Working With Estimates

In this page, we will look at how you can work with your Estimates.

 

The Review Status

The Review field, which is in the Estimate's Identification tab, enables you to track the review status and define whether a specific Estimate needs to be reviewed, by selecting one of the available options: "need review", "no review needed", and "reviewed". You can then use the Review Notes field to any add notes related to the review.

Note: If the Estimate is in the Review status, it will not be possible to change the Estimate status to approved or send proposal.

To be able to edit these fields, however, your iQuote User must have the Edit Review access control. You can grant access to this control to a User Profile by navigating to Administration > User > User Profile and clicking the Permissions tab.

 

Estimate Status

When you create the Estimate, the system automatically assigns a tag 0 status (e.g., "New Estimate") to the new record. However, as you move forward with the Estimate that you created, you can change its status to keep track of the negotiation stage that the record is currently in. You can also use the status as a way to restrict the Users, giving permission for each User to edit the Estimate according to which status the record is in.

Note: You must first create and configure the statuses that you want to use through the Estimate object. For more information about that, see Status.

To change the Estimate status, access your Estimate and click on the arrow next to the current status.

The system displays a list of the next possible statuses in the workflow, according to what you configured in the Estimate object.

Some status change (e.g., when going to the Release to production status or similar) requires you to provide some complementary information. In that case, the Status changing window opens.

Fill in the fields as necessary, such as to select which Option was approved, and click Confirm. The Estimate status changes.

 

If you approve your Estimate (i.e., change the status to Release to production or similar), the system automatically creates a Job record related to it so that it can begin to keep track of the production. However, note that it is not possible to create more than one Job record related to the same Estimate.  See more information about this subject on How To Create a Job.

 

The Estimator Field

This feature’s goal is to make it possible to assign iQuote Users as Estimators, link this information to the Estimate record and keep it all through the production process. For that, you can use the Estimator field in the Estimate's Identification tab:

Note: This field is not mandatory and you can clear it afterwards.

 

The Estimator information is also be available in the Negotiation tab’s header:

Note: You cannot edit the Estimator field in this tab, only in the Identification tab.

Other than that, the Estimate history displays any changes that you make to the Estimator in the History tab  (Sales > iQuote > Estimate > edit an Estimate > History tab > Changes tab).

Note: When you duplicate an Estimate, the system keeps the Estimator information. You can edit it afterwards.

Note: The system does not display the Estimator information on the Job screen.

The Estimator is also available in the object workflow so that it is be possible to assign events:

 

Estimator in the User Record

You can set iQuote Users as Estimators by checking the “Estimator” parameter in the User's screen.

From the iQuote main page, go to Administration > User > User.

In the User browser, click to edit the User that you want to assign as Estimator.

Under Basic Information, select the Estimator check box.

Note: The same User can be defined as a CSR and an Estimator.

 

User record browser

You can use the "Estimator" User role as a filter in the User browser and you can also add it as a column in the list. 

To add the Estimator field to a searching profile, go to the User browser at Administration > User > User.

Click the Searching setup button. The Searching Setup window opens.

Create a profile or select an existing one and click Edit.

Under “Field” click the drop down menu to choose Estimator. Click Save.

The system now displays the Estimator field on the User browser.

To display the Estimator field in the User’s browser as a column, click on Views.

Select the Estimator parameter.

Click Record User View to show this information by default.

 

Note: Estimate Standards - Default Automatic Filling

You can set the system to automatically populate the Estimator field with a default user through the Estimate Standards page. With this configuration, whenever a User that is not recorded as an Estimator creates an Estimate, the system populates the Estimator field automatically. Even so, it is possible to edit this information later.