Forecast
A forecast is used to calculate a service item (machine). The price for the basic machine and assets for configuration, applied sales discounts, external equipments, workshops and other charges are calculated so that you gain on overview over the numbers.
This chapter is divided into the following sections:
Setting up a Margin for Forecasts
This section describes how to set up a margin for forecasts. To set up a margin for the forecast, please do the following:
- Use the quick search (ALT+Q) to find the page Margins.
- To create a new margin, click New in the menu bar.
- Complete the following information for the new created margin.
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer Code | Select from the drop-down list in the Manufacturer Code field the code of the manufacturer for who you want to set up a margin that is to be used for forecasts of service items from this manufacturer. |
| Manufacturer Name | The manufacturer’s name is automatically added by the system if you select a value for Manufacturer Code from the drop-down list. |
| Category Code | Select from the drop-down list of the Category Code column the code of the service item category for which you want to deposit a margin. |
| Category Name | The category name is automatically added by the system if you select a value for Category Code from the drop-down list. |
| Subcategory Code | Select from the drop-down list of the Subcategory Code column the code of the service item subcategory for which you want to deposit a margin. |
| Subcategory Name | The subcategory name is automatically added by the system if you select a value for Subcategory Code from the drop-down list. |
| Model | Select from the drop-down list of the Model column the model of the service item for which you want to deposit a margin. |
| Model Name | The model name is automatically added by the system if you select a value for Model from the drop-down list. |
| Minimum Margin % | In this column, enter the minimum margin that should be used for the combination of manufacturer, service item category, service item subcategory and model for forecasts. |
| Default Margin % | In this column, enter the default margin that should be used for the combination of manufacturer, service item category, service item subcategory and model for forecasts. |
You have successfully defined one or more margins. You can see which margin is used for the forecast and which amounts result from it under the Configurations FastTab.
Creating a Forecast
This section describes how to create a forecast. The forecast is used in sales calculations to calculate the machine(s). Click here to find more information on creating sales calculations and adding forecasts.
The forecast can be accessed via the sales calculation. You can set up the following data for the forecast in the General FastTab:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| No. | This field is filled with a number from the set up number series by the system. |
| Description | Enter a description for the forecast in this field. |
| Return Type | Specify whether you would like to take a machine back from the customer. You can choose between Trade-In, Purchase or Agency Business. If you select trade-in, the system will create a credit memo, whereas if you select purchase the system will create an invoice. |
| Vendor Name | Select from the picklist of this field the vendor for the forecast. This value is normally already preset with the name of the vendor that you have entered in the window for the forecast template. |
| Purchase Order Type | Enter a purchase order type for the forecast. This value is transferred to all purchase orders that are created via this forecast. |
| Responsibility Center | Enter a responsibility center for the forecast. This value is transferred to all purchase orders that are created via this forecast. For more information regarding the setup of responsibility centers, please click here. |
| Location Code | Enter the location code for the forecast in this field. |
| Calculation Currency | This field is filled with the manufacturer's calculation currency code, but can be changed manually. |
| Calculation Currency Exchange Rate | This field is filled with the exchange rate, but can be changed manually. |
| Service Item No. | In this field, enter a service item number, if you haven’t done so in the previous step. |
| Status (Purchase) | This field is not editable. It shows the purchase status of the forecast. |
| Status (Sales) | This field is not editable. It shows the sales status of the forecast. |
| Standard Equipment | This field is not editable. It shows whether Standard Equipment was added to the forecast. |
| Status | This field is not editable. It shows the status of the forecast. The following statuses are possible: Open means that the forecast has not been checked or released. Released means that the forecast has been released and can be used. |
| Base Code | Use this field to enter the base code. |
| Show List Prices | Activate this toggle switch if you want list prices to be shown in sales quotes created from sales calculations. When activated, any lines from the Configuration of the type Comment or Option will be automatically converted and shown as Charge (Item) in the sales quote. |
| Show calculated Sales Prices | Activate this toggle switch if you want calculated sales prices to be shown in sales quotes created from sales calculations. When activated, the Base Machine Net Price and any lines of type Option from the Configuration will be calculated based on the Margins and any Purchase Discounts. The new machine price will be displayed in the Calculated Machine Sales Price field. In the option lines, the new amounts will be displayed in the Calculated Sales Price and Calculated Sales Amount columns. Option lines will be automatically converted and shown as Charge (Item) in newly created sales quotes. |
| Fix Price allowed | Activate this toggle switch if it should be possible to define a fix price for this forecast. You can find more information on the use of fix prices for sales calculations here. |
| Base Machine Net Price | Use this field to enter the machine net price. This price represents the machine price without any external equipment or additional cost. |
Once you have filled the header of the forecast, you can calculate the service item. The forecast consists of the following areas that you can access via the Show button in the menu bar:
| Area | Description |
|---|---|
| Configuration | In this part of the forecast, all configurations of the basic machine are included. The prices are shown in the factbox Forecast Calculation below the Configurations line. Configurations mean equipment packages (work lights, climate control etc.) as well as devices (telematic system). These equipments/configurations have to be deposited for every machine model in the system. You can find more information about this in the chapter Configuration. |
| Purchase Discounts | In this area of the forecast you can set up purchase discounts. You can choose between standard discounts and customised discounts which are applied as fixed price discount or percentage discount. The base amount of the used discounts can also be changed. You can find more information about this in the chapter Purchase Discounts. |
| Sales Discounts | In this area of the forecast you can set up sales discounts. You can choose between standard discounts and customised discounts which are applied as fixed price discount or percentage discount. The base amount of the used discounts can also be changed. You can find more information about this in the chapter Purchase Discounts. |
| External Equipment | In the External Equipment area, the prices for attachments and components are calculated. External equipment means all parts that are not part of the basic machine from the manufacturer. Examples for external equipment may be a bucket (structural engineering) or front hydraulics (agricultural engineering) of a different manufacturer. You can also include necessary works (workshops) for the attachment of the external equipment in the forecast. You can find more information about this in the chapter External Equipment. |
| Workshops | Below the Workshops area, all works concerning the machine are listed. This means among other things the delivery check in the garage, conversion works (e.g. For external equipment) and final assemblies. You can also create standard jobs for these works which are calculated with fixed prices. You can find more information about this in the chapter Workshops. |
| Costs | In this area of the forecast you can find all entries that do not clearly belong to one of the other areas. One possible example may be approval costs or the transport to the company/farmer. You can find more information about this in the chapter Costs. |
Configuration
This section describes how to add a configuration of a service item to a forecast. The following description assumes that you have already opened a forecast.
Please proceed as follows to enter a configuration:
- Switch the view to the Configuration tab. To do so, click on Show > Configuration in the menu bar.
- Enter the configuration of the service item into the lines under the Configuration tab. Use the following lines types for this:
| Line Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Comment | Use this line type to add comments to the configuration. |
| Item | The line type Item is used for including configurations as for example a light package consisting of additional working lights for a agricultural or construction machine into the forecast template. |
| Option | This line type is used for equipment that you want to include in the forecast in addition to the basic machine. If you want to import options from an Excel list, click on the selection field in the No. column and then on the selection field in the menu bar. Select Import Options Excel to import equipment via Excel. If you would like to export the template instead, select Export Options Template. |
| Attribute | Use this line type to add attributes to the configuration. |
Tip
If you would like to add a line of text that will be added as a general comment line, click on Add Text Lines in the menu bar of the Configuration FastTab. In the text editor, you can then enter the text that will be added as a general comment line. This line is transferred to sales and purchase documents and included in printouts. If you would like to add an internal remark line that refers to another line, such as an item or option line, select a line and click on Add Comment to Line in the menu bar of the Configuration FastTab. To edit the comment in the text editor, e.g. if there are several comment lines, click on the selection field in the menu bar of the page and then on Add Text Lines. Internal comment lines are not displayed in the lines of the forecast and are also not printed on sales or purchase documents.
Purchase Discounts
This section describes how to add purchase discounts and discount schemes to a forecast. The following description assumes that you have already opened a forecast.
Note
For more information on default purchase discounts and how to define them, click here.
Please proceed as follows to enter the purchase discounts:
- Switch the view to the Purchase Discounts tab. To do so, click on Show > Purchase Discounts in the menu bar.
- To add a discount scheme to the forecast, select Manage > Select Default Purchase Discount from the menu bar under the Purchase Discounts tab.
- The window Default Purchase Discounts is displayed. The list contains all discount schemes that can be used for this service item.
- Select a discount scheme from the list und click OK.
- The default purchase discounts are added to the forecast.
Note
You can also enter a discount manually. For this, click in the Discount Type column and select the discount from the drop-down list. For more information on purchase discounts, see the Default Purchase Discounts section.
You have added one or more purchase discounts to the forecast. You can find an overview of the accumulated discounts in the Total Discounts field beneath the tab.
Sales Discounts
This section describes how to add sales discounts and discount schemes to forecasts. The following description assumes that you have already opened a forecast.
Note
For more information on default sales discounts and how to define them, click here.
Please proceed as follows to enter the sales discounts:
- Switch the view to the Sales Discounts. To do so, click on Show > Sales Discounts in the menu bar.
- To add a discount scheme to the forecast, select Manage > Select Default Sales Discount from the menu bar in the Sales Discounts tab.
- The window Default Sales Discounts is displayed. The list contains all discount schemes that can be used for this service item.
- Select a discount scheme from the list und click OK.
- The default sales discounts are added to the forecast.
Note
You can also enter a discount manually. For this, click in the Discount Type column and select the discount from the drop-down list.
You have added one or more sales discounts to the forecast. You can find an overview of the accumulated discounts in the Total Discounts field beneath the tab.
External Equipment
This section describes how to add external equipment to a forecast. The following description assumes that you have already opened a forecast.
Please proceed as follows to add external equipment:
- Switch the view to the External Equipment tab. To do so, click on Show > External Equipment in the menu bar.
- Navigate to the External Equipment FastTab.
- Fill in the following fields to add external equipment:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Type | Select the item type. You can choose between Item, Service Item or Comment. If you want to add text lines, click on Manage > Add Text Lines in the menu bar beneath the tab. |
| No. | Select the number of the item or service item from the drop-down list. |
| Vendor Item No. | Enter the vendor item number for the external equipment. |
| Purchase Order Type | Enter a purchase order type for the external equipment. This value is transferred to all purchase orders for external equipment that are created via this forecast. |
| Responsibility Center | Enter a responsibility center for the external equipment. This value is transferred to all purchase orders for external equipment that are created via this forecast. For more information regarding the setup of responsibility centers, please click here. |
| Location Code | Enter a location code for the external equipment. This value is transferred to all purchase orders for external equipment that are created via this forecast. |
| Linked to Workshop | This field shows if the item is linked to a workshop. You can find more information on how to link an item in a forecast to a workshop in the Workshop section. |
| Description | Here the system specifies the description of the item. |
| Unit Of Measure | Use this field to enter the unit of measure of the item. This field may be filled by the system. |
| Quantity | This field shows the quantity of the item. If necessary, you can manually change the quantity. |
| List Price | This field shows the list price for the item or service item. |
| Disc. % | Enter the discount for the item/service item. |
| Purchase Price | This field shows the purchase price for the item or service item. |
| Line Amount | This field shows the line amount for the external equipment parts. The value is determined from amount × purchase price. |
| Margin % / Surcharge % | Specifies the margin or the surcharge in percent. |
| Margin/Surcharge | Specifies the amount of the margin or surcharge. |
| Calculate Separately | Deactivate this checkbox for external equipment parts to not show the line amount seperately. The line amount is added to the configuration amount. |
| Show In Sales Documents | Activate this checkbox to show the external equipment parts in sales documents. |
| Comments Exist | This checkbox indicates if there are comments for this line. |
| Vendor Name | This field shows the vendor of the item. |
- Every added item or service item updates the information Total List Price, Total Costs and Total Calculated Sales Price.
You have added external equipment to the forecast.
Tip
If you would like to add a line of text that will be added as a general comment line, click on Manage > Add Text Lines in the menu bar of the External Equipment FastTab. In the text editor, you can then enter the text that will be added as a general comment line. This line is transferred to sales and purchase documents and included in printouts. If you would like to add an internal remark line that refers to another line, such as an item or service item line, select a line and click Manage > Add Comment Lines in the menu bar of the External Equipment FastTab. To edit the comment in the text editor, e.g. if there are several comment lines, click on the selection field in the menu bar of the page and then on Add Text Lines. Internal comment lines are not displayed in the lines of the forecast and are also not printed on sales or purchase documents.
Tip
If you want to add a text line that will be added as a general comment line, click on Manage > Add Text Lines in the menu bar of the FastTab. In the text editor, you can then enter the text that should be added as a general comment line. This line is transferred to sales and purchase documents and will also be printed on reports. If you want to add an internal comment line that refers to another line, such as an item or option line, select a line in the FastTab and click on Manage > Add Comment to Line in the menu bar of the FastTab. To edit the comment in the text editor, e.g. if you would like to add several comment lines, click on the selection field in the menu bar and then on Add Text Lines. Internal comment lines are not displayed in the lines of the forecast and are also not printed on sales or purchase documents.
Workshops
This section describes how to add workshops to a forecast. Workshops mean standard tasks which result as part of the delivery and selling of the service item. The following description assumes that you have already opened a forecast.
Please proceed as follows to add workshops:
- Switch the view to the Workshops tab. To do so, click on Show > Workshops in the menu bar.
- Navigate to the Workshops FastTab.
- Fill in the following fields to add workshops:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Standard Service Code | Enter a standard service code to specify the type of workshop. |
| Default Worktime Amount | Enter the default worktime for the workshop. |
| Linked to External Equipment | This field shows whether the workshop is linked to any external equipment. |
| Responsibility Center | Enter a responsibility center for the workshop. This value is transferred to all service orders that are created via this forecast. For more information regarding the setup of responsibility centers, please click here |
| Description | This field shows the description for the workshop. |
| Service Order Type | Enter a service order type for the workshop. This value is transferred to all service orders that are created via this forecast. |
| Location Code | Enter a location code for the workshop. This value is transferred to all service orders that are created via this forecast. |
| Calculate Separately | Deactivate this checkbox for workshops to not show the line amount seperately. The line amount is added to the configuration amount. |
| Show in Sales Document | Activate this checkbox to display the workshop line in sales documents. |
| Comments exist | This chexbox shows whether comment lines exist for the workshop line. |
You have successfully added workshops to the forecast.
Costs
This section describes how to add costs to a forecast. The following description assumes that you have already opened a forecast.
Please proceed as follows to enter costs:
- Switch the view to the Costs tab. To do so, click on Show > Costs in the menu bar.
- Complete the following information for the line:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Cost Type | Select the type of cost you would like to add to the forecast. |
| Description | Enter a clear description for the added costs. |
| Transfer to Purchase | Activate this toggle switch if the costs should be trasferred to purchase documents. |
| Base Amount Type | Select the base amount type for the cost. |
| Amount | Enter the amount of the added costs. You can only enter a fixed amount if no base amount type has been selected. |
| Percentage | Enter a percentage for the costs. The amount in the FactBox of the forecast is then calculated using the entered base amount type. |
You have added additional costs to the forecast. The main configuration of the machine has been completed. You can now release the forecast or make further changes, e. g. add Standard Equipment. To release the forecast, click on Release in the menu bar. If you would like to mark the forecast as an alternative forecast, e.g. to provide the customer with several options, click on Alternative in the menu bar. To create a Sales Quote for the machine, just return to the sales calculations page. Alternative forecasts won't be transferred to the sales quote.
Adding Standard Equipment
This section describes how to add standard equipment to the forecast. The added standard equipment will be transferred to the corresponding documents as comment lines. The following description assumes that you have already opened a forecast. Proceed as follows to add standard equipment:
- Click on Actions > Related > Open Standard Equipment in the menu bar of the open forecast.
- Click on New in the menu bar to add new standard equipment.
- Enter a meaningful description for the standard equipment in the Description field.
- Activate the Print In Purchase Document toggle switch if the standard equipment should be listed as a comment line in purchase documents created from forecasts.
- Activate the Print In Sales Document toggle switch if the standard equipment should be listed as a comment line in sales documents created from forecasts.
- Your changes are saved automatically.
You have successfully added standard equipment to the forecast. The standard equipment will be shown on the selected documents.