Limitations of Estimates and Job Tracking
Only one estimate XE "limitations:estimates" XE "estimates:limitations" can be set up for each customer:job. This XE "lob tracking:limitations" problem surfaced in the original QuickBooks Pro (3.1) and has not been remedied in later versions. Should you desire a change, a suggestion could be submitted, but yours would not be the first. If job tracking is used, the only practical solution is to set up each job as a separate customer:job. That can cause inconvenience in receiving payments. Other work-arounds, such as swapping customer:job names in invoices, effectively disable job tracking.
Classes
can be used to further track income from invoicing if the company accounting plan uses classes. If so, the basic choice is between assigning one class to all of each estimate and its derivative invoices, or assigning classes to each item. That works well, except that it means adding another column. The total width of the estimate and invoice will be squeezed onto the screen, truncating words and numbers as necessary. To enable assigning classes to each item, the estimate and invoice forms must be customized, adding a column for classes.
List of Estimates
is not available, as such. If estimates are turned on, the customer list will have a column for the amount of any estimate existing for any customer:job. The estimates are at the bottom of the Chart of Accounts, as a “non-posting account” (entries are not included in financial statements.) Highlighting
Estimates,
you can click on reports and get a quick report. Either the default time span may be used, or you may select one. Within that time span, the report will list all estimates.
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