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Quotes — Transactions

Overview

The Quotes feature in SARA supports the end-to-end quoting process, from internal cost definition to customer-facing delivery, including sending, versioning, approval, and cancellation.

These transactions work together as part of a single sales workflow.

For the end-to-end process, see: Workflow.

Note

For common UI patterns used across SARA (tables, filters, dynamic columns, naming conventions), see: Common Features

Quotes

Overview

This transaction is where sales users:

  • Register new quotes from leads.
  • Send quotes to customers.
  • Keep track of versions and PDF files sent to the customer.
  • See whether each quote has been sent, approved, or cancelled.
  • Create complementary quotes and duplicates.

What you will see

  • A quotes list with, at minimum:

    • Quote code (e.g. QUO.0984.01).
    • Customer / contact information.
    • Status badge (e.g. PEND, APPR, CANC).
    • A Sent column:
      • Not sent before the first email is sent.
      • Date & time of the last send once the quote has been emailed.
    • Basic commercial fields (e.g. amount, currency).

  • Access to each quote’s:

    • Version history (old vs. latest).
    • Generated PDF files (per version).
    • Link to its Quote Engine.

Statuses and recorded changes

This transaction uses statuses such as PEND, APPR, and CANC.

For status meanings and behavior across SARA, see: Status

For how changes are recorded, see: Logs & History

What you can do here

  • Create a new quote

    • Use the “+ New quote” button.
    • SARA assigns a base code such as QUO.0984.
    • Initial status is Pending (PEND).
    • Only the minimum required fields are requested at creation time; editing reveals more options.

  • Send a quote to the customer

    • From an existing quote, choose a contact and send the quote by email through SARA.
    • On send:
      • SARA generates a PDF for that version.
      • SARA updates the version suffix (e.g. QUO.0984.01, .02, etc.).
      • The Sent column is updated with the date and time.
    • The latest version is highlighted as latest, while previous ones are marked as old, each with a downloadable PDF.

  • Approve a quote (CPO received)

    • When the customer’s PO (CPO) is received, set the quote to Approved from this page.
    • A form appears to capture:
      • CPO number and amount.
      • Items or other CPO-related details.
    • After saving:
      • SARA creates a new Project linked to the quote.
      • SARA sends an email notification to each owner of a node in Quote Engine informing:
        • Which quote was approved.
        • Which project was created.
      • The quote status changes to Approved (APPR).
      • The project number is shown on the quote.

  • Cancel a quote

    • While the quote is Pending (PEND), it can be cancelled.
    • On cancellation:
      • You must select whether the reason is internal or customer-related.
      • You must provide a text reason.
    • Status becomes Cancelled (CANC).

  • Create a complementary quote

    • Use the “New complementary quote” button.
    • You must select an existing project; complementary quotes cannot be created without a project.
    • The complementary quote:
      • Has its own code (QUO.xxxx) and its own Quote Engine (still 1:1).
      • When approved, it adds its budget to the existing project instead of creating a new one.

  • Duplicate a quote

    • Use the duplicate action to create a copy of a quote’s configuration.
    • Copies: structure, costs, profits, attachments, etc.
    • Does not copy: generated PDF files or previous versions.
    • The duplicate starts as a new quote with its own lifecycle.

Quote Engine

Overview

This transaction is used primarily by technical owners and sales to define and review:

  • Internal costs (per node/budget).
  • Profit percentages per cost bucket.
  • Additional notes and Q&A relevant to the quote.

There is a 1:1 relationship between Quote and Quote Engine: Each quote has exactly one quote engine entry, and vice versa.

What you will see

  • A structured view of nodes/budgets, often grouped by area (e.g. mechanics, materials, labor), usually presented as cards rather than tabs.
  • For each node/budget:
    • Cost items and amounts (e.g. materials, labor).
    • Profit percentage applied by sales.
  • Additional sections for:
    • Q&A between stakeholders.
    • Notes / specifications that sales must consider when writing the quote.

Info

Quote Engine does not automatically copy any text to the customer-facing quote.

Sales users read this information and decide how to present the quote to the customer.

What you can do here

  • Register costs per node/budget

    • Each responsible person adds the costs they need for their area.
    • Example: mechanics adds $100 in materials and $100 in labor.
    • There is no enforced link to rates or salaries at this time; responsible users can enter costs freely.

  • Define profit percentages

    • Sales users set a profit % per cost bucket.
    • Example: 5% on materials, 20% on labor.
    • Resulting margins and totals are calculated for sales to review.

  • Coordinate via Q&A and notes

    • Technical owners and sales can:
      • Ask questions.
      • Record assumptions or specifications.
    • Sales users must consider this information when drafting or updating the quote in Quotes.

  • Update data as needed

    • Quote Engine does not manage versions on its own.
    • When changes are required, they overwrite existing values (always the latest data).

Recorded changes

For how changes and updates are logged, see: Logs & History

Permissions

Permissions

Access and actions in Sales are permission-driven. See: Permissions