Estimate Processing

Use the Estimate Processing command to create an estimate for a job or phase. You can subsequently convert estimates into job and phase records using the Job Processing command. You can specify budgets on the estimate header record if you have selected the Budgets on Headers option on the Set Options form.

You can only create estimates for phases if the Use Phases option is selected on the Set Options form. If you choose to use them, phase records are identified by a phase reference which is associated with an existing estimate. When you create a new estimate record, you can specify a phase at the same time. To add additional phases to the same estimate, you create a record using the same estimate reference, but with a difference phase reference.

The terms 'job', 'phase', 'contract' and 'department' can be changed. You can use alternative names by changing the entry in the Contract Description, Job Description, Phase Description and Department Description boxes on the System Preferences form in the System application. References to 'contracts', 'jobs', 'phases' and 'departments' in this and other topics within the documentation assume the use of the default setting.

You can create new estimate records on the basis of existing ones. Any existing estimate record can be selected as a model for a new record; you then amend the details required for the new record.

Prerequisites

The following must be defined in the appropriate application before you can complete the corresponding boxes:

Box	Prerequisite
Model Estimate	If you are creating a new estimate record on the basis of a model, the model estimate or job record must be defined beforehand.
Contract	At least one contract record must be defined using the Contract command on the Maintenance menu before you can assign an estimate to a contract.
Account	If you have the Costing application integrated with the Sales application, at least one customer record must be created using the Processing command in the Sales application before you can select one to complete this box.
Project Leader	At least one individual must be defined using the People Profiles command in the System application and have the Project Leader option selected before you can select a person to complete this box.
Department	At least one department record must be defined using the Department command on the Maintenance menu before you can select one for the estimate.
Cost Rate	At least one cost rate must be created using the Cost Rates command on the Maintenance menu before you can select a default for the estimate.
Budget	Before you can enter budgets for cost, write off or revenue totals, you must select the Budgets on Headers option on the Set Options form.

View

Use the View command on the Action menu to display budget information associated with the currently selected estimate. You can also print details of the budget lines using the Print button on the toolbar.

O.L.E.

You can link objects to be associated with estimate records. A representation or placeholder for an object is inserted on the O.L.E. form associated with the record. The object exists in the source file and, when it is changed, the linked object is updated to reflect these changes.

Budgets

Use the Budgets command on the Action menu to enter individual budget lines at cost code and cost rate level. For example, you might break down cost budgets into standard rate labour, premium rate labour, materials, and so on.

Estimate Entries

Box	Description
Contract	If you have selected the Use Contracts option on the Set Options form and have created at least one contract record using the Contract command on the Maintenance menu, you can assign the estimate to a contract. All phases associated with the estimate, if used, will also be assigned to the contract. You can select from a list.
Account	A reference that identifies the customer. If the Costing application is integrated with the Sales application, you can select a sales ledger account code from a list. Customers are maintained using the Processing command in the Sales application. If you have assigned the estimate to a contract, the account identified on the contract will be shown as a default.
Project Leader	A reference that identifies the project leader for the estimate. You can select from a list. You can only select a record that has been defined using the People Profiles command on the Maintenance menu in the System application and for which the Project Leader option has been selected on the People form. If no project leaders have been identified, this box is unavailable. If you have assigned the estimate to a contract, the project leader identified on the contract will be shown as a default.
Department	A reference that identifies the department assigned to the estimate or phase. You can select from a list. Departments are defined using the Department command on the Maintenance menu. These are used as the basis for the Department Summary report on the Reports menu.
Description	The description for the estimate. If you have assigned the estimate to a contract, the contract description appears as a default entry.
Reference	A reference for the estimate, such as a client's reference. If you have assigned the estimate to a contract, the contract reference appears as a default entry.
Cost Rate	A number that identifies the default cost rate for transactions associated with the estimate. You can select from a list. Cost rates are defined using the Cost Rates command on the Maintenance menu.
Open Item	An option that determines whether transactions associated with job records created from the estimate are retained for all periods. If this option is cleared, the estimate is treated as a 'balance forward' record. This means that when the Reorganise command is used on the Utilities menu at the end of each period, the balance for each cost code is carried forward and individual transaction lines discarded. If the Open Item option is selected, all transactions are carried forward and remain available for viewing and reporting individually after each period end. See also Reorganising Costing.
Planned Start	The date on which the estimated job is planned to begin. You can use the date selector button alongside to pick from a pop-up calendar. If you have assigned the estimate to a contract, the contract's planned start date appears as a default entry.
Planned Days	The planned number of days duration for the estimated job. The value is used to determine a default completion date. If you have assigned the estimate to a contract, the contract's number of planned days appears as a default entry.
Planned Completion	The date on which the estimated job is planned to end. You can use the date selector button alongside to pick from a pop-up calendar. If you entered a value in the Planned Days box, a default completion date appears, but you can change this; it will not make any retrospective change to the number of planned days. If you have assigned the estimate to a contract, the contract's planned completion date appears as a default entry.
Costs, Write Off and Revenue	The budgeted costs, write offs and revenues for the estimate can be entered in the Budget boxes, provided header budget entries are allowed.
Potential Profit	The difference between revenue and write offs plus costs, calculated automatically by the application.

Budget Entries

Box	Description
Framework	A reference that identifies a framework. You can select from a list. Frameworks are maintained using the Frameworks command on the Maintenance menu. If you do not have any frameworks defined for the estimate, or you want to enter budgets for a single cost code, leave this box blank.
Cost Code	A reference that identifies a cost code record. You can select from a list. Cost codes are maintained using the Cost Codes command on the Maintenance menu. If you have selected a framework, you cannot make an entry in this box.
Line Number	The line number for the cost code entry in the budgets list box. If you have selected a framework, this is the line number that identifies the first cost code in the framework. You can enter an alternative line number to the default displayed if you want to insert the line at some other point. The application automatically increments the previous line number by 10. This is to allow you to insert new lines between existing ones if you wish.
Cost Rate	The cost rate associated with the cost code record. You can select from a list.
Description	The description associated with the cost code record.
Sales Code	A reference that identifies the sales code.
Purchase Code	A reference that identifies the supply or purchase code.
Units	The quantity to be budgeted or, in the case of labour type cost codes, the number and fraction of hours. If factors are in use, use the forward slash ‘/’ to separate whole units from parts. In the case of revenues, where you have selected a number of costs to invoice, the application checks to see that the factor and decimal places for all the cost lines are the same as each other and as the revenue cost code. If there is a difference, in factor or decimal places, the quantity and cost per unit values are set to zero.
Cost / Unit	The budgeted cost per unit. This will default to the entry on the cost code or framework record.
Total Cost/Value	The units multiplied by the cost per unit. This is calculated automatically and you can only make an entry in this box if the units (or hours and fractions for labour costs) are zero.
Overhead	The overhead calculated on the basis of the information on the cost code record. This is calculated automatically.
Uplifted	The uplifted amount; that is, value after applying the overhead. This is calculated automatically.