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About maintaining estimates

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Important

This content is archived and is not being updated. For the latest documentation, see Microsoft Dynamics 365 product documentation. For the latest release plans, see Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform release plans.

Applies To: Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Feature Pack, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012

Estimates are maintained on individual Estimate projects or on batches of Estimate projects. When Estimate projects are processed in batches by using periodic jobs, the Estimate projects that are selected for processing are grouped by period code.

You can work with estimates in the following ways:

  • To maintain estimates for individual Estimate projects, use the Estimate form. Depending on your version of the program, follow one of these steps:

    • In Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2: Click Project management and accounting > Common > Projects > All projects. Select a Fixed-price or Investment project that is associated with an Estimate project. On the Action Pane, in the Related information group, click Estimates.

    • Otherwise: Click Project management and accounting > Common > Projects > Estimate projects. Select an Estimate project. On the Action Pane, in the Related information group, click Estimates.

  • To view the periodic features that are available for estimate maintenance, click Project management and accounting > Periodic > Estimates. The periodic jobs that are available correspond to the functions that are available in the Estimate form.

The New, Calculate, Delete, Post, Reverse, Eliminate, and Reverse elimination buttons in the Estimate form open dialog boxes that reflect the typical life cycle of an estimate. The following table contains information about the fields in these dialog boxes.

Option

Description

Available in these dialog boxes

Period code

The code that determines how frequently estimates are posted. A period code is defined for each Estimate project.

All dialog boxes

Estimate date

The date on which the estimate is processed.

All dialog boxes

Continuous

Select this check box to create estimates only if estimates were posted in the previous period, or if the estimate is the first estimate that has been created.

If this check box is not selected, estimates are created even if estimates were not posted in the previous period.

Create estimate

Cost to complete method

Define how you want to estimate the remaining work on the project.

Create estimate

Completion method

Select a completion method. The following options are available:

  • Automatic – The completion percentage is calculated automatically, based on the cost lines that are included in the calculation. The cost template defines the cost lines that are included.

  • Manual – The completion percentage equals the completion percentage of the last estimate. After the estimate is created, you can change the Manual calculation field in the Estimates form.

  • From cost template – A combination of the Automatic method and the Manual method. This option is set automatically or manually, depending on the default value in the cost template.

Create estimate

Forecast model

Select a forecast model for the estimate.

Forecast models apply to the Forecasting and As previous estimate cost to complete methods.

Create estimate

Copy from model

Optionally select a forecast model to copy.

Create estimate

Update cost estimate

Select this option if you want the estimate calculation to include hour, expense, on-account, and item transactions that were posted after the estimate was created. The estimate date is also registered for each of these transactions.

Calculate estimate

Delete forecast

Select this option to delete forecast transactions if the estimate is deleted or reversed.

Delete estimate

Reverse estimate

Posting date

The date when transactions are posted to the general ledger.

Post estimate

Reverse estimate

Eliminate estimate

Reverse elimination

Set stage to Finished

Select this check box to set the project stage for all projects that are attached to the current Estimate project to Finished.

Eliminate estimate

Set stage to In process

Select this check box to set the project stage for all projects that are attached to the current Estimate project to In process.

Reverse elimination

Print estimate list

Create an estimate list, and display it on the screen. The list contains the status of the current function. You can optionally print any warnings about the estimate on the report.

The following options are available:

  • Nothing to print – No report is created, and nothing is displayed.

  • Exclude warnings – A report is created, but no warnings are displayed.

  • Include warnings – A report is created, and warnings are displayed.

  • Only warnings – A report is created, but only warnings are displayed.

The following conditions cause warnings to appear in the estimate list:

  • A completion percentage is more than 100 percent.

  • A completion percentage is less than 0 percent.

  • A negative amount appears in the To complete column.

  • An estimate has been created that has no corresponding contract amount.

  • An estimate has been created that has no cost estimate attached.

All dialog boxes

Show Infolog

Select this option to receive a message that contains information about the Estimate projects that were processed when the job was run.

All dialog boxes

See also

About methods for calculating the cost to complete a project

Estimate projects (form)

Estimate (form)

Calculate estimate (class form)

Create estimate (class form)

Delete estimate (class form)

Eliminate estimate (class form)

Post estimate (class form)

Reverse estimate (class form)