Creating a new quote

Learn how to create and set up a new quote in Paperless Parts. 

Outline

• Creating a new quote
• Quote-level information
  • Assigning an account and contact
• FAQ

Creating a new quote

To create a new quote:

1. Navigate to the Quotes page.
2. Click Create quote in the top right corner.

This will create a blank quote. As soon as you perform an action on the quote (assigning an RFQ number, adding a quote item, etc.) the quote will automatically be assigned the next available quote number and a new entry will be created in your Quotes tab. 

Quote-level information

Let’s start in the General section of the Build-a-Quote page, where you can capture important information about the quote and the associated RFQ. There are 10 fields total, some of which are optional and some of which are required to finalize and send the quote. 

1. RFQ number: This is where you can input the RFQ number you may have received from your buyer. Unlike the quote number, this field is customizable. Optional
2. Send from facility: The facility you will be sending the parts from. Required 
   1. This field is only visible if you have multiple facilities listed in Paperless Parts. Otherwise, it will default to the facility you entered in your Company Settings.
3. Quote due: The date by which you need to send the quote back to the customer. Required
   1. This date will automatically populate based on when you started the quote and the default time to quote, which can be set in the Shop Variables section of your settings. If a quote exceeds its Quote Due date it will be marked overdue and listed first in the Quotes tab.
4. Quote expiration: The date when the price on a quote is no longer valid. Required
   1. If an outstanding quote expires, online checkout will be disabled and replaced with the option to request a requote. Similar to the Quote Due date, this date will automatically populate based on the default quote expiration value, which can be set in the Shop Variables section of your settings.
5. Priority: A ranking system (1-10) of quote priority. Optional
   1. Use this field to differentiate between potentially hot work or RFQs that can sit in the queue for a bit. Regularly assigning quotes a priority will allow you to filter your dashboard by priority or set up saved filters to quickly view hot-button opportunities.
6. RFQ received: When an RFQ came into your shop. Optional
   1. Regularly filling in this field will help you keep track of how long RFQs sit between receiving and being returned to a buyer.
7. Contact: The person who will be receiving the quote. Type to search by first name, last name, or account. Required
   1. Once you assign a contact, a card will appear with data about that person and the account they are associated with, including a notes section. These notes live with the Account/Contact and are not visible to the customer, so they’re a great place to capture information that may be relevant when you’re working on a quote. This can prevent CRM data from becoming siloed with a specific account manager or salesperson. 
8. Estimator: The person who will be estimating the cost of the part. Once you assign a team member as the estimator, they'll receive an email alerting them that they are assigned to a quote. (Note: This is an enterprise-level feature.) Optional
9. Internal notes: Clicking the sticky note icon will open up a text box where you can enter quote-level information. Learn more about quote notes here. Optional

Assigning an account and contact

Each quote is required to have an assigned Contact, as this is the person who will be receiving the quote. Contacts in Paperless are typically associated with an Account (the company the contact works for).

1. To assign an existing contact to a quote, click Select contact and type inside the text box to narrow down by first name, last name, or account. 
2. To assign a contact that does not already exist in your account, click Create contact. You will need to provide a first name, last name, and email address. 
   1. For more information on Contacts, including important information like tax rate and payment terms, check out our Accounts and Contacts documentation.

Next step: Add parts to your quote by creating quote items.

FAQ

Why isn't the contact I want to assign showing up when I search from the build-a-quote? They're in my organization's accounts and contacts.

Contacts that are associated with a "Vendor" type account will not be available to assign to quotes. To change an account to the "Customer" type, select the account from your Contacts page and click Edit Account info. 

Change the type to customer and click Save changes to confirm.