Validating a Quotation

Objective

This function is one of the complementary steps in closing a quotation to check the contents of the quotation.

In addition to the verifications requested by your company, when a quotation is created, we recommend automating the validation of a quotation for the following reasons:

• to accelerate the quotation review procedure;
• to highlight errors or omissions following the automatic review by the validation program;

 

There is a possibility to automate the estimate validation so that it automatically starts when a certain status is reached by the estimate.

 

The contents of a quotation must be checked before moving to the Closing tab and/or the Presentation Method for the following reason. The quotation validation procedure does not check the information in the Closing tab, nor the Presentation Method option. If configured, this function can be accessed by clicking the Validate the Quotation icon in the Quotations and Advanced Quotations options and applies to Construction quotations only.

 

Prerequisites

• Estimating

 

Steps

Configuring the validation of a quotation

maestro* > Projects > Estimating > Processing > Estimating

 

This feature is usually configured in the template estimate so that all estimates, and therefore all estimators, benefit from the same basic configurations. For more flexibility, these configurations can be changed from one estimate to another, and for each user, if option Always display this screen before starting the validation is checked AND option Use these validations for all quotations created for this template is not checked. In order to prevent user to modify estimate’s validation options, select the Use these validations for all quotations created for this template option, in the Validation tab of the estimate’s template Configuration icon. Warning: A modification of the validation options in the Validation tab of the estimate’s configuration applies to all users. That’s why if it desired that estimators can modify the validation options, option Always display this screen before starting the validation must be selected. Thus, each estimator will be able to modify the options in the screen that will be displayed at the validation start. Warning: If you are used to manipulate local items that have been created directly in the estimate, it is advised to activate the validation of the activity, project and group because the transfer of the estimate is only possible if every line of the estimate have a group and a project activity.

 

1. Click the Configuration icon from a new quotation or from an existing quotation.
2. Choose the validations to be performed based on your requirements:

1. For all levels, validate that it section:

The validations enabled in this section apply to all levels (Division, Section, Phase and Activity) defined in the Details tab of the quotation.

Field	Action
Does not have only an estimated amount	The levels do not only have a cost estimated in the quotation.
Contains at least an item, a resource, a subcontractor or an assembly	The levels contain at least one element (items, resources, sub-contractors, etc.).
Has at least an estimated cost	The levels have a cost other than zero.

2. For each last level validate that it section:

This section applies to all levels of the Details tab. In an estimate, the last level can be a division, a section, a phase, and sometimes even an activity.

Field	Action
Has at least one subcontractor selected	At least one subcontractor is selected.
Does not have more than one subcontractor selected	There is no more than one subcontractor selected. NOTE: If more than one subcontractor is selected, the system displays an error message to correct the situation.
Does not have a subcontractor AND items and/or resources and/or assemblies	There are no subcontractors OR other elements (items, resources, assemblies, sub-quotations) selected. NOTE: If there are assemblies or sub-quotations in the same level as one or more selected subcontractors, the system does not include the items or resources in these assemblies or sub-quotations even if this validation option is checked.

3. For each item (catalogue items, resources, subcontractors, assemblies, sub-quotations), validate that it section:

The validations enabled in this section apply to each element (items, resources, sub-contractors, assemblies) in the Details tab.

The system does not validate the Group or Default Activity for items without quantities.

Field	Action
Has a quantity	There is an amount other than zero.
Has a cost	There is a cost other than zero.
Has a project activity	There is a project activity in the Default Activity column.
Has a group	There is a group in the Group column.
Has valid tax codes	There are valid tax codes in the quotation. NOTE: This option is used for quotations that have the construction type defined as Time and material only. When this option is selected, the system ensures - for items, subcontractors and resources - that the tax codes identified in the Purchase tax and Sales tax columns, found under the Details tab, correspond to the formulae defined under the Define Tax Code Usage option. If the tax codes in the quotation are different from those in the Define Tax Code Usage option, maestro* displays an error message.
Has a value in every variable used in formulas	Formula variables contain a value in the Variables tab.
Does not have a price difference of more… of…	There is no price discrepancy above ...% in relation to .... NOTE: Validation exceptions can be defined by clicking the Exclusions icons to specify validation points. Refer to the example in the appendix.

4. When there are variables imported from a takeoff quantity section:

Field	Action
Validate that all variables from the takeoff are used in the “Detail” tab of the estimate	Used to validate that all variables from the takeoff are used in the Detail tab of the quotation.
Validate the variables used in the “Detail” tab of the estimate that no longer exist	Used to validate the variables, since it is not possible to know that the variables that no longer exist come from the takeoff.

3. The Always display this screen before starting the validation option lets the user change the validation points in the current quotation without changing the basic validation settings, if this option is activated. This option is useful, for example, if the validation points change often from one quotation to another.
4. Click on OK.

 

APPendix

Here is an example of a validation condition with exclusion of a quotation.

Background information

You want to ensure that the system runs a validation about the Unit Price of material in order not to bid with prices of plus or minus 10% compared to the last price paid.

Steps for configuring an exclusion

1. In the Validation tab of the Configuration window, check the option Does not have a price difference of more of … of.
2. Enter the value “10” in the field of the Does not have a price difference of more of … of option.
3. Select the value Price Last Paid in the dropdown field.
4. Click the Exclusions button.
5. Enter the formula that defines the exclusion conditions in the General tab: {Group} <> “M”.
6. Click on Accept.
7. Click on Accept.

The system will validate the unit price of items whose group is “M” and exclude all items whose group is different from “M”.

To use the validation in the quotation

1. Click on the Validate Quotation icon in order to launch the validation of the quotation.
2. If the user corrects something in the quotation while validation runs, the Validate Quotation icon offers the possibility to Continue Validation where it was interrupted.

 

Last modification: September 20, 2024