Quote Numbers

[fattony]

Hi

rather than manage quote numbers manually I'd like to achieve this automatically if possible.

We use Kashflow for invoicing but find the quote section quite basic and doesnt suit my needs.

I currently write quotes in word and I wondered if I had a default template could I have a macro or something so every time it was opened a field 'quote number' could increase?

Thanks

 

[Mortime Business Software]

There is a free quote logger with our sales app that will do something similar to what you want, only better. That is, instead of simply incrementing the id number of the last quote by 1, the program first searches for the lowest 'vacant' number greater than zero.

For example, suppose you have four quotes with id numbers 1, 2, 3, 4. If you enter a new quote, then the id number for the new quote would be 5 because that is the lowest available number. If you were to delete quote 2 and later enter a new quote, then the new quote would be given id number 2. You don't really need to know this I suppose. The important point is that the program will give all of your quotes a unique identity number. The same applies to other entities such as customers, products, etc. - anything that needs to be given a unique id number. Each quote is given a date and timestamp so that they may be sorted according to the time they were logged.

If you would like to use our quote logger, then you will first need to register. Next go to 'Desktop' on the main menu on the left of the page, then click on the 'Sales' link on the desktop menu. This will show you the functions that we currently have available for our Sales app.

If you need any help, then just let me know.

All the best,

Dave

 

[miss_rhi]

Hi

rather than manage quote numbers manually I'd like to achieve this automatically if possible.

We use Kashflow for invoicing but find the quote section quite basic and doesnt suit my needs.

I currently write quotes in word and I wondered if I had a default template could I have a macro or something so every time it was opened a field 'quote number' could increase?

Thanks

Hi,

My name is Rhi; I work for KashFlow. I would really love to hear your feedback about our quotes section. Really sorry to hear that it's not doing everything you need it to, and I would love to find out what those specific things are so we can pass this information onto our development team. Our priority is making our product exactly what our users need and want.

Thanks

 

[edmondscommerce]

If you were to delete quote 2 and later enter a new quote, then the new quote would be given id number 2.

Personally I think this kind of idea is bad as it leaves the possibility of collisions. Even though you deleted a quote off the system, there could still be paper or email quotes referencing that number that are in fact about another quote, it simply shares the ID.

ID numbers are cheap so why reuse them? There is an infinite supply of numbers after all

 

[Mortime Business Software]

edmondscommerce:

Personally I think this kind of idea is bad as it leaves the possibility of collisions. Even though you deleted a quote off the system, there could still be paper or email quotes referencing that number that are in fact about another quote, it simply shares the ID.

Hello Joseph. I don't think it is sensible to address your zombie problem by hoarding cadavers in the database!

Dave

 

[fattony]

Thanks for the replies, I'm not looking for another program to use but thanks anyway.

I find the quote part of kashflow basic, I assume it's aimed at companies who sell goods rather than a service, our quotes are often 3 or 4 pages and often include images of products we are proposing to supply, we also have a page to be inserted at the end of each quote, terms and conditions and an acceptance page.

I have spoken with kashflow support and it seems the quote part is going to re thought, I'm not sure when this will but it's a step in the right direction

 

[fattony]

Just a thought could this be done with Excel?

 

[amphis software]

quotes and invoices in Amphis Customer can be free-form paragraphs or itemised. the quote/invoice templates are Word documents so you can have any standard pages or standard text automatically included in the quote or invoice. quote/invoice numbers automatically increase each time they are created. also an invoice (or a job) can be created from a quote at the click of a button.

Tom

 

[edmondscommerce]

Hello Joseph. I don't think it is sensible to address your zombie problem by hoarding cadavers in the database!

Dave

not suggesting they are kept, simply leave auto increment to do its thing and continually use new, unused IDs

 

[Mortime Business Software]

edmondscommerce:

not suggesting they are kept, simply leave auto increment to do its thing and continually use new, unused IDs

Well if you're not going to keep them, then you must delete them, which will leave your 'dangling references' pointing to nothing! :|

You go to your church and I'll go to mine!

All the best,

Dave

 

[edmondscommerce]

From my point of view I would rather have clarity (pointing to nothing, i.e a message saying this quote no longer exists) than typing in the quote ID and being given a quote just completely the wrong one.

Hardly a church though.

 

[Mortime Business Software]

edmondscommerce:

...this quote no longer exists...

Ah but the quote does exist - and the customer has an email or hard copy to prove it!

All the best,

Dave

 

[amphis software]

if I had created Quote number 2 and sent it to customer Mr Smith, first of all, I wouldn't delete the Quote. that customer may call me a year later and want to discuss Quote number 2 even if the price quoted is only valid for 30 days. I would prefer to keep all the customer history.

secondly if I had decided to delete it for some reason, I wouldn't want to re-use that same Id. if I sent another quote with the same Id to Mr Jones and then someone called me and asked to discuss Quote number 2, I'd look a bit silly if I had to ask "Is that Quote number 2, I sent to Mr Smith or Quote number 2, I sent to Mr Jones?".

Quote number 2 existed at some point in time so why delete it and why would you ever want to re-use the same Quote number again ?

Tom

 

[edmondscommerce]

I believe this is the standard practice with this kind of thing, none reuse of IDs and an autoincrementing ID column in the database

 

[whichwdc]

Have you tried something called RoninApp

You can create clients, create any number of quotes, and then invoice whichever the client wants to go ahead with. And sorts out all the numbering for you too.