Getting Started with Proposals

Modified on Wed, 1 Apr at 6:46 PM

Layout

The application is structured around a single proposal at a time. When you open or create a proposal, you will see the following layout:

Header Bar

The header bar runs across the top of the page and contains:

Breadcrumb Navigation — Shows your current location. Click Home to return to the main dashboard, or Proposals to return to the proposals list.
Proposal Number — Displays the current proposal number. When creating a new proposal, this shows "Create".
Toolbar Buttons — Action buttons for saving, undoing changes, and performing operations (see below).
Financial Summary — A summary badge showing the total cost of the proposal with breakdowns (visible to users with financial permissions).

Toolbar Buttons

The toolbar provides the following actions (availability depends on your permissions and whether the proposal has been saved):

Button	Description	When Available
Save (floppy disk icon)	Saves all pending changes on the current tab. This button appears automatically when you make changes.	When you have edit permission and unsaved changes exist.
Undo Changes (undo icon)	Reverts all unsaved changes on the current tab back to their last saved state.	Existing proposals only, when you have edit permission.
PERT (bar chart icon)	Opens the PERT Analysis view for reviewing estimated hours across disciplines.	Existing proposals only, when you have PERT viewing permission.
Convert (dropdown)	Contains options to convert the proposal to a project or integrate it as a sales order on an existing proposal.	Existing proposals only.
Request Pert Input (email icon)	Sends a request to the assigned contacts to provide their PERT estimates.	Existing proposals only.
Create (dropdown)	Contains options to copy the proposal or create a new version (supersede).	Existing proposals only, with copy permission.
Print (dropdown)	Preview or generate printable reports: Sales Order Item Format or Technical Specification.	Existing proposals only, with reporting permission.
Email (dropdown)	Email the proposal as a PDF in Sales Order Item Format.	Existing proposals only, with financial permissions.

Tab Navigation

Below the header is a row of tabs. Each tab provides access to a different section of the proposal. Tabs are only visible once the proposal has been saved for the first time. The available tabs are:

Rates — Markup percentages and chargeout rates
Details — The main proposal form with project information, dates, personnel, and settings
Description — Rich text description of the proposal
Modules — The parts and labour structure (modules and stations). The tab label reflects your organisation’s naming convention.
Labour Summary — Read-only aggregated view of all labour across the proposal
Parts Summary — Read-only aggregated view of all parts across the proposal
Sub-Contracts Summary — Read-only aggregated view of all sub-contract items
Expenses Summary — Read-only aggregated view of all expenses
Sales Order Items — Link proposal items to sales orders
Payment Terms — Define payment schedules
Recorded Labour — View actual time recorded against the proposal
Risks — Project risk register
Assumptions — Documented project assumptions
Tasks — View project tasks linked to this proposal

Right Panel — Proposal Structure Overview

On the right-hand side of the screen, there is a collapsible panel labelled Overview. This panel displays the hierarchical structure of the proposal as a tree, showing:

The proposal at the top level
Modules beneath the proposal
Stations beneath their parent modules

Each item in the tree shows its name, quantity (if greater than 1), total hours, and external cost (if you have financial permissions). Click on any item in the tree to navigate directly to that module or station.

Creating a New Proposal

From the Proposals list, click the button to add a new proposal. You will be taken to the Details tab.
Fill in the required fields (marked with "Required" placeholder text):
- Proposal Status
- Proposal Priority
- Project Type
- Title
- Customer
- Customer Contact
- Currency Code and Rate
- Enquiry Received Date
- Proposal Due Date
- Concept Type
- Est Design Hours Pre Proposal
Click the Save button in the toolbar. The proposal number will be automatically assigned.
Once saved, all other tabs become available and you can begin structuring the costing.

Saving and Unsaved Changes

Integro tracks whether you have unsaved changes on the current tab. When changes are detected:

The Save and Undo Changes buttons become visible in the toolbar.
If you attempt to navigate to a different tab with unsaved changes, a confirmation dialog will appear asking: "There are unsaved changes. Are you sure you want to leave this tab?"
Click Confirm to discard changes and navigate, or Cancel to stay on the current tab.

Important: Data grids (such as parts, labour, and sub-contracts) use batch editing. This means your changes accumulate in the grid and are only saved when you click the Save button. You can add, edit, or delete multiple rows before saving.

Permissions

Your access level determines what you can see and do within a proposal. Permissions are managed by your system administrator. Common permission levels include:

Permission	What It Controls
Edit	Ability to modify proposal data, add/edit/delete rows in grids, and change form fields.
View Financials	Ability to see cost columns, financial breakdowns, and the summary badge in the toolbar.
View Profit	Ability to see markup percentages, margins, and the profit gauge.
View Material Costs	Ability to see item prices and total prices on parts grids.
View Material Contingency	Ability to see contingency-adjusted material totals.
View Labour Costs	Ability to see internal labour rates and totals.
View Labour Contingency	Ability to see contingency hours on labour processes.
View Sub-Contractors	Ability to see sub-contractor cost columns.
Copy	Ability to copy a proposal or create a new version.
Convert to Project	Ability to convert the proposal into a live project.
View Reports	Ability to access print and email options.
View PERT	Ability to access the PERT analysis view.

If a button, column, or section is not visible to you, it is likely because your user account does not have the required permission. Contact your system administrator if you believe your permissions need to be updated.

Financial Summary Badge

If you have financial permissions, the toolbar displays a summary badge showing the total proposal cost. The badge shows:

Total Cost — The full customer-facing price including all markups and contingencies.
Internal Cost (orange) — The internal cost with markup but without contingency, plus the margin percentage.
Base Cost (green) — The base internal cost without markup or contingency, plus the margin percentage.

Click the badge to expand a detailed financial breakdown showing the cost composition across four categories: Materials, Labour, Sub-Contracts, and Expenses. Each category shows its proportional percentage of the total cost.

Toast Notifications

The application displays brief notifications (called "toasts") in response to actions:

Success (green) — Operation completed successfully.
Info (blue) — Informational message.
Warning (yellow) — Something may require attention.
Error (red) — An error occurred. Review the message and try again.