Create Estimate

Explanation

This activity is used to create an estimate revision. The estimate revision consists of; versions and item records. An estimate is used to retrieve a sales price for all top items of different items types, contained by the estimate tree structure. There are two options to create an estimate:

• Using an assistant that guides you through the steps. The user assistant is divided into two steps and covers both mandatory and optional data. It can be started from:
  •  A selection of opportunity lines related to the same revision of the business opportunity. The revision status must be Active and the status of the lines must be either Unconfirmed or Confirmed.
  • A selection of sales quotation lines related to the same sales quotation. The sales quotation line status must be Released.
• Manual entry. First create the estimate header, including estimate description etc., and then add the items records.

When entering a new estimate, the following information retrieves default values: company, currency. It is possible to change the default values. In the General tab can enter optional information for the estimate such as; responsible person, estimate type, estimate classification etc. For an estimate revision by default one version is created. A default version is always established when the estimate is created. It is possible to create several versions to handle the quantity breaks and differentiated offering to different customers. When a new version is created, all costs, insecurities and markups are copied from the previous version.

For each item record added to the estimate is it mandatory to select a customer defined item type. Each of these customer defined item types are connected to a reference item type, Generic and Product, determining which required and optional data to enter. The reference item type controls the assembly of the estimate tree structure and how costs, insecurities and markups are handled when calculating.

Also in the Customers tab specify one or several customers possible to connect to the versions of the costs calculated for the tree structure. All customer categories can be selected without restrictions.

Prerequisites

• For being able to process the estimate, a company must exists and estimate cost type connections must have been established.
• Currency code records for the estimate company must exist in the Currency Codes window.
• A default currency rate type with rate type category normal must exists, with the reference currency equal to the accounting currency for the estimate company.
• Estimate Item Types must have been established with connections to the reference item types.
• If customer(s) shall be connected to the estimate then at least one customer record must exist.

System Effects

As a result of this activity, an estimate revision is created and receives InProgress status.  Besides a default cost version is created and also InProgress status. The estimate keeps track of the cost figures calculated for the versions and items during the estimate process.

Window

Estimate

Related Window Descriptions

Estimate

Procedure

Manually by using the Estimate window:

1. Open the Estimate window.
2. Create a new record.
3. Enter an estimate description.
4. Default company appears automatically. Can select any other company that is listed for your user.
5. The accounting currency for the estimate company appears automatically. Possible to select any other currency that is listed for the estimate company selected.
6. In the Revision Description field, enter a brief description of what the intension is with the estimate revision. Save your record
7. Click the General tab and if required enter information such as; responsible person, valid until date etc.
8. Optional is also to specify one or several customers with interests in the estimate.

By using the right-mouse button on Business Opportunity line

1. Open the Business Opportunity window.
2. Click on the Opportunity Lines tab.
3. Create records for the parts to estimate; non-existing part, existing sales part or a combination.
4. Select the records and right-click, execute the option New Estimate.
5. In the first step you will specify the general information for the estimate, i.e., the header.
6. In the second step you may create top item records with individual required dates based on customer defined item types connected to a reference item type, Generic and Product. When finished with the assistant, a new estimate revision with a default version is established. It contains a tree structure holding the top item defined in this step of the assistant.

By using the right-mouse button on Sales Quotation line.

1. Open the Sales Quotation  window.
2. Click on the Quotation Lines tab.
3. Create records for the parts to estimate.
4. Select the records and right-click, execute the option New Estimate.
   Note: The sales quotation line must have a sales quantity larger than zero and the status must be either Planned or Released. Package sales part type isn't handled by estimate.
5. In the first step you will specify the general information for the estimate, i.e., the header.
6. In the second step you may create top item records with individual required dates based on customer defined item types connected to a reference item type, Generic and Product. Product can only be created when the sales quotation line is of type inventory part. For sales parts of type non-inventory part only Generic estimate items can be created.
7. When finished with the assistant, a new estimate revision with a default version is established. It contains a tree structure holding the top item defined in this step of the assistant.

Note: The estimate tree structure can hold more than one top item, with independent structures, costs, insecurities and markups.