Monitor estimates

There are a number of places in the system where you can compare the costs added to a case against the amounts specified in its estimate. This enables consultants and administrators to monitor, for example, when an estimate is about to run out of money or which estimate costs have time remaining.

As described on this page:

  • you monitor estimates at the macro level by reviewing cases in the Case List. You can use Case List criteria to create a custom view of the list and also visualise the information using conditional formatting.
  • you can monitor a case's estimate(s) at its Estimate tab. You can customise what you want to see using the column chooser.
  • at the Costs tab you can use the choose a column to display an icon where costs are linked to an estimate.

    • If you hover the cursor over an icon you can see further details, see below.

  • you monitor estimates at a micro level when you enter or edit a cost for the case.

Naturally, if you are wondering how your estimate is working (policing method, strictness, etc) generally, you start by looking at the estimate settings.

There are a number of useful columns you can display using Case List Criteria, including:

Tot ApprovedThe total of all estimates in the case
Amt approvedThe total of the current estimate
Amt leftThe amount left in the current estimate
Amt charged

The total costs added to the case that are linked to the current estimate

Unbilled costsThe amount of costs that have been added (but not invoiced) to the case; includes unbilled costs that are not linked to estimates
Billed costsThe amount of costs that have been invoiced for the case; includes billed costs that are not linked to estimates
Est finishThe date the current estimate ends

Other estimate columns you can add are:

  • Estimate goal
  • Date created
  • Date approved
  • Start date

Conditional formatting

The screenshot above also demonstrates conditional formatting. Values in the Amt left column have been displayed in bold red text if less than $200.

A more sophisticated visualisation could show the amount left with a continuum of colours that become redder the closer they are to zero:

Full instructions for setting this up are here.

You can monitor the situation of the estimate overall, as well as the situation for each estimate cost.

Estimate summaries

Summary columns in the top part of the Estimate tab include:

Total Charge

This matches the Amt approved column for the case at the Case List

The estimate total

= Amount left + Total billed

Amount Left

This matches the Amt left column for the case at the Case List

The amount left in this estimate

Total Billed

This matches the Amt charged column for the case at the Case List

The total costs added to the case that are linked to this estimate

 

You can include other columns:

  • Case category
  • Creation date
  • Approval date
  • Start date
  • Finish date
  • Notes
  • Status
  • Amount Left Ex Tax
  • Total Billed Ex Tax
  • Total Billed Tax
  • Total Charged Ex Tax
  • Total Charged Tax

Estimate cost summaries

At the bottom part of the Estimate tab you can examine the individual estimate cost line items to monitor the charges against them. Note that the values in the costs column headings are totalled in the first row, which provides additional summary information.

Right-click a column heading to select the column chooser and select columns for the grid including:

Total ChargeThe estimate total for this cost
Amount LeftThe amount left for this cost

Amt charged

This correlates with the Total billed column in the estimate

The total costs added for this cost
DurnThe total time of this estimate cost
Durn leftThe time remaining for this cost. Note that this is the effective amount of time remaining, as explained at Estimate rounding.

You can add other columns:

  • Charge code
  • Quantity
  • Quantity left
  • Unit charge
  • Start date
  • Total charge ex tax
  • Tax code
  • Tax amount

You can see when a cost is linked to an estimate because a link icon is displayed.

You can also hover over the icon to view the details: the estimate name, the objective (if it exists) and the estimate cost that this cost is linked to.

Additionally, if you use estimate objectives to organise collections of costs, you can display them as a column at the Costs tab using the column chooser.

This allows you to monitor spending against the estimate objectives.

When you enter a cost from an estimate you can see the remaining amount and the effective duration left (for activity costs).

These values are updated as you update the cost you are entering.

If you enter an amount that would cause you to exceed the estimate cost, these fields are highlighted in red:

If you had set the category setting that specifies Do not allow costs to exceed the estimate limit, you would be unable to save the cost above.