Initiating Projects

This chapter provides an overview of the project initiation process and discusses how to:

• Create projects.

• Work with projects and project tasks.

• Schedule project tasks.

• Generate quotes and proposals.

Understanding the Project Initiation Process

Project initiation is the beginning phase for large-scale engineer-to-order (ETO) or make-to-order activities. Industries that make products according to very specific customer requirements rely on project management practices to ensure that all customer requirements are met in the final product. Projects of this nature can have a life cycle of a year or more; therefore, during the project initiation phase, you must comprehensively and accurately enter all of the information that is required for a project.

If you operate in an engineer-to-order business environment, you typically initiate a project only when a customer requests a quote for a specific product. After the customer transmits the request for a quote, you complete these activities that yield the information that is required for a quote:

• Create a project.

• Define high-level phases and tasks.

• Determine an estimated schedule.

• Calculate estimated costs.

• Determine a price and generate a proposal.

The goal of these activities is to provide the customer with sufficient information to make an informed decision about accepting or rejecting the quote. Some of the project initiation activities might be iterative, in response to additional customer questions and requirements. The project initiation phase concludes when the customer accepts the quote and you actually start planning for and working on the project tasks.

Creating Projects

This section provides an overview of project creation and discusses how to:

• Set processing options for Project Workbench (P31P001).

• Create projects.

Understanding Project Creation

When a customer requests quote information for the product that you propose to produce for the customer, the first step is to set up a project. You have two options for creating a project. You can create a new project using the Add/Revise Project program (P31P011), or you can copy an existing project and change the project header information, as appropriate. After you define all the global project information, you can add task and schedule information, as well as financial estimates. This essential information helps you understand the activities that are required for a project and the costs that you will incur when you perform these activities. Without this information, you might have difficulty providing the customer with a realistic quote that enables you to complete the project at a profit.

Note. When you copy a project for the purpose of creating a new project, the system copies the task information that is associated with this project, but not the task dependencies.

Projects are stored as records in the F4801 table. When you set up a new project, you must provide this required information:

• Project description

• Branch/plant

• Order status

• Order type

• Planned start date

• Planned end date

The Add/Revise Project form enables you to add additional information, such as a business unit and a customer number, on the Project Information tab. The branch/plant provides the default value for the business unit if you do not enter a business unit. If you use the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Job Cost system with JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Engineer to Order, you can enter a business unit that is different from the branch/plant. If you enter a business unit that does not exist in the system, and you have selected the Job Cost Interface option, you can add a new record to the Extended Job Master table (F5108) . You must provide a customer number to generate a sales quote from the Project Quotes program (P31P100) . You can also use the customer number to retrieve cost information, such as tax rates.

On the People tab, you can provide information about some of the people who are involved with the project, such as the manager and supervisor, and specify an email distribution list for status change notifications and project alerts.

The Project Attributes tab contains important processing information. You can determine whether the system commits inventory before or after the Quote Accept stage of the project. You can avoid allocating inventory and making financial commitments until you have assurance that the project will actually proceed. You can also specify whether the system overrides the originally entered estimated costs with the planned costs after you attach the parts list and routing instructions to a task.

If you are planning to use the Job Cost features of JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Engineer to Order, you must activate the Job Cost Interface option on the Job Cost tab and enter a GL class code. A subsidiary is required for every task. The JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Job Cost system uses only planned costs, and the project must be moved to the Quote Accept status before JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Job Cost can be used.

The Project Status tab on the Add/Revise Project form displays information about the stages of a project. When you complete each stage, the system activates the corresponding option, such as Quote Is Accepted. The options on this tab are locked from input and are for information only.

On the Order Information tab, you can specify order information, such as item number, quantity, and unit of measure. On the Sales Order tab, you can specify a billing method for the project. The program also provides a number of category codes that you can use for reporting.

Technical Considerations for Storing Project Information

When you work with the Project Workbench program, the system enables you to add and change project information. If you close the Project Workbench program without clicking Save and Continue or Save and Close, the information that you added or changed is not saved. The information is stored in cache to improve system performance. As long as the information resides only in cache, however, it is not stored in the appropriate tables. To save the project information, you must click Save and Continue or Save and Close in the Project Workbench program before you close the program.

Forms Used to Create Projects

Setting Processing Options for Project Workbench (P31P001)

These processing options control default processing for the Project Management Workbench program.

Defaults

These processing options control the default values for order type, as well as task and project status.

Versions

These processing options control which version the system uses when you call other programs from the Project Workbench program. This table lists the programs in the order that they appear on the Versions tab, along with the default version. If you leave the processing option blank, the system uses this default version. You can define different versions in accordance with business processes.

Process

These processing options control settings that affect processing in the Project Workbench program.

Copy

These processing options control copy functions within the Project Workbench program.

Scheduling

These processing options control scheduling for projects and determine whether you can modify frozen work order dates.

Creating Projects

Access the Add/Revise Project form.

Project Information

Select the Project Information tab.

Branch	Enter a code that represents a high-level business unit. Use this code to refer to a branch or plant that might have departments or jobs, which represent lower-level business units, subordinate to it. For example: Branch/Plant (MMCU) Dept A (MCU) Dept B (MCU) Job 123 (MCU) Business unit security is based on the higher-level business unit.
Business Unit	Enter the business unit. The Branch/Plant field provides the default value for the business unit. If you use the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Job Cost system, enter the job number in the Business Unit field.
Customer	Enter the identifier for the project's customer.
Status	Enter the project status.
Order Type	Enter a user-defined code (UDC) (00/DT) that identifies the document type that represents a project. For most users, this should be ET (Summary Task).

Dates

Select the Dates tab.

People

Select the People tab.

Project Attributes

Select the Project Attributes tab.

Commit After Quote Accept	Select to specify the stage of the project during which the system commits inventory when it attaches a parts list to a project work order. If you select this option, the system commits inventory after the Quote Accept stage. Otherwise, the system commits inventory before the Quote Accept stage.
Override Estimates Flag	Select to specify whether the system overrides the estimated cost with the planned cost when you attach a parts list and routing to the order.

Estimated Costs

Select the Estimated Costs tab.

Job Cost

Select the Job Cost tab.

Project Status

Select the Project Status tab.

The system populates the fields on this tab based on the project status. You cannot change the fields. The system displays these project statuses:

• Quote is Accepted.

• Job Cost Budget Uploaded Flag.

• Lock Job Cost Budget.

• Lock WBS

• Project is Closed.

Order Information

Select the Order Information tab.

Categories

Select the Categories tab.

Complete the category code fields as needed to further define the project.

Sales Order

Select the Sales Order tab.

Working with Projects and Project Tasks

This section provides an overview of projects and project tasks and discusses how to:

• Work with project queries.

• Unlock a project.

• Work with a project.

• Add and revise project tasks.

Understanding Projects

After you have set up a project, you access the Project Workbench program to define the project details and requirements. On the Search for Projects form, you search for a project by entering search criteria in the header portion of the form or by using queries. You can save and edit queries to use for future project searches.

After you find and select the project, three modes are available for working with the project:

• View mode: This is an inquiry only mode.

  You cannot edit the project or tasks in the project.

• Edit Tasks mode: This is a change mode.

  The system places record reservation only on records that you have modified. Also, the system does not let you edit a record that has been locked by a different user or application.

• Edit And Lock All Tasks mode: This is a change mode.

  All records in the project are locked as the lock is placed on the project. This mode is primarily used for scheduling. All records are locked and other applications or programs will not be able to access them until you quit this mode. All the orders in the project are reserved by the project and you are allowed to perform scheduling.

After you select a project and mode, the List of Records Locked form appears for the Edit Tasks and Edit And Lock All Tasks modes if work order tasks are locked outside the workbench. In the Edit Task mode, if the records are locked by other applications or users, you can proceed to work with the project, but you will not have access to work with the locked record. The List of Locked Records form displays the order number, project number, program ID, and user name of the locked records. When in the workbench, any locked records are identified by a lock symbol on the row in the Edit Tasks mode.

The Project Workbench features a hierarchical grid (parent/child grid) where you edit project tasks. The hierarchical grid combines the functionality of a tree and grid into one form. You can indent, outdent, move up and down, insert, cut, copy, and paste tasks within the Project Workbench. The Project Workbench form also features tabs that group logically related fields.

When you run any report, such as Process Project, Process Task, and Close Project, the system saves the data and, with confirmation from the user, then quits the workbench.

Understanding Project Tasks

After you have set up a project, you create a work breakdown structure (WBS) that provides a hierarchy of tasks and subtasks that need to be completed for the project. You can also add all of the detail information that will enable you to plan for and run the project, such as the project schedule. You can also enter resource information that the system does not use for processing, but that you use for reference only. Finally, you can add cost estimates that will enable you to generate a quote for the customer.

After setting up a project header record with information such as project description, branch/plant, planned start and end dates, and so on, you can add to the project individual tasks that represent the steps that are required to complete the project. The set of tasks that make up the project is referred to as the work breakdown structure (WBS). You can add tasks to the work breakdown structure, provided that it is not yet locked. If you lock the WBS, the Lock WBS option on the Project Status in the Add/Revise Project program (P31P011) is automatically selected.

When you set up a project to prepare a quote for a customer, you might want to add only high-level or summary tasks to enable you to identify the steps that are required to complete a project and to enter the costs that are associated with a task. By using this approach, you can determine a quote amount without having to expend more effort than necessary to develop a project before you actually receive an order from a customer. However, the business requirements and practices of a company determine the stage at which you add tasks and the level of detail for the task structure. The procedure for adding tasks to projects remains the same regardless of when you do it. The system enables you to develop a work breakdown structure with an unlimited number of subordination levels. When you enter tasks, the system creates a record in the Work Order Master table (F4801) for each task and assigns the project number as parent work order number. You can create new tasks by copying tasks from an existing project or by entering new task information. You can also move tasks within the WBS or cancel tasks.

When you add tasks to the detail area of the workbench, you must specify the order type. If you add an equipment maintenance or service order task to the project, this task becomes the model work order. From the model work order, the system generates the assigned maintenance or service order and loads it to the Project Workbench program (P31P001). If you add a task that contains a configured item work order, which is identified by its stocking type (C), the Project Workbench program calls the Configured Item Revisions program (P3210) to complete the item configuration. Subsequently, the system creates all new work orders that are required by the configuration and adds them to the configured item task as child tasks.

You can use the processing options to set default values for tasks that you add to the WBS. For example, you can use processing options to set default values for the order type and the beginning status for new tasks. You can also specify whether the system automatically expands the project tree to display the task hierarchy.

On the Project Workbench form in Edit Tasks and Edit And Lock All Tasks modes, you can copy, move, and delete tasks. You can copy tasks from an existing project into the WBS. To move a task, you can use the cut and paste function, indent/outdent, or up arrow and down arrow.

Project Costs

A significant aspect of building a work breakdown structure for a project is to assign estimated costs to each project task so that you can calculate the total cost of the project. Obtaining accurate cost information is a prerequisite for creating a good project budget and providing a price quote to the customer. JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Engineer to Order tracks estimated, planned, budgeted, and actual costs.

To obtain planned costs for a manufacturing task, you need to attach a parts list and routing instructions to the work order by running the Order Processing program (R31410) for work orders.

Note. You can run the Order Processing program either for an individual work order task or for the entire project. You access this functionality by using the appropriate task or project actions.

See Processing Work Orders and Rate Schedules.

In the project attributes, you can specify that the system enables you to obtain the cost information for the WBS by running this process without allocating inventory to the project at this point. You can also select to override previously entered estimated costs with planned costs to get the most up-to-date cost information. This step is necessary if you select to build a quote from the information in the estimated cost, not the planned cost, columns.

To obtain cost information, you must:

• Select the appropriate option in the project attributes.

• Select the Override Estimate value in the More Task Actions field on the Project Workbench form.

You cannot enter or change actual costs on the Project Workbench. When you run the Rollup of Actual Costs to Workbench program (R31P301), the system updates actual costs from the cost data that you provide as the project progresses, such as when you enter labor costs in the Work Order Time Entry program (P311221). Budgeted cost is represented as a single Budgeted Cost column. When you accept the quote in the Project Workbench program (P31P001), the system copies the total estimated cost into this field.

The system stores all of these costs in the F4801 table, as well as the Work Order Master Tag table (F4801T) .

Resource and Task Assignments

The Project Workbench program (P31P001) enables the project manager to enter resources for tasks on the WBS. This capability enables the project manager to view the resources that are assigned to manufacturing tasks and projects. Employees, in turn, can view their assignments, as well as the start and end dates for their tasks. You can assign multiple resources to a task, if necessary, to accommodate the amount of time that is required to complete the task.

You set up resource assignment information and perform resource assignments in the Resource Assignments program (P48331) . After you assign resources there, you can review them at the task level by selecting the Resources value from the More Task Actions field on the Project Workbench form. For manufacturing work orders, you access the Resource Assignments program from the work order routing.

See Also

Assigning Resources to Tasks

Forms Used to Work with Projects and Project Tasks

Working with Project Queries

Access the Search for Projects form.

To create and save a query:

1. Define the specific information to use in a project query in the header.

2. Click the Save Query button.

3. On the Save Query form, complete the applicable fields and click Save.

To edit or delete existing queries:

1. Click the Edit Queries button.

2. On the Edit Queries form, select a query and click the Delete button to delete the selected query or the Edit button to revise an existing query.

Unlocking a Project

Access the Search for Projects form.

Note. This option should be used only for a catastrophic system failure such as a power outage or system crash. Security should be enabled at the user level so that users do not have access to this option.

To unlock a project:

1. Select a project on the Search for Projects form.

2. Select Unlock from the More Row Actions field.

3. The system unlocks the project.

Working with a Project

Access the Edit Tasks form or the Edit And Lock All Tasks form.

Note. The available options in the More Project Actions field vary by mode.

Select a value from the More Project Actions field:

You can review the regions of the Edit Tasks form in these tasks:

See Defining Task Dependencies.

See Reviewing and Creating Related Orders for a Project.

Adding and Revising Project Tasks

Access the Edit Tasks form or the Edit And Lock All Tasks form.

Use the Insert Above, Insert Below, Insert Child, and Delete buttons to add, revise, or delete tasks.

Select a task and select a value from the More Task Actions field:

Enter project task information on each of these tabs:

Basic

Select the Basic tab.

Description	Enter the name or description of the project or project task.
Item Number	Enter the item number of an item that is associated with a project task. Use this field if the task consists of a manufacturing work order.
QTY Ordered (quantity ordered)	Enter the quantity of the item. Use this field if the task consists of a manufacturing work order.
UoM (unit of measure)	Enter a value from user-defined code 00/UM that indicates the quantity in which to express an inventory item. For example, CS (case) or BX (box). Use this field if the task consists of a manufacturing work order.
Task Status	Enter a code from user-defined code 00/SS that describes the status of a work order, rate schedule, or engineering change order. Any status change from 90 through 99 triggers the system to automatically update the completion date.
Shippable	Specify whether the system generates a sales order line for a project task. Project Requirements Planning uses this value to explode project-specific requirements. The project task must be a top-level manufacturing work order. The system cannot generate sales order lines from subassembly, service, or summary work orders. Values are: Blank: Do not generate a sales order line. 1: Generate a sales order line.
Alert	Enter a code that specifies whether the system sends alerts. Alerts are messages that inform you that an exception to a business process has occurred. Alerts are directed to individuals who are designated in the address book as project managers. You can specify the severity level of an alert to meet the needs of the organization. Applications that use alerts include: Warranty Claim/Supplier Recovery Processing (P174801Z) EPM Project Workbench (P31P001) Add/Revise Project (P31P011) Outbound Work Order Revisions (P4801Z1) Warranty Claim/Supplier Recovery Processing (P4801Z2) Values are: 0: Do not send alerts. 1: Send alerts.
Branch/Plant, Assigned To, Supervisor, and Manager	Display values that are provided by the project header if you have entered the information there.

Financial Plan

Select the Financial Plan tab.

Financial Actuals

Select the Financial Actuals tab.

Scheduling Details

Select the Scheduling Details tab.

Order Details

Select the Order Details tab.

See Also

Configured Item Work Order Modification in ETO

Scheduling Project Tasks

This section provides an overview of project task scheduling, lists a prerequisite, and discusses how to:

• Define task dependencies.

• Schedule the project.

Understanding Project Task Scheduling

To manage a project successfully over a period of time, the project manager needs to be able to create a project schedule that accurately reflects the time that is required to purchase and manufacture products that are needed to complete the project. Effective time and resource management is a high priority in today's business environment. Accordingly, JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Engineer to Order enables you to:

• Schedule projects using standard project constraints, such as task dependencies, fixed tasks, and resource availability.

• Import or export to Microsoft Project.

As you add tasks to the WBS for the project, you need to indicate how much time is required to complete each task. For summary tasks, you need to enter durations manually. For work orders, the system retrieves the duration from the level lead time that is defined for the item in the Item Branch program (P41026). It calculates the start and end dates for the task by using the duration and the system's scheduling function.

You use task dependencies to specify the sequence in which the project tasks need to be performed. The types of available task dependencies enable you to schedule overlapping tasks; that is, the earlier task (predecessor) can still be incomplete when the next task (successor) starts. You can use lag time in addition to the dependencies to structure the sequence of tasks. These four types of task dependencies are available:

• Finish to Start (FS). The predecessor task must be finished before the successor task can start.

• Finish to Finish (FF). The predecessor task must be finished before the successor task can be finished.

• Start to Start (SS). The predecessor task must start before the successor task can start.

• Start to Finish (SF). The predecessor task must start before the successor task can be finished.

When defining task dependencies in JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Engineer to Order, you must observe these rules:

• You can establish dependency links between parent tasks, but not between parent and related child tasks.

• You can create a dependency between a parent task and a child task that is not related to the parent task.

• You cannot create a reverse link between tasks that are already linked. This rule helps you avoid creating a circular relationship.

You define task dependencies for subtasks that are on the same level. In this case, the planned start and end dates depend completely on the defined task dependencies.

The system enables you to modify the predecessor and successor in task dependencies, as well as enter and revise other fields relating to the task dependencies. Task dependencies are accessible in the Edit Task Dependency region of the Edit Tasks and Edit And Lock All Tasks forms in Project Workbench.

When you select a task in the project, it then appears as the successor task in the Edit Task Dependencies region. You define predecessors for the chosen task either by typing in the predecessor task number or by using a search button.

The system validates dependencies during entry to check for invalid dependencies. This functionality is similar to the functionality of MS-Project. Validation occurs when you press Tab to move out of the dependency line that you created. The system issues an error message for invalid dependencies. This table lists the dependency types that are validated:

Project Workbench enables you to define the type of tasks that pertain to scheduling. You can mark individual tasks as fixed or non-fixed to lock down an individual task. Fixed tasks have to be scheduled in the time window that is assigned and cannot be manipulated outside this boundary. Forward and backward scheduling will respect the constraints that are related to task types as well as honoring dates and duration when scheduling the project.

This table lists the task types:

Forward scheduling enables the project manager to schedule tasks from a given start date. With forward scheduling, tasks are scheduled according to their duration and dependencies so that each task begins on its earliest possible start date.

JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Requirements Planning, which generates messages that recommend work order start dates based on backward scheduling, usually agrees with dates that are created by the backward-scheduling function of the Project Workbench program. With backward scheduling, a project manager can enter an absolute date by which the project must finish and schedule backward to determine the start date on which it must begin.

For both forward and backward scheduling, the Project Workbench program uses the task dependencies that you establish for each task to suggest correct start and end dates.

You can use the options on the Edit And Lock All Tasks form for forward and backward scheduling. If you change the dates or duration of a task, the system reschedules all tasks that depend on this task.

When you designate task types and perform scheduling, rules are in place to avoid infeasible schedules. This table lists the rules:

When you move tasks within a WBS and perform scheduling, rules are in place to avoid infeasible schedules. This table lists the rules:

You can forward and backward schedule a project with fixed tasks. These rules apply to both forward and backward scheduling:

• Scheduling will include a new return status to indicate the presence of infeasible schedules.

• Scheduling will not modify both the start and end date of a fixed task that is at the lowest level and does not have any children.

• Relationships between two fixed tasks will not be honored, as the relationships has no meaning.

For forward scheduling:

• Scheduling should not modify the start date of a fixed task that has children underneath it. However, the system can manipulate the task end date to honor the requirement that the date span of the parent needs to span the combined date span of its children.

• The project start date could be affected due to the presence of fixed tasks.

When you are backward scheduling, these rules apply:

• Scheduling should not modify the end date of a fixed task that has children underneath it. However, it can manipulate the task start date to honor the requirement that the span of the parent needs to span the combined span of its children.

• The project end date could be affected due to the presence of fixed tasks.

The scheduling that is set up with respect to fixed task scheduling must be validated. You can analyze the setup by clicking the Check for Conflicts button on Edit Tasks and Edit And Lock All Tasks. If you do not analyze the setup, the system performs the analysis when you save the schedule or perform scheduling.

The system determines whether the start and end dates of each task violate any explicit or implicit dependencies with another task on which the current task depends. The system also determines whether the task violates any time span rules resulting from fixed tasks. If the system finds a violation, the violating task will be moved so that it no longer violates the dependency. However, if the system does not find any feasible direction to move without violating at least one of the dependencies, an infeasible schedule status will be returned.

You run the scheduling algorithm by clicking the Schedule button on the Edit And Lock All Tasks form. If an infeasible schedule condition is met at any time during the scheduling process, the process stops and an error message appears. When the scheduling algorithm runs, it changes dates and durations of tasks, but only in cache, not to tables. If an error is found, the dates and durations that were changed in cache are changed back to their original values and are not saved to tables. The Scheduling Error Report displays the changed dates and durations so that you can compare them against the original values to get an idea of what caused the error. This is accomplished by saving the dates and durations that were changed into the Scheduling Error Report (F31PUI01) table before changing the values in cache back to their original values. The Scheduling Error Report runs over this table and deletes the contents for the user and project when the UBE has finished. The use of the Scheduling Error Report is controlled with a processing option in the Project Workbench (P31P001) program under the Scheduling tab.

After you set up project information in the Project Workbench program (P31P001), you can export the WBS to a third-party software program, such as Microsoft Project. You can use Microsoft Project to work with task durations and dependencies. You can then import task revisions back into the Project Workbench program. If you add or delete tasks in Microsoft Project, you cannot import these changes into the Project Workbench program.

See Also

Understanding Work Order Backscheduling

Integrating ETO with Microsoft Project

Prerequisite

Before you complete the tasks in this section, ensure that the WBS includes all of the tasks that you want to schedule and that all tasks have durations assigned to them.

Forms Used to Schedule Project Tasks

Defining Task Dependencies

Access the Edit Tasks form or the Edit And Lock All Tasks form.

Navigate to the Edit Task Dependencies region of the form.

Successor Task	Enter the number of the task that you want to make dependent on the predecessor task that you entered. This number corresponds to the order number of the task.
Predecessor Task Number	Enter the number of the predecessor task. This number identifies the task on which the scheduling of the successor task is based. The relationship between the predecessor task and the successor task is defined by the dependency type.
Predecessor Description	Displays the description of the predecessor task number.
Dependency Type	Enter the dependency type to specify the sequence in which you want task to be performed. Values are: FF: Finish to Finish FS: Finish to Start SF: Start to Finish SS: Start to Start These values are stored in the Dependency Type user-defined code (UDC) (31P/DT)
Lag Time	Enter the scheduled time between dependent tasks. Depending on the lag time calculation method, the value that you enter represents an absolute amount of time of either the predecessor or the successor task.
Descriptive Text	Enter text. This is a 75-character detailed descriptive text field to be used for miscellaneous notes or text information.

You can review the Edit Tasks form and related regions of the form in these tasks:

See Working with a Project.

See Reviewing and Creating Related Orders for a Project.

Scheduling the Project

Access the Edit And Lock All Tasks form.

Note. Scheduling from the Edit And Lock All Tasks form is only at the project level.

Schedule the tasks that you entered in the WBS using the Forward Schedule and Backward Schedule buttons on the form.

To schedule tasks:

1. On Edit And Lock All Tasks, select Forward Schedule or Backward Schedule and click the Schedule button.

2. In the detail area, review the adjusted planned start and planned end dates.

   The date adjustment depends on the task dependencies that you defined, as well as the duration of each task.

Generating Quotes and Proposals

This section provides an overview of the quote and proposal generation process, lists prerequisites, and discusses how to:

• Set processing options for Project Quotes (P31P100).

• Create a quote for a project.

Understanding the Quote and Proposal Generation Process

After you create a project in the Project Workbench program (P31P001) and add task and cost information, you can use the Project Quotes program (P31P100) to develop a detailed and structured quote that you can present to the customer for approval. If the customer accepts the quote, the company can begin work on the project. If the customer requests changes, the system enables you to revise the quote information multiple times. You can also send multiple versions of the quote to the customer. For example, you can revise cost amounts or specify whether certain lines are included in the calculation. You can then resubmit the quote version to the customer until all requirements are satisfied and the customer grants the final approval to continue with the project. If the requested changes involve adding or deleting tasks from the project, you need to make these changes on the Project Workbench form and generate a new quote from the WBS.

By using the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne ETO quote generation programs, you can create a quote based on the estimated or planned costs that are associated with each task in the WBS of the project. The system enables you to import the WBS from the Project Workbench program into the quote program. The goal is to build a quote that communicates sufficient information to enable the customer to make an informed decision. Typically, the cost information in the Project Workbench program varies in its level of detail; in some cases, it contains too much detail information, and in other cases, it does not contain enough detail information for an effective quote. From the WBS, you can select the task information that you want to appear on the customer proposal. You can simplify the quote by omitting detail information that is more relevant to the actual work to be performed than to the cost estimates. Conversely, you might need to provide a detailed production cost breakdown, as well as margins that are applied to each line item. The quote program also enables you to combine individual task quote amounts into subtotals and totals, thus further enhancing the customer's ability to understand the cost of undertaking the project.

The quote process might consist of several iterations between a company and its customer. Each time that you incorporate changes into the quote, whether they are engineering-related or price-related, you create a new version of the quote to be able to track the changes to the quote. The system stores the quote versions in the Project Quote Detail table (F31P11) . Finally, you use the quote information to generate a quote document that can be transmitted to the customer. If you use e-business processes, you can use the Online Proposals program (P31P101) to communicate with the customer using the web.

When the customer accepts the quote, you also need to register this event in the Project Workbench program. By choosing Accept Quote from the More Project Actions on the Project Workbench form, you manually move the project to a Quote Accept status. After you accept the quote in the Project Workbench program, you can begin the planning phase of the project.

The system provides email communication mechanisms for information about quote status. You can set a processing option to automatically notify the manager when a quote status changes. You can also define an email distribution list for the project that would, for example, enable you to communicate with the customer about the quote.

Project Status Codes

JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Engineer to Order provides these project status codes (UDC 31P/QP) that enable you to track the progress of various quote versions:

Online Quotes and Proposals

JD Edwards EnterpriseOne ETO quote enables you to communicate and send quotes online directly to the customer, thus bypassing the step of generating paper proposals. You can send quotes that have an active status. You need to set up the customer with a level of security that enables the customer to sign on to the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne portal to access the Online Proposals program (P31P101).

When the customer calls the program, the system displays all quote records, but not all of the fields in each record. For example, the original estimates from the Project Workbench program (P31P001) are not visible. The customer can respond to the quote by either accepting or rejecting it. The system uses the workflow system to communicate the customer's response to designated individuals, such as the project manager. The system also notifies the customer that you received the customer's response. This process can be iterative, which enables you to enter all required changes until the customer is satisfied and accepts the quote. When the customer communicates quote acceptance, you advance the status of the quote to Current and move the project in the Project Workbench program to a Quote Accept status.

Prerequisites

Before you complete the tasks in this section:

• Ensure that you have completed the WBS with required tasks, estimates, and schedule information.

• Configure an email distribution list by using the Structure Revisions program (P0150) in the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Address Book system if you want to take advantage of the notification capabilities of the Project Quotes program (P31P100).

See Also

Setting Up Parent/Child Relationships

Forms Used to Create Quotes

Setting Processing Options for Project Quotes (P31P100)

These processing options control default processing for the Project Quotes program.

Display

These processing options control whether the system automatically includes quote records in the quote calculation and appearance, and whether you can override quote amounts on parent tasks.

Default

This processing option specifies the currency that the system uses as the base currency.

Process

These processing options control whom the system notifies regarding the status of a quote.

Versions

These processing options control which versions the system uses when you call these programs from the Project Quotes program.

Creating a Quote for a Project

Access the Project Quote Revisions form.

Project Info

Select the Project Info tab.

This tab displays information about the project for which you are creating a quote.

Quote Info

Select the Quote Info tab.

Quote Version	Displays a value that uniquely identifies a quote version. During quote calculation, the system creates many quote versions, but you can accept only one version.
Quote Effective From and Quote Effective Thru (quote effective through)	Enter the date range during which the quote is effective. The default value is the current system date.
Estimated Override	Enter a quote amount that is different from the original estimate and that is based on planned or estimated costs. If you enter a value in this field, the system uses this information rather than the original estimate for calculating quote amounts. An amount that the system budgets for a project phase or task. You complete this field if you want the system to use the estimated amount override.
Margin Percent	Enter the percentage by which you want the system to extend the estimate when calculating the quote amount.
Selected Calc (selected calculation)	Enter 1 to indicate that you want to include the row in the price calculation in the Quote Generation program. If you leave this field blank, the row is not included in the quote generation.
Selected Display	Enter 1 in each row for which you want the system to create a sales quote to indicate that you want the system to create a sales quote line for the row. This selection also indicates whether the system displays the row with a calculated price in the Online Proposals program (P31P101).
Quote Status	Enter a user-defined code (31P/QP) that indicates the status of a project quote.

Related Sales Quote

Select the Related Sales Quote tab.