Add estimate

1. Click the new button and select New Blank Estimate.
2. At the bottom third of the screen enter the estimate goal or select it from the dropdown list.

This becomes the estimate's name.

3. Optionally select start and finish dates for the estimate.

These can be used to quickly synchronise the start and finish dates of all the estimate costs, see Estimate buttons below at G.

They do not play a role in limiting whether the estimate is active.

4. Click the save button.

Add optional objectives

Objectives enable you to organise estimate costs into collections and to track progress, see Estimates overview for details. Their use is optional.

5. Click the yellow folder button .

At the bottom third of the screen, select from the dropdown list of objective titles or enter a new name.

If you need to create a new objective name and don't want to add a new member to the Estimate Objectives List leave the objective's description blank and enter the objective name in the Details field.

All estimate cost(s) immediately underneath an objective are organised within it, see Estimates at the case for an example.

Add estimate costs

Estimates costs are essential as they provide the framework for estimate policing. As mentioned and as detailed below, the category settings determine what the estimate contains, i.e. whether estimate costs are derived from activities or charge codes.

7. Click the button in the middle of the screen.
8. Select a value from the Description dropdown list.

The options are either activities or charge codes that are linked to the category.

9. A default duration and rate are automatically be inserted. Multiplied together, they create the total of the estimate cost.

You should change the rate and duration as required.

• When the estimate cost is a charge code, the rate is sourced from the default rate for the category. You can change this.
• When you add an activity of type Activity with a rate of zero, you can nominate that the duration sets the maximum for the estimate cost, see Estimate costs with zero rates.
10. Enter start and finish dates if required.

You can use the Synch dates button to set the dates for all estimate costs at the same time, see Estimate buttons below at G.

11. Click the same Save button at the top of the screen (as in step 4.

The buttons in the middle provide tools for managing estimate components:

1. Add new cost beneath the selected cost/objective
2. Add new objective beneath the selected cost/objective
3. Delete selected cost/objective
4. Move selected cost/objective up one position.
5. Move selected cost/objective down one position
6. Link costs: this tool is relevant when an estimate is in use, see Link costs.
7. If an estimate cost has a start and/or end date this limits when it is valid, see Start and end dates.

To synchronise all estimate costs so that they all have the same dates, select one cost (or the estimate goal) and click Synch Dates.

8. Print the template

You can create an estimate from the estimate templates that are linked to the case categeory.

At step 1 above, select New Estimate From Template instead of New Blank Estimate, select a template and customise any estimate costs as required. Naturally you can delete any elements derived from the template and add new estimate objectives and costs.

Note that you can also create an estimate template from an existing estimate, see an Create new estimate template from estimate.

At the Costs section of the Category settings:

Options 1, 2 and 3 specify that estimates police through activities, at decreasing levels of strictness.

The option highlighted in blue specifies that estimates police through charge codes.

At the Estimate section:

1. If While editing costs and templates, allow the charge code to be modified is checked, an estimate's charge code can be edited to differ from what was set at the Activity List.

This option is unavailable when estimates police through charge codes.

2. Under When creating an estimate you specify whether estimate costs are charge codes or costs.

When estimates police through activities estimate costs can only be activities.

3. if you do not check Only accepts costs from the lists above you can enter new activities/charge codes that apply to the estimate but are not saved to the appropriate list.

4. If the When linking costs to an estimate, only match costs of the same type checkbox is ticked you specify that costs added in a case with an estimate must match the type of cost in the estimate, i.e. whether it is an activity, item or fixed charge.

This is relevant when estimates police through charge codes.

It is also relevant when linking pre-existing costs for a case to an estimate, see Link costs.