Plugins Overview

We provide several plugins in Services Estimator that enable you to extend and customize its functionality. These plugins provide interfaces for creating custom logic to handle various aspects of the estimation process, such as pricing calculations, rate card matching, and actions to perform after adding estimate details to opportunities or projects. This information is for users with Apex skills to enable customization of Services Estimator. It enables you to seamlessly integrate Services Estimator with your organization's unique workflows and processes.

For more information, see Permission Sets and Other Technical Documentation and the Technical Pack.

Add to Opportunity from Estimate Plugin

The Add to Opportunity plugin extends functionality beyond simply adding an estimate to an opportunity. It enables you to define automated actions that occur after the estimate is added. For example, you can update the opportunity record with key details such as a timestamp for when the estimate is added to the opportunity. Additionally, you could trigger a notification to the product management team, ensuring they stay informed and can take the next steps in the resourcing process. This streamlines the transition from estimating to resourcing, helping teams stay aligned and preventing missed opportunities.

Add to Project from Estimate Plugin

The Add to Project plugin automates actions when an estimate is added to an existing project. This is particularly useful when moving from the planning phase to the execution phase of a project. For example, you can automatically update the project budget or schedule based on the estimate, ensuring that your project stays on track and within budget. You can also trigger workflows that assign resources, generate tasks, or notify project managers about changes to the project scope.

Configurable Pricing Plugin

The Configurable Pricing plugin gives you full control over pricing calculations of the role requests in your estimates. It enables you to go beyond standard built-in pricing methods and define custom pricing models based on your business rules and pricing strategies. For example, you can apply volume discounts, fixed fees, or real-time market data to generate dynamic pricing. Additionally, it supports integration with external pricing systems, enabling real-time pricing updates and ensuring that your estimates remain accurate and up to date. All role request values are aggregated and rolled up to their parent record. The Margin (%), Net Bill Amount, and Bill Rate columns are read-only when using the plugin.

Note:

The plugin requires all necessary fields to be added as visible custom columns in the Estimate Builder. Pricing logic might not execute correctly if any required fields are missing from the column layout.

Create Project from Estimate Plugin

The Create Project from Estimate Plugin focuses on the initial setup of a project. It enables you to automate actions that occur immediately after a new project is created from an estimate. This reduces manual effort and streamlines the project initiation process. For example, you could use this plugin to automatically populate project fields with data from the original estimate, create related budget records, or automatically setting up project tasks, assigning resources based on roles and skills. This ensures a smooth transition from estimation to execution, setting projects up for success.

Rate Card Matcher Plugin

This plugin gives you precise control over how Services Estimator matches rate cards to records in your estimates. Rate cards define the cost of different roles and skills, and accurate matching is crucial for generating precise cost estimates and ensuring profitability. This plugin enables you to define custom matching rules based on various criteria, such as role, skills, experience level, location, or project type. This ensures that you're using the most appropriate rates for each project, leading to more accurate cost estimations and improved resource allocation.