs job info right where the work happens, not where the invoices live.
Laptops and desktops don’t belong in production
Too fragile, too stationary, too slow to interact with when hands are busy.
Paper is the default when software can’t reach the floor
Sidekick replaces printouts, pen marks, and shouted questions with live workflows.
Ideal for:
-
Multi-person shops with a separated office + production area
-
Shops doing regular counting, uniforms, or screen tracking
-
Shops replacing paper travelers and whiteboard chaos
How
Office + Production, finally in sync
Sherpa runs the business side. Sidekick runs the production side. Everything stays inside your shop network.
Sherpa (Office)
Customers, pricing, job setup, workflow, approvals, production details.
Sidekick (Shop)
Counting, screens, artwork inspection, press sample approvals, packing, shipping, roster completion.
Local Sync
Sidekick auto-finds Sherpa on your network. No sensitive data shipped to a cloud.
Sidekick is free on the App Store. Requires a Sherpa Pro Shop license to connect and run.
Big buttons for gloved hands
Foot pedal support
QR and barcode scanning
Multi-iPad support
Workflows
Production workflows, built in
Not office features squeezed onto an iPad. Sidekick is purpose-built for production: fast counting, screen lifecycle tracking, artwork inspection, press sample approvals, roster completion, and shipping.
Counting built for production, not spreadsheets
Fast counting, clear visibility by size, and fewer mistakes when hands are busy.
-
Big tap targets for quick counting
-
Count by 1s, 10s, or dozens (configure for your shop)
-
One-tap “count all” and “reset to none” actions
-
Optional audio cues for increments and decrements
-
Adjust counts when the distributor ships short or production loses a piece
Keep hands on apparel with foot pedal control
When you’re counting stacks or checking off uniforms, touching a screen is the slow part.
-
Supports PageFlip Dragonfly (4 pedals)
-
Increment and decrement counts with your foot
-
Mark roster items complete hands-free
-
Optional audio feedback so you never look away mid-motion
Screen lifecycle management, right on the floor
Track impressions, cleanings, age, and maintenance so you pick the right screen for the job.
-
Assign screens to job items quickly
-
Track impressions, cleanings, re-screens, age
-
Built-in condition assessment to reduce screen pops and quality issues
-
Tension checks and maintenance reminders
-
Scan QR codes with a NetumScan handheld barcode scanner via Brother P-Touch PT-610BT labels to pull screens instantly
Artwork that production can actually inspect
Zoom in, pan around, and verify what comes off the press matches the job.
-
View artwork and variants per job item
-
See ink or thread specs (PMS, names, thread numbers)
-
Inspector mode for press checks and detail verification
-
Designed for touch, fast zoom, no tiny UI
Press sample approvals that don’t get skipped
Stop expensive “we printed the whole run wrong” moments by making approvals part of the workflow.
-
Log who approved and when
-
Keep production aligned with shop owner sign off
-
Reduces wasted blanks, ink, and labor
-
Lightweight, fast, and built for real production pace
Roster workflows for uniforms and teams
See every name, size, and placement, then mark items done without losing your place.
-
Roster view per job item
-
Quick completion toggles
-
Designed for high-volume checklist rhythm
-
Foot pedal compatible for hands-free completion
Packing and shipping without office bottlenecks
Production sees packing rules and can ship fast without asking the office for details.
-
Fold, bag, roll, band, hang tag, stickers, UPC instructions
-
Copy shipping fields to clipboard for any shipping app
-
Rollo workflow support: quickly prep address for label creation
-
Track packages, weights, dimensions, carriers, methods, and tracking numbers
-
Scan tracking numbers with a NetumScan handheld barcode scanner instead of typing long strings
Status Board
A live status board for the whole shop
Run Sidekick on a dedicated iPad connected to a TV so jobs, goals, and announcements are visible to everyone.
What it shows
-
Jobs list: what production should work on next
-
Goals: daily targets or priorities
-
Announcements: reminders and change notices
-
Out of shop: who’s unavailable today
-
Optional: auto-show the board when Sidekick opens
Hardware
Works with the gear shops actually use
brother PT-610BT Label Printer
Print QR labels for screens from Sherpa in batches, so production can scan and identify screens fast.
P-Touch Label on Screen
Scan a screen’s QR label to pull it up instantly in Sidekick, then track impressions, age, and maintenance in real time.
NetumScan Scanner w/ Dock
Scan QR codes and shipping tracking numbers in seconds so staff isn’t stuck typing long codes with messy hands.
Apple iPad in Rugged Case
A production-ready iPad setup that survives shop life and keeps Sidekick fast, touch-first, and easy for anyone to use.
PageFlip Dragonfly Pedals
Hands-free control for counting and roster workflows so you can keep both hands on apparel while you work.
Rollo Wireless Label Printer
Speed up shipping by copying addresses from Sidekick and generating labels fast, without retyping customer details.
Production gets what they need, not what they shouldn’t see
-
No payment amounts or sensitive customer billing details in Sidekick
-
Production interface stays focused and simple
-
Data stays within the shop network
What's Required
Requirements
iPadOS 15.8.3 or newer
Sherpa Pro Shop license
-
Sidekick is free on the App Store
-
Requires Sherpa Pro Shop license to connect and run production
-
iPad + local network connection to the Sherpa computer
-
Supports multiple iPads connected to one Sherpa instance
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs
No. Sidekick is production-specific. Sherpa stays in the office, Sidekick stays on the floor.
Operations are designed to run inside your shop network.
There is some minor functionality such as opening your Color Mix Instructions URL that may require access to the Internet.
Yes. Press-side, shipping-side, plus a status-board iPad is a common setup.
No. Sidekick is designed to avoid exposing sensitive office information.
Sidekick matters most once production is not sitting next to the office computer.
Yes. Sidekick is built for hands-busy workflows.
Put Sherpa where the work happens
Sidekick gives production a fast, touch-first workflow on rugged iPads, while Sherpa keeps the office running the business.
Requires Sherpa Pro Shop
Bits & Grit
Real stories, smart tools, and workflow ideas for people who get things done.
SubscribeProud member
© 2023- Ministry of Bits, LLC. All rights reserved.
Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.