Quotes module

Owned by Oksana Vishchuk
Last updated: Feb 16, 2024
21 min read

In the Quotes module, you can create and manage quotes for upcoming projects.

Manage quotes

On the main page of the Quotes module, you can browse and open available quotes, those created by you, other users of the Home Portal, or requested by your clients. By default, you see the list of all quotes you have in XTRF, with several filters on top of the table. However, you can select another view or create a new one by clicking on the View drop-down list.

To learn more about views, see the Smart views article.

 

 

  • To open a quote, click on its line in the list. To open a classic quote in edit mode, click the icon in the last column.

  • In the Status column, you can check the quote’s status. The possible options are:

    • Pending - the quote wasn’t yet sent

    • Sent - the quote was sent to the client

    • Requested - the client has requested the quote in the Client Portal

    • Approved by Client - the client has approved the quote in the Client Portal
      Note: This status appears only if you have disabled the automatic quote approval (see the Smart automations - Automatic Quote Approval and Projects and Quotes - Workflow Definitions (Classic) - Quotes tab articles).

    • Approved - the client has approved the quote you’ve sent, or you have approved the quote requested by the client.

    • Rejected - the quote was rejected by you or the client.

  •  If you select the checkbox in the left column, several additional buttons appear on top of the list of quotes.




    • Click the Duplicate button to create another quote with the same data (except the Files and Finances cards). When duplicating a classic quote, you will be directed to the Duplicate Quote page, where you can select what data should be duplicated.



    • Click the Convert into Project button to create a project based on this quote. For more details, see the Convert a quote into a project section of this article.

    • Click the Mark as Rejected button to reject the quote. For classic projects, you can select a reason for rejection and add a comment for later analysis.




    • Click the Delete button to erase the quote from the system. For more details, see the Delete a quote section of this article.

To add new reasons for rejections, go to Configuration menu > System Values: Basic > Rejection Reasons.

If you select several quotes, only the Mark as Rejected button will appear.

Add a quote

To add a new quote, you can click:

  • the button on the top menu bar and select Quote from the drop-down menu

  • the Add Quote button on top of the quotes list.

You will be directed to the Add Quote page.

 

On this page, you need to:

  1. Provide a concise Name for the new quote

  2. Select the Client.

  3. (Optional for Smart Quotes) Select the Service.

  4. (Optional) Select the Project Group this quote will belong to.

  5. Click the Add Quote button.

Depending on your selected service, you will be directed to the smart quote or classic quote page.

Smart quote

On the smart quote page, you can check, change and add the details about the service you are offering to the client. You may also add extra information to make the quote explicit.

At the top of the page, you will see the quote’s ID and name:

  • To change the quote’s name, click on it and provide a new name.

  • You can’t change the quote’s ID; however, you can change the way the quotes are numbered in XTRF. To learn how to do that, see the Templates - Numbering Schemes article.

  • To delete or archive the quote, click the icon.

 

Smart quote statuses and actions

In Smart quotes, statuses are linked to the possible actions that can be selected in the status bar at the top of the right-hand side panel.

Status

Actions

Status

Actions

Requested

  • Approve quote

  • Mark as Pending

  • Reject Quote

Pending 

 

  • Approve Quote

  • Reject Quote

  • Send Quote to Client (available only for quotes with added receivables)

Sent 

  • Approve Quote

  • Reject Quote

Approved by Client

  • Approve Quote

Approved

No actions available

Rejected

  • Reopen Quote

Quote card

Some fields of the Quote card are already filled with the information you provided while creating the quote. However, you may change them or add more details:

 

  1. Select another Client.

  2. Select or change the Service.

  3. In the Offer Expiration field, limit your client's response time. By default, it is set for 24 hours. To change the default Offer Expiration settings, go to the Configuration menu > Projects and Quotes > Settings > Scheduling tab.

  4. In the Expected Delivery Date, provide the estimated due date for the project. You can also set the expected duration in the Business Days field.

  5. Provide the Client Reference Number - a PO number or any reference number on the client side.

  6. (Recommended) Provide the volume of the source file(s) to establish the duration of the translation, proofreading, and other steps in the process.
    Note: If you provide the source volume, you can use the Automatic Job Dates feature to schedule jobs in the quote. To learn more about this automation, see the Projects and Quotes - Automations (Smart) - Automatic Job Dates article.

  7. In the Client Notes field, provide the comments or additional information passed by the client (such as special instructions, etc.).

  8. In the Internal Notes field, provide the information that isn't relevant for the client but is important for internal staff.

  9. Click the icon to open the Automation configuration pop-up window. Here you can enable or disable the automatic quote approval. When enabled, a project will be automatically created when a client approves the quote.

Languages card

 

 

  1. Select the Source Language.

  2. Select one or several Target Languages.

  3. Select the Specialization.

Process & Job cards

In those cards, you can preview and edit the chosen service's process structure and jobs. Also, within a quote, you may select the vendors. However, you can do all this later while creating a project. To learn more about those cards, see the Smart projects article.

Files card

Uploading source files while creating a quote is not obligatory. However, we recommend that you don't skip this step. Having the source document in the quote helps to identify the order, calculate the receivables, and find the vendors willing to undertake this particular job.

To add a file to the quote, perform the following steps:

  1. Drag the file to the Files card, or click the Add Files button and select the file on your local machine.

     

  2. In the Add files pop-up window, specify the Category of the file and its Language.

  3. Click the Add Files button. The file added will be displayed on the list.

If you want to add a file through the link, perform the following steps:

  1. Click the Add Links button. The Add Links pop-up window appears.


     

  2. Provide the file's URL and Name, and specify the document's Category and Language.

  3. Click the Add Links button.

Finance card

Filling the receivables is essential for creating a quote. Otherwise, you won't be able to present the service cost.

  1. Go to the Receivables tab.

  2. Select the language pair in the left-hand side menu.

  3. Click the Add Receivable button. A Task Receivable pop-up window appears.


     

  4. Select the Receivable Type. When you select a Task Receivable, you need to fill in the fields below:

    1. Select a Job Type.

    2. Select the Calculation Unit that will be used to calculate the total value of the job.

    3. Provide the Rate Value of the calculation unit. If the settings of the quote (currency, language combination, and specialization) match the information from the client's price profile, this field will be populated automatically. However, you may decide to use another rate and enter it manually. To learn more about the client's price profiles, see the Clients module - Client's Profile - Rates tab article.

    4. Provide the Quantity of the calculation units. You can do this manually or import the value from other receivables or payables.

    5. In the Rate Origin section, check if the rates were taken from the correct source.

    6. (Optional) If you want to add a surcharge or discount to the receivable, click the Edit button in the Discount / Surcharge section. The Discounts/Surcharges pop-up window appears:

       

      1. With the Application mode radio buttons, select the way the discount/surcharge will be applied:

        • First sum up then apply - the values of all discounts/surcharges are first summed up and then applied once.
          For example, a vendor earns $500 and has a 10% discount and a 5% surcharge. When the discount and surcharge are added, the result would be a 5% discount. The 5% discount would then be applied to $500, and the vendor will receive $475.

        • Apply one by one - each value of the discount/surcharge is applied separately.
          For example, a vendor earns $500 and has a 10% discount and a 5% surcharge. The 10% discount is applied to $500, with the result being $450. The 5% surcharge is then applied to $450; the vendor will receive $472.50. The overall discount is 5.5%.

        • Manual - you manually provide the value of the discount/surcharge.

      2. In the Edit section, select the available discounts and surcharges from the Add... drop-down list. To learn how to add discounts and surcharges to the system, see the System Values: Basic - Discounts & Surcharges article.

      3. Click the Save button.

    7. (Optional) Provide additional information about the receivable in the Description field.

    8. Check the sum in the Total Value section.

    9. Click the Save button to app the receivable.

  5. To add a CAT receivable, click the Add CAT Receivable button or select the Task Cat Receivable with the radio button in the Task Receivable window. The Task CAT Receivable pop-up window appears.

    1. Provide the necessary information as described in step 2 above.

    2. In the TM Savings section, select your CAT tool.

    3. Select the type of the rates - Percentage or Fixed.

    4. Upload the Analysis File from your local machine or enter the rates manually. To learn more about CAT tools in XTRF, see the articles in the CAT tools section.

    5. Click the Save button.

People card

In this card, you can manage all people involved in this quote:

  • Select the persons responsible for the project on your side.

  • Change or add the client contact person. To learn more about contact persons, see the Client profile - Contact Persons tab article.

Send a quote

After you have prepared a quote, you can send it to the client. To do so, either:

  • Click on the drop-down menu at the top of the right-hand side panel and select Send Quote to Client, or

  • Go to the Quote Confirmation section in the right-hand side panel, open the drop-down menu, and click Send.

 

In the right-hand side panel, you can also:

  • approve or reject the quote

  • preview the quote before sending

  • edit the quote’s cover e-mail

  • add a category to a quote.

To edit the e-mail sent to the client along with a quote, click the Edit and Send button in the Quote Confirmation section. The E-mail Test pop-up window appears. Here you can check and change the recipients, the content of the e-mail, layout, and attachments.

 

 

Classic quote

Main Data tab

In the Main Data tab of the classic’s Add Quote page, you may check, change or add the essential details of the new quote.

 

  1. In the Client section, you can select another client or add a new one:

    • If you click the Select Client button, a Select Client Price Profile pop-up window appears. Use the filters on the left to narrow down the search. Click on the price profile of the desired client to change the client in the quote.

    • If you click the Add Client button, you will be directed to the Add Client page. To learn how to add clients, see the Client module - Add Client article.

  2. In the Client Price Profile drop-down list, you can select another price profile for this client.

  3. (Optional) Provide the Client PO Number - the purchase order number or another reference number on the client side.

  4. In the Contact Person section, you can manage contact persons on the client’s side:

    • Select the main contact person from the drop-down list.

    • (Optional) Click the Add Contact Person button to open the Add Contact Person pop-up window. Provide the contact person details and click the Add button.

    • (Optional) Click the More link to expand two additional sections: Send Back to and Additional Contacts.


       

  5. In the Name field, check or change the name of the quote.

  6. In the Sales Person and Project Manager sections, select the persons responsible for the future project from the drop-down lists. To check or change how the responsible persons are selected by default, go to Configuration menu > Projects and Quotes > Settings > Responsible Persons (Classic) tab.

  7. In the Service section, check or change the selected service. To learn more about services, see the System Values: Basic - Services article.

  8. In the Workflow section, check or change the specific workflow that will be used in the future project. By default, you see the workflow defined in the selected service settings, but you can change it according to your needs. To learn more about workflows, see the Projects and Quotes - Workflow Definitions (Classic) article.

  9. In the Specialization drop-down list, select the topic of the future project. To learn more about specializations, see the System Values: Advanced - Specializations article.

  10. The Added on and Offer Expiration dates are entered automatically; however, you can also enter them manually. To change the default Offer Expiration settings, go to the Configuration menu > Projects and Quotes > Settings > Scheduling tab.

  11. In the Estimated Delivery Date and Time, provide the project’s estimated due date and time. You can also set the expected duration in the Business Days field.

  12. Check the Automatically Accept Sent Quote box if you want the quote to be converted into a project after the quote’s status changes to Sent.

  13. If the quote concerns a live interpretation, select the Additional Fields checkbox. New fields appear below.



    • In the Place of Event field, provide the details on where the interpretation will occur.

    • In the Date and Time of Event and Start Date and Time, provide the details about the timing of the interpretation.

    • In the Deadline field, provide the date of the event’s

  14. In the Categories section, select the quote’s category from the drop-down list. To learn more about categories, see the System Values: Advanced - Categories article.

  15. Click the Save button at the bottom of the page.

Instructions tab

In the Instructions tab, you can provide notes and special instructions about the future project. Some of them are visible to all responsible parties (Notes), while others will be revealed only to certain groups:

  • to you and your client (Special Instructions from Client)

  • to you and your vendors (Special Instructions for Vendor)

  • to your company's users (Internal Special Instructions and Payment Note for Client).

To add or edit the notes, click the icon.

 

If you check the Show Note on Dashboard box, the icon will appear in the Dashboard Note column in the Dashboard > Classic Dashboard > Open Projects display.

After you click the Save button at the bottom of the page, you are directed to the Add Quote Language Combination page.

Add a language combination

To calculate the price of your services correctly, you have to provide several details about the future project.

In the Add Quote Language Combination page, select the Source Language(s) and the Target Language(s):

 



  1. In the Mode section:

    1. Use the radio buttons to decide on the type of language combination you want to add.

      • One to many - select this option if you want to add new language combinations where one source language is translated to many target languages.

      • Many to one - select this option if you want to add new language combinations where many source languages are translated into one target language.

  2. For One to many:

    1. Select the source language from the Source Language drop-down list.

    2. In the Target Languages section, double-click on a language(s) in the Available Items list or select a language and click the Add button to add it to the Selected Items list. 

  3. For Many to one:

    1. In the Source Language section: double-click on a language(s) in the Available Items list or select a language and click the Add button to add it to the Selected Items list. 

    2. Select the target language from the Target Language drop-down menu.

  4. Click the Add button.

Add a task

After selecting the desired language(s), you need to add tasks to language pairs:

  1. Click on the language combination in the left-hand menu, then click the icon or the Add Task button below the left-hand menu. The new task appears below the selected language combination.

  2. In the Main Data and Instructions tabs on the right, you can see the data you have provided when creating a quote. You may make changes to this data if some details are task-specific. For example, you can select different deadline dates, specializations, or contact persons for this specific task.

  3. If the quote concerns a live interpretation, select the Additional Fields checkbox. New fields appear below, where you can provide additional details about the translating event.

     

  4. Click the Save button.

Add a receivable

After you have added a task to a language combination, new tabs appear on the right. To add a receivable to a task, perform the following steps:

  1. Select the desired task in the left-hand menu.

  2. Go to the Receivables tab and click the Add Receivable button. The Task Receivable pop-up window appears.

     

  3. Select the Receivable Type. When you select a Task Receivable, you need to fill in the fields below:

    1. Select a Job Type that is present in the chosen service.

    2. Select the Calculation Unit that will be used to calculate the total value of the job.

    3. Provide the Rate Value of the calculation unit. If the settings of the quote (currency, language combination, and specialization) match the information from the client's price profile, this field will be populated automatically. However, you may decide to use another rate and enter it manually. To learn more about the client's price profiles, see the Clients module - Client's Profile - Rates tab article.

    4. Provide the Quantity of the calculation units. You can do this manually or import the value from other receivables or payables.

    5. In the Rate Origin section, check if the rates were taken from the correct source.

    6. (Optional) If you want to add a surcharge or discount to the receivable, click the Edit button in the Discount / Surcharge section. The Discounts/Surcharges pop-up window appears:

      1. With the Application mode radio buttons, select the way the discount/surcharge will be applied:

        • First sum up then apply - the values of all discounts/surcharges are first summed up and then applied once.
          For example, a vendor earns $500 and has a 10% discount and a 5% surcharge. When the discount and surcharge are added, the result would be a 5% discount. The 5% discount would then be applied to $500, and the vendor will receive $475.

        • Apply one by one - each value of the discount/surcharge is applied separately.
          For example, a vendor earns $500 and has a 10% discount and a 5% surcharge. The 10% discount is applied to $500, with the result being $450. The 5% surcharge is then applied to $450; the vendor will receive $472.50. The overall discount is 5.5%.

        • Manual - you manually provide the value of the discount/surcharge.

      2. In the Edit section, select the available discounts and surcharges from the Add... drop-down list. To learn how to add discounts and surcharges to the system, see the System Values: Basic - Discounts & Surcharges article.

      3. Click the Save button.

    7. (Optional) Provide additional information about the receivable in the Description field.

    8. Check the sum in the Total Value section.

    9. Click the Save button to app the receivable.

  4. To add a CAT receivable, click the Add CAT Receivable button or select the Task Cat Receivable with the radio button in the Task Receivable window. The Task CAT Receivable pop-up window appears.

     

    1. Provide the necessary information as described in step 3 above.

    2. In the TM Savings section, select your CAT tool.

    3. Select the type of the rates - Percentage or Fixed.

    4. Upload the Analysis File from your local machine or enter the rates manually. To learn more about CAT tools in XTRF, see the articles in the CAT tools section.

    5. Click the Save button.

Copy a task

If the details of the newly created task will be the same for other language pairs, you can simply copy the task instead of repeating the steps. To do so, click the Copy Task button below the left-hand menu. You will be directed to the Copy Task page.

  1. From the Task drop-down list, select the task you want to copy.

  2. In the Languages section, double-click on a language pair(s) to which the task will be copied in the Available Items list, or select a language pair and click the Add button to add it to the Selected Items list. 

  3. In the fields below, select the data that will be copied to the new task.

  4. (Optional) Use the radio buttons to switch from Copy to Set mode and provide new data.

  5. Click the Copy Task button.

Send a quote

Once the quote is prepared, you can send it to the client. To do so, perform the following steps.

  1. Open the quote in edit mode.

  2. In the left-hand menu, select the quote.

  3. Go to the Documents tab. The structure of this tab reflects the structure of the quote. There are separate lines and documents for each task and the whole quote.




  4. Click the icon in the Preview & Print column to preview the quote that will be sent to the client.

  5. In the Document Template column, you can select the template that will be used to create this particular quote. To learn more about document templates, see the Template - Document templates article.

  6. To send the quote, click the Send Global Quote button.

  7. To send the quote for a certain task, select this task in the list of documents and click the Send Quotes for Selected Tasks button.

  8. To edit the e-mail that will be sent to the client along with a quote, click the icon in the Edit and Send column. The E-mail Test pop-up window appears. Here you can check and change the recipients, the content of the e-mail, its layout, and attachments.


     

9. You can also send this quote for internal review. To do so, click the Send Quote for Review section to expand additional fields.

a. Select a Reviewer from the drop-down list.

b. Click the button with the desired action below.

Convert a quote into a project

Smart quotes

When a smart quote’s status changes to Approved, the new project based on the data provided in the quote is created automatically.

Classic quotes

To create a new classic project based on the data provided in the quote:

  1. Click the Convert into Project button. You can find this button:

    • at the bottom of the quote’s page (in edit mode)

       

    • on top of the list of quotes on the Quotes module main page (you have to select the quote first)

       

  2. You will be directed to the Converting Quote into Project page. Here you can change the details provided in the quote and add new information.

     

    1. With the Auto-start Workflows checkbox, decide whether you want to start the project workflows immediately after conversion. To change the default setting of this checkbox, go to the Configuration menu > Projects and Quotes > Settings > Workflow (Classic) tab.

    2. (Optional) Provide the project’s Start Date and Time and Deadline dates and decide whether you want to apply those dates to the tasks in the project.

    3. With the Reset Jobs' dates checkbox, decide whether you want to change the job dates set in the quote. If you check this box, the first job start date and time will be set to the time of quote conversion, and the last job will receive the project’s deadline you provide on this page. To change the default setting of this checkbox, go to the Configuration menu > Projects and Quotes > Settings > Scheduling tab.

    4. (Optional) If you want to convert to the project only some of the selected tasks, uncheck the Default box in the Advanced Settings section. A list of tasks will appear. Uncheck the boxes for the tasks you don’t want to include in the project.

       

  3. Click the Add button. You will be directed to the newly created project page.

Delete a quote

The XTRF Platform helps you to keep your quotes safe and manageable. However, from time to time, you may need to remove a single item because it was created for testing purposes or by mistake, or it turns out not necessary after all. Deleting a quote means you are erasing it from the database.

You can delete a quote from the inside of this quote or from the list of quotes in the Quotes module.

To delete a quote from the Quotes module main page:

  1. Select an item on the list. Several buttons will appear on top of the list.

  2. Click the Delete button.

  3. Read the warning.

  4. Decide whether to delete the associated offer.

  5. Type in DELETE and confirm.

To delete a smart quote from inside the quote:

  1. Scroll to the top of the screen.

  2. In the right-hand side corner, click the icon.

  3. Click the Delete button.

  4. Read the warning.

  5. Decide whether to delete the associated offer.

  6. Type in DELETE and confirm.

  7. You will be taken to the main page of the Quote module.

Reopen a quote

The quotes with the Rejected status can be reopened.

Smart quotes

To reopen a smart quote:

  1. Open the quote.

  2. Click on the Rejected status in the right-hand side menu.

  3. Click the Reopen Quote button.

Classic quotes

To reopen a classic quote:

  1. Open the quote.

  2. Click the Reopen button at the bottom of the page.