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Creating and managing estimates
Creating and managing estimates
Updated over a month ago

Creating and managing estimates in Commusoft allows you to efficiently provide quotes to customers, streamline the approval process, and convert accepted estimates into jobs. Estimates can be created through the customer's property page or directly from the diary. This feature offers customizable options, including adding parts, setting pricing displays, and scheduling invoices, making it a valuable tool for sales and project management.

View Setting

➡️ Navigate to a Customer record > On-going Works > Add New Estimate

Adding a New Estimate

➡️ Add New Estimate

  1. Complete the form with relevant information about the estimate.

    • Check the 'Book into diary after adding estimate' box to schedule it as a diary event.

  2. Click 'Add estimate' at the bottom of the page.

  3. If 'Book into diary' was selected, navigate through the diary to schedule the estimate as an event. Choose the date, time, and engineer, and adjust any details in the sidebar if necessary.

Completing an Estimate

➡️ Estimate details

  1. Survey Tab: View and edit the estimate details, including date, description, engineer notes, and diary events. Add invoice item categories if needed.

  2. Enter the introduction and body text. You can manually type these or use pre-configured estimate templates.

  3. Parts Section: Add parts to the estimate, which will carry over to the job if the estimate is accepted.

  4. Select your supplier.

  5. Search and Add Parts

    • Search your suppliers for available items in your system. The selected parts will automatically populate the estimate.

    • Choose whether each part comes from your stock or supplier. Both options will display in the estimate's Price area for potential breakdown.

  6. Request Prices from Suppliers

    • Click Request prices from suppliers to open a sidebar module, allowing you to send a price request via email.

    • After sending the request, a confirmation email with a link to the supplier portal will be sent. To ensure your supplier receives access to the supplier portal, include the supplier_parts_quotation tag in your Supplier Parts Quotation Email Message within the system settings.

  7. Supplier Portal and Price Comparison

    • Your supplier portal provides a desktop/mobile-friendly view for suppliers to input their quotes directly.

    • Once suppliers respond, their quotes will appear in your estimate parts table and automatically update in the Parts Management system.

    • You can now compare supplier prices, using filters to identify any outdated or pending parts.

  8. Choose the most suitable parts for the estimate. A grey clock symbol indicates any quotes older than 30 days, potentially requiring an update.

  9. Confirm your selection and add the chosen parts to the estimate.

  10. Price Display Options

    • Choose how you’d like to display the price:

      • No Breakdown: A single line item showing only the total price.

      • Breakdown by Category: Divides the estimate into categories such as labor and parts.

      • Full Breakdown: Lists each individual item.

      • Full Breakdown by Category: Groups individual items by category.

  11. Invoice Schedule

    • Set up the payment terms for the estimate. Options include upfront payment, payment upon job completion, or a specified number of months after completion. You may also split the payment by entering specific amounts or percentages (e.g., 25%).

  12. Send to Customer: Preview the estimate, print or email it, and attach terms and conditions if needed.

  13. Accept the Estimate this converts it to a Job.

    • Upon converting the estimate to a job, the estimate parts will transfer as job costs and appear under the Parts section.

    • All quote requests and responses are stored in the supplier’s Notes section, ensuring all pricing details remain accessible.

Adding an Additional Option to an Estimate

➡️ Quicklinks

  1. Select Add additional option from the Quick Links menu. A pop-up window will appear with two options:

    • Clone the Existing Estimate: This option is useful if you're making minor changes, as it creates a duplicate of the current estimate that you can edit.

    • Create a New Blank Option: Choose this if you want to build a new option from scratch, which is helpful for scenarios that require more significant changes.

  2. Once the additional option is created, it will appear as another line item in the estimate options list. Click Edit next to the new option to make changes.

    • Modify the following fields as needed:

      • Estimate Body: Update the description and details for this option.

      • Budget/Cost: Adjust the budget or cost calculations.

      • Price: Set the pricing for this option.

      • Invoice Schedule: Update the invoicing schedule, if applicable.

  3. Click Save

Clone Estimate

➡️ Quick links

  1. Select Clone estimate from the Quick Links menu.

    • A pop-up box will appear. Type clone into the box to confirm the action, then click to complete the cloning process.

  2. Edit the Cloned Estimate (Optional)

    • Once the estimate has been cloned, you will see the new estimate with all details copied from the original. You can now edit any details as needed, including dates, description, pricing, and other information specific to the new request.

Delete Estimate

➡️ Quick links > Delete > Type Delete > Delete

Transfer Estimate

Transferring an estimate is beneficial for sending an estimate to multiple customers without retyping all details. If an estimate is similar to another one you need to create, you can clone it, transfer it to the new property, and use it as a specialized template.

➡️ Navigate to the Estimate

  1. Click View to open the estimate.

  2. In the Survey details section, click Edit in the top-right corner.

  3. Scroll down and click on Advanced options.

  4. Update the Property details by selecting the correct customer or property to which you want to transfer the estimate. If needed, adjust the Date.

    • Remember to review and edit the information to ensure accuracy.

  5. Click Transfer to finalize the action.

If tags were used in the estimate template, they may display information from the original customer. Tags generate when the estimate is first created, so when transferred, they retain the initial customer’s details. Manually update the text fields to reflect the new customer information as needed.

Editing an Estimate

➡️ Navigate to the Estimate

  1. Click 'View' to open it.

  2. Click 'Edit' in the top-right corner of the screen. This will allow you to modify key details, including:

    • Date: Change the scheduled date if needed.

    • Description: Update the description to reflect any changes.

    • Engineer Notes: Add or edit notes for the engineer to ensure they have the latest information.

  3. Use the navigation menu on the left side of the screen to access and edit each section of the estimate:

    • Survey: Update details like the date, description, and invoice item categories.

    • Introduction and Body: Modify the introduction or body text if required.

    • Parts, Price Display, and Invoice Schedule: Adjust parts, pricing options, and invoice schedules as necessary.

  4. Click 'Save'.

Office Tasks

➡️ Office tasks tab

Office tasks

Notes and Communications

➡️ Notes and Communications tab

  1. Use this section to record notes relevant to the estimate, such as access details, location of spare keys, or any specific instructions.

  2. Click Add Note to open a page where you can input new details.

  3. Select Email, SMS, or Phone Call beneath the search and filter bar to log each type of communication.

    • You can record communications such as emails, SMS messages, or phone calls directly against the estimate.

    • For Emails and SMS messages, tagging options are available to personalize communication.

  4. Utilize the search bar in the top left of this section to locate specific notes or communication records quickly.

  5. Use the Filter option to view specific communication types, such as Emails, SMS, or Phone Calls. This helps in reviewing individual communication channels instead of a combined chronological list.

Reminders & Notifications

➡️ Reminders & Notifications tab

  1. Select Add new reminder on the right.

  2. Set Reminder Details

    • Choose the date, add notes, and assign the reminder to specific users.

  3. Click Add reminder to save.

Attached files

➡️ Attached files tab

  1. Click Add new file on the right-hand side.

  2. Click Click to upload and select the file you want to attach.

    • Ensure it’s within the 32 MB limit.

  3. Once uploaded, the file will automatically save and appear in the list of attached files for this estimate.

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