Creating clear, easy-to-read estimates ensures clarity and alignment before commencing a project and lays the foundation for your project management. Users detail deliverables, time and cost allowances, understand margins, while clients can confirm scope, costs and terms. When your estimate has been accepted, Wiplist uses this information to create budgets, tasks, analytics and reporting. Using tools such as templates and detailed price lists can speed up the estimate creation process.
In Wiplist, Estimates must belong to a Project, this helps to keep everything in one easy place to find. If you don't have a Project set up, create one first and add your estimate from there. For more detail information please refer to this Knowledge Base article on How to create a project.
1. Creating an estimate
There are 2 ways to start an estimate:
Create an estimate via Projects
Navigate to Projects, select your project, click on the Estimates tab, then click on + New Estimate.
Create an estimate via Estimates
Navigate to Estimates in the side panel, click on + New Estimate, you'll be prompted in a pop-up to select your project from the drop-down menu, click Create Estimate.
2. Description
The first box showing on your estimate is used for the description and can outline client-facing details such as scope, and deliverables and brief related data. The text box to allow you to write content, paste in from an external source, include links and format as required.
3. + Add Item
Items reference your organisations price list and are selected via the drop-down menu. These are alike to a rate card and can include a service, product, or internal costs such as heads hours.
You can quickly add items by clicking on + Add Item and select from the drop-down menu, or begin typing to find available options, update descriptions, quantities, margins, and unit price as required.
Items can included a combination of internal and external costs, products or services, and have as many items as required. Don't forget to click Save Changes as navigating away from the box will lose any detail built.
Users can update, edit and tailor the information to suit their audiences needs, this includes:
Update item description by highlighting the text and replacing copy,
Include cost price (e.g., for external items purchased) and adjust markup
Reorder line items by clicking on the left of the item (nine dot icon) and dragging up, or down into your selected position.
3. + New Part
Parts provide structure on how estimates are viewed and items are grouped. They allow for greater flexibility on how an estimate can be ordered and reordered, and allow items to be optional, or to hide items.
4. Make Items Optional
Making Item Optional allows you to present multiple scenarios for your client to select and accept. When an estimate is shared via a hosted page, clients can click and choose options to approve without needing for seperate estimates.
When a part has been made optional, everything in that section becomes an option for your client. Any items that are ticked are included by default when viewed by your client. You have the option to:
Tick one line item as a default selection, which can then be changed or added to, or
Uncheck all the tick boxes and allow a client to make the final decision.
To make part optional, click on three dots and select Make Items Optional in the drop-down menu. This action can be reversed by clicking on the three dots and Make Items Required.
5. Reordering parts
Wiplist parts can be reordered, or structured in a logical way that suits your organisations, or clients requirements by clicking on three dots and select options and move up or down.
6. Deleting parts
Parts can be deleted, but be careful as these cannot be restored. A pop up will appear to confirm you wish to undertake this action and advise the user that this can not undone.
For more information about rate cards or price Lists please refer to the Knowledge Base article Working with price tiers.