Following document will guide you through the process of setting up key configurations and defining reference data that are essential for the application to function properly.

Please note that a System Admin will be required to perform these configurations prior to use. Failure to configure the settings or reference data described in this guide will result in the application not functioning as intended.

Consider this guide as post-installation instructions that are critical to the application's operation. We highly recommend that you follow the steps outlined in this guide carefully to ensure that the application is set up correctly.

Application Setup Instructions for System Administrators

At this point, you should have completed the installation. Time to move on to the application configuration and Setting changes.

Post Installation Steps - Picklist Value Sets

The first settings you need to customise are a few Picklist Value sets. The picklist value sets are a very important aspect of setting up the application for users because these are the values users will select in many fields throughout the application - but only if you set them up first!

The picklist value sets that have values after installation are

Complexity,

Timeline Contract Type,

Timeline Frequency.

You should not change these pick lists. 

However, the values on the other pick lists such as

Resource Level, Phases

and Roles need to be modified as per your business needs.

Whenever you add new values to any of the pick lists mentioned above, please make sure to select the option 'Add the new picklist values to all record types that use this global value set' located at the bottom of the page.

NOTE: If you do not click this box, the new pick list value will not be available in the picklists in the application.

To remove the default values when installing the package, we recommend adding your custom values and deactivating the existing ones. This process should be followed as a general practice for future modifications of picklist values.

Also ensure, as you add/modify the role, phase, & level values; you update one active value in PSC Default Test Configuration for running the test classes.  

Custom Metadata Settings

If desired, you can edit some of the Custom Metadata Types. You can find the custom metadata types by clicking on the Setup icon & Search for keyword 'meta' in the Quick Find box.

• Select ‘Custom Metadata Types’ from the suggestions. You will be able to edit these types: PSC Default Color Configuration, PSC Default Test Configuration, and PSC Integration/Migration Type Values.

PSC Default Color Configuration

The predefined color configurations align with timeline phases and milestones. You have the flexibility to modify or personalize the colors and phase names based on your 'Phase' picklist values. For example, if your project lifecycle includes a phase named 'Plan' defined in the global picklist values, enter 'Plan' in the 'Phase Name' field of a record to associate the color with that phase name.

PSC Default Test Configuration

This metadata type contains default values for test purposes. QuoteX uses the record of this custom metadata type for running test classes. The test classes need only three types of records from this (i.e. one for Phase, another for Role and one for Resource Level). All three types of records are part of the package - no need to create a new one for any type. 

NOTE: Update the value on existing records only when you are changing or inactivating installed predefined values for Phase/Role/Resource Level. Modify Phase, Role and Resource Level with one of your organization's active values in the picklist fields.

PSC Integration/Migration Types

Please note that this is intended for future releases and are not applicable to the current version of the product. You may disregard this information until those updates are available.

This metadata setting stores the values for Integration/Migration types.

PSC Timeline Discount Setting

You can offer a discount level at the Resource Level only, Quote Level only, or allow discounts at the Resource Level and the Quote Level. Designate the allowable discount level based on the timeline contract type. Use this setting to configure your contract type discount.

• By default, the setting for both contract types is assumed to be ‘Both.’ Reference the Timeline Discount Models section of the User Guide for details on application behavior for each discount model type.
  
  

Add Currencies

You will need to designate all currencies that you plan to use. From the Setup, search for 'Manage Currencies'.

• Add all currencies that your company will use to create quotes. Be sure to select the currency in your corporate location.
  
  

Data Setup - QuoteX Admin

PSC Setup Tab

The data for 'PSC Setup' won't auto-populate upon installation. You need to manually review your settings and enable QuoteX for usage in this section. If any adjustments or new additions are required, click on the respective field, input the new information, and click 'Save' to apply the updates.

• Within the Presales Cloud Admin App, you have the option to activate QuoteX in your Salesforce organization for the specified duration outlined in the purchase terms. Just input the product key provided by the seller and click 'Save' to initiate the product activation.

• Upon successful saving of the correct product key, the 'Valid Till' field will be automatically filled with the date marking the expiration of your eligibility to use QuoteX.

Please note that the activation key will restrict access to certain core components such as the Scope Library, Timeline Library, and the ability to create quotes. However, you can continue setting up your base data until you receive your activation key.

PSC Highlight Items Tab

Not a necessory step in the initial setup. Ignore and come back later (if needed). PSC Highlight Items offer the flexibility to personalize the fields displayed in the Quote Summary section of the quote header (within the highlight panel) and in the Overview Tab of the Timeline. It's important to keep in mind that you can include a maximum of six fields in the Quote Summary section and up to two additional fields in the Timeline Overview section.

Edit Your Quote Summary and Timeline Overview Display Settings

To customize the fields in the Quote Summary section or Timeline Overview, follow these steps in the PSC Admin application:

1. Navigate to the 'PSC Highlight Items' tab.

2. Click the 'New' button or choose '+ New PSC Highlight Item' from the 'PSC Highlight Items' dropdown menu.

3. In the 'New QuoteX Setting: Display Setting' window, ensure that "Quote" is selected in the 'Referenced Object' field.

4. For the 'Reference Field API Name' field, refer to the PSC Admin application. Open it in a new tab, click the Setup cogwheel on the top-right corner, go to the 'Object Manager' tab, search for 'quote,' and click on 'Quote' in the Label column.

5. In the 'Details' column on the left, click on 'Fields and Relationships.' To find available fields, use the search box and type 'summary.' Copy your desired field from the list using the 'Field Name' column value and paste it into the 'Reference Field API Name' field in the 'New QuoteX Setting: Display setting' window.

6. In the 'Display Location' field, choose either 'Quote Summary' or 'Timeline Overview' from the dropdown menu.

7. Use the 'Display Order' field to specify the placement order of the field. For Quote Summary, select a number from 1 to 6. For Timeline Overview, choose either 1 or 2. Be aware that exceeding 6 fields in the Quote Summary or 2 fields in the Timeline Overview will trigger an error message.

Edit the Display Settings Field Names/Renaming Field Labels

After selecting the fields you want to display in the Quote Summary and Timeline Overview sections, you have the option to customize the names of the summary fields you selected. To do this, navigate to the PSC Admin application tab and click on the Setup cogwheel. Then, select the ‘Home’ sub-tab and search for ‘transl’ in the Quick Find box. Choose ‘Translation Workbench’ and then ‘Override’ from the left-hand Setup menu. Select the following options:

• Package: PSCE

• Language: English

• Setup Component: Custom Field

• Object: Quote

• Aspect: Field Label

Locate the field name you want to edit and click in the ‘Field Label Override’ column. Enter the new name for the field label and click Save. Once done, refresh the screen in the Pre Sales Cloud application tab, and you will see the new label.

PSC Regions Tab

To set up regions in the PSC Admin application, follow these steps:

1. Go to the PSC Regions tab and select ‘+ New PSC Region’ from the dropdown menu.

2. Give the region a name that aligns with your business, such as a geographical location or specific country.

3. If you want to use parent regions, set them up first and select the appropriate parent region for the current region.

4. Check the box next to 'Offshore' or 'Nearshore' to designate the region's location.

5. Provide a brief description of the region.

6. Enter the 'Default Capacity per Time Frequency' for Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, and Yearly time frequencies. This setting allows the autofill feature to override org level settings and use allocation hours defined on the resource region.

7. Click 'Save.' Note that PSC Regions become categories for your rate cards and you can filter your rate card search by region. Also, in the Timeline, the autofill feature will give preference to the hours defined in the region, otherwise it will use existing org settings. This setting will also impact quotes in the template library.

PSC Practices Tab

Like PSC Regions, Practices should align with the practices in your organisation. You can also set up parent relationships with your practices. Parent practices should be set up first. Rate cards can be assigned to a practice and you can search rate cards by practice.

1. Click ‘+ New PSC Practice’ from the PSC Practice tab dropdown.

2. Give the practice a name.

3. Select the parent practice, if applicable.

4. Click ‘Save.’

PSC Skills Tab

Skills allow you to get more specific when adding roles to your project. Skills can include professional certifications, precise technical skills, and even language skills. Just like the Resource Level, the skills can dictate the hourly rates.

1. Select ‘+ New PSC Skill’ from the PSC Skills tab dropdown.

2. Provide a specific name for the skill.

3. In the ‘Description’ field, you can provide more details about the skill.

4. Select a type. This is a way to classify your skills.

5. Click ‘Save.’

Rate Cards Tab

The PSC Rate Cards tab serves as the platform for uploading rate cards associated with various roles. You can add these rate cards manually or utilize the native import feature in Salesforce. Ensure to specify the currency on the rate card, as it is crucial for applying resources that match the currency of your quote. Compatibility in currency is necessary for accurate resource allocation.

To manually add rate cards, follow these steps:

1. From the PSC Rate Cards tab dropdown, select '+ New Rate Card.'

2. Complete the details in the 'New PSC Rate Card' form. Utilize the options you've previously added for Resource Role, Resource Level, Currency, Region, and Practice.

3. Specify the start and end dates, ensuring that the assigned date range aligns with projects for resource allocation.

4. While the 'Code' field is optional, you can use it for unique reporting codes. Optionally, you can designate the Primary Resource Skill, which is populated with PSC Skills to indicate special skills or competencies.

5. The 'Threshold %' defines the maximum discount allowed for a customer on a resource. In the Timeline's resource section, rates exceeding the threshold are shown in red, within the threshold in green, and the default color is black.

6. If applicable, assign an 'Account' on the rate card for pre-negotiated rates with specific accounts/customers. This facilitates easier role selection in the timeline and ensures accurate application of resource roles/rate cards.

7. After filling out all details, click 'Save' to add the rate card.

External Resources Tab

Adding external resources to your project timelines enables the inclusion of non-billable roles. In scenarios like Staff Augmentation projects, clients may contribute Project Managers, Business Analysts, or Release Managers. Allocating their required effort across different phases allows you to incorporate their contributions without impacting your project staffing quotes.

To add an external resource, follow these steps:

1. Open the External Resource tab dropdown and click on '+ New External Resource.'

2. Enter the role name, and for clarity, consider prefixing it with "Client" or "Subcontractor." Provide a concise description of the role responsibilities in the 'Description' field.

3. Choose the role status from the dropdown menu, with options like Draft, Active, and Archive. Ensure to select 'Active' if you want the external resource to be added to the project timeline. If 'Active' is not chosen, the external resource won't be included.

4. After entering all necessary information, click 'Save.'

PSC Other Costs Tab

To incorporate supplementary expenses into the overall project budget, you can add standard "other cost" items. For instance, if you are reselling a product subscription license and handling licenses for customers, you can bill the license cost to the customer through SOW/billing. Follow these steps to add other cost items:

1. Navigate to the 'PSC Other Costs' tab.

2. Click 'New' or '+ New PSC Other Costs.'

3. Provide the required information for the cost item.

4. Select the 'Billable' checkbox to ensure its inclusion in the total project cost.

PSC Document Templates Tab

Document templates empower you to establish predefined formats for generating Statements of Work (SOW).

• Click ‘New’

• Add a unique Template Name such as ‘General - SOW Template (USD)’

• Save

The configuration sections associated with the Document Template record are dynamically constructed at runtime. Follow these steps to create document sections for a Document Template record, or alternatively, you can download a sample data CSV for document sections records and use the Salesforce native import wizard for PSC document sections records for the created Document Template record (e.g., General - SOW Template USD):

1. Go to the related tab on the detail page of the Document Template record (e.g., General - SOW Template USD).

2. Click on the ‘New’ button to initiate the creation of a new document section.

3. Select the ‘Type’ for the document section, choosing between 'Paragraph' or 'Table.'

4. Assign a unique ‘Display Order’ for the section, ensuring a chronological order for proper display.

5. If it's a static paragraph section, add the ‘HTML Content’ for that section.

6. For dynamic data tables generated through a defined SOQL Query, check the ‘Show Table Header’ box.

7. Include the SOQL Query for the section, using the ‘{pv0}’ and ‘{pv1}’ merge fields to dynamically merge the Quote Id in the SOQL query at runtime.

8. Add the ‘Table Config JSON’ in JSON format to specify what to display in the dynamic data table.

9. Include the ‘Table Style JSON’ in JSON format to specify how to display the dynamic data table.

10. Click on the ‘Save’ button to save the document section.

11. Repeat steps 2-10 to add multiple document sections in the chronology of the order for display in the SOW/Document.

These steps guide you through the manual creation of document sections. If you prefer to use the Salesforce native import wizard, download the sample data CSV for document sections records and follow the appropriate steps in the Salesforce platform for bulk import.

The configuration of Scope, Timeline, Resourcing Plan, and Staffing Rules templates within the QuoteX app is managed by Subject matter experts. Ideally, individuals with expertise in Solutions Engineering are well-suited for this role. The SME feature allows for the creation of distinct templates tailored to different project types or delivery models. The SMEs primarily operate within the Scope Library, Timeline Library, Resourcing Plan Templates, and Staffing Rules tabs in the QuoteX app to facilitate these configurations.

Scope Library

1. From the Scope Library tab dropdown, click ‘+ New Scope Library.’

2. Give your scope group a name.

3. Provide a brief description of your scope group.

4. Select a Status - the choices are Draft, Active, and Archive. NOTE: A scope group in Draft or Archive status will not be available for selection in the template library.

5. You can assign the scope group to a Practice, but it is not required.

6. Click ‘Save.’

Add New Scope Item

After adding a New Scope Library, you will arrive on the scope details screen.

• Click the Last Row ‘Name Column’ to begin adding scope items to the new scope library. Populate the scope name and click enter.

• In the next row, notice that the new scope name and type are pre-populated.
  
  

• Select a scope Category. The options are Change Enablement, Integration, Data Migration, and Strategy.
  
  

• If desired, add a multiplier to the scope item. The multiplier will increase the effort for this scope item.
  
  

• Select a complexity level for the scope item. The complexity level increases or decreases the scope efforts based on the selected scope complexity. The options are Low, Medium, and High. Medium is the default (100% of the rate). The complexity level setting impacts each scope item individually.
  
  

• For your reference, add a project description, project assumptions and any relevant internal notes.
  
  

Add Efforts to Scope Item

• click on 'LOE Hours' column for a scope item row, it will open a dialog to add new or update required roles, by phase, and role levels. Your Admin should have added values for Role, Phase, Resource Level, and Specialty. Click in each field and select from the available values.

• Add Effort Hours for the assigned Role for the specific Project Phase.
  
  

• Leave the ‘Low %’ and ‘High %’ fields blank. Complexity drives the values in these fields.
  
  

• To continue adding effort, click the ‘Add New’ button.
  
  

Add from Scope Library

You can also add scopes from another library to create an exhaustive library of scopes.

• When you select a library name in the dropdown, the complete scope hierarchy gets displayed in the table below.
  
  

• Click & Select the specific scopes you want to add/remove from your template in the table of scopes for that scope library.
  
  

• Click Add to add selected scopes to the current library
  
  

Timeline Library

Adding a New Timeline Library

• To build timeline templates in your Timeline Library, click on the ‘+ New Timeline Library’ from the ‘Timeline Library’ tab dropdown.

• Give your timeline template a name.
  
  

• Select a currency from the dropdown menu.
  
  

• From the dropdown menu, select the ‘Frequency.’ Available options include Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, and Yearly.
  
  

• Indicate the ‘Initial Number of Periods.’
  
  

• Add the ‘Contract Type.’ Options are T&M or Fixed Fee.
  
  

• Select a ‘Status’ for the timeline. The options are Draft, Active, Archive. Only Active timelines will be available for selection in the library.
  
  

• Indicate if you want Cost and T&E, or both, to impact ASM. When these flags are turned on, the ‘Travel and Expense’ and ‘Other Costs’ will be included in the calculation of ASM. Both of these fields, ‘Total Travel & Expenses’ and ‘Other Costs,’ are placed under the ‘Timeline Summary’ section of the Details tab in the timeline library record.
  
  

• Include a brief description of the timeline.
  
  

• Click ‘Save.’
  
  

Add Phases to the Timeline

The application will build a generic timeline based on the number of periods you specified. Your generic timeline will look something like the one below. Begin adding details to the new timeline.

• Click in the cells under each week to designate the phase.
  
  

• If you select the same phase for consecutive cells, the application will merge the cells into one phase. Or, select multiple cells to select the phase. Again, the application will merge all of the cells.
  
  
  

Adding Resources and Effort to a Timeline

• To add resources to your timeline, scroll down and click an empty cell under ‘Total Per Week.’ All roles on your rate cards are available to add to the timeline. Just start typing in the cell, and roles will appear in a popup. Select the role you want then move down one row and repeat the process until all roles are added.
  
  

• If a role will have the same effort across all phases of the project, click on the ‘%’ icon to the right of each role. Use this field to automatically calculate effort for a resource based on a percentage of project involvement.
  
  

As an example, if you wish to distribute the same effort proportionally for each role throughout the entire project timeline, you can leverage the percentage allocation feature in QuoteX. For instance, you may assign 50% for a particular resource by clicking on the ‘%’ symbol. The system will automatically calculate 50% of the effort for each time period for the resource, based on the specified time frequency (hours, days, weeks, months, quarters). It's important to be aware that attempting to allocate resource effort beyond the maximum allowed limit, such as 250, will trigger an error warning. It's essential to adhere to the designated constraints to avoid errors in resource allocation.

• To customize the effort per role for each phase, click directly in each cell and edit the effort.
  
  

• Simply drag and drop any role to re-organize your roles in the timeline.
  
  

Adding Costs to the Timeline

• When creating a new timeline in the Library, you can add T&E and Other Costs to the timeline. The tabs are above the timeline on the Timeline Library Details tab.

• Click the ‘T&E’ tab. In the resource section of the timeline, enter the T&E costs for each resource in the appropriate time period.
  
  

• Click on the ‘Other Costs’ tab, then go to the resource section of the timeline. Place the cursor in the cell and tap on the space bar. A list of all costs will appear so you can easily add other costs to your timeline. Add the cost amounts in the cell for the appropriate time period.
  
  

Resourcing Plan Templates

Create a Resourcing Plan Template

Rather than manually inputting effort in the Scope Details and Timeline, you can enhance efficiency by employing Resourcing Plan Templates. These templates utilize the hours specified for your "core resource" in the Scope Details to generate required roles based on predefined rules. This method greatly improves the precision of role assignments in quotes. Additionally, you have the flexibility to effortlessly create, modify, and duplicate multiple Resourcing Plan Templates to cater to various project scenarios. This streamlined approach enhances accuracy and flexibility in managing resource allocations for different projects.

• To create a new template, click ‘+ New Resourcing Plan Template’ from the Resourcing Plan Templates tab drop down.
  
  

• Give the Template a Name, Description, and mark ‘Active’ or ‘Inactive.’ Only Active templates will be available to apply to timelines.
  
  

• Click ‘Save.’
  
  

Adding Effort Rules to a Resourcing Plan Template

After adding the new Resourcing Plan Template , you will arrive on the summary details for the template.

• Click the ‘Decision Rules’ tab to add rules to the template.

• Click ‘Add’ to begin adding derived effort rules to the template.

• This is where you will define the rules for effort on the template. Start by adding the role name.

• As you define the rule, select Names, Roles, and Level data in each field from your predefined values sets.
  
  

• Specify the desired percentage of time allocation relative to the "core resource." For instance, if you intend for the effort of a Senior Business Analyst to constitute 50% of the Developer's effort during the Design Phase, input '50' in the percentage field. Additionally, designate the 'Developer' as the reference role in the 'OF ROLE' field and specify the relevant phase as 'Design' in the 'OF PHASE' field. This configuration establishes a rule where the Senior Business Analyst's effort dynamically adjusts to 50% of the Developer's effort in the designated phase, leveraging the defined "core resource."
  
  
  

• Select ‘Always’ from the ‘Include When’ drop down.
  
  

• Click ‘Add’ to continue adding roles.
  
  

• When all necessary effort details have been added to the template, click ‘Save.’

• Repeat the  steps for  multiple phases, roles etc
  
  

Managing your Resourcing Plan Templates

• After you have added resourcing plan templates to the library, click the ‘Resourcing Plan Templates’ tab to see your template list.

• Click on the Resourcing Plan Template Name that you wish to view or edit. You will see the summary details for the template group.

• Click the ‘Decision Rules’ tab to view and edit the template details. 

Staffing Rules 

Staffing Rules enable the establishment of guidelines for staffing by incorporating minimum percentage prerequisites for roles, calculating average rates, and considering all-inclusive rates. These templates utilize predefined assumptions about the roles in question to systematically generate staffing rules.

Add a new Rate Blend 

• Click ‘New’

• Include the 'Rate Blend Name,' ensuring clarity and easy identification, especially when detailed information is incorporated, such as 'PM(US)|TA(US)|TL(IND)|BA(US)|QA (IND)|Dev(IND) - USD'.

• Choose the 'Currency.' The selection of currency is crucial as it permits users to apply rules exclusively within the same currency.

• Save.

When you define Blend Rate Roles records, the calculated average rate and all-inclusive rate aggregate or roll up accordingly.

Add Blend Rate Roles

• Go to ‘Related’ tab on the Rate Blend detail page.

• Click ‘New’.

• Select ‘Role.

• Choose the 'Currency,' ensuring that it matches the currency value of the parent record. This alignment is essential for consistency and accuracy in the currency setting.

• Include the 'Rate.' Manually calculate the presumed blended rate for the chosen 'Role' from your organization's rate cards, considering various regions and the selected currency. Alternatively, use an informed assumption based on experience.

• Include 'Percent Allocation.' Minimum Percent Allocation aids in delineating the cost of the chosen role for the specified percentage of time in the project. For example, assume a project lasts for 1 hour, and you only require a 'Project Manager' for 30 minutes. If the hourly cost for the project manager is $20, the cost for the project manager in the project would be $10. This field helps in accurately determining the cost based on the allocated percentage of time for each role.

• Include 'Expense Allocation.' This feature aids in determining the all-inclusive cost of the selected role based on the allocated percentage. The defined expense allocation percentage will sum up the calculated rate with the associated expenses, providing a comprehensive cost for the selected role.

• Save

Continue adding additional roles. Ultimately, the 'Average Rate Calculated' and 'All Inclusive Rate Calculated' will be consolidated on the Rate Blend record. These calculated rates will be utilized in Scopes to derive the 'Average Calculated Cost' for delivering the defined scopes.

This guide will show you how to use QuoteX, which is designed for users who prepare quotes in your organization. To get started with creating a quote, simply access the Pre Sales Cloud app from the App Launcher.

The first step in creating an quote is to create a Quote Request (QR) and then add an quote to the QR. A QR can have multiple quotes.

Create Quote Request (QR)

• Click on the PSC Quote Requests tab. You can create a new QR, select an existing one from your list, or Import from an external file.

• If you are creating a new QR, click ‘New’ and fill out the New PSC Quote Request form.
  
  

• Give your QR a name.
  
  

• Search and add an Opportunity.
  
  

• Select a QR Status. Status values represent the overall lifecycle of the presales process in your organization. They are configurable in implementation.
  
  

• Change the currency if applicable.
  
  

• Choose a type from the dropdown menu. These are configurable in implementation. Examples include: Rough Order of Magnitude Quote (ROM), Detailed Level of Effort (LOE), and Proposal.
  
  

• Select your project focus area. Focus areas are defined in the implementation.
  
  

• Indicate the date needed for Quote Support.
  
  

• Indicate the due date for LOE.
  
  

• Add a project description.
  
  

• If you have one person in your organisation that must review the final version of the PSR, enter their name in this field.
  
  

• The ‘New Quote Request’ screen is organised into 6 sections. The Quotes Summary , ‘Travel and Other Costs', ‘Resource Hours,’ are calculated readonly fields. From the PSC Quote Request tab, select and edit any Quote Requests with new values.
  
  

• The quote summary fields automatically populate whenever any changes happen in the timeline of the primary quote.
  
  

Note: The currency of the Quote Request (QR) will vary based on the currency of the primary quote. Although it is not advisable to alter the currency after creating the QR, the summary fields synchronize based on the QR status configured in the settings on the PSC Setup page within the Pre Sales Cloud Admin App.

Create a Quote

• After you have created a new QR or selected an existing one from the Quote Requests tab, click ‘Create Quote.’

• Give your quote a name.
  
  

• The ‘Owner’ is the sales engineer who is creating the quote. You can change the owner on the header row of the QR.
  
  

• The ‘Date Scoped’ defaults to today’s date. Change the date by clicking the calendar icon.
  
  

• If desired, assign a risk factor. The risk factor impacts the overall LOE by the risk percentage.
  
  

• Notice on the Create Quote form, the currency selected is your default currency. Once the quote is saved, the currency cannot be changed.
  
  

• The Opportunity and Account populate from the QR.
  
  

• The description of the quote will populate from the associated QR. You can modify the description any time during the quotation process.
  
  

• Save your quote.
  
  

Project Scope

Scope Navigation Overview

• From the header row in the Quote Overview, there are buttons to Clone a quote and access the navigation menu.

• Through the Navigation Menu, you can navigate to create a new Scope under the Scope Effort Size menu item and create a new Timeline using + New Timeline button.

• You have easy access to the summary, scope, and timelines in your quote through the Navigation Menu.

• Once scope and a timeline are attached to the quote, summary totals will appear on the bottom of the header component.

• Totals will populate as you build your quote, and they will include all associated timelines.

Using Chatter to Collaborate

Engaging with team members in QuoteX enhances the efficiency and precision of quote completion. The Chatter feature allows collaboration on specific scope items, timelines, or quotes, making it a valuable tool for obtaining feedback from Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Simply click on the 'Chatter' tab to access and utilize this collaborative feature.

Add Project Scope

• To start scoping your project, Click the ‘Scope Size Effort’ menu item in the Navigation Menu from the Quote header row.
  
  

• You can add New Scope just like you do on spreadsheets, select one you have defined and save to the Scope Library.
  
  

• After you add enter, in the row, notice that the new scope type, active status and multiplier are pre populated.
  
  

• Select a scope Category. The options are Change Enablement, Integration, Data Migration, and Strategy.
  
  

• If desired, add a multiplier to the scope item. The multiplier can be used to increase the overall scope efforts.
  
  

• Select a complexity level for the scope item. The complexity level increases or decreases the scope efforts based on the selected scope complexity. The options are Low, Medium, and High. Medium is the default (100% of the rate).
  
  

• For your reference, add a project description, project assumptions and any relevant internal notes.
  
  

Add Efforts to Scope Item

• click on 'LOE ' column for a scope item row, it will open a dialog to add new or update required roles, by phase, and role levels. Your Admin should have added values for Role, Phase, Resource Level, and Specialty. Click in each field and select from the available values.

• Add Effort Hours for the assigned Role for the specific Project Phase.
  
  

• Leave the ‘Low %’ and ‘High %’ fields blank. Complexity drives the values in these fields.
  
  

• To continue adding effort, click the ‘Add New’ button.
  
  

Add from Scope Library

QuoteX provides a significant advantage by enabling the creation and storage of templates in libraries for future utilization. This not only saves valuable time but also ensures the production of more accurate quotes. Users can effortlessly select, add, and modify saved scope items from the library for new projects. Navigating the library by Scope Group/Library permits swift and convenient access to pertinent templates.

• When you select a library name in the drop down, the complete scope hierarchy gets displayed in the table below.
  
  

• Click & Select the specific scopes you want to add/remove from your template in the table of scopes for that scope library.
  
  

• Click Add to add selected scopes to the quote
  
  

Adding Timelines

Once you have created a Quote, you can begin to build your project timeline.

• From your quote header 'Navigation Menu', click ‘New Timeline.’
  
  

• When adding a timeline to your quote, you can search and select a timeline if you have created a template and saved it to your template library. Alternatively, you create a new timeline.
  
  

Creating a New Timeline

• Select ‘Create New Timeline.’
  
  

• Give the timeline a name.
  
  

• Select ‘Frequency’ for the timeline from the dropdown. Options are Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, and Yearly.
  
  

• Based on the frequency selected, enter a ‘Start Date’ and ‘Number of Periods’ and the ‘End Date’ will auto calculate. Or enter ‘Start Date’ and ‘End Date’ and the ‘Number of Periods’ will auto calculate.
  
  

• Indicate if you want Cost and T&E, or both, to impact ASM.
  
  

• Upon creating a new Timeline, you can retrieve details for specific time periods by hovering over them. In this instance, the hovered time period encompasses 0x/0x/20xx through 0y/y0/y02y. For monthly timeline frequencies, each period is represented by the first three characters of the month and the last two digits of the year (e.g., Jan '20). Alternatively, if the timeline frequency is quarterly, each period is displayed as Qx and the last two digits of the year (e.g., Q4 '20). This feature provides a quick overview of the time span for enhanced timeline management.

Adding Phases to a New Timeline

The application will build a generic timeline based on the number of periods you specified. Your generic timeline will look something like the one below. Begin adding details to the new timeline.

• Click in the cells on the Phase row under each week to designate the phase. Select a phase from the pop-up options. Available choice is Define with the fresh installation. You need to add more values in the 'Phases' global picklist such as Plan, Design, Dev, QA, Release Support etc. Or you can add your organisation specific phase values as well.
  
  

• If you select the same phase for consecutive cells, the application will merge the cells into one phase. Or, select multiple cells and then click to select the phase. Again, the application will merge all of the cells.
  
  

Adding Resources and Effort to a Timeline

• To add resources to your timeline, scroll down and click an empty cell under ‘Total Hours Per Week.’ All roles on your rate cards are available to add to the timeline. Just start typing in the cell and roles will appear in a popup. Select the role you want then move down one row and repeat the process until all roles are added.
  
  

• If a role will have the same effort across all phases of the project, click on the ‘%’ icon to the right of each role. Use this field to automatically calculate effort for a resource based on a percentage of project involvement.
  
  

As an illustration, by clicking on the '%' and assigning 50 percent to a specific resource, the system will automatically compute only 50% of the effort for that resource during each time period. The percentage is calculated in relation to the designated time frequency, whether it is in hours, days, weeks, months, or quarters. This streamlined process offers a rapid means to distribute consistent effort across the entirety of the project timeline for each designated role.

Note: If you attempt to add resource effort that exceeds the maximum allowed value i.e 250, an error warning will be displayed.

• To customise the effort per role for each phase, click directly in each cell and edit the effort.
  
  

• Simply drag and drop any role to reorganise your roles in the timeline.
  
  

• Next, scroll to the right of all hours for all roles. The resource rates will display in black, green, or red. The green and red indicate that the rate is either within or beyond the maximum discount that can be offered to a customer on a resource. By default, the resource rate will show black.
  
  

• You will see the total effort, total cost, and total price for the project. You can click in the rate cells or effort per role to make quick adjustments. Keep in mind, the total price on the timeline does not reflect any discounts. You can also click the capacity icon in the quote header row to see the effort needed versus actual effort by role, and take a look at the dashboard to quickly see where you may need to make adjustments.
  
  

• Use the ‘Billable’ column to include or exclude a resource cost in the total project cost.
  
  

• Once a resource has been added to the timeline, you can adjust the List Price and Adjusted Price, and you can elect to designate a resource as Billable or Non-billable.

Manage RateCards from the Timeline

• You can manage your Ratecards right from the Timeline. Click the ‘Manage Ratecard’ button.

• If a Ratecard has expired, it will display in red. A resource with an expired Ratecard will also display in red in the timeline.

Validate Needs 

• You can validate the timeline resources hours against scopes through ‘Validate Needs’ button.

Adding third party service and vendors to your Timeline

• From the timeline click the ‘Other Costs’ tab and then begin typing in an empty resource cell.

• Select an item from the Other Cost section in the popup menu.

• Add the cost amount in the associated timeline period cell. When adding third party costs to the timeline, the list and cost price are both editable and you can select if you want the cost to be billable.

The project total cost for the third party service or vendor will populate in the ‘Total Costs’ and ‘Total Fees’ cells. If you would like to add a margin fee to the total for this specific other cost, put your total charge amount in the ‘Total Fees’ cell. If you need to add more costs for this specific service or vendor in another time period cell, the ‘Total Costs’ and ‘Total Fees’ amounts will update automatically and the ‘Total Fees’ cell will retain the added margin cost.

If your Cost Impact ASM flag is turned on, you can go to the overview section of the timeline and scroll over ‘Net Fees’ to see the breakdown of all fees included.

Creating Timeline from the Library

• To add an existing timeline from the library, go to your quote header 'Navigation Menu' and click ‘New Timeline’ on the quote header row.

• Select ‘Add from Timeline Library.’
  
  

• Notice you can use the search and filter boxes at the top to find a specific timeline. Click the radio button next to the timeline if you would like to add to the quote.
  
  

• Click ‘Save.’
  
  

• The timeline you selected will appear and you can begin customising for your new project.

Adding Costs to the Timeline

• When creating a new timeline, if you turn on the T&E and Other Costs flags, you can add T&E and Other Costs to the timeline.

• Click the ‘T&E’ tab to enter expenses. Next, add the T&E costs in the appropriate cell for a resource in the resource section. For example, you could enter $100 in the First Phase cell for the Manager - Principle.

• Click on the ‘Other Costs’ tab, then go to the resource section of the timeline. Place the cursor in the cell and start typing. A list of all ‘QuoteX Other Costs’ will appear so you can easily select and then add other costs to your timeline.

Tip: When adding ‘Other Costs’ to the timeline, tap the spacebar to automatically bring up your list of available ‘Other Costs.’

• After costs are added to the timeline, you can rollover Total Costs in the summary at the top of the timeline to see all of the costs that are included.

Manage Timeline Overview Totals

• Once the roles and effort have been added to your timeline, the quote summary totals will populate in the overview section of  the timeline including totals for Nearshore, Offshore, and Blended Rates. If needed click in the ‘Travel & Expenses’ box and add all anticipated expenses and they will be automatically added to the ‘Total Fee’ amount.

• You can add a discount to the quote. Roll over the ‘Discount’ information icon to see the discount thresholds. Enter a discount percentage in the ‘Disc %’ field’ and you will see the impact to the ASM immediately.

• Understand the calculations happening at at high level:
  
  

  1. Net Fees = Total Fees - Total Discount + (COST_IMPACT_ASM? Total Other Fees : 0) + (T&EIMPACTASM? (SHOWT&E_DETAILED_VIEW? BILLABLE T&E : TOTAL EXPENSE) : 0)

• 2. Discount = Timeline Level Discount + Header Level Discount

For Fixed Fee : 

• 3. Total Costs = Services_Uplifted_Costs + (COSTIMPACTASM ? TOTAL OTHER COST : 0 ) + (T&EIMPACTASM ? (SHOWT&EDETAILEDVIEW ? TOTAL_T&E : Total Expense) : 0)

For T&M : 

• 4. Total Costs = SERVICE COSTS + (COSTIMPACTASM ? TOTAL OTHER COST : 0 ) + (T&EIMPACTASM ? (SHOWT&EDETAILEDVIEW ? TOTAL_T&E : Total Expense) : 0)

• 5. Total Fees = Total Resource Fees + (COSTIMPACTASM ? TOTAL OTHER FEES : 0 ) + (T&EIMPACTASM ? (SHOWT&EDETAILEDVIEW ? TOTAL_T&E : Total Expense) : 0) + (FIXEDFEE ? Fixed Fee Buffer Amount : 0)

• 6. Total Resource Price = Roll Up Sum of Total Resource Price of Child Timeline Resources.

• 7. 'Total Other Costs' contains  Other Costs  (Billable) and  Other Costs (Non-Billable)

• 8. Total Expenses = Total T&E (Billable) and Total T&E (Non-Billable)

• If you need to change the quote from time and materials to fixed fee, simply click the drop down to ‘T&M’ and select Fixed Fee.’ Once you select fixed fee, you can enter other settings like fixed fee buffer etc.

• Search for the fields appended with Summary in the label and api name; These fields contains the data of all the active timelines in the Quote. Find these fields on the Quote Object and use them to highlight in the header. 

Timeline Presentation Mode

You can use the Timeline Presentation Mode to hide sensitive data from the timeline. This mode can be used to share timelines with your client.

• Click the down arrow and select Presentation Mode.
  
  

• The Timeline will display without showing costs.
  
  

The Discount settings for your contract type, will impact how the Adjusted Rate displays in the timeline. The Adjusted Rate will display in the Rate column and the displayed rate will be shown with the black font. The discount has to be displayed based on the org setting. If the discount setting is Resource Discount only, display the line item discount. If the discount setting is Quote Level Only, display the timeline discount, and if the discount setting is Allow Resource and Quote Discounts, display both discounts.

Exporting Your Quotes/Generate SOW

1. To generate a Statement of Work (SOW), utilize the 'Generate SOW' action found in the 'Navigation Menu' within the Quote Header. The SOW will be created based on the chosen 'Document Template' selected from the dropdown menu.  

2. Additionally, from the timeline view, you can access the option to download the timeline as an Excel file by clicking the down arrow located on the far right of the timeline header row and selecting 'Download as Excel.' This feature provides a convenient way to export timeline data for further analysis or documentation.

Timeline Discount Models

QuoteX offers flexibility with project discount handling. The available Discount Models are Timeline Level Only, Resource Level Only or you can select Both. The application supports two pricing methods – fixed fee or time and materials (T&M). You can designate a Discount Model for each pricing method.

Since your discounts are added in the timeline view, the Discount Model selected can impact the columns that display in the Resources section of your timeline and at the top of the timeline in the summary totals. Before adding resources to your timeline, let’s take a look at the application behavior based on the selected Discount Models.

‘Timeline Level Only’ Discount Model - Application Behaviour

• The line item ‘Discount %’ is NOT visible or editable.

• The line item ‘Adjusted Rate’ column is editable.

• The line item ‘Discount Amount’ is calculated based on (List Price - Adjusted Rate) x total hours).

• The quote-level ‘Discount Amt %’ IS visible and editable.

• The quote-level Discount is based ONLY on Quote-level ‘Discount Amt OR %’ * ‘Total Fees.’

• The Rate Card Threshold behavior applies to the ‘Adjusted Rate’ column.

• There is no change in the ‘Manage Rate Card’ functionality.

Resource Tab Behavior

• The “Total Resource Price” column will not display.

Timeline Summary Behavior

• The ASM is be based on 1 - (Total Cost / (Total Fees - Total Discount)).
  
  

Presentation Mode Behavior

• The ‘Adjusted Rate’ show in the ‘Rates’ column and the ‘Total Fees’ column is based on the ‘Hours & Rate’ formula.
  
  

• ‘Total Resource Fees’ will show in the overview section.
  
  

‘Resource Level Only’ Discount Model - Application Behavior

• The line item ‘Discount %’ is visible and editable.

• The line item ‘Adjusted Rate’ is NOT editable.

• The line item ‘Discount Amount’ is calculated based on (List Price x Discount % ) x total hours.

• The quote-level ‘Discount Amt OR %’ IS NOT visible and editable.

• The quote-level Discount is a sum of line-item Discount Amount.

• Rate Card Threshold behavior applies to the ‘Discount %’ column.

• In the ‘Manage Rate Card’ tab, the ‘Rate’ column has been removed (but not the ‘Rate Card’ column).

Resource Tab Behavior

• A new column, ‘Total Resource Price’ will display next to the ‘List Price’ and show the Resource list price x resource hours allocated.

Timeline Summary Behavior

• The Total Resource Price amount replaces ‘Resource Fees’ including the label.

• Total Fees will use ‘Total Resource Price’ in place of ‘Resource Fees’ and use the ‘Resource Price’ label in the rollover info window.

• The ASM will be based on 1 - (Total Cost / (Total Fees - Total Discount)).

Presentation Mode Behavior

• Depending on the Discount Model, either the ‘Total Resource Price’ OR ‘Total Price’ will display in the ‘Rates’ column. The List Price will show in the Rates and ‘Total Fees’ will be based on the ‘Hours’*’Rates’ formula.

• Depending on the Discount Model, the ‘Total Resource Price’ will display in the overview section in place of ‘Resource Fees.’

‘Both’ Levels Discount Model - Application Behavior

• The line item ‘Discount %’ is visible and editable.

• The line item ‘Adjusted Rate’ is NOT editable.

• The line item ‘Discount Amount’ is calculated based on (List Price x Discount % ) x total hours.

• The timeline-level ‘Discount Amt %’ IS visible and editable.

• Total discount is a sum of the Total Resource Level discount plus the Total Timeline discount.

• Rate Card Threshold behavior applies to the ‘Discount %’ column.

• In the ‘Manage Rate Card’ tab, the ‘Rate’ column has been removed (but not the ‘Rate Card’ column).

Resource Tab Behavior

• A new column, ‘Total Resource Price’ will display next to the ‘List Price’ and show the Resource list price x resource hours allocated.

Timeline Summary Behavior

• The Total Resource Price amount replaces ‘Resource Fees’ including the label.

• Total Fees will use ‘Total Resource Price’ in place of ‘Resource Fees’ and use the ‘Resource Price’ label in the rollover info window.

• The ASM will be based on 1 - (Total Cost / (Total Fees - Total Discount)).

Presentation Mode Behavior

• Depending on the Discount Model, either the ‘Total Resource Price’ OR ‘Total Price’ will display in the ‘Rates’ column. The ‘List Price’ will show in the ‘Rate’ column and ‘Total Fees’ will be based on the ‘Hours’ * ‘Rates’ formula.

• Depending on the Discount Model, the ‘Total Resource Price’ will display in the overview section in place of ‘Resource Fees.’

Project Management Center

Create Project (PSC Project)

After successfully closing and winning a deal, it is crucial to swiftly record the stages of the executed project, capturing challenges, lessons learned, appreciations, and other key aspects for future reference and continuous improvement. Follow these steps:

• Access the 'Project Management Center' App from the App Launcher in Salesforce.

• Navigate to the 'PSC Projects' Tab within the app.

• Add pertinent details to the project detail records on the respective detail page.

• Record additional vital information related to project management under the related list of the project detail. This may include details such as challenges faced, lessons learned, appreciations received, and any other relevant project-specific information.

By following these steps, you establish a systematic approach to document and manage the various facets of a project, facilitating organized project management and enhancing the ability to learn from past experiences for future projects.