Work Order Estimating
  • 18 Sep 2024
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Work Order Estimating

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Article summary

This section focuses on estimating a work order. The following diagram shows the Estimate screen for a work order and provides context for the following elements.

Screen capture of Aspire Opportunity Work Order Estimate screen.

Screen ElementDescription
Opportunity NumberOpportunity number for the work order that is being estimated.
Opportunity Name / PropertyName given to the opportunity on the Opportunity screen, followed by the property's name.
Group LevelTop-level of the estimating hierarchy; provides a logical grouping of services. Clicking the “+” icon next to a group name adds a new group.
Service LevelThe second level of the estimating hierarchy shows the services for the customer within an estimating group. Clicking the “+” icon next to a service name adds a new service immediately following the one for which the icon was clicked. Clicking on the hyperlink representing the service name displays the Service Details screen.
Item Level

The third level of the estimating hierarchy shows the items and kits Aspire uses to calculate the service price for the customer. You can add additional service items to the estimate. Aspire provides various ways for the estimator to override Aspires calculated price.

If you are adding an item to a T&M service, and the opportunity service does not yet have a labor rate set, then if you add a labor item or a kit containing a labor item, Aspire prompts you to add a labor rate. After a few seconds, the prompt disappears, leaving the Labor Rates screen displayed, allowing you to add one or more labor rates and set the default labor rate.

Item Quantity (Qty)Specifies the number of units of each item required for the job. This number is multiplied by Unit Price to determine the total price of each item.
Item UnitsUnits in which the item is measured. Relates to quantity. These units are defined in the Admin Units list and assigned to items in the catalog. These fields allow you to specify quantities upon which the estimate will be based. You can leave the quantity for any line item at zero.
ComplexityNotice that the Complexity field is represented at the service level in the Estimate screen hierarchy. The Complexity field allows the estimator to make a judgment call about the difficulty level of the specific service compared to similar jobs on which the standard pricing is based. If, for some specific reason, the estimator believes the job will require 10% of additional labor for a service, you can enter 10% complexity, and Aspire will increase the hours allocated to the job by 10%. The increase will be reflected in the Labor Hours field for any item with a labor component.
Note:
You adjust complexity factors at both the service and individual kit levels. Before the 6.21 Aspire release, modifying complexity factors at the service level affected all kits and labor items within the service; this remains true. However, you can now use the kit-level Complexity field for more precise control over property-specific adjustments and ensure that production factors at the item catalog level remain unchanged, with automatic cost updates.
Labor HoursAspire displays the number of labor hours represented in the item. This column will only have a non-zero value if the item is labor or if it is a kit that has labor associated with it.
Total Service Labor HoursTotal labor hours estimated to complete the service.
Item Unit Price
  • The unit price for the item. Aspire calculates the customer’s standard unit price based on the item cost, markup, and net profit defined for each item type on the Pricing Settings screen. If the item is a kit, Aspire calculates the standard unit price based on the items that comprise the kit. For T&M services, the item unit price is calculated based on the markups specified on the Service Details screen.
    This field allows you to enter a value to override the standard value calculated by Aspire. Any value you enter will be reflected in the Service Total Price field.
  • If the override value exceeds the standard value, Aspire displays the field in green.
  • If the override value is less than the standard value, Aspire displays the field in yellow.
Note:
For Multi-Branch Margin Calculation, when kits or items are allocated to multiple branches, the margin calculation for each branch is independent. For instance, if a 30-gallon live oak is allocated to Branch A and Branch B, where Branch A's material markups are at 50% and Branch B's at 10%, the cell highlight will reflect the specific markup for each branch. Consequently, the same overridden price may lead to distinct color highlights based on the individual branch markups.
  • Aspire limits how individuals can reduce the item price relative to the standard price based on the maximum % to reduce the price field in their security role as defined on the Roles screen. Aspire turns the field red if you attempt to enter a value that is less than what you are allowed. If you leave estimating without putting the number to a valid value, the value will revert to standard.
In this field, if you change the value to a non-standard value and wish to revert to the standard value, delete it from the field, and Aspire will immediately refresh it with the standard value.
Item Total PriceThe total price you plan to charge for the item is calculated by multiplying the unit price by quantity.
Service Total PriceDisplays the price estimated to provide the service based on the underlying item prices or the override value you provide. The rules for specifying override values in the Service Total Price fields and field color behavior are the same as those described for the Item Unit Price fields above.
Group Total PriceReflects the sum of the prices for all services in the group.
Total PriceReflects the sum of the prices for all the groups in the estimate. Represents the total price to be charged to the customer if all services are completed.
OverheadAspire calculates overhead based on item cost defined for each item in the item catalog and markup over the standard price defined for each item type on the Pricing Settings screen. Overhead values for all items are summed to calculate the value in this Overhead field.
BreakevenDirect Cost + Overhead
Net ProfitPercent of revenue that represents profit after all costs have been accounted for.
Gross Margin

The Gross Margin value displayed in this area typically displays gross margin based on the following formula:

Net Gross Margin (%) = (Total Rev - (Labor Cost + Material Cost + Equipment Cost + Other Cost + Sub Cost)) / (Total Rev)

For some companies, excluding subcontractor costs from the total revenue in the denominator may be desirable. A Show Gross Margin Less Sub option is available to represent gross margin using the following formula:

Net Gross Margin (%) = (Total Rev - (Labor Cost + Material Cost + Equipment Cost + Other Cost + Sub Cost)) / (Total Rev – Sub Cost)
Copy Copies the group, service, or item within the estimate. When you click to copy a group or service, Aspire creates another identical group or service containing the same elements with all their associated quantities and prices. When you click to copy an item, the item is duplicated within the service containing the copied one. Note that the Copy icon is unavailable when estimating contracts – only work orders.
Delete Deletes the service or item from the estimate.
Pricing Summary Selecting this from the More drop-down menu displays a Pricing Summary report that summarizes cost, margin, overhead, and profit, providing a breakdown of the contribution of item types for the project.
View Estimator Notes IconClicking this icon displays an Estimator Notes window on the Estimate screen containing notes for the estimator that were added to the opportunity during the sales process.
Edit Payments

This is available for work orders with certain invoice types and provides a screen allowing you to specify how the opportunity will be invoiced. The following table shows each billing type for which this icon is available and the screen that is displayed when you click on the icon:

Invoice Type (Opportunity Type) Icon Target Screen

Fixed Price on Payment Schedule Payment Schedule | Fixed Price on Payment Schedule screen

Fixed Payment Payment Schedule | Fixed Payment screen

Edit Schedule of ValuesThis is available for work orders whose invoice type is Fixed Price Open Billing. Clicking this icon displays the Schedule of Values screen, allowing you to view or modify the schedule of values for the work order or associated change order.

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