EAM for Business Central

Work Order Quotes

Introduction

Work Order Quotes in Dynaway EAM for Business Central allow you to prepare, send, and manage quotes for maintenance work before starting the job. This ensures clear communication with customers, accurate pricing, and streamlined approval processes.

Overview

Work Order Quotes allow you to provide professional estimates to customers before performing maintenance work. Quotes can include labor, parts, and service descriptions, and can be sent to customers for approval via email.

Creating a Work Order Quote

Method 1: From Scratch

  1. Navigate to: Search → Work Order Quotes
  2. Click New
  3. Fill General Information:

Customer Section:

  • Customer No.: Select the customer requesting service
    • Customer Name and Contact auto-populate
    • Billing and Shipping addresses populate from customer record

Work Details:

  • Description: Brief description of requested work
    • Example: "Quarterly Preventive Maintenance - Production Line 3"
  • Asset No.: Select the asset requiring service (if applicable)
    • Asset Description auto-fills
    • Asset location and details visible in Asset Details FactBox
  • Category Code: Select appropriate category (e.g., SERVICE-PM)
    • Default instructions populate from category
  • Priority Code: Set quote priority
    • HIGH - Urgent service requests
    • MEDIUM - Standard response
    • LOW - Convenience scheduling

Scheduling:

  • Planned Date: Proposed date for service work
  • Planned Time: Proposed start time (if using time-based planning)

Pricing Options:

  • Service Order: Toggle ON if this is customer-facing service work
  • Billable: Toggle ON (automatically set for quotes)
  • Time and Material: Default pricing method
  • Fixed Price: Switch to fixed price quote if total quote amount won't change

Method 2: From Maintenance Request

If you receive customer requests via the Maintenance Request system:

  1. Navigate to: Maintenance Request card
  2. Click Create Work Order Quote (if available)
  3. Quote pre-populates with:
    • Customer information (if request came from customer)
    • Asset and description from request
    • Priority and category from request

Adding Resources (Labor)

Navigate to: Resources tab on Work Order Quote

  1. Click Add Resources
  2. Select the resource(s) required for the job
    • Resources = technicians or service personnel
  3. For Each Resource Line:
    • Resource No.: The technician/service person
    • Work Type Code: Type of work (REGULAR, EMERGENCY, etc.)
      • Affects hourly rate from price list
    • Quantity: Estimated hours
    • Unit of Measure: HOUR (typically)
    • Unit Price Excl. Tax: Rate from price list
      • Manually adjustable if needed
    • Line Amount Excl. Tax: Automatically calculated (Qty × Price)

Example Resource Lines:

Resource       Work Type    Quantity    Unit Price    Line Amount
TECH-01        REGULAR      4.0 HOUR    $85.00       $340.00
TECH-SENIOR    REGULAR      2.0 HOUR    $110.00      $220.00

Tips:

  • Work Type Codes are critical for proper pricing
  • Add separate lines for different types of work (regular vs. travel time)
  • Round up quantities to account for unexpected complications

Adding Items (Parts & Materials)

Navigate to: Items tab on Work Order Quote

  1. Click Add Items
  2. Select items needed for the job
  3. For Each Item Line:
    • Item No.: The part or material
    • Description: Auto-fills from item master
    • Quantity: Number of units required
    • Unit of Measure: PCS, EA, ROLL, etc.
    • Unit Price Excl. Tax: Selling price from price list
    • Line Amount Excl. Tax: Calculated total

Example Item Lines:

Item No.       Description           Quantity    Unit Price    Line Amount
FILTER-100     Hydraulic Filter      2.0 PCS     $45.00       $90.00
OIL-SAE30      Hydraulic Oil         5.0 GAL     $28.00       $140.00
SEAL-KIT-A     Seal Replacement Kit  1.0 EA      $185.00      $185.00

Tips:

  • Include consumables (rags, cleaning supplies) if billing to customer
  • Consider adding contingency items with zero quantity (can be added during work if needed)
  • Use Item Categories to group related parts

Adding Expenses

Navigate to: Expenses tab on Work Order Quote

Use Expenses for:

  • Subcontractor costs you'll pass through to customer
  • Specialized equipment rental
  • Permits or inspection fees
  • Other miscellaneous charges
  1. Click New Line
  2. For Each Expense Line:
    • Expense No.: Select from expense list
    • Description: What the expense covers
    • Quantity: Typically 1
    • Direct Unit Cost: Your cost
    • Unit Cost: Your cost (if different, for tracking)
    • Unit Price Excl. Tax: What you'll charge customer
    • Line Amount Excl. Tax: Total charge

Example Expense:

Expense No.    Description                    Quantity    Unit Price    Line Amount
SUB-ELEC       Electrical Subcontractor       1.0         $450.00      $450.00
PERMIT-HOT     Hot Work Permit Fee            1.0         $75.00       $75.00

Adding Work Order Actions

If you've defined Work Order Actions (pre-configured service packages):

  1. Navigate to: Actions tab
  2. Click Add Actions
  3. Select predefined action (e.g., "Quarterly PM Package")
  4. All resources, items, and expenses from action automatically populate

Benefits:

  • Ensures consistency across quotes
  • Saves time on common service packages
  • Reduces errors in quoting

Configuring Checklists

Attach checklists that technicians must complete during service:

Checklist Types:

  • Before Work: Safety checks, site preparation
  • During Work: Procedure steps, measurements
  • After Work: Quality verification, site cleanup

To Add Checklists:

  1. Scroll to Checklists section on quote
  2. Click the assist-edit button (…) for each checklist type
  3. Select appropriate form template(s)
  4. Checklists transfer to work order when quote is approved

Quote Totals and Review

The quote automatically calculates:

  • Total Resources: Sum of all labor costs
  • Total Items: Sum of all parts/materials
  • Total Expenses: Sum of all expense lines
  • Quote Total: Overall amount customer will be charged

Review Checklist Before Sending:

  • [ ] Customer information correct
  • [ ] Asset and description accurate
  • [ ] All required resources included
  • [ ] Sufficient quantity of parts
  • [ ] Pricing reflects current price list
  • [ ] Extended texts/terms added
  • [ ] Internal notes for technicians added (if needed)

Sending the Quote to Customer

Option 1: Email Quote

  1. On Work Order Quote card, click Send Confirmation by Email

  2. Email window opens with:

    • To: Customer contact email (from customer record)
    • Subject: Pre-filled with quote number and description
    • Body: Customizable message
    • Attachment: PDF of Work Order Quote printout

  3. Customize Email:

    • Modify subject line if needed
    • Add personalized message in body
    • Add CC or BCC recipients
    • Attach additional documents if needed

  4. Click Send

What the Customer Receives:

  • Professional PDF quote showing:
    • Your company information
    • Customer information
    • Asset and service description
    • Itemized list of labor, parts, and expenses
    • Total amount
    • Terms and conditions (from Extended Texts)
    • Only external comments (internal comments hidden)

Option 2: Print Quote

For customers who prefer paper quotes:

  1. On Work Order Quote card, click Print
  2. Print Options:
    • Archive Document: Creates archived version before printing
    • Print Internal Comments: Include internal notes (usually NO for customer)
    • Print External Comments: Include terms/conditions (usually YES)
  3. Click Print or Preview
  4. Print or save as PDF to deliver manually

Option 3: Approval Workflow

If your organization requires internal approval before sending quotes:

  1. Click Send for Approval on quote
  2. Quote status changes to "Pending Approval"
  3. Approver receives notification (standard BC workflow)
  4. Quote is locked from editing during approval
  5. Once approved, send to customer using methods above

Managing Quote Status

While awaiting customer response:

Quote Status Tracking:

  • Open: Quote created, editable
  • Pending Approval: Sent for internal approval
  • Approved: Internal approval granted
  • Sent: Sent to customer
  • Accepted: Customer accepted quote
  • Rejected: Customer declined quote

To Update Status:

  • Manually change status based on customer response
  • Or use workflow to automatically update

Converting Approved Quotes to Work Orders

When customer approves the quote:

Conversion Process

  1. Open the approved quote
  2. Click Make Work Order
  3. System prompts: "Create Work Order from this quote?"
  4. Click Yes

What Happens:

  • New Work Order created with all quote details:
    • Customer information transfers
    • All resource, item, and expense lines transfer
    • Checklists transfer
    • Work Order Actions transfer
    • Planned date/time transfers
  • Work Order marked as Service Order and Billable
  • Work Order Quote is archived (if archiving enabled)
  • Work Order Quote is deleted (configurable in setup)

Next Steps:

  • Schedule the work order
  • Assign technicians
  • Ensure parts availability
  • Execute the service work

Quote Archiving

If you want to keep the quote even after conversion:

Navigate to: Maintenance Invoicing Setup

  • Archive Work Order Quotes: Set to YES
  • Delete After Make Work Order: Set to NO

Access Archived Quotes:

  1. On any Work Order Quote (or archived quote)
  2. Look for No. of Archived Versions field
  3. Click the number to view all archived versions
  4. Archived quotes are read-only but can be restored if needed

Handling Quote Revisions

If customer requests changes to the quote:

Option 1: Edit Existing Quote

If quote hasn't been sent yet:

  1. Simply modify resource, item, or expense lines
  2. Update totals recalculate automatically
  3. Send revised quote to customer

Option 2: Archive and Revise

If quote was already sent:

  1. Click Archive Document to save current version
  2. Modify the quote as needed
  3. Version number increments in archived versions
  4. Send revised quote
  5. Customer can compare versions if needed

Option 3: Create New Quote

For major changes:

  1. Create entirely new Work Order Quote
  2. Reference original quote number in description
  3. Send new quote to customer
  4. Keep both quotes for historical tracking

Quote Management Best Practices

Pricing Strategies:

  • Use Time and Material for variable scope work
  • Use Fixed Price for well-defined service packages
  • Consider markup on parts (e.g., cost + 20%)
  • Include travel time in resource hours if applicable

Professional Presentation:

  • Always include terms and conditions (Extended Texts)
  • Clearly separate labor, parts, and other charges
  • Explain any assumptions (e.g., "assumes normal access to equipment")
  • Include validity period (e.g., "Quote valid for 30 days")

Internal Documentation:

  • Use internal comments for technician notes
  • Document any customer special requests
  • Note any site-specific requirements
  • Reference related quotes or previous work

Response Time Goals:

  • Routine quotes: Within 24-48 hours
  • Emergency quotes: Within 4 hours
  • Complex quotes requiring vendor quotes: Within 1 week

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