Proposals

To get to the proposal feature > open a job file > select the proposal tab.

Before you being to create proposals, you need to do some setup first. 

When you click on the proposal setup option, you are able to setup .....

1. Categories: 
2. Brands: 
3. Trades & Materials: When you create these, you will add a cost to it. This can be per hour, per day, per square or liner foot, etc. 
4. Templates: If you do the same kind of work using the same categories, brands, and trades you can create a template containing that information so you do not have to recreate the same proposal time after time.

..... and initially you should create your options in the above order. Once you are down to setting up your trades, you will want to associate the correct categories and brands to them. As time goes by you will add new categories and brands as needed. Once this is done you can create a template which is a short cut to a type of job that you do all the time. This template will contain all trades, categories, and bands that you will need to do a common job, for example, every thing needed for painting the outside of a house. 

There are two types of proposals/supplements:

Whether you are adding a new proposal or a supplement to an existing proposal, all are built the same way, one is client facing and the other is for the subcontractors. Just click  +New  to get started. You are also able to edit, delete, approve or decline proposals. Each proposal or supplement contains the following fields:

• General Scope: Gives a description of what the job will entail.
• Department: The proposal must match up with a department on the job.
• Payment Terms: Is there a deposit? Full payment? Payment at end of job.
• Other Fees: filing fees? Etc?
• Taxes: Estimating the taxes in this field will provide a more accurate cost of the job.
• Warranty: Is there one? Yes? No? what kind? Is there some detail. 90 day?
• Exclusion Type:
• Exclusion Description:
• Days to Start: When do you expect you can start the job?
• Days to Complete: How long do you think it will take?
• Bid ID: This number is assigned by Chronicle and starts with the job ID and then the proposal number which is chronological in order.  

*Note: When creating a supplement, first, click on the proposal it belongs too. Then click +New and select supplement. A sub-proposal will then be created under the original proposal that you choose. 

Other items you can add to the proposal:

• Proposal Items:  Once the proposal has been created you are now ready to add proposal items which are the trades & materials you have setup on the on the options drop down or using the setup trades & materials button on the proposal item tab. You are also able to add what you need from the template, which is like a shortcut to some of the more common jobs you do. You are also able to adjust the quantity,  cost/ea price, and add a memo as you add the trade or materials items. 
• Proposal Alternative Options: These items are ways to offer the customer things they have not requested. For example a copper sink instead of a stainless one. Again, you will need to set these up by category and brand before you can add them. 

Summary of the proposal: 

The bottom half of the proposal tab gives you easy access to all the details of the proposal you have built. The 5 tabs show: detail, alternatives, documents, bid#, department, cost, warranty, exclusions, days to start, etc.  

Document Merge Templates for Proposals:

The last thing you will want to do is create some new document templates so that Chronicle can merge the above detail into a document for the customer or subcontractor. You must use Chronicle's Windows 10 app to create the merge template. Here is how:

1. You start with the Main System Setup > Departments > Documents > Defined Documents sub-tab > Add > click on like to "Download Chronicle for Windows 10".
2. Go back to Add > select template > provide a document name > choose Word or Excel > and check "create template using Chronicle for Windows 10". Then click ok to open Windows 10 to add merge codes. 
3. Once the template has been created in Windows 10 app, it should be set to open in the Windows 10 app so you can use the full power of the merge codes.  
4. You can also setup the document for secure digital signature. 

Using merge codes in Chronicle's Windows 10 app:

Adding these merge codes works the same way in Windows 10 as it does in Word or Excel. From the drop down to the right you select the fields you want in your document and provide labels for them in the document. As you can see, there are 16 new merge codes for proposal which can only be added or edited from the Chronicle Windows 10 app. The document should also be set up to be added to a job using Windows 10 app to get the full benefit of the formatting. 

This is what the document will look like: