24.1 What an Estimate Represents

An Estimate represents expected charges for products or services before those charges become an Invoice.

Create an Estimate when your organization's workflow calls for a formal estimate before billing.

24.2 Starting an Estimate

When your account has Estimate creation access, start from the Estimates workspace or use the Estimate Quick Action.

Before creating a new Estimate, search for an existing record for the same Customer and transaction.

24.3 Selecting the Customer

The Estimate form includes a Customer selection.

Select the correct Customer before entering transaction details. The Customer relationship is fundamental because the Estimate can later be converted into an Invoice and can also be reviewed from the Customer relationship.

24.4 Selecting a Project

When the selected Customer has applicable Projects, the Estimate form can provide a Project relationship.

Select a Project only if the Estimate belongs specifically to that Project.

24.5 Estimate Dates

Review the transaction date and the applicable expiration or validity date presented by the Estimate form.

Dates should reflect the actual period for which the Estimate is being issued.

24.6 Currency

The Estimate uses the applicable transaction Currency available in your tenant.

Customer-related financial rules may influence which currency is used. Ordinary users should select from or accept the currency presented by the CRM rather than changing global currency configuration.

24.7 Estimate Items

Add the products or services being estimated using the available item controls.

Review:

  • Item or description.
  • Quantity.
  • Rate.
  • Applicable tax.
  • Line amount.
  • Transaction total.

If an existing Item accurately represents the product or service, use it rather than creating inconsistent free-form descriptions for the same offering.

24.8 Discounts and Adjustments

Estimates can include discount and adjustment controls where available in the transaction form.

Verify the selected discount type and value before saving. A financial adjustment should have a legitimate transaction purpose and should not be used to disguise an incorrect line item.

24.9 Additional Transaction Information

The Estimate form can include other operational fields such as tags, an assigned sales user, notes, terms, and transaction-specific information made available by your tenant.

Complete those fields according to the transaction rather than changing tenant-wide setup.

24.10 Saving an Estimate

  1. Open the Estimate creation workflow.
  2. Select the correct Customer.
  3. Select the appropriate Project if applicable.
  4. Review transaction dates.
  5. Review the Currency.
  6. Add the correct items.
  7. Verify quantity and rates.
  8. Verify tax, discounts, adjustments, and totals.
  9. Complete other operational fields.
  10. Save the Estimate.
  11. Open the saved Estimate and review it again.

24.11 Editing an Estimate

When your account has Estimate editing permission, modify the existing Estimate when it remains the same transaction.

Take additional care when editing an Estimate that has already been sent or acted upon. The revised CRM record should accurately represent what the Customer is being asked to review.

24.12 Estimate Best Practices

  • Search before creating.
  • Use the correct Customer and Project.
  • Verify all financial values.
  • Keep validity dates accurate.
  • Review after saving.
  • Edit rather than duplicate when the transaction is the same.
  • Do not modify global financial setup as part of normal Estimate entry.
Write Your Comment