Quotes
How quotes are saved to Xero, read back live, and emailed, and what Smartworks keeps.
A quote you write in Smartworks is a Xero quote. SAVE QUOTE creates or updates it in Xero, and the quotes list and quote form read it back from Xero each time. Smartworks keeps one thing Xero cannot hold: the cost price on each line.
When Smartworks writes to Xero
| You do this | Smartworks does this in Xero |
|---|---|
| Click SAVE QUOTE on a new quote | Creates the quote. Xero gives it the next quote number when Quote Number is left empty. |
| Click SAVE QUOTE on a saved quote | Updates the quote, including its status. |
| Click Email and Send | Sets the quote to sent, then emails it. See below. |
| Create a job from the quote | Adds a note with the job number to the quote’s history. |
Each save also puts the theme from Xero Branding Theme on the quote. See Branding themes.
The Status list offers the moves Xero allows from the quote’s current status. A draft can go to sent or be deleted. A sent quote can be accepted, declined or deleted.
What Smartworks reads from Xero
The quotes list and the quote form are read from Xero every time you open them. Changes made in Xero, such as a new status or an edited line, show straight away. The Tax Rate list on each line comes from your cached tax rates.
What Smartworks keeps itself
Xero quotes have no cost price. Smartworks keeps a record of each quote it saves, with each line’s Cost Price, so the quote form can show cost and margin or markup. When you open a quote, the lines come from Xero and the cost prices come from Smartworks. Jobs created from the quote are linked to it in Smartworks, and listed under associated job(s).
PDF and email
- PREVIEW opens the quote PDF that Xero produces.
- Email first sets the quote to sent in Xero. Smartworks then sends the email itself, with Xero’s PDF attached. Xero does not send it.
Limitations
- A line added to the quote in Xero has no cost price in Smartworks until you enter one and save the quote.
- Saving a quote in Smartworks sets its branding theme back to Xero Branding Theme.
See also
- Jobs and Quotes - write, save, preview and email a quote.
- Tax rates - where the Tax Rate list comes from.
- Invoices and payments - the next document once the work is done.