Finance
Create, send and convert workshop quotes
Create, send and manage customer quotes, capture public acceptance or rejection and convert approved work into a connected job.
Quotes describe proposed work before it becomes an active workshop job. They combine customer and vehicle context with line items, quantities, prices and VAT treatment, then provide a controlled customer response journey.
The quote lifecycle protects the meaning of each stage. Draft content can be edited, a sent quote waits for a decision, an accepted quote can be converted into a connected job, and expired or rejected work is not treated as approved.
Create an accurate draft
- Select the correct customer and vehicle, using registration lookup only as a starting point for review.
- Add job or part lines with a clear description, quantity, price and VAT treatment.
- Review the total and the quote validity date.
- Save the draft and preview the customer-facing information.
- Correct the draft before sending; sent content represents the proposal given to the customer.
Quote status lifecycle
| Status | Meaning | Next normal action |
|---|---|---|
| Draft | Internal editable proposal | Review and send |
| Sent | Customer response is pending | Accept, reject or allow expiry |
| Accepted | Customer has approved the proposal | Convert to a job |
| Rejected | Customer declined the proposal | Revise through a new appropriate proposal if requested |
| Expired | Validity date passed while still awaiting response | Review price/scope before replacing |
| Converted | Accepted work has created a linked job | Continue on the job card |
Send and customer response
Sending creates the customer response journey for that quote. The recipient can review the proposal using the provided link and accept or reject while the quote is in the sent state. The public page does not expose the workshop's wider customer or job lists.
An authorised office user can also record the supported decision where appropriate. Verify that the recorded outcome reflects the customer's instruction, because acceptance is the gate to creating the approved job.
Convert accepted work
Conversion creates a job linked to the source quote and carries the quoted line snapshot into job context. This preserves the proposal used for approval while allowing separately recorded additional charges or parts when the workshop later discovers genuinely extra work.
Do not manually create an unrelated duplicate job after acceptance. Use conversion so the job can show where its approved scope came from and invoicing can review quoted and additional lines together.
Parts and extra work
Inventory parts on quote lines define the accepted plan and quantity. They do not by themselves mean that stock has been physically issued. The office issues the required stock to the active job. If the mechanic later needs an additional part, the separate request-and-review workflow protects both approval and stock accuracy.
Practical example
An advisor prepares a brake quote with labour and two inventory-linked part lines, checks VAT and sends it with a validity date. The customer accepts through the public page. The advisor converts it to a scheduled job, and the office later issues the approved parts. During work, a separate damaged component is discovered; the mechanic requests it, and the office records the additional decision rather than rewriting the original accepted scope.
Common problems
- If Send is unavailable, confirm the quote is still a draft.
- If the customer cannot respond, confirm the link and that the quote remains sent and within its validity.
- If Convert is unavailable, confirm the quote is accepted rather than merely sent.
- If a part appears on the quote but not at the job, check whether stock has actually been issued.
- If vehicle data is incomplete, correct the saved vehicle rather than relying on the quote preview alone.