User Guide
Copyright © 2014 Electrika Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Electrika Ltd, P.O Box 129, Manchester M22 4XGTel: 0161 945 5124 Fax: 0161 945 3681
E-mail: [email protected]: www.electrika.com
Contents List
Tools
IntroCover
Welcome To Electrika
Running From A Network
Transferring To Another PC
Using External Discount Files
Set External Discounts Using Headings
Set External Discounts Using Groups
Making Backups
Quote Repair
General Options
CataloguesBrowsing A Catalogue
Selecting A Manufacturer
Exporting Electrika data to PDF, Excel, CSV, Text
Active Catalogue Number Search Catalogue Number & Description Search Viewing UK Wholesalers Pick List
Adding To The Local Database Wholesaler Discount Setup
Using External Discount Files
Setting Up Install Times
Local DatabaseLocal Database
Creating, Importing & Exporting
Create KitsCreate Kits
Site Details Database
Setting Your Rates
Creating Sections & Specials
Cut, Copy & Paste
Quotation Sections List
QuotingCreating, Saving, Opening
Exporting Quotation Data
Quotation Manager
Entering Project Details
Creating Your Own Customer List
Inserting Past Quotes
Costing
Analysis
Printing - Sell Summary
Printing - Design Header & Footer
Printing - Design Cover Page
Printing - Cost Summary
Printing - Costing
Printing - Setup
OrderingEntering Ordering Details
Creating An Order
Job CostingJob Costing
Inserting A Quote Into An Order
Order Print Options
Printing - Header & Footer
Printing - Cover Page
Insert Excel
Insert parts from Excel
Buttons instead of menus!
We have made Electrika as intuitive and easy to use as possible by providing a Tab structure that allows you to quickly switch between any part of the program.
This design also gives you full visibility of all the features via the buttons - nothing is hidden away.
Welcome!
The Electrika software contains what all users of electrical and mechanical products have always wanted!
Powerful but easy to use estimating, ordering and job costing software... computerised catalogues from leading manufactures... and all for FREE courtesy of the manufactures.
To improve this service even more we need your active involvement. Please tell us what new features or improvements you would like to see in the software and which other manufacture catalogues you would like to see on the service.
The Benefits Of Using Electrika
Standardised Quotation ProceduresAll you staff will produce high quality quotations, and new staff can quickly
familiarise themselves with a standard approach to estimating
Fast access to past contractsIf a new contract is similar to an old one,
then the old one can be recalled from disk and modified to produce a new
quotation very quickly
Easy access to pricing and catalogue information for 1000’s of products
Using Electrika’s computerised catalogues from leading manufactures
More accurate quotationsBy using pre-defined labour rates, and the pricing information contained in the databases, every quotation accurately
specifies material and labour costs.
Collection of important contract dataClarifying all information with the client early on in the contract cycle reduces
misunderstandings and verifies contractual obligations
Experimentation with different configurationsElectrika allows you to experiment with materials from different manufactures or to use different
labour rates, overheads and profit margins and immediately see the effect on price.
Faster quotationsInformation about all the material is
stored in Electrika’s databases, and the computer does all the calculations, so
quotations are produced in a much faster
Running From A NetworkA. Setup Electrika on the Server
1. Run the Setup program on the server PC.
2. In the first box titled 'Default folder for all your local files' click the 'Browse' button to select the location of the Electrika folder to be a shareable area on the Server e.g. 'Shared Documents' folder. A folder called 'Electrika' will be created for all your settings and Local Database
3. In the second box titled 'Default folder for all your Read-Only files' click the 'Browse' button to select the location of the ElectrikaCD folder to be a shareable area on the Server e.g. 'Shared Documents' folder. A folder called 'ElectrikaCD' will be created for all the content that is updated e.g. PDF files and product images
4. Click 'Yes' if you accept the terms of the Licence Agreement. Click the 'Run Install Program' button to complete the setup. An Electrika Icon will be created on the desktop.
There are two ways of running Electrika on a network. Choose one of the methods below.
Method 1 - If you want users to share everythingUsers share Manufacturers Database, Local Database, customer list, labour rates, discounts & install times
B. Setup Electrika on each of the client PCs
1. Run Windows Explorer and find the Server PC on the network. On the Server PC open the ElectrikaCD folder you created in Step A3. Click on the Setup folder under the ElectrikaCD folder. Inside the Setup folder double-click the Setup file to run the Setup program.
2. On the Setup screen click the 'Browse' button in Step 1. Select 'Network Neighbourhood' or 'My Network Places' and locate the Server PC. Select the location of the Electrika folder on the server that you chose in Step A2. (Please note: select the location of the Electrika folder, not the Electrika folder itself e.g. if the Electrika folder is located at 'Shared Documents\Electrika' you need to select 'Shared Documents' and the 'Electrika' part will be added for you).
3. Click 'Yes' if you accept the terms of the Licence Agreement. Click the 'Run Install Program' button to complete the setup. An Electrika Icon will be created on the desktop.
Method 2 - If you want users to share only the Manufacturers DatabaseEach user has their own Local Database, customer list, labour rates, discounts & install times. Quotes, Orders and Kits can be shared by using the same folders.
B. Setup Electrika on each of the client PCs
1. Run Windows Explorer and open the ElectrikaCD folder you created on the network Server in Step A3. Click on the Setup folder under the ElectrikaCD folder. Inside the Setup folder double-click the Setup file to run the Setup program.
2. The default location for the local Electrika folder is set to My Documents. If you want to use the default location move on to Step 3. If you want to choose a different location click 'Browse' and select a local location for the Electrika folder. (Please note: select the location of the Electrika folder, not the Electrika folder itself e.g. if you want the Electrika folder to be located in 'My Documents' you need to select 'My Documents' and the 'Electrika' part will be added for you).
3. Click 'Yes' if you accept the terms of the Licence Agreement. Click the 'Run Install Program' button to complete the setup. An Electrika Icon will be created on the desktop.
Transferring Your Files To Another PC
Transferring Your Files To Another PC & Making Backups
To Backup or Transfer your Quotes, Kits, Local Databases and Job Costing files
To Backup or Transfer your Customer List, Supplier Discounts & Install Times, Suppliers List and Default LabourRates and Markups
These can be backed up by backing up the folders shown below. To transfer them to another PC just copy the filesfrom your current PC to the same folder on the destination PC.
By default your Quotes, Kits, Local Databases and Job Costing files are found in the following folders:
My Documents\Electrika\QuotesMy Documents\Electrika\KitsMy Documents\Electrika\Local DatabasesMy Documents\Electrika\Job Costing
Electrika will automatically select the last folder you used for Quotes and Kits, thereby allowing you to choose yourown default folders for these files, which may not correspond with the above.
Use the Backup options available in Electrika to create compressed WinZip backups of your data.
To view Backup options:1. Click the Tools tab at the top2. Click the Backups Tab
Every backup you create has the date and time added to the file name.
Use the Restore button to bring back any of the backups.
To transfer your data from one PC to another:1. Create backups on the master PC and save them to a removable USB drive.2. Put the USB drive in the destination PC3. On the destination PC click the Restore button and locate the backups on the USB drive.
And Making Backups
A great way for Wholesalers to easily set discounts for all their customers!
A great way for Electrical Contractors to have their discounts set up for them by their wholesalers!
Wholesalers can set the discounts they get from manufacturers and view net buy prices and markups. They canalso set the discounts give to customers andthey e-mail the discounts file to a customer.
Using External Discount Files
Why use External Discount Files?
This feature will save a great deal of time for both Wholesalers and Electrical Contractors!
A Wholesaler can quickly set up discounts for a customer and e-mail them a Discounts File. An ElectricalContractor can open this file under the Catalogues tab and instantly use the discounts in their quotations,orders and jobs.
Using Discount Files In 4 Easy Steps
The Wholesaler must run Electrika and click the tab, then the tab. You can then choosewhether to setup the Discounts using the Main and Sub Index headings or to use discount groupsprovided by the manufacturers by clicking the appropriate button.
The Discounts Setup screen gives the Wholesaler the ability to quickly set discounts for all the products inthe Electrika database and save a unique file for every customer.
To e-mail the Discounts File the Wholesaler must click the attachment button from their e-mail (usuallypaper-clip icon) and browse to the or folderto locate and attach a discounts file.
The folder is usually either under or under .
When the customer receives the discounts file as an e-mail attachment it should be copied into the folderif it is a .dis file or .dgr file.
The customer selects the tab and ticks the box for . The buttons next tothe tick box can then be used to select and open one of the new discounts files.
In this way customers can quickly swap between their own discounts setup (by un-ticking thebox) or any number of external discount files.
Tools Discounts
Electrika\Discount Files Electrika\Discount Files Groups
Electrika My Documents Program Files
Electrika\Discount Files Electrika\Discount Files Groups if it is a
Catalogues Use Ext Disc Open
Use ExtDisc
Step 1 The Wholesaler sets the discounts
Step 2 Wholesaler e-mails file to Customer
Step 3 Customer gets Discounts File
Step 4 Customer ticks Use Ext Disc option
To display the Discounts Setup Screen:
Click the tab, then the tab and thebutton.
Tools Discounts SetupDiscounts Using Main & Sub Index Headings
Setting Up External Discounts Using Main & Sub Index Headings
Please note:When you save the discounts to a file only your SellDiscounts are saved. Your Buy discounts are neversaved in the external discount files. They are only
saved on your PC and only you can see them.
Step 1Browse the Electrika databaseto find the items you would like
to assign discounts to.You can select a Manufacturer,Main Index and Sub Index, orsearch for a catalogue number
Step 4
Save
Repeat steps 1-3 until you haveassigned discounts for all the
manufacturers products. Click thebutton to save the discount
structure under a particular file name.You can then e-mail the discounts file
to a customer.
Step 2Select which group of
items to apply thediscounts. You can apply
the discounts to wholegroups of items at a timeor to individual catalogue
numbers.
Step 3
Note:
Decide if you want to apply a Buy or Sell Discount,type in the discount and click an Apply button.
Discounts are assigned by Catalogue Number,so all items with the same Catalogue Number will
have the same discount, even if they are in adifferent group to that selected in Step 2.
To display the Discounts Setup Screen:
Click the tab, then the tab and thebutton.
Tools Discounts SetupDiscounts Using Manufacturer Discount Groups
Setting Up External Discounts Using Manufacturer Discount Groups
Please note:When you save the discounts to a file only your SellDiscounts are saved. Your Buy discounts are neversaved in the external discount files. They are only
saved on your PC and only you can see them.
Step 3
Save
Repeat steps 1-2 until you haveassigned discounts for all the
manufacturers products. Click thebutton to save the discount
structure under a particular file name.You can then e-mail the discounts file
to a customer.
Step 1Select a Manufacturer you
would like to setup thediscounts for.
Step 2Type in the Buy or Sell
discount for eachgroup of items.
Making Backups
You can make backupsof your data by selectingone of the options and
clicking Backup.
You can also restore
clicking Restore.
your data by selectingone of the options and
Quote Repair
If you have a problem with a quotation file click the QuoteRepair tab to view the procedures for fixing the errors.
General Options
Click here if you are runningElectrika on a Tablet and
need to hide the Toolbars forextra screen area.
Selecting a manufacturer
Manufacturer Catalogue layoutTrade1 Qty2 Trade2
Qty2 Qty3 Trade3 Qty3.
Unit Hrs StatusD
Click on the manufacturer name or the button next to it to view the manufacturer selection window.
Where applicable up to three Trade prices may be shown. is for quantities less than , forquantities between and , and for quantities greater than For items without a split-packprice only one Trade price is shown.
The column shows a default install time for each item (not always provided), and the columnshows a for discontinued items, which are displayed in purple.
See below for a full description of all the buttons available
Browsing A Catalogue
View the manufacturerselection window
View the Main & SubIndex headings of themanufacturer currently
selected
View the PDF documentsavailable for the current
manufacturer
Search the database fora catalogue number or
description
Switch betweenshowing the data only or
data and productimages / PDF links.
View the currentmanufacturer’s contact
details
Displays a searchablelist of all UK wholesalers
View products in 3D
Add the highlighted itemto the active Quote,Order, Kit or Local
Database
Allow you to set install times for anygroup of items
Print the manufacturer data currentlyshown. You can select a range of
pages to print by clicking the PrinterSetup button on the Preview(spanner on printer symbol)
Allow you to set supplier discounts for any groupof items
If the box is ticked you can use the drop down buttonto select an External Discounts File that has been
created for you by a Wholesaler. (Seefor more information about
this feature)If the box is un-ticked your own discounts setup is
used.
UsingExternal Discount Files
Export the manufacturer data intoPDF/ Excel / CSV / Text format
All the text information will be printedon a single page, together with theitem description, info line product
image.
Selecting A Manufacturer
As you click on a manufacturer's button the Main Index headings for their catalogueappear on the right hand side. You can select a manufacturer by double clicking on amanufacturer's button, or by double clicking on a Main Index heading.
The manufacturers contact details and web site link appear under the Main Headings.Clicking on the web site link will automatically launch your web browser.
The manufacturers contactdetails and web link appearhere. Click the web link tolaunch your web browser.
Scroll down for postal address
You can select amanufacturer by double
clicking on a manufacturer'sbutton, or by double clicking
on a Main Index heading
As you click on amanufacturer's button theMain Index headings for
their catalogue appear here
Click a tab to choose betweenelectrical manufactures orPrice Update. Click “More
Manufactures” to request anew manufacturer
Select an export format.
Available options are:
PDF, SYLK(Excel), CSV or Text
Click the Export button
Select where to save the file.
The default location for exported
files is ‘\Electrika\Exported Files’
After the file is exported you
are asked if you would like to
open the file. This will launch
the default program for each
file type e.g. Acrobat Reader
for PDF, Excel for SYLK
Important Note About The Excel Export
To export to Excel you must export the file
as SYLK format. These files end with .SLK
and can be opened by Excel. After opening
the file in Excel click ‘Save’ and select ‘No’
when prompted ‘do you wish to retain the
original file format’. The file will then be
saved as standard Excel format (.XLS).
2
1
3
T
Exporting Electrika data to PDF, Excel, CSV, Text
Active CatalogueNumber Search
As you start typing acatalogue number in theentry box Electrika starts
to search all themanufacturers' data anddisplays the item with the
nearest match
Click here to locate an item in theManufacturers Catalogue, where
a picture and further technicaldetails may be available
Choose to add the selected itemdirectly into your Quote, Order or
Kit by clicking here. Doubleclicking on the highlighted itemwill insert it into the section thathas been highlighted in yellow.
Key Word Search
Type in parts of a description or a catalogue number.These will be searched for in the Cat Number, Description,
Main Index and Sub Index.
Use an abbreviated form to get the most matchese.g. CONS will find more matches than CONSUMER UNIT
Click here to locate an item in theManufacturers Catalogue, where apicture and further technical details
may be available
Click here to locate aSub Heading in the
Manufacturers Catalogue
Click here to locate aMain Heading in the
Manufacturers Catalogue
Choose to add the selected itemdirectly into your Quote, Orderor Kit by clicking here. Doubleclicking on the highlighted itemwill insert it into the section thathas been highlighted in yellow.
Catalogue Number &Description Search
Viewing UKWholesalers Pick List
Type your postcode hereto find your nearest
distributor
The details of a distributorcan be copied across to
your own byclicking here
Suppliers List
Click here to view yoursuppliers list.
As each distributor in thelist is highlighted, their fulldetails are displayed here
Adding an item to thelocal database
You can add an item directly in to your local database from the catalogues tab.Click on the + Loc button, then select the Main/Sub index you wish to add it too.
You can either insert the item into your local database with the Main & Sub index from themanufacturers entry, or alternativley you can pick a section from one already created.
Setting Up WholesalerDiscounts
Highlight an item under the Catalogues tab for which you wish to set up discounts and click the % button todisplay the discounts setup window.
The supplier discounts are linked to the . Please note items with the same CatNumber will get the same discount even if they are not in the selected groups.
The right window displays all your suppliers and their details, such as contact name, address, telephone, faxetc. Some examples have been entered which you can customise. This list is in alphabetical order accordingto . As you move to the right the screen scrolls to show more information. New suppliers areautomatically moved to their correct alphabetical position according to abbreviation.
Manufacturer & Cat Number
Abbrev
Step 2Assign a discount to
each of the suppliers inthe discount list. Double-click on one or click theSet As Default Discountbutton to set it as default
(shown in red)
Step 3Choose how you wish toapply the discounts by
selecting one of theoptions Step 4
Click the Apply button
When you exit this window move to otherMain and Sub Index sections of the
catalogue and click the % button to set upthe discounts in other sections
Click here to adda new supplier
Step 1Choose a supplier from your
suppliers list to copy to discounts list
This is your list of Wholsalers(suppliers). Examples are initially
provided and you should delete / add /edit the list so it contains all your
suppliers details, such as contact name,address, telephone, fax etc. All columns
A great way for Wholesalers to easily set discounts for all their customers!
A great way for Electrical Contractors to have their discounts set up for them by their wholesalers!
Wholesalers can set the discounts they get from manufacturers and view net buy prices and markups. They can alsoset the discounts give to customers andthey e-mail the discounts file to a customer.
Using External Discount Files
Why use External Discount Files?
This feature will save a great deal of time for both Wholesalers and Electrical Contractors!
A Wholesaler can quickly set up discounts for a customer and e-mail them a Discounts File. An ElectricalContractor can open this file under the Catalogues tab and instantly use the discounts in their quotations, ordersand jobs.
Using Discount Files In 4 Easy Steps
The Wholesaler must run Electrika and click the tab, then the tab and thebutton.
The Discounts Setup screen gives the Wholesaler the ability to quickly set discounts for all theproducts in the Electrika database and save a unique file for every customer.
To e-mail the Discounts File the Wholesaler must click the attachment button from their e-mail(usually paper-clip icon) and browse to the folder to locate and attach thediscounts file.
The folder is usually either under or under .
When the customer receives the discounts file as an e-mail attachment it should be copied into thefolder:
The customer selects the tab and ticks the box for . The drop-down listnext to the tick box can then be used to select and open the new discounts file.
In this way customers can quickly swap between their own discounts setup (by un-ticking thebox) or any number of external discount files.
Tools DiscountsDiscounts Setup for Wholesalers
Electrika\Discount Files
Electrika My Documents Program Files
Electrika\Discount Files
Catalogues Use Ext Disc
UseExt Disc
Step 1 The Wholesaler sets the discounts
Step 2 Wholesaler e-mails file to Customer
Step 3 Customer gets Discounts File
Step 4 Customer ticks Use Ext Disc option
Setting Up Install Times
For some items you may wish to enter a whole set of install options to show the different install times forthe different conditions in which the item is being installed e.g. on brick, wood, plaster etc. Electrika allowsyou to enter up to 5 of your own install times for every item.
Using the arrow keys highlight the item for which you wish to set up install options and click on thebutton. The first two entries are reserved and cannot be edited.
Clock
Step 4Repeat steps1-3 for rows 2-5 to create the
other installoptions.
Step 5Choose how you wish
to apply the Install Timeby selecting one of theoptions and then click
the Apply button
When you click hereyour set-up will be
stored and the defaulttime will appear nexttime you use the item
Step 1Type in a heading orchoose one from the
drop down list.
Step 3
MinutesHours
Position the highlightunder the or
column and enterthe time it takes to install
each unit of the item.
Step 2Type in a heading orchoose one from the
drop down list.
To select items one at a time hold down the Control key and click anitem
To select a group of items select one first, then hold down the shift keyand click another
To select all items click the top left hand corner of the grid
To unselect all items click anywhere on the grid without pressingControl or Shift
Summary Of Keys For Selecting Items
Creating Your OwnLocal Database
The Local Database is very useful for adding yourspecials and other items that may not be available inthe Manufacturer catalogues provided on the DVD.The data is stored locally on your hard disk and is notaffected when an updated DVD is issued.
Use the and buttons to movean item within the Local Database.
You can find your way around the Local Database byclicking on the
Click on the and click on the Main orSub Index heading you wish to change and type over.
Click on the button, type in the CatalogueNumber you wish to search for and click
Supplier discounts are assigned by clicking on theDiscounts button in the same way as they are in theManufacturers Catalogues, according to .
Installation times are assigned by clicking on the UnitHrs button, in the same way as they are in theManufacturers Catalogues.
- See next page for full guide.
Re-positioning items in the Local DatabaseUp Arrow Down Arrow
Browsing the Local Database Index
Index Button.
Changing Main and Sub Index headingsIndex Button
Catalogue Number SearchBinoculars
OK
Setting up Supplier Discounts
%Cat Number
Setting up Installation times
Import data from Excel
Adding new parts and Main & Sub Index sections
To add a new item you can either click the +Blank button to add to an existingsection or click the Index button and create a new main and sub index.To add a new main index click the Insert Main Index button, a new main & subindex will appear in the highlighted location. The headings can be typed overand re-positioned anywhere in the column by using the Up & Down Arrowkeys. To delete a heading click the Delete button.
To delete the marked itemsclick here. If no items aremarked the highlighted
item will be deleted
Click here to copy themarked items
To make an exact copy ofan existing item click here.
To cut the marked itemsclick here. You can insertinto the current sectionor into another section
To export your localdatabase select an exportformat here and click the
Export button.
To paste the itemswhich have been either
cut or copied from asection click here
Click here to rebuild the Index & Headingstructure of the Local Database.
Click here to into your LocalDatabase. Put the column headings on the first row and
arrange the columns in the order: Manufacturer, CatNumber, Description, Unit, Trade Price.
import an Excel file
To insert a blank item intoyour database click here.
Creating your Local Database,Importing & Exporting
Click here to open anexisting
which will display thestandard Open Dialogue
window
Local Database
Click here tosave the currentLocal Database
Click here to save thecurrentwith a different name
Local Database
To print the activeclick here
LocalDatabase
To export your LocalDatabase select an exportformat here and click the
Export button.
Important Note About The Excel Export
To export to Excel you must export the fileas SYLK format. These files end with .SLKand can be opened by Excel. After openingthe file in Excel click ‘Save’ and select ‘No’when prompted ‘do you wish to retain theoriginal file format’. The file will then besaved as standard Excel format (.XLS).
2
1 3Prepare your Excel file ready to import
must
Make sure the first line contains the column headings.
The columns be arranged in the following order:
Manuf, Cat Number, Description, Unit and Trade Price.
Importing Excel data into Electrika
Run Electrika and click the ‘Local Data’ tab at the
top & click the ‘Import Excel’ button
Copy your Excel file into your ‘My Documents’ folder
4Highlight your file. You
should see a preview in
the lower window. Check
that each column is
displayed in the correct
place. If the layout is OK
click the ‘Import all items’
button.
Click here to create a newblank Local Database
Creating a new KitTo create a new blank Kit click on the button. You can add items from a to a Kit in exactly the same wayas you would build up a quotation section. You can even save a quotation section as a Kit - see
for more information.
New CatalogueDividing A Quotation
Into Sections
A Kit consists of items that you wish to group together, and can even consist of a complete project which represents atypical installation. There is no limit to the number of Kits you can create or the number of items you can add to a Kit.
The , and of each item is stored in the Kit. When you come to putting theKit into a quotation section each item is located from the and the relevant price, install time and supplierdiscount are searched for and assigned. The latest price, discount and install time are therefore used regardless ofwhen the Kit was created
Catalogue Number Description QuantityCatalogues
Creating Kits
To create a new blankKit click here
To open an old Kitclick here
To save the currentKit with a differentname click here
To save the current kitclick here
To locate thehighlighted item within
the manufacture’scatalogue click here
To print the currentKit click here
If you know the Catalogue Numberof an item you can create a new
blank entry at the end of the list andtype the catalogue number in hereand it will automatically be found
Click here to display theCatalogue Number
Search window
To add an item from acatalogue click here.
Creating, Saving, Opening & Printing Quotes
The buttons of the Main Toolbar at the top of the screen are described below.
To print the active quoteor to export as a PDF
File click here
Click here to open anexisting Quotation whichwill display the standardOpen Dialogue window
Click here to save thecurrent Quotation
Click here to save thecurrent Quotation with a
different name
Click here to create anew blank Quotation
Click here to view yourquotes in the Quotation
Manager
Exporting Quotation Data
To export a quotation: click the Quoting tab, open a quote file and click the Analysis tab. Youwill see the Export buttons on the right hand side of the toolbar.
Select an export format.Available options are:HTML, SYLK(Excel), CSV or Text
Click the Export button
Select where to save the file.The default location for exportedfiles is ‘\Electrika\Exported Files’
After the file is exported youare asked if you would like toopen the file. This will launchthe default program for eachfile type e.g. Internet Explorerfor HTML, Excel for SYLK
Important Note About The Excel Export
To export to Excel you must export the fileas SYLK format. These files end with .SLKand can be opened by Excel. After openingthe file in Excel click ‘Save’ and select ‘No’when prompted ‘do you wish to retain theoriginal file format’. The file will then besaved as standard Excel format (.XLS).
21
3
Quotation Manager
The Quotation Manager tab displays details of all the quotesin the quotes folder and lets you sort them by Date,Estimator, Customer etc.
You can preview the differentsections from a quote before youopen it by selecting from the tabs
above.
Click here to reset the quotes folder tothe Electrika default folder
You can sort the columnalphabetically by clicking the
title at the top
To delete a quote(send it to the recycle
bin) click here
To change the location of thequotes folder click here
To open the highlighted quote click hereor double-click one of the files
To view a preview of thehighlighted quote click the
preview button here
Click here to Export all the datain the Quote Manager
This is usually the first step in every quotation. Fill in general project and client details. Use the text box at thebottom of the screen to write useful notes. A built-in database is included for storing all your customers details.
Entering Project Details
Click here to add thedetails shown to theCustomer Database
The notes box can be used toenter any details about the
project. As you enter more textthe notes window scrolls to allowyou to type in more information
Click here to accessyour Sites List
Click here to create/viewthe list of customers the
quote will be sent to.
The andare entered for
you and cannot beedited
£ Tender DateCreated
Click here to access theCustomer List
Clicking on the arrows ofthe and
entries a usefulcalendar will pop up from
which you can select a date
Date ReceivedDate Due
The has achoice of options
which can be selectedby clicking here
Status
Creating Your OwnCustomer Database
You can add all your customer to the built-in database,allowing you to instantly enter their details into a quote.
The notes box can beused to enter any detailsabout your customer. Asyou enter more text thenotes window scrolls to
allow you to type inmore information
The andare shown here
Customer NameContact
To search through your customerlist type the company name here
You can deletea customer byclicking here
You can add anew entry byclicking here
To build up a multiplelist of customers to
click here.send your Quote to
Click here to repairthe list if it seems
to be corrupt
To import or export acustomer list from
Excel click here. Thiswill take you to the
screen shown below
Click here to choose theExcel file to import from
To import all the contactsfrom the selected
customer list click here
Click here to import onlythe highlighted contacts
from the selectedcustomer list
Creating Your OwnSite Details Database
You can add all your Site details to the built-in database, allowingyou to instantly enter their details into a quote.
To import all the sitesfrom the selected site list
click here
Click here to import onlythe highlighted sites from
the selected site list
Click here to choose theExcel file to import from
You can deletea site by
clicking here
You can add anew entry byclicking here
To copy theselected site to your
quote click here.
The notes box can beused to enter any details
about your site list. Asyou enter more text thenotes window scrolls to
allow you to type inmore information
The andare shown here
Site NameContact
To search through your site listtype the site name here
Click here to repairthe list if it seems
to be corrupt
To import or export a sitelist from Excel click here.This will take you to the
screen shown below
You can define up to 26 labour rates labelled A to Z. Each labour rate can have a description under thecolumn, and you can specify the rate under the column.
When you initially run Electrika you will see that the first labour rates A to F have been defined for you asexamples. You can change a labour rate at any time during a quotation and Electrika will automatically updateall items with the new rate and re-do all calculations.
When you define the labour rates that you use most often click the button to save them asElectrika defaults. If you change the labour rates but do not save them as Electrika defaults they will only beused for that quotation.
Note: the is allocated evenly across all the items in the column inunder . Any change to this value therefore affects the and
values of all the items in the quotation.
LabourType £/Hour
Save As Default
Main Contractors Discount Oth£/UnitAnalysis Schedule of Rates Unit Sell Total Sell
Setting YourRates
You can define up to 26labour rates labelled A to
Z You can specify the rateunder the column£/Hour
Theis defined as a
percentage of theprice, which
is automatically re-calculated
Main ContractorsDiscount
Tender Sell
You can decide whetherto display quantities as
whole numbers or to twodecimal places
When you define thesettings that you use
most often click here tosave them as Electrika
defaults
Adding SpecialsCreating Sections &
Insert items or sectionsfrom a previous quote
used for quantities less than, for quantities
between and , andfor quantities greater than
If you selectthen the lowest price will be usedout of , and
regardless of quantity
Qty2 Trade2Qty2 Qty3
Trade3Qty3. Lowest Price
Trade1 Trade2Trade3
If you select
then will be
PriceBased On Quantity
Trade1
To add a Special item with yourown description and price click here
The order of items in the quotationsection can be changed by clickingon the Up and Down arrow buttons
Click here to add the highlighteditem to your local database
You can copy a supplier discount%or supplier name to all items in aquotation section by clicking the
Copy% button
Click either the sectionname or down arrow todisplay the
windowQuotat on
Sectionsi
Click the buttonto display a list of all Kit
files
Insert Kit
To pick items from themanufacturer catalogue
click here
To pick items from yourlocal database click here
Click here to display the
windowCatalogue Number
Search
To locate the highlighteditem within the
manufacture’s catalogueclick here
Click here to check tradeprices against the latestmanufacturers & local
database.Items not found and not
updated are shown with agrey background.
Dividing a quote into sections
Quotation Sections
Typing in the catalogue number of an item directly
Other ways to add items to a quotation
A quotation is normally divided into sections (Main Distribution, Lighting, Heating, Testing etc). The name of the active quotationsection is displayed on the top left corner. When you start a new quotation a blank section is created for your called ‘UntitledQuotation Section’. Click either on the quotation name or on the down arrow next to it to display the window(see next page for details) where you can add more sections or change the name of a section.
From the Catalogues tab by double-clicking on an item or clicking the +Q buttonFrom the Catalogue Number Search window (displayed by clicking the binoculars button)From KitsFrom other Quotations by clicking the Insert Quo button
If you know the Catalogue Number of an item you can type it in and Electrika will automatically do a search for you. First add ablank item to the quotation section by going to the last entry in the quotation section and pressing
. Type in a Catalogue Number in the column. The Manufacturers and Local Database will be searchedand if an exact match is found the item is copied into the quotation and you are taken to the column. If an exact match is notfound you are taken to the window where Electrika has located the nearest match.
You can add Specials by clicking the Specials button on the toolbar or by typing S under the S column of a new blank item. Whenan items is a Special you can change all the columns of the item. You can also edit the details of an item that has been brought infrom a manufacturers Catalogue by typing S under the S column to make it into a special. Labels or headings can also be addedas specials.
<Down Arrow> on yourkeyboard Cat Number
QtyCatalogue Number Search
Adding your own specials
Click thebutton to insert parts from
an Excel file
Insert Excel
Cut, Copy & Paste
To select items one at a time hold down the Control key and click an item
To select a group of items select one first, then hold down the shift key and click another item
To select all items click the top left hand corner of the grid
To unselect all items click anywhere on the grid without pressing Control or Shift
Summary Of Keys For Selecting Items
To delete the marked itemsclick here. If no items are
marked the highlighted itemwill be deleted
To cut the marked itemsclick here. You can insertinto the current section or
into another section
Click here to copy themarked items
To paste the items whichhave been either cut orcopied from a section
click here
Insert parts from Excel
Insert Excel feature - you can create a list of part numbers and quantities in Excel. You can choose whether tomatch up the latest descriptions and prices from the Electrika database or import all parts as Specials exactly as theyappear in the spreadsheet.
This feature is useful for creating parts lists in Excel that are priced up in Electrika, or for importing a bill of materialsfrom another application.
Click here to insert onlyhighlighted items from
your Excel file
Click here to insert allthe items from your
Excel file
To search through your part listtype the catalogue number here
Choose betweenmatching the parts in
the Electrika databaseor importing all theitems as specials
Select the Excel file list youwish to import from here
Dividing a quote into sections
Quotation Sections
From here you can also create Kits from the sections or add sections to an Order
Hint: Start each section name with a 3 digit number eg 001, 002, 003 etc. This will allow you to re-positionthe sections by changing the prefix.
A quotation is normally divided into sections (Main Distribution, Lighting, Heating, Testing etc). The name of theactive quotation section is displayed on the top left corner. When you start a new quotation a blank section iscreated for your called ‘Untitled Quotation Section’. Click either on the quotation name or on the down arrow nextto it to display the window where you can add more sections or change the name of asection.
Quotation Sections List
Click here to copythe section you are
currently highlightingTo insert a new blank
section click here
Click here to save asection as a Kit,
allowing you to importit into other sections
Insert Parts of Another QuoteInto Your Current Quote
Step 2Select whether to inserthighlighted section or
all the sections.
Step 1Select the quote youwish to insert from
Choose how to sortyour selected quote byclicking one of the tabs
1
2
3
4
5
6
Material CostThe lower window shows thematerial build-up automaticallysectioned according to the ProductGroup (Main Index) that each itembelongs to.each item belongs to.
1
Labour CostThe lower window shows the number of hours and costfor each labour type. You can alter the text and adjustthe £/Hour for each labour type. Changes made herewill also be shown when the Labour Tab is selected. Allprices will automatically be re-calculate and all theitems in your quotation which use an adjusted rate willbe updated2
3
ExtrasExtras can be added and removed in exactly the sameway as the Preliminaries4
Tender SellThe lower window shows a totals summary, with eachtotal shown both as a percentage of sell and as apercentage of cost.5
Provisional Sums
Provisional SumsTender Sell
These can be added and removed in exactly the sameway as the Preliminaries. The totalis shown separate to the price6
The costing screen is split into two windows. The upper window always displays the price build-up, and the lowerwindow changes according to which item is highlighted in the upper window as follows:
Costing
Preliminaries
<Del><Down Arrow>
Qty Unit £ Total £
Save As Default
You can remove items from the default list by pressingor add your own items by going to the last entry
and pressing . There is no limit to thenumber of entries. For each entry you can type in the
and , and is automatically calculated.The totals in the upper window are also re-calculated.You can click on the button to savethe settings as Electrika defaults (only the text will besaved with a default quantity of 1)
This window alwaysdisplays the price build-up
This window changesaccording to which item ishighlighted in the upper
window
The Main ContractorsDiscount can be changed
under under the settings tab
This powerful feature brings together all the items from all the quotation sections into just one list, withheadings automatically inserted.
Analysis -Creating A Schedule Of Rates
Important information about the price calculations1. The Tender Sell price under may differ slightly from that under and on the Sell Summary printouts. This can be due to 2 reasons:
(a) Prelims, Extras and MCD are spread equally across all the items and the difference may occur due to the adding together of individual values which have been rounded offto 2 decimal places.
(b) If decimal quantities are used. This is due to rounding off which occurs when the is multiplied by the .
If Prelims, Extras and MCD are all zero and the quantities used are all integers there will always be an exact match between the selling price under Costing that underAnalysis and on the Sell Summary printouts.
2. On the selection under the multiplied by may not be exactly equal to what is under the column. This is because the totallabour cost is calculated by adding together the labour cost calculated for each individual item and rounded off to 2 decimal places.
3. Changing the quantity in analysis can bring about a slight change to the selling price of all the items. This is because Prelims, Extras and MCD are spread equally across allthe items in the Oth£ Unit column, which gets re-calculated every time the quantity changes. If Prelims, Extras and MCD are all zero then changing the quantity will onlychange the selling price of the highlighted item, and will have no effect on the other items.
4. Maximum limits have been assigned to many of the column entries to reduce the risk of calculation overflow, which should never occur under normal use. However, ifcalculation overflow does occur you are advised to double check all calculations.
Costing Analysis
Quantity Unit Rate
Labour Cost Costing £/Hour Total Hrs Cost £
When this button is clicked thecolumns relevant to the sellprice build-up are displayed.The only adjustable columnsare ,
,,
and
Material Overhead %Material Profit % Labour
Overhead % Labour Profit% Quantity
When the buttonis clicked the columns relevant tothe cost build-up are displayed(which are the same as those
shown under the Quotation Tab).This is for viewing purposes only,therefore none of these columns
can be edited
Cost Summary
Click here to view only section namesand sub-totals
Click here to assign the highlightedmargin to a group of items
Click here to select one of theavailable sort options:
. This is the column,which represents the source of theitem. A indicates that the itemcame from a Catalogue, anmeans it came from the LocalDatabase and an means it wastyped in as a special.
1. Quotation Section2. Source S
CL
S
3. Catalogue Number
Click here to create a Bill Of Material.This brings together all the parts in
the quote into a single list andcombines the quantity of all
catalogue numbers, eg if you have 5of K2737WHI in section 1 and 5 in
section 2 it will show a quantity of 10.
Printing
Sell Summary
Step 3Choose what to printhere. For each option
you can choose a buttonfor printing, previewingor exporting as a PDF
document
Step 1Click here to edit the sell
summary heading. Click the‘Save As Default’ button if
you want it to be the defaultheading for all your quotes.
Step 2Choose if you want a Header,Footer or Cover Page. Thesecan be created through the
Header/Footer & Cover pagetabs. You can also choose the
sort order for the items.
You can also specify whetheryou want to print the cover page
and / or the Project Details
Design Header / Footer
Printing
Step 1Insert Your company
logo here by clicking theopen logo file button and
selecting your image.
Step 2Edit your company detailshere. Your office addressand contact details arestored as a file, so you
can store as manydifferent versions as youwish, and easily switch
between them.
You can use the Editor tochange font type, size,
colour or modify paragraphs
Step 3Your Footer text can be
edited here
Design Cover PagePrinting
You can use the Editor tochange font type, size,
colour or modify paragraphs
Step 3You can edit the main body ofthe cover page here. You canalso open old text files or savethe current one by clicking the
appropriate button
Step 4Print or preview the cover
page by clicking one ofthese buttons
Step 2Select if you want to include
the header & footer
Step 1Click here to edit the cover page heading.
Cost Summary
Step 3Choose between printing
or previewing anabbreviated or a fulllayout of your cost
summary
Step 2Choose between the
different sort options ofthe cost summary here
Step 1Edit the heading for the cost
summary page by typinghere. Click the ‘Save As
Default’ button if you want itto be the default heading for
all your quotes.
Printing
Costing
Print / preview the projectinformation or create a
PDF file from here
Print or preview thevarious options for the
costing page here
Printing
Setup
Print in monochrome orcolour by choosing
between these options
Adjust the print margins forthe cost/sell summary here
Printing
This is usually the first step in every order. Fill in general Supplier and Delivery details. Use the text box at thebottom of the screen to write useful notes. Built-in databases store all your details regarding suppliers,customers and sites.
Entering Ordering Details
Click here to access thelistCustomers
Click here to access thelistSites
Click here to add thedetails shown to the
Customers or Sites list
Click here to add thedetails shown to the
Suppliers list
Clicking on the arrows ofthe and
entriesand useful calendar will pop
up from which you canselect a date
Order DatePayment Due Date
The notes box can be used to enter anydetails about the order. As you enter more
text the notes window scrolls to allow you totype in more information
Creating An Order
Typing in the catalogue number of an item directly
Adding your own specials
Other ways to add items to an order
If you know the Catalogue Number of an item you can type it in and Electrika will automatically do asearch for you. First add a blank item to the order by going to the last entry and pressing the <DownArrow> key on your keyboard. Type in a Catalogue Number in the Cat Number column. TheManufacturers and Local Database will be searched and if an exact match is found the item is copied intothe order and you are taken to the Qty column. If an exact match is not found you are taken to theCatalogue Number Search window where Electrika has located the nearest match.
You can add your own Specials by typing S under the S column of a new blank item, allowing you tochange all the columns of the item. You can also edit the details of an item that has been brought in froma manufacturers Catalogue by typing S under the S column to make it into a special. Labels or headingscan also be added as specials.
From an existing quote (see next page for full details)
Click the Catalogues button to bring up the Catalogues Browse window. You can add an item to an orderby double-clicking on an item or clicking the +Ord button
From the Catalogue Number Search window (displayed by clicking the binoculars button)
From Kits
Click the Local Data button to bring up the Local Database Browse window. You can add an item to anorder by double-clicking on an item or clicking the +Ord button
The total value of yourorder (Excl Carriage &Vat) is displayed here
Click here to check trade pricesagainst the latest manufacturers
& local database.Items not found and not updated
are shown with a greybackground.
To export your Order selectan export format here and
click the Export button.
To search for a cataloguenumber click here
To open the Local Databasewindow click here
To open the manufacturercatalogue window click here
Click thebutton to
insert parts froman Excel file
InsertExcel
Click here to insert apast kit in to your order
Click here to inserta past quote in to
your order
To move items upand down click
here.
To increase thenumber of places to
move the item inyour order click here
To add thehighlighted iteminto your local
database click here
Inserting An Electrika Quote
A previous Quote can be inserted into your order by clicking on the button
Into An Order
Select the quote youwish to insert from
To view items by ProductGroup click here
To view items by Supplierclick here
You can enter itemsonly from a specific
Manufacturer byclicking here.
To view all the items inyour quote click here.
You can double-click onany item to insert into
you order.
Click here to insert asection from the selected
quote into your order
Select whether to inserthighlighted section or
all the sections.
Insert Excel feature - you can create a list of part numbers and quantities in Excel. You can choose whether tomatch up the latest descriptions and prices from the Electrika database or import all parts as Specials exactly as theyappear in the spreadsheet.
This feature is useful for creating parts lists in Excel that are priced up in Electrika, or for importing a bill of materialsfrom another application.
Insert parts from Excel
Choose betweenmatching the parts in
the Electrika databaseor importing all theitems as specials
Click here to insert onlyhighlighted items from
your Excel file
Click here to insert allthe items from your
Excel file
To search through your part listtype the catalogue number here
Select the Excel file list youwish to import from here
Print / PDF OptionsFor Orders
Step 2Choose if you want a Header, Footeror Cover Page. These can be createdthrough the Header/Footer & Cover
page tabs.
You can also choose whether todisplay the carriage and Vat, and to
enter a value for carriage
Step 1Click here to edit the Order
heading.
Step 3Choose how to view your
order here. You can choosebetween printing, previewing
or to export as an acrobat file.
If you want to print on letterheaded paper make sure the
Include header option is un-tickedand adjust your margins here
Print Options
Design Header / Footer
You can use the Editor tochange font type, size,
colour or modify paragraphs
Insert Your companylogo here by clicking theopen logo file button and
selecting your image.
Edit your company detailshere. Your office addressand contact details are
stored as a file, so you canstore as many different
versions as you wish, andeasily switch between them.
Your Footer text can beedited here
Print Options
Cover Page
You can use the Editor tochange font type, size,
colour or modifyparagraphs
You can edit the mainbody of the cover page
here. You can also openold text files or save thecurrent one by clickingthe appropriate button
Print or preview the coverpage by clicking one of
these buttons
Select if you want to includethe header & footer
Click here to edit thecover page heading.
Job Costing
Use the buttons on thistoolbar to search formaterial to add to the
Job
To insert items or wholesections from previous
quotes click here
Click here to create a newblank Job file
To filter the selectedfield click here To remove the filter from
your Job click here
Click here to open anexisting Job File which
will display the standardOpen Dialogue window
Click here to save thecurrent Job file
To export the activeJob file click here
To add a new entry lineinto your Job click here.
