Select/Edit Alternates window
Defining alternates on an estimate basis enables you to prepare estimates that vary according to your customers' preferences for materials, quality, and price, which can give you an advantage during a competitive bid process.
You use the Edit Alternates window to define the alternates that you want to propose to a customer.
To open the Edit Alternates window, on the Sage Estimating (SQL) ribbon, click the tab > .
Tip: To display a Search box for the
Included status type
When defining an alternate item, you assign a status that determines whether the alternate is included in the estimate, or not. (As you negotiate the details of a contract or job, you change the status of the alternate items. You use the Edit Alternate Statuses window to define the statuses you need, depending on your workflow.)
After defining the alternate items you want to use in an estimate, you can assign them as alternatives to the standard items directly in the estimate spreadsheet.
Note: When you select alternates from the spreadsheet, the window is titled Select Alternates.
Items in this window
| Button | Notes |
|---|---|
| [Add] | Click to start a new alternate item line in the grid. |
| [Remove] | Click to remove a selected alternate item. |
| [Export] |
Click to export an alternates list to Microsoft Excel. You can use the Excel program to add or edit the items in the list, and then import the alternates file back into the Edit Alternates window. Note: All item lines must be valid before you can export the alternates list to Excel. For example, you cannot add a blank line to the grid and then export the alternates to a file. |
|
[Import] |
Click to import an alternates list that you exported previously to Microsoft Excel. Note: The file format must be valid before you can import the alternates list into the Edit Alternates window. For example, you need to use the same columns as the exported alternates, any rows that you added in Excel must be complete, and each alternate name must not exceed 50 alphanumeric characters. |
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| Name |
Type a name in this field to identify the alternate. You can use up to 50 alphanumeric characters for the name. Important! You select alternates by name in the estimate. Therefore, you should name the alternates in a way that you can easily recognize, later. |
| Description | Enter a description for the alternate item. |
| Status |
Select an initial status for the alternate item. You can change this status later, after negotiation with your customer. Normally, you choose a status that includes the alternate in the estimate totals when your customer has accepted the alternate item as part of the estimate. |
| Unit | Select the unit of measure that is typically used for this type of item. This unit will appear in the spreadsheet overline for the alternate item. |
| Notes | Use this field to enter any descriptive notes that you want to keep about this status, how your company uses the status, and so on. |