Select File > New from the proposal menu to create a new proposal, and the following dialog will open:
The first page of the new proposal wizard gives the user three options:
Select the Create a new blank proposal option to create a blank proposal.
Use the Create a new proposal from a template option to create a new proposal from a proposal template. A proposal will show on the template option list if the proposal’s customer ID is blank. Review the Proposal Templates section for more details.
Select the Make a copy of an existing proposal option and identify the proposal to start with an existing proposal.
Click Next to continue.
The New Reference Number is used as the identification for the new proposal and must be unique for each proposal. This number defaults to the Next Reference Number recorded in the Sales > Options > Proposal tab. The proposal reference number does not need to be numeric, but may contain any alphanumeric combination.
Set the appropriate Customer ID and Description.
Click on the Finish button to create the new proposal.
The Warehouse field will only appear if the Warehouse module is installed
Review the Proposal Pricing section for more details on the Price Level setting and other pricing options.
The proposal detail may consist of as little as a single line with the total contract price or it may include multiple paragraphs of contract information. The contract detail may be entered within the Note tab rather than typing multiple line paragraphs within the Description column. The proposal may contain a long list of inventory items that require multiple pages within the proposal. The proposal detail lines and materials lists are very similar to the line detail within a sales order. Review the Sales > Materials List section within the main manual.
Enter the Quantity of items being listed. The Quantity column must contain a value in order to calculate the extended Amount from the Unit price.
Enter an Inventory ID if you wish to list inventory items. Keep the Inventory column blank if you wish to manually enter a description. If an Inventory ID is entered, the Unit of Measure, Description, Unit price, Taxable switch, G/L Account, and the Cost amount are entered from the inventory item record.
The detail lines of a proposal can be formatted for a variety of purposes as shown below:
A. Standard
The standard line consists of the Quantity, Description, and pricing. A standard line may contain an Inventory item or the description may be manually entered.
B. Heading
A heading line is used to total a materials list of items. Notice the "Tool Set" line in the example shown above. The unit price of a heading line is derived from the total of all the lines within the materials list. A heading line may include an inventory item that is classified as ‘No Count’ or ‘Service’. A heading line cannot contain any Inventory items classified as ‘Track Count.’ A heading line is created by right-clicking on the proposal line and selecting the Create Materials List option from the context menu.
C. Hidden Materials List
A hidden materials list line of a proposal will not show on the printed proposal document. A hidden materials list is useful for informational purposes or to properly process inventory. To create a materials list line, right-click on the header line and select the Create Materials List option. Press the down arrow button from the last line of the materials list to add to the materials list. Review the Sales > Materials List > Using the Materials List for Sales Contracts section of the main manual for more details on hidden materials lists.
D. Visible Materials List
A visible materials list will show the quantity and description of the individual materials lines but will not show the Unit or extended Amount on the printed proposal. The prices of all materials lists are totaled on the header line. A visible materials list line is created the same way as the hidden materials list line. Right-click on the materials list line and select the Show on Printed Document option from the context menu to make the materials list visible.
E. Comment
A line that contains a description with the Quantity and Pricing columns blank is considered a comment line. A comment line can consist of a single line or multiple paragraphs. A comment can be created for the proposal only and will not be copied to the sales order by clicking on the comment line and disabling the Copy to Sales Order option.
A separate line was created for the shipping instructions of the dirt shovel in the example above so that the main line is copied to the sales order and the note is only printed on the proposal.
Click on the Note tab to enter a detailed description of the proposal. This single proposal note may print on the proposal document with different margins than the description entered in the Description column.
Select View > Sales Taxes to change any sales tax settings.
The Show Cost option can be disabled to hide Cost and Profit values on the proposal. This can be useful when the user is creating a proposal in the customer’s presence.
Select a proposal report from the File > Print menu of the proposal. Review the Reports > Print Button section of the main manual for instructions on adding reports to print menus and buttons.
A proposal can be printed without a document total by enabling the Do Not Print Totals option on the print dialog box.