We've always used MYOB for generating project estimates or bids. It has it's good and bad points. The good is that once a project is complete the estimate can be easily turned into an invoice within the accounting package. The bad is that we have one seat, so when an estimate needs to be done, the person occupying that seat (our bookkeeper) has to go make herself a cup of tea. Another downside is that tracking the estimate alongside the project is awkward.

Feedback from staff here on our newly implemented SeedCode Complete 2 has been very positive, so we're giving the bid function in Seedcode Complete a go. So far so good; Ive added a couple of lines to the print bid script, one to copy the bid contact's email address to the clipboard for later pasting into the mail client address window;

Copy [Select; Contacts::Email]

The script finishes;
Save Records as PDF [Restore; No dialog; "$$sc_BidID"; Create email; Records being browsed]
Set Field [Projects::Status; Projects Status = "Bid Sent"

The bid id variable is comprised of Bid_ID and ".pdf" so mail clients can display the pdf properly and windows users can open it.
Set Variable [$$sc_BidID; Value:ProjectBids::_id & ".pdf"]

I'm sure there's a tidier way that opens an email and addresses it without the extra paste keystrokes, but it's a whole lot simpler than emailing an estimate from MYOB.

I've also customised the bid number in the Create Bid { ProjectID } script;
Set Field [ProjectBids::_id; $sc_ProjectID & "E" & $sc_Number]

So the bid number is comprised of the Project number that it belongs to, the letter E (for estimate) and a serial number - results in numbers like this 9723E2 where the project number is 9723.

It's all working so well I'd like to trial invoicing direct from Seedcode Complete. Our bookkeeper would then just enter the bare necessities in MYOB and we'd track estimating and invoicing alongside projects. Part of this is customising invoice numbers to follow the same scheme as the bids; Project number, letter "I" and a serial. I can't make it work though... I have this line in the New Invoice script;

Set Field [Invoices::_id; Invoices::_id_Project & "I" & $sc_Number]

Auto enter serial number is turned of in the SeedCodeData file Invoice ID field and the $sc_Number is from
Set Variable [$sc_Number; Value:Count ( ProjectInvoices::_id ) + 1]

It results in a non incrementing Invoice number I2

Any help much appreciated
Rob

Hi,

Sorry for the delayed reply! I like where you're heading-- invoicing from SeedCode and then entering just the basics into MYOB.

I'd suggest that for both the Bid, Project, and Invoice numbers (if necessary) you create a new field for these custom numbers and leave the _id fields used to relate entities in SeedCode intact. This gives you complete freedom in creating your new numbers without breaking anything under the hood.

As for why your current script isn't working, it seems a bit more complicated than it needs to be. With a second field you can use the existing _id as the unique part and just append project ids and "I" to the serial number already being generated.

This scheme will have gaps in your numbers however if you delete invoices... so prohibit the deletion of invoices in access privileges.

Hope that helps,

John

Thanks John,
I've added the fields and a Set Field script line to each of the "New Invoice for Project" and "Create Bid { ProjectID }" scripts that creates a new number from the project number, a point and the invoice ID (bid ID in the case of bids)
I'm dropping the E and the I which stood for Estimate and Invoice respectively. The I is too hard to read when combined with numerals. The context in which they're read will make it clear which one the user is looking at. Additionally estimates will almost always have only a single digit after the point, invoices will have four.

A couple more questions on this though.

1) We use the word estimate in place of quote or bid. It keeps the way clear for charging for almost inevitable additions made to jobs by clients. In the interests of keeping our company language consistent it'd be nice to have this term used through our SeedCode solution. I'm concerned that I'll break scripts and calculations if I start fiddling with it though. Can you give us an idea of how much work is involved in a change like this?

2) Australia has a national goods and services tax that is applied at 10%. There are a few products mostly food related that are exempt however nothing we sell is exempt. I entered the value .1 in the set field in the edit default values section of the New Project script like this;

Set Field [Invoices::TaxRate; .1]

but the tax rate field on new invoices remains empty. Is there something else that is overriding this?

Thanks
Rob