Estimate Types

Overview

Estimate Types are used to create a framework in which estimates are created. This framework makes creating estimates faster and more accurate.

An unlimited number of Estimate Types can be created. For example:

• Custom:  Users set a custom set of input values.

• Flexo Engineering: Fixed Input values for use in the Flexographic Tooling industry.

• Engineering: Fixed input values for use in metal/steel manufacturing.

Information in italics have not yet been verified.

Navigation: Main Menu > Setup > Estimate Types

Table of Contents

User Settings

Navigation: Main Menu > Setup > Settings > Users (tab)

• Setups > Estimate Types - Access Allowed: Checkbox. If checked access is allowed.

Estimate Type Screenshot

Top Row Buttons (5)

• Arrows: Navigates through Estimate Types.

• Edit: Enables editing.

• New: Creates an Estimate Type.

• Copy: Copies an Estimate Type to create a new one.

• Save: Saves any changes.

• Menu:

  • Test Estimate: Tests the Estimate Type

  • Open Notes: Opens a rich-text editor where notes can be entered or viewed.

  • Link Transaction Types: 

    • Opens a list of transaction types that can be used with estimating. 

    • Allows users to select the ones that the Estimate Type can be used on (e.g. Costing, Quotations, Work Orders).  

    • Only linked Estimate Types can be selected when creating a transaction. 

  • Load from File: Allows a parameter file to be loaded.

  • Save to File: Saves the parameter file.

  • Create selectable Stored Procedure: Creates a selectable stored procedure and copies it to the clipboard.

  • Delete Estimate Type: Deletes the Estimate Type.

  • Save Grid: Saves the column configuration.

  • Restore Grid: Restores the default grid layout.

List View 

ℹ️ (1) Lists all the Estimate Types. Click any entry to display the details on the right.

• Field Chooser (*): Allows users to add or remove columns.

• ID: The system-generated number for the Estimate Type.

• Status: The Estimate Type's status.

• Ver: The Estimate Type's version number.

• Rev: The Estimate Type's revision number.

• Group: The Estimate Type's group.

• Description: The Estimate Type's description.

Header Fields and Buttons

ℹ️ This section is where Estimate Types are created or edited.

• Status (2): A dropdown list of statuses for users to select one. The options are Pending, Active or Closed. Only Active Estimate Types can be used in transactions. 

• Group (3): A field to type a group name. Groups are used to sort Estimate Types.

• Description (4): A field to type a description. The description is the Estimate Type's name.

• Add (button) (8):  Adds a new Parameter to the Estimate Type for completion (i.e. adds a custom parameter to the grid (11)).

• Arrow on Add (button) (8):  Displays a dropdown list of Parameter Types for selection (see Parameter Types Explained below). 

• Delete (9): Deletes all the selected parameters. Requests confirmation.

• Copy (10):  Duplicates the parameters based on these fields:

  • From and To ID: Specifies which parameters must be copied.

  •  Insert before ID field: Specifies where the copied parameters must be placed.

Parameters - Field Explained (11)

ℹ️ The parameters specify the values, constraints and functions of the estimate.

• Field Chooser (*): Allows users to add or remove columns.

• ID: The system-generated number allocated to the parameter.

• Type: A dropdown list to select a Parameter Type (see Parameter Types Explained below).

• Name: The parameter's name that is used in expressions and other parameters. 

  • The name can only consist of capital letters and numbers with no spaces. 

  • Names must be unique.  When a parameter is added, a unique name is automatically assigned but can be overtyped. If the name field is cleared it reverts back to its default. 

  • Suggested naming convention: 

    • • Calculations: CALC_FIELDNAME

      • Input: INP_FIELDNAME

      • Service: PROC_FIELDNAME

      • Material: MAT_FIELDNAME

      • Error: ERROR_FIELDNAME

• Group: A field to type a number which is used to group and link parameters. Parameters with the same Group number are grouped together even if they are not listed underneath each other.

• Caption: A field to enter a caption for the parameter that will appear on the estimate as a label. 

• Component: A dropdown list of other parameters which service as a component. Used to link the parameters. 

• Qty From: A field to enter a stored procedure which specifies the quantity for Material and Service parameters.

  • Allows the SELECT_QTY_TYPE stored procedure to be selected. 

• Qty Type: Provides a dropdown list from which a Quantity Type can be selected. Applies to material and service parameters.  If the material or service item is for specification purposes only (e.g. when the job is outsourced), set the Qty Type to blank to prevent the material or service from being added to the estimate. The available quantity types are:

  • • • Fixed Qty: The Qty From value is used to set the Material and Service quantities.

      • Estimate Qty: The Material and Service quantities are changed to the Estimate quantity.

      • x Size: The quantity (Qty) that is needed per square metre. 

      • Qty Up:

      • Qty Out:

      • Fixed x Estimate Qty: The Qty From value is multiplied by the Estimate Quantity to set the material and service item quantities.

• Visible:  This field determines if the parameter is displayed on the Input tab of a General Estimate. (Because of the overhead it places on the system, the number of parameters that are set to visible should be limited to Input parameters and those performing meaningful calculations.) The options are:

  • • • Show: The parameter is displayed.

      • Hide: The parameter is not displayed.

      • Group:  The parameter is displayed as part of the Group Header.

• Layout: Specifies the location of the parameter's control.  Allows multiple parameters to be displayed next to each other. The options are: 

  • Below (default)

  • Right 

• Size: A field to input a number.  Sets the Width of the Parameter's control when it is displayed on an Estimate. 0 = Default Width; -1 = Full width (this matches the widest parameter's width). The Size field works with the following Parameter Types:

  • • • Input - Number

      • Input - Select Number

      • Material

      • Service

• Default: When the value of a Parameter Quantity is null, the Default value is assigned to the Quantity. The Default field works with the following Parameter Types:

  • • • Input - Number

      • Input - Select Number

      • Input - Select Text Num Value

      • Lookup

      • Service

      • Material

• Decimals (0.00):  Determines how many decimal places are used on numeric Parameter Types and is applicable to the Input - Number and Calculation Parameter Types. Max decimals = 4.

• X:  The quantity (Qty) is multiplied by the number of units produced (Qty x Unit Price x Number of Items Produced = Total Cost). If the item is nested X represents the quantity of the parent item.

• Menu (...):

  • Test Parameter: Tests the parameters.

  • Highlight Dependents:  Highlights the final column of dependent parameters.

  • Insert Parameter: Provides a dropdown list of parameter types to select one.

  • Delete Parameter: Deletes the parameter.

  • Move Up: Moves the parameter one line higher.

  • Move Down: Moves the parameter one line lower.

Stored Procedures

• Stored Procedure (Input VATITEMID) (6): A field to paste a stored procedure to input information about the transaction or the transaction type.

• Type (7): Option to select Custom or Ringrollers.

• PRODUCT (12): The name of the selected parameter (in this example the name is PRODUCT).

• Product (13): The caption for the parameter (in this example the caption is Product). 

• Set From (15): Sets the caption from another parameter such as a Calc - Text parameter. 

  • This parameter can be set above the Expression Editor and enables users to generate a Caption based on other parameter values. 

  • If the parameter is set to visible, but the generated caption is blank, the control is not displayed.

  • Example of use: Selecting ink colours that are used for each section of a job on a Printing Estimate. If two out of eight colours are selected, only two fields are displayed for each Part or Section and the captions are derived from the selected colours.

• Expression Editor (16): 

  • The input for the Expression Field depends on the Parameter Type. 

  • Users can add Functions, Operators, and valid Parameters by clicking an entry on a list.

  • The Expression Editor is used as follows: 

• • • Calculation: The 'Expression' contains a formula (similar to a spreadsheet formula) in which the 'Names' of other numerical type Parameters can be embedded as variables using square brackets. For example, [PARAMNAME]. 

    • To prevent circular links, the 'Expression' may only contain links to numerical Parameters that are higher up in the list. When calculations are done, the Parameter Names are substituted with the linked parameter values. The Fixed parameters are:

      • [ESTIMATE.QTY] which is used to add the Estimate Qty to a calculation.

      • [VATITEMID] which is used to extract information about the transaction or the transaction type.

• Parameter names (17): Displays a list of parameter types that can be used in the Expression Editor.

• Variables (18): Displays the available mathematical functions for SQL queries. 

• Operators (19):  Displays the available mathematical operators for SQL calculations. 

Buttons (14)

• Clear: Clears the stored procedure.

• Test: Tests the stored procedure.

• Menu: 

  • cast ([NAME] as float)

  • Remove cast ([NAME] as float)

• Arrows: Navigates between stored procedures.

Parameter Types Explained

• Group Header:  Creates a header which can also be used to show or hide fields in the Group. Headers can be collapsed or expanded and are displayed in bold on the Form tab of an estimate. 

• Repeat Header: Functions like a Group Header but repeats the fields setup under the Repeat Header. 

  • The following buttons become available when Repeat Header is selected: 

    • Add: Adds another set of parameters identical to the original group.

    • Copy: Lists the parameters with checkboxes. Checked parameters and their values are duplicated and placed below the original parameters.

    • Delete: Deletes the selected parameters.

    • Up: Moves the selected parameter one row up.

    • Down: Moves the selected parameter one row down.

• Input - Est. Qty:  Inputs a single Estimate Quantity. When used, the estimate cannot have multiple quantities.

• Input - Number:  Inputs any numerical value up to a specified number of decimals (max. four). Calculations can be used to generate a default number which can be overwritten.

• Input - Select Number: Selects a numeric value from a list of hard-coded values. 

• Input - Text:  Inputs text values.  Can be used to create text values for a lookup list. Text values can be overwritten on an Estimate.

• Input - Memo: Inputs multiple lines of text such as extra notes for the customer.

• Input - Size - DxW:  Inputs a flat size (depth x width). A lookup can also be created in the format: description, depth, width (e.g. A4,297,210).

• Input - Number > Text:  Generates a text value that is tied to a numeric value. Used to hard code text lookups that determine how other parameters are calculated. The numeric value is obtained from [PARAMNAME.QTY].

• Input - Adj% (MAT):  Generates the adjustment percentage for all the Materials on the estimate. Overrides any Adj % set on items.

• Input - Adj% (SER): Generates the adjustment percentage for all the Services on the estimate. Overrides any Adj % set on items.

• Input - Adj% (OWK): Generates the adjustment percentage for all the Outwork on the estimate. Overrides any Adj % set on items.

• Calc - Numerical: Calculates a numerical value.

• Calc - Est. Qty:  Calculates the Estimate quantity.  Prevents multiple quantities being entered on the Estimate.  Cannot be used with multiple Estimate Quantities or Input - Est Qty parameter.

• Calc - Text: Calculates and returns a text value. Can also be used to display an error message.

• Lookup:  Generates a lookup list based on specific values from the database. The SQL must contain ID and DESCRIPTION columns.

• Item:  Add items to an estimate. It replaces the Material, Material (BoM), and Service types.

• Description:  Creates values for the Description tab on an Estimate. Normally a few Calc - Text fields calculate and format information before passing it to the Description parameter.

• Specification:  Creates values for the Specification tab on an Estimate. Normally a few Calc - Text fields calculate and format information before passing it to the Specification Parameter.

• Item Description: Sets the Item's description on an estimate transaction. Can also be calculated using a Calc - Text parameter.

Description and Specification

• Estimates can generate a Description that is displayed to customers and a Specification for production use.  

• The Specification can contain additional information that is for internal use only.

• The procedure that calculates the Estimate Type can also be used to generate a Description and Specification directly in the Transaction Item.

Stored Procedures

Stored Procedures are the brains behind the estimating process. Stored Procedures are created in FlameRobin SQL Editor.

Contact QuickEasy Helpdesk for assistance with Stored Procedures and SQL Scripts.

For instructions on installing FlameRobin, click here.

Tips

• • Do not use fixed ID’s in Stored Procedures. Use Item Codes that can be managed by end users instead.

  • Add Error messages to clearly inform users when Input parameters are incomplete or Items are not found. See image below: