Quote estimation matrix

The quote estimation matrix lets you break a single client-facing deliverable down into the multiple roles or people who'll actually deliver it — assigning each their planned hours and cost — without cluttering the quote you send to your client. It's the quoting tool to reach for whenever more than one person contributes to a deliverable, so you can estimate cost and margin accurately while keeping the client-facing quote line simple and high-level.

This article will walk you through how to enable and use the quote estimation matrix.

1. What is quote estimation matrix?

The quote estimation matrix in the quote modify view lets you quickly and conveniently add all the necessary collaborators for each deliverable where multiple roles or doers will deliver the work, specify their planned hours, and manage the associated costs.

For example, let's say you're a digital agency quoting a "New landing page development" project. The project will involve multiple roles:

• Project Manager (e.g., 10 hours)
• UI/UX Designer (e.g., 25 hours)
• Developer (e.g., 35 hours)
• Copywriter (e.g., 20 hours)

You can add a single deliverable to your quote and then use the estimation matrix view to add the necessary roles, users, and planned hours for each.

For deliverables with just a single provider, you don't need to use the estimation matrix — you can select the in-house role/user or outsourced supplier directly on the quote line instead. See Creating a quote.

2. Enabling the quote estimation matrix

The site administrator can enable the quote estimation matrix on your site by following these steps:

1. First, go to Settings > Sales and finance > General and enable the Assign users on sales document lines checkbox. Without this setting, the checkbox for enabling the quote estimation matrix won't be available on your site.
   
2. Then, go to Settings > Sales and finance > Quotes and enable the Use quote matrix checkbox.
   

3. Using the quote estimation matrix

Once the quote estimation matrix is enabled on your site, follow these steps to add roles and users to your deliverables via the quote estimation matrix:

1. Create a new quote and add your deliverables as quote line items. 
2. Click the Estimate in matrix view button to access the quote estimation matrix view. Note that this button is available once you've added at least one line item on your quote.
   
3. To add a role or user to a deliverable, click the Add a provider to start estimating button and select the necessary role or user. Click the Assign a role or user button to add more roles and users. You can add as many as needed. To modify an already added role or user, click on it and select a different role or user.
   
   Note! In the quote estimation matrix, you can estimate costs only for internal providers. If an outsourced supplier will carry out some part of a deliverable you're estimating in the matrix view, you need to add it as a separate quote line item instead.
   
4. To specify the planned hours for each role or user, click in the corresponding grid cell and enter the necessary amount. Hit the Tab key after you've entered the quantity for a provider to quickly navigate to the quantity field for the next provider.
5. When ready, click Save.
   

The Cost and provider info column for deliverables with multiple providers assigned via the estimation matrix will show the number of linked providers. Hover to see the specific roles and users.

The quantity, unit price, and providers for these deliverables can be modified only in the matrix view — not directly on the quote line.

4. Outsourced costs in the estimation matrix

In the quote estimation matrix, you can estimate costs only for internal providers. While you can also see the deliverables with outsourced providers in the quote estimation matrix, these deliverables can only be managed at the quote line level — not from within the matrix grid itself.

For more information on quote creation, see our Creating a quote article.