Overview
With the add on CRM Bundle comes the ability to enable the feature “Quotes Tracking With Conversation Logs”. This feature allows Workers (sales rep for example) or Contacts (end customer) to initiate a Quote request and send it to the other for additional information and depending on the worker’s settings override pricing for that specific quote. At the end of the process the contact or the worker on behalf of the contact can convert the quote to an order at which point it will flow into the ERP system based on the standard order workflow.
Quotes are a version of saved carts that allow for communication between worker and contact within the quote. The contact the the quote is tied to determines the account (ERP customer) the order will be tied to when placed and who the quote communications go to. Once a quote is converted, placed as an order, this record becomes the order and there is no longer a quote record. Using the CIMcloud re-order functionality a new quote could be created from this like any other order in history.
Initiating a Quote
A quote can be initiated by by either a contact directly or by a worker impersonating a contact.
If initiated by a worker, the worker must use the create quote option from the worker portal. For details on creating a quote you can check out this article which reviews creating a quote outside of this add-on module – Creating a Quote. Additionally depending of the workers assigned worker groups, the worker can override the product prices, set quantity restrictions, or override shipping price. After building the quote the worker can add comments and save for further edits or send to the contact on the quote for review. The “send to contact” will initiate an email to the contact with a summary of the quote, the most recent comment posted, and a link to the quote. At this point the contact can convert the order to a quote or respond back to the worker with comments. Each time there is a response an email will generate with the quote summary and the most recent comment posted to the quote. The quote can then go back and forth between the contact and worker until the quote is converted to an order or cancelled.
If the quote is initiated by the contact, the workflow is similar. The contact just builds a cart and at checkout they have the option to submit to sales rep for help. This will send to the worker that has been designed for the account and then will follow the cycle as noted above.
Summary of Actions and Lifecycle Stages
Here are the different lifecycle stages, the actions that are available, and the lifecycle stages set by those actions. These are the actions related to quotes.
Quote started by worker:
The Worker creates a quote and can:
Return to User – Sets lifecycle stage User Queued and flags email to send
Save Quote – Sets lifecycle to Rep Saved
Archive Quote – Sets Lifecycle to Cancelled
Place Order – Rep can create order and place on behalf of client without any interaction
Note if the worker abandons the quote after creation without taking any action the lifecycle stage will be Rep New
Contact reviews quote at lifecycle stage User Queued
Save Quote – Sets lifecycle stage to User Saved
Place Order – Places Order
Submit to Sales Rep for Help – Sets lifecycle stage to Rep Queued and flags email to be sent
Archive Quote – Sets lifecycle stage to Cancelled
Worker (Sales Rep) reviews quote at lifecycle stage Rep Queued
Return to user – Sets lifecycle stage User Queued and flags email to send
Save Quote – Sets Lifecycle to Rep Saved
Archive Quote – Sets Lifecycle to Cancelled
Place Order – Rep can create order and place on behalf of client without any interaction
Worker (sales rep) reviews at lifecycle stage User Queued
Cancel Return to User – Sets lifecycle stage to Rep Saved
Archive Quote – Sets lifecycle stage to Cancelled
Contact reviews quote at lifecycle stage Rep Queued
Cancel Send – sets lifecycle stage to User Saved
Archive Quote – sets lifecycle stage to Cancelled
Started by contact:
A Contact creates a quote and can:
Save Quote – Sets lifecycle stage to User Saved. This is just a saved cart at this point
Place Order – This is the user just placing on order (this may vary depending on other modules in scope)
Submit to Sales Rep for Help – Sets lifecycle stage to Rep Queued and flags email to be sent
After this the lifecycle stages seen are based on user and current lifecycle stage are the same as if the quote was created by a worker