Setting up Services Estimator

Before you can use Services Estimator, you must:

  • Assign Services Estimator licenses to your users.
  • Install Foundations Spring 2023 or later.
  • Install PSA Spring 2023 or later and assign PSA licenses to your users.
  • Assign the relevant permissions to your users.
  • Add the Estimates related list to the Opportunities record page layout.
  • Set up an approval process.
  • Set configuration options.
  • [Optional] Set up Output Builder to generate documents for estimates.
  • [Optional] Customize Services Estimator Lightning components. For more information, see Services Estimator Lightning Components.
  • [Optional] Enable the Estimate Path to use estimate stages.

For information about setting up the Services Estimator – Salesforce CPQ Connector, see Setting up the Services Estimator – Salesforce CPQ Connector

Supported Environment

Fields Required Certinia Products for Certinia Help
Certinia Product Version
Foundations Summer 2025
PSA Summer 2025

Data Model

For information about the relationship between objects in Services Estimator, see Permission Sets and Other Technical Documentation.

Permissions

You can assign the permission set groups and permission sets to users for access to Services Estimator. For more information, see Permissions.

Configuring the Opportunity Record Page

To create and view estimates from the Opportunity record page, add the Estimates related list to the page layout. For more information, search for "Related Lists" in the Salesforce Help.

To create projects from the Opportunity record page, complete the following actions:

Actions on the Opportunity record page
  Action Further Information
1 In Lightning App Builder, next to the Related tab, create a custom tab named Actions on the Opportunity record page.

Creating a Project from an Estimate

Services Estimator Lightning Components

2 Add the Accordion component to the new Actions tab with a custom name of Services Estimator.
3 Add the Services Estimator Actions: Opportunities component to the new Services Estimator accordion.

Setting up Services Estimator to Generate Documents

Output Builder can be used to generate documents detailing an estimate's information. You must enable the Output Builder feature in Feature Console, which configures Output Builder by:

  • Creating a permission set enabling users to create output templates for use with Output Builder.
  • Creating an output template and related output template body records for estimates.
  • Adding the Generate Estimate button to the Estimate page layout.

For more information about enabling this feature, see Enabling and Disabling Features.

Note:

Output Builder must be installed in your org. To install it, contact your Certinia Customer Support representative.

For more information about generating a document using Output Builder, see Generating a Document from an Estimate.

Setting up an Approval Process

To set up a basic approval process on the Estimate object:

  1. From Setup, click Create | Workflow & Approvals | Approval Processes.
  2. From the Manage Approval Processes For picklist, select Estimate.
  3. Click Create New Approval Process | Use Jump Start Wizard.
  4. Enter a name for the approval process. For example, "Approve Estimates".
  5. Ensure the Add the Submit for Approval button and Approval History related list to all Estimate page layouts checkbox is selected.
  6. [Optional] Specify an entry criteria.
  7. Specify an approver.
  8. Click Save, then OK.
  9. Click View Approval Process Detail Page.
  10. In the Initial Submission Actions section, click Add New | Field Update.
  11. In the Name field, enter "Set Submitted Status".
  12. From the Field to Update picklist, select Approval Status.
  13. In the Specify New Field Value section, from the A specific value picklist, select Submitted.
  14. Click Save.

  15. Repeat steps 10-14 in the Final Approval Actions, Final Rejection Actions, and Recall Actions sections, using the following options from the A specific value picklist:

    • Final Approval Actions: select Approved.
    • Final Rejection Actions: select Rejected.
    • Recall Actions: select Draft.
  16. On the approval process, click Activate.

For more information, see "Approvals" in the Salesforce Help.

Enabling Record Locking and Unlocking in Apex

Record locking and unlocking in Apex is required to ensure all related records are locked when an estimate is approved.

To enable this:

  1. From Setup, go to Process Automation | Process Automation Settings.
  2. Select the Enable record locking and unlocking in Apex checkbox, then click Save.

Setting Configuration Options

Custom settings enable you to customize Services Estimator functionality and behavior. For more information, see Managing Custom Settings from Setup.

Configuring the PSA Rate Matcher Plugin Interface

If you intend to use a custom Rate Card Matcher Plugin to apply dated bill or cost rates to your estimates and you have upgraded to PSA Winter 2026, you must enable the Use PSA Rate Matcher Plugin Interface field on the Services Estimator Settings custom setting. This ensures compatibility with the updated PSA Rate Card API.

Warning:

You must ensure your custom plugin code is correctly written against the PSA interface (pse.RateCardMatcherPlugin.IFinalRateCardChoicePlugin) before enabling this field. The plugin is configured on the FDN Plugin Metadata record using the Services Estimator Extension Point (ffscpq.RateCardMatcherPlugin.IFinalRateCardChoicePlugin). Enabling this setting with an older plugin interface will cause your custom matching logic to fail.

Enabling the Estimate Path

If you want to view and change the stage of an estimate, you must enable paths in your org.

  1. From Setup, go to User Interface | Path Settings.
  2. Click Enable

Setting up Estimate Pricing Methods

To enable estimate pricing methods:

  1. In the App Launcher, go to the Feature Console tab.
  2. In Application, select "Services Estimator".
  3. Open the Enable Estimate Pricing Methods feature.
  4. Perform Step 1 to create default Cost Plus and Time and Materials estimate pricing methods.
  5. In the Lightning App Builder, add the Pricing Method column to the Estimate Builder on the Estimate record page.
  6. Click Save.