52.1 Estimate Requests Overview

AIUNIFY CRM includes an Estimate Requests workflow for reviewing incoming requests that may need to become formal Sales records.

Access to Estimate Requests is permission-controlled. Depending on your assigned permissions, you may be able to view all permitted requests, view your own requests, edit a request, delete a request, or convert a request into another supported Sales record.

52.2 Opening an Estimate Request

Open the Estimate Requests workspace and select the request that needs attention.

Before changing the record, review the request information and determine whether it already has enough context to proceed to a formal Estimate.

52.3 Reviewing Request Information

The exact information on an Estimate Request depends on how the request was submitted and the fields available in the CRM.

Review the request for:

• The requesting person or business.
• The requested product, service, or work.
• Any Customer or Lead relationship.
• Contact information.
• Request details.
• The existing request Status.
• Other information presented by the request record.

52.4 Using Existing Request Statuses

When your account has the applicable edit permission, the request workflow can allow the existing request Status to be changed.

Select the Status that accurately reflects the operational state of the request.

Creating or defining organization-wide Estimate Request statuses is outside this User Operations Manual.

52.5 Deciding When to Convert

Convert a request when the information is ready to become a formal Estimate and your account has permission to create Estimates.

Before conversion, confirm that:

• The request belongs to the correct prospect or Customer.
• The requested work is understood.
• The Customer or Lead relationship is correct.
• A duplicate Estimate has not already been created.

52.6 Converting to an Estimate

When the conversion action is available:

1. Open the Estimate Request.
2. Select the conversion action.
3. Choose Estimate.
4. Select the applicable relationship when prompted.
5. Choose the correct Customer or Lead record presented by the conversion workflow.
6. Continue into the Estimate creation process.
7. Review the Estimate information populated from the request.
8. Complete the Estimate fields required for the transaction.
9. Save the Estimate.
10. Open the resulting Estimate and verify the relationship and amounts.

52.7 Customer and Lead Relationships

The conversion workflow can work with a Customer or Lead relationship.

Select the record that actually represents the person or organization requesting the Estimate. Do not attach the request to an unrelated Customer merely because that record already exists.

52.8 Proposal Conversion May Also Be Available

Where your permissions allow Proposal creation, the CRM can also present a Proposal conversion path from an Estimate Request.

Use the record type that best represents the business stage. If the request is ready for priced Estimate terms, use an Estimate. If the business process calls for a Proposal first and that option is available, use the Proposal workflow.

52.9 Editing a Request

If you have Estimate Request edit permission, correct or update the existing request when the underlying request remains the same.

Do not change historical request information to force it to fit a different Customer or transaction. Create or use the appropriate separate record when the business event is genuinely different.

52.10 Deleting a Request

Deletion is permission-controlled.

Before deleting an Estimate Request, verify that it is not the only record of a legitimate request and that any converted Estimate or Proposal has already been created and verified where applicable.

52.11 Recommended Workflow

1. Open Estimate Requests.
2. Review the request details.
3. Identify the correct Customer or Lead.
4. Check for an existing Estimate or Proposal.
5. Update the request Status when appropriate.
6. Convert to an Estimate when the request is ready.
7. Review the resulting Estimate carefully.
8. Continue future Sales activity on the converted Sales record.

52.12 Best Practices

• Use existing request Status values accurately.
• Verify the Customer or Lead before conversion.
• Check for duplicates first.
• Review the resulting Estimate after conversion.
• Preserve the original request as useful business history.
• Use the Sales record that matches the actual business stage.