The QOI Module is the heart of your sales workflow, managing quotes, orders, and invoices in a single unified interface. Track your sales from initial quote through final payment with powerful features for pricing, conversion, and document management.
Overview
The QOI system provides:
- Unified quote, order, and invoice management
- 9 flexible pricing methods for any sales scenario
- Seamless Quote â Order â Invoice conversion workflow
- Pre-conversion validation and warnings
- Template-based quote generation with automatic cost updates
- Multiple print options (invoice, picking slip, shipping slip)
- Email integration for customer communication
- Smart search with 31-day default window
- Quick actions menu from search results
Creating Quotes
1 Access Quote Entry
Navigate to Sales â QOI and click New Quote.
2 Select Customer
Use the customer lookup to select an existing customer, or create a Quick Sale for walk-in customers without a full customer record.
3 Add Line Items
Click â New Line Item or press Ctrl+Plus to add products. Enter product ID or type "0" to search the product catalog.
4 Choose Pricing Method
For each line item, select one of 9 pricing methods from the "How to price" dropdown (see detailed pricing methods section below).
5 Review and Save
Review totals, taxes, and delivery information. Click Save or press Ctrl+S to create the quote.
9 Pricing Methods
MeTEY offers 9 flexible pricing methods to accommodate different sales scenarios and pricing strategies. Each method provides different calculation logic based on your business needs.
| Method | Formula | Best For | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Matrix | Pricing matrix lookup | Standard pricing structures, tier-based pricing | Automatic price from customer's pricing matrix |
| 2. Unit | Qty à Length à Price/Unit | Simple per-unit pricing | 10 ft at $5/ft = $50 |
| 3. Pcs (Pieces) | Qty à Price/Piece | Items sold by count (bolts, plates, sheets) | 5 pieces at $100/piece = $500 |
| 4. Lbs (Pounds) | Weight à Price/Lb | Weight-based pricing (scrap, commodity metals) | 100 lbs at $2.50/lb = $250 |
| 5. Sqft | Square Footage à Price/Sqft | Sheet goods, plates, panels | 50 sqft at $12/sqft = $600 |
| 6. Margin % | Cost / (1 - Margin%/100) | Ensuring minimum profit margin | Cost $100, 40% margin â $166.67 |
| 7. Markup % | Cost à (1 + Markup%/100) | Cost-plus pricing strategies | Cost $100, 50% markup â $150 |
| 8. CalcLbs | (Cost/Lb à Weight) / (1 - Margin%/100) | Quick pricing with standard cost assumptions | 100 lbs, "4.5#60" â $1,125 |
| 9. Total | Fixed Price (entered value) | Custom quotes, bundled pricing, negotiated deals | Bundle for fixed $1,000 |
đĄ CalcLbs Format Explained
CalcLbs is a special pricing method that uses a margin-based calculation with a hypothetical cost per pound.
Format: "cost#margin%" (cost and margin separated by # symbol)
Example 1: "4.5#60" means $4.50/lb cost with 60% target margin
- 100 lbs weight â (4.5 Ã 100) / (1 - 0.60) = 450 / 0.40 = $1,125.00
Example 2: "8#50" means $8/lb cost with 50% target margin
- 12.88 lbs weight â (8 Ã 12.88) / (1 - 0.50) = 103.04 / 0.50 = $206.08
Important: The "cost" is for calculation purposes only - it doesn't have to match actual inventory cost. Weight must be calculated first (requires qty and length).
â Pricing Tips
- Price Precision: All prices support up to 4 decimal places (e.g., $12.3456/unit)
- Automatic Weight: Weight is calculated automatically when you enter qty and length
- Dynamic Display: Input fields change based on selected pricing method
- Real-Time Calculation: Totals update automatically as you enter quantities and prices
- Margin vs Markup: Margin % is based on selling price, Markup % is based on cost
Converting Quote â Order â Invoice
MeTEY provides a seamless workflow for converting quotes to orders and orders to invoices. The system maintains data integrity while updating status and triggering appropriate business logic.
1 Open Existing Quote or Order
Search for the QOI you want to convert and open the detail view.
2 Check for Validation Warnings
If a â ī¸ warning icon appears, review the validation messages at the top of the detail view. Address any ERROR-level issues before converting.
3 Access Convert Function
Click the â° hamburger menu and select đ Convert. Choose the target status (ORDER or INVOICE).
4 Confirm Conversion
Review the conversion summary and click Confirm. The system will:
- Update the QOI status
- Set appropriate dates (invoice date, etc.)
- Allocate inventory (for invoices)
- Create accounting entries (for invoices)
- Update customer balances (for invoices)
5 Print or Email
After conversion, the print options dialog appears automatically (except for quotes). Select document types and delivery method.
Print & Email Options
MeTEY provides flexible print and email options with multiple document types and direct printing capability.
Document Types
1. Main Document (with prices)
The full Quote, Order, or Invoice with all pricing information. Includes complete company information, customer details, line items with prices and totals, taxes, payment terms, and delivery information. Professional formatting for customer-facing documents.
Available for: All statuses
2. đĻ Picking Slip (no prices)
Warehouse document for order fulfillment. Includes product codes, descriptions, quantities, lengths, warehouse locations, checkboxes for verification, and signature fields. No pricing information.
Available for: ORDER and INVOICE only
3. đ Shipping Slip (no prices)
Document for delivery and receiving. Includes product codes, descriptions, quantities, ship-to/from addresses, delivery method, checkboxes for verification, and signature fields. No pricing information.
Available for: ORDER and INVOICE only
4. đ§ Email PDF
Generate PDF and open email client with attachment. Creates professional PDF of main document, automatically opens default email client, and attaches the PDF ready to send.
Available for: All statuses
Print Modes
Preview Mode (Default)
- Opens print preview window for each selected document
- Review before printing
- Choose printer and settings manually
- Save as PDF from browser print dialog
đ¨ī¸ Direct Print Mode
- Check "Send directly to default printer" option
- Skips print preview - prints immediately
- Uses your Windows default printer
- Prints all selected documents automatically
- Falls back to preview if no default printer configured
Usage Examples
Example 1: Email Invoice Only
- Uncheck "Main Document"
- Check "đ§ Email PDF"
- Click "Print" button
- Email client opens with PDF attached
Example 2: Print Order + Picking Slip
- Check "Order (with prices)"
- Check "đĻ Picking Slip"
- Click "Print" button
- Two preview windows open
Example 3: Quick Print Everything
- Check all document types needed
- Check "đ¨ī¸ Send directly to default printer"
- Click "Print" button
- All documents print automatically
Validation Warnings
MeTEY proactively alerts you to potential issues before converting Quotes/Orders to Invoices. Every 15 minutes, the system automatically checks all active Quotes and Orders for conversion issues.
Types of Validation Checks
| Check Type | Description | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Client Status | Client must be ACTIVE | đ ERROR |
| Credit Limit | Conversion won't exceed client's credit limit | â ī¸ WARNING |
| Inventory | Sufficient stock available, products not deleted | đ ERROR |
| Cost Changes | Product costs haven't changed >10% since creation | â ī¸ WARNING |
| Quote Expiration | Quote is still within valid period (QUOTE only) | â ī¸ WARNING |
đĄ Key Features
- Quick Sales Exception: Walk-in customers (Quick Sales) skip client-related checks
- Real-Time Validation: When you open a flagged QOI, validation runs again with current data
- Zero Performance Impact: Validation only runs for QOIs with warning flags
- Inline Display: Warnings show directly in the detail view - no extra clicks needed
â ī¸ Important Notes
- Background validation runs every 15 minutes - new QOIs may take up to 30 minutes to show flags
- Real-time validation provides the most current status when you open the detail view
- ERROR-level warnings will typically block invoice conversion
- WARNING-level issues should be reviewed but won't prevent conversion
- Cost change warnings help you decide if prices need updating before invoicing
Search & Actions Menu
Perform common operations directly from search results without opening the detail view.
Smart Search Defaults
QOI search defaults to showing results from the last 31 days for faster performance. The "From Date" automatically sets to 31 days ago when you open QOI search. You can always adjust the date range or clear the fields to search all records.
â° Actions Menu
Each row in search results has a hamburger menu (â°) in the Actions column. Click to open the menu and select an action:
- đ§ Email and Print - Send or print the document (all statuses)
- đ Generate new Quote from - Create new quote using this as template (all statuses)
- âī¸ Edit - Modify the QOI (QUOTE/ORDER only)
- đ Convert - Change status to ORDER or INVOICE (QUOTE/ORDER only)
- đī¸ Delete - Remove the QOI (QUOTE/ORDER only)
- âŠī¸ Create a Return - Generate return document (INVOICE only)
- đ° Allocate Deposit against - Apply customer deposits (all statuses)
đĄ Tips
- Only one menu can be open at a time
- Click outside the menu to close it
- Menu doesn't trigger the row click (won't open detail view)
- Actions are filtered based on status - you'll only see relevant options
- No need to open detail view to perform common operations
Generate Quote from Template
Save time by creating new quotes based on existing ones. This feature automatically updates costs and recalculates prices.
1 Open Existing QOI
Search for and open the QOI you want to use as a template (can be a quote, order, or invoice).
2 Access Template Function
Click the â° hamburger menu in the QOI detail modal, then select "Generate new Quote from".
3 Automatic Cost Updates
The system automatically:
- Fetches current average cost for each product from inventory
- Recalculates selling prices based on the original pricing method
- Maintains all line item quantities, cuts, and other details
- Clears invoice number and date (ready for new document)
4 Review and Save
The new QOI form opens with all data pre-filled. Review the updated prices, make any additional changes, and save as a new quote.
đĄ Important Notes
- The original template QOI remains unchanged (read-only source)
- Only costs and prices are updated - all other details stay the same
- Great for recurring customers or similar orders
- All pricing methods are supported (Matrix, Margin%, Markup%, CalcLbs, etc.)
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Ctrl+Plus |
Add new line item |
Ctrl+S |
Save current QOI or line item |
Ctrl+P |
Open print dialog when viewing QOI details |
ESC |
Close dialogs and modals |
Enter |
Execute print/email with selected options |
Best Practices
- Always review validation warnings before converting quotes/orders to invoices
- Use templates for recurring customers to save time and ensure consistency
- Choose the right pricing method for each line item based on your pricing strategy
- Print picking slips for warehouse staff to improve accuracy
- Print shipping slips for delivery drivers and customer receiving departments
- Use direct print mode for high-volume operations to save time
- Take advantage of the actions menu to perform common tasks without opening details
- Monitor cost change warnings to ensure profit margins remain healthy
- Set appropriate date ranges in search to improve performance with large datasets
Troubleshooting
Conversion Blocked by Validation Errors
Problem: Cannot convert quote/order to invoice due to validation errors.
Solution:
- Check customer status - must be ACTIVE
- Verify inventory availability for all products
- Confirm products have not been deleted
- Review credit limit warnings and contact customer if needed
- Update prices if product costs have changed significantly
CalcLbs Not Calculating
Problem: CalcLbs pricing method shows error or doesn't calculate.
Solution:
- Check format: must be "cost#margin%" (e.g., "8#50")
- Ensure weight has been calculated (requires qty and length)
- Verify margin is between 0-99 (not 100 or higher)
- Use numeric values only (no letters or special chars except #)
Direct Print Not Working
Problem: Direct print option falls back to preview.
Solution:
- Set a default printer in Windows Settings
- Ensure printer is connected and ready
- Check printer drivers are up to date
- Try preview mode if direct print continues to fail
Email Not Opening
Problem: Email PDF option doesn't open email client.
Solution:
- Set a default email client in Windows Settings
- Ensure email client (Outlook, Thunderbird) is installed
- Check default programs for mailto: protocol
- Manually save PDF and attach in email as workaround
Related Topics
- Customer Management - Managing customer records and contacts
- Product Management - Setting up products and pricing
- Inventory Management - Tracking stock levels and costs
- Accounts Receivable - Managing customer payments