Creating a quotation
In the quotations module you can draw up a new quotation. You first fill in the quotation details, after which you draw up the actual quotation.
Through the various tabs you can add remarks, files and tasks to the quotation record, and set up the financial planning of the quotation.
You draw up the content of the quotation under the first tab: quotation.
The "quotation" tab
The content of the quotation is drawn up in this tab. It contains an introduction, a middle and an end.
You can open up the introduction and the end and write them yourself, or you can load a standard text that you have set up in the settings. You can then edit this text with the text editor.
The middle of a calculated quotation consists of 5 (calculation) tabs: detail, parameters, direct costs, margins and overview.
A simple quotation only contains the data from the "detail" tab.
- Under the "detail" tab you add the lines of the quotation, the calculation of the quotation takes place, and the lay-out of the quotation can be adjusted. There are also a number of action buttons.
- The "parameters" tab contains the quotation parameters that can influence the calculation of several posts in the quotation.
- In the "direct costs" tab an amount can be added to the quotation. This amount is shared across the quotation lines as determined in the settings or in the line parameters.
- Under the "margins" tab you can set a commission, set the margin to pass on indirect costs, and adjust the margin on cost price per cost type.
- Finally, the "overview" tab shows an analysis of the quotation: a table with a total overview, a chart per cost type and a chart per activity. Move your mouse over the chart to see the figures and percentages.
Entering lines on the quotation
You can enter the quotation lines under the "detail" tab.
When you add a line, you can either
- load an item from your item database
- or load a post from your post database
- or note a description (if you do not have an existing item)
- or import an item from a linked webshop
The quotation line in detail
When you hover over the quotation line, a number of symbols appear:
- in front of the line a block of dots appears: drag the line with the left mouse button, or add a line with the right mouse button
- in front of the line type an arrow appears: use it to open the line and see the underlying build-up (you can also do this by clicking on the price in a calculated quotation)
- on the far right a bin appears to delete the quotation line (attention: there is no way to undo this)
Column titles of the quotation lines
The column titles are shown above the quotation lines. You can switch some of them on or off through the quotation settings or the general settings.
column titles | explanation |
|---|---|
Line | Line type: choose from various options that influence the lay-out of this quotation line |
Nr. | Line number: number your quotation lines manually or automatically (quotation setting). |
Post | Shows the number of the post (quotation setting) |
Item | Select an item or a post from the item or post library in Robaws. You can recognise a post by the square symbol. |
Description | Description that appears on the pdf. It is filled in automatically when you select an item or post, but you can adjust it here. If you do not have an item, you can fill it in freely. You can use replacement codes here to refer to parameters from this post. |
Determines the financial split of the quotation line if there are several parties. | |
Type | SOG, VH, PM, TP, etc. You can switch the column title on through the quotation settings; you will find the list of types in the general settings |
Quantity | If you select an item, the "minimum amount" from the item record is filled in here |
Unit | If you select an item, the default unit type is filled in here. Click to choose the alternative unit types set on your item. Tick show all to select a different unit type anyway. |
Price | Selling price excluding VAT. On a simple quotation you can edit the price; on a calculated quotation the underlying build-up opens when you click on the price. Black price = simple quotation, grey price = calculated quotation, yellow price = calculated quotation with a custom price |
Discount | A discount % can be granted per quotation line. This column does not appear on the quotation if no discount has been filled in on the quotation. (general setting) |
VAT | is filled in automatically and can be changed. Order in which it falls back: VAT on customer, unless VAT on item, unless VAT on template, unless manual adjustment on the quotation |
Total | quantity * price (excluding VAT) |
The item on the 'line' can be built up from composite items. You can compose these items in advance in the 'items' module. For this we are happy to refer you to the explanation about creating items, or you use posts. |
Cost type
There are 4 cost types: material, subcontracting, labor and equipment.
Under the 'cost type' column you will also see a fifth option, 'indirect costs'. These are costs that are made indirectly for this item.
- In your quotation settings you can activate the box 'indirect costs to be shared depending on the price'.
It is then possible to share this indirect cost proportionally according to the price of that line. As a result, the small prices get a smaller share in the sharing of the indirect cost. This function can also only be used on new quotations after it has been activated in the settings, in other words this function cannot be used retroactively for existing quotations.
If you do not activate this function, the cost is shared equally across all lines when you add an indirect cost.
Activity
An item can be part of an activity, for example: 'preparation'. Linking an item to an activity can be an added value for your recalculation. To add different activities, go to the general settings.
Totality
We are happy to explain the concept of 'totality' by means of an example. Suppose you have an item 'earthworks'. This item consists of 3 items: earthworks labor, concrete panel and an extra crane. The use of an extra crane costs €200/day as standard, regardless of the number of m³ of earthworks. By switching totality on, the extra crane is not multiplied by the quantity on the item line, but charged only once.
Margins
Per item line you can grant a margin, expressed in percentages, or by filling in the 'end price'.
Lay-out
How do I change the lay-out of my item lines? You can find more information about this in this article.
Calculation across all lines
Parameters
These formulas are available on all lines of the quotation and are not applied to 1 specific item. To enter a formula you work in the same way as on the line detail.
Costs
These are indirect costs that are linked to a quotation, as they cannot be linked directly to an item. This mainly concerns underlying administrative or other tasks that are carried out in the office, such as drawing up planning.
Margins
- Indirect cost margin: This allows you to add a percentage margin for indirect costs across the entire quotation, which varies for equipment, material, subcontracting and labor. This is an ideal way to pass on investments or when you hand over part of the work as a subcontractor. Adjustments are always settled automatically.
- Default margin: You can grant a default margin per kind of cost type across the whole quotation. You apply this by clicking the 'apply default margin for all lines' button.
Total and relative:
- Total:
With the 'total' button you can set the margins of all items with a particular cost type to the same margin in one go.
It is important here to remove the remaining values from the other fields, otherwise this will also affect the margins of items with other cost types.
If you only want to change the margins on 'material' to 60%, you need to enter the following:
So you effectively remove the other 0 values.
- Relative:
With the 'relative' button, all margins are increased by the value granted to a particular cost type. If you take the example above, all margins of the items with cost type 'material' would be increased by 60%.
Assigning posts on a quotation
When you receive a measurement and read it into Robaws, all line details end up on your quotation. To link the posts to the posts already created in your system, click on 'assign posts' or fill in the post number in the item number field and press enter. The posts are linked to each other by means of the post number.
Important: the information is only filled in if the post on the line is empty.
If you have loaded a measurement and use the 'assign posts' function to assign posts automatically on the basis of the post number, posts with a unit type that differs from the post unit type in the measurement are no longer overwritten automatically. If the post unit type differs, an error message is shown.
Adding posts to your quotation
If you want to add posts to your quotation, you can easily do so with the F2 key. Once you have pressed it, you get a screen with an overview of your items and your posts.
Here you can then select the items/posts that you want to add and then click on 'copy to clipboard'.
Then you go back to your quotation and can paste your items/posts into the quotation lines here.
Updated on: 04/09/2026
Thank you!