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Creating Proposals - User Guide

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Introduction

This guide walks you through creating and sending proposals to your customers. Proposals in Neptune automatically calculate pricing, organize products into sections, and create professional PDFs for your customers.

Prerequisites: Before creating proposals, you should understand:

What You’ll Learn:

  • How proposals are structured
  • Step-by-step proposal creation
  • How to customize proposals
  • How to send proposals to customers
  • How automatic price recalculation works

Understanding Proposal Structure

The Proposal Hierarchy

Every proposal is organized into a clear hierarchy:

Proposal
  └─ Base Product (the foundation)
      ├─ Section: Basic Options
      │   ├─ Category: Pool Color
      │   │   └─ Product: Blue Pebble
      │   ├─ Category: Filtration
      │   │   └─ Product: Standard Filter
      │   └─ Category: Lighting
      │       └─ Product: LED Package
      ├─ Section: Optional Upgrades
      │   ├─ Category: Heating
      │   │   └─ Product: Gas Heater
      │   └─ Category: Automation
      │       └─ Product: Basic Controls
      └─ Section: Landscaping
          └─ Category: Paving
              └─ Product: Concrete Paving

Sections

Sections are top-level groupings in your proposals:

  • Basic Options (system-defined, always first) - Products always included with the base product
  • Custom sections your organization creates (e.g., “Optional Upgrades”, “Landscaping”, “Approval Costs”)

Each section has controls that determine:

  • Include in Contract: Show products from this section in the contract
  • Include in Proposal: Include products in the proposal total
  • Include in Proposal Summary: Show section in first page summary (rich proposals)
  • Calculate Total: Display section subtotal in the proposal
  • Allow Custom Field: Enable adding one-off custom line items
  • Allow Adjust Price: Enable adding hidden price adjustments

Categories

Categories sit within sections and contain your products:

  • Each category belongs to one section
  • Has an “Included in proposal” checkbox - if checked, appears automatically in every new proposal
  • Has a default product assigned - when added to a proposal, this product is automatically selected

Products

Products are the actual items with pricing. Each belongs to one category and can use different pricing types:

  • Fixed: One consistent price
  • Unit: Price × quantity
  • Variable: Price based on base product rules
  • Attribute: Price × base product attribute (e.g., volume, size)

To Learn More: See the Base Products & Product System Guide for details on product pricing types.

How It Works Together

When you select a base product, the system automatically:

  1. ✅ Adds all categories marked “Included in proposal”
  2. ✅ Selects the default product for each category
  3. ✅ Calculates all prices based on your base product
  4. ✅ Organizes everything into the correct sections

This means most proposals are 80% complete as soon as you select a base product!

Step-by-Step: Creating a Proposal

The Proposal Process

1. Customer Inquiry
   ↓
2. Select/Create Base Product → The foundation
   ↓
3. Add/Remove Products → Customize for customer
   ↓
4. Review Totals → Costs, pricing, margins
   ↓
5. Save & Send → Customer receives proposal

Step 1: Start a New Proposal

  1. Navigate to a customer’s page
  2. Click the “Proposal” button in the action bar
  3. A modal appears asking you to select a base product

Step 2: Choose Your Base Product

  1. Select from the dropdown: Browse your base products library and select the one that matches your customer’s needs
  2. The system automatically:
    • Creates a new proposal draft
    • Adds the selected base product
    • Adds all default categories and products
    • Calculates all pricing
    • Takes you to the proposal builder

Note: The base product selector only shows active (non-archived) base products.

Step 3: Review Auto-Added Products

The proposal builder now shows:

  • Your selected base product at the top
  • All sections (Basic Options, plus any custom sections)
  • All categories marked “Included in proposal” with their default products
  • All prices automatically calculated

Review this list - these are the products that will appear in the customer’s proposal by default.

Step 4: Customize Your Proposal

Now tailor the proposal to your customer’s specific needs:

To Add More Categories

  1. Look for tag-like buttons showing available categories
  2. Click a category button to add it to the proposal
  3. It appears in its section with the default product already selected
  4. Price is automatically calculated based on your base product

To Remove a Category

  • Click the trash icon next to the product

To Move a Category to a Different Section

  • Drag and drop the product row to a different section
  • Example: Move “Pool Heating” from “Basic Options” to “Optional Upgrades”

To Change the Product Within a Category

  • Use the product selector dropdown
  • Prices recalculate automatically based on the base product

To Adjust Quantity (for Unit-Priced Products)

  • Enter the quantity needed
  • Total price updates automatically

To Add a Custom Field

If a section allows custom fields, you can add one-off line items that aren’t in your product catalog:

  1. Click the “Custom field” button in the section
  2. Enter:
    • Name: What the customer sees (e.g., “Site preparation”)
    • Description: Additional details (optional)
    • Cost: Your cost
    • Sell: Customer price
    • Property: How this displays to customers (see below)
  3. Click OK

Property Options:

  • Show Price: Display name and price
  • Included: Show name but hide price (only section total visible)
  • Not Included: Show “Not Included” instead of price
  • Hidden: Don’t show to customer at all (affects totals only)
  • TBA: Show “TBA” instead of price
  • Others: Show the property text instead of price

Use cases: Site-specific work, one-time fees, discounts, unique customer requests, recurring charges (e.g., software levy)

To Add a Price Adjustment

If a section allows price adjustments, you can add hidden line items to improve your margin:

  1. Click the “Adjust Price” button in the section
  2. Enter:
    • Cost: Adjustment to your cost (can be positive or negative)
    • Sell: Adjustment to customer price (can be positive or negative)
    • Internal Note: Why you’re adjusting (optional, for your records only)
  3. Click OK

The adjustment appears in the proposal builder with a “Hidden from client” icon (eye with line through it). It uses the “Hidden” property, which means it affects totals but won’t appear in the customer-facing proposal.

Use cases: Margin optimization, competitive adjustments, special circumstances

Note: You can also create regular custom fields with the “Hidden” property to add recurring hidden charges (e.g., “Software Levy” to recoup Neptune subscription costs).

Step 5: Review Totals

The proposal summary shows:

For All Users:

  • Project Total (what customer pays)

For Authorized Users (managers, admins):

  • Total Cost
  • Gross Profit & %
  • Commission & %
  • Net Margin & %

Review these carefully before saving. Ensure:

  • ✅ All required products are included
  • ✅ Quantities are correct for unit-priced items
  • ✅ Margins are acceptable
  • ✅ Nothing is missing

Adjustments You Can Make:

  • Change base product → All variable/attribute prices recalculate automatically
  • Remove products
  • Adjust quantities for unit-priced products
  • Add or remove categories
  • Move categories between sections
  • Change expiry date

Step 6: Save and Send

Saving Your Proposal

  1. Review all details
  2. Click “Save Proposal”
  3. Proposal is saved and assigned a number (e.g., P24-0032)
  4. You’re automatically taken to the proposal summary

Sending to Customer

  1. From the proposal summary, click “Send Proposal”
  2. You’ll be taken to the Send Proposal page with two panels:

Left Panel - Email Composition:

  • To: Select recipient(s) from customer contacts
  • CC: Add additional email addresses (comma separated)
  • BCC Consultant: Option to copy the assigned consultant
  • Subject: Pre-filled with proposal number and organization name (editable)
  • Body: Rich text editor for your email message
  • Apply Template: Use saved email templates to quickly populate subject, body, and brochures
  • Brochures: Attach organizational brochures (grouped by category)
  • Uploads: Attach files previously uploaded to this customer

Right Panel - PDF Preview:

  • Live preview of the proposal PDF as it will appear to the customer
  • Shows all sections, products, and pricing
  • Scrollable to review the entire document
  1. Review the email and PDF preview
  2. Click “Send Now” to email the proposal
  3. Success! Customer receives an email with a link to view the proposal
  4. You’ll see a success modal with option to return to the customer page

Note: You can also send a saved proposal later by navigating to Documents → Proposals, finding your proposal, and clicking “Send”.

Understanding Price Recalculation

One of the most powerful features of the system is automatic price recalculation. When you change the base product in a proposal, all variable and attribute-priced products automatically update.

Example Scenario

Initial Proposal:

You create a proposal with:

  • Base Product: 6m pool, 30,000L volume, 3 loads of concrete
  • Excavation (Variable pricing based on size): $2,250
  • Chemicals (Attribute pricing per load): 3 × $25 = $75
  • Total: $2,325

Customer Changes Mind: They want an 8m pool instead.

You Change Base Product to 8m pool, 45,000L volume, 4 loads:

The system automatically recalculates:

  • Base Product: 8m pool, 45,000L volume, 4 loads
  • Excavation: Automatically updates to $3,500 (because size is now 8m, matches new pricing rule)
  • Chemicals: Automatically updates to $100 (because now 4 loads × $25)
  • New Total: $3,600

No manual recalculation needed! The system handles it instantly.

What Gets Recalculated?

Pricing TypeRecalculates?Why?
Fixed Price❌ NoPrice doesn’t depend on base product
Unit Price❌ NoDepends on quantity, not base product
Variable Price✅ YesRules are re-evaluated against new base product
Attribute Price✅ YesMultiplied by new base product attribute value

Benefits

  • ✅ Accuracy: Prices always match the base product
  • ✅ Speed: Change base products in seconds, not minutes
  • ✅ Confidence: No manual calculation errors
  • ✅ Flexibility: Easy to compare different base product options for customers

Best Practices

For Proposals

✅ Do:

  • Start with the right base product - It’s the foundation
  • Review all auto-added products - Remove what’s not needed
  • Double-check quantities for unit-priced items
  • Review totals before saving - Verify margins are acceptable
  • Use custom fields for one-off items instead of creating products
  • Set appropriate expiry dates - Give customers reasonable timeframes
  • Preview before sending - Use the PDF preview to catch any issues
  • Communicate with customers about the base product selection

❌ Don’t:

  • Don’t rush - Take time to select the right products
  • Don’t ignore warnings - If pricing seems off, investigate
  • Don’t save without reviewing - Always check totals first
  • Don’t forget expiry dates - Proposals should have clear timeframes
  • Don’t skip the PDF preview - Always review before sending
  • Don’t send to wrong contacts - Verify email addresses

Tips for Efficiency

  1. Use default products wisely - Set up good defaults and most proposals will be nearly complete
  2. Create email templates - Save time on email composition
  3. Organize your product catalog - Clean categories and sections make proposals faster
  4. Use the drag-and-drop - Quickly reorganize products between sections
  5. Learn keyboard shortcuts - Tab through fields quickly in custom product forms

Frequently Asked Questions

Proposals

Q: Can I manually override a product price in a proposal?

A: Not directly. Prices are calculated automatically to ensure accuracy. If you need different pricing, you can:

  • Create a custom product with the desired price
  • Use price adjustments
  • Adjust the markup on the product itself in the product catalog
  • Contact your administrator about adjusting the pricing rules

Q: What if I need to add a one-off custom item?

A: Use the “Custom field” button in the proposal builder. This lets you add items not in your product library.

Q: Can I copy a proposal to create a new one?

A: Currently not supported directly. Create a new proposal and reselect the same base product and products. Since pricing is automatic, this is quick.

Q: Why can’t I see costs and margins?

A: This is controlled by your user role. Contact your administrator if you need access to financial details.

Q: Can I save a proposal without sending it?

A: Yes! Click “Save Proposal” to save as a draft. You can send it later from the customer’s Documents tab.

Q: What happens if I change a base product after sending a proposal?

A: Sent proposals are locked - they won’t change. Only draft proposals update when you change the base product.

Q: Can I edit a proposal after sending it?

A: Not directly. You’d need to create a new proposal with the updated details.

Customization

Q: How do I add products that aren’t in any category?

A: Use the “Custom field” feature to add one-off products. If this product will be used frequently, ask your administrator to add it to the product catalog.

Q: Can I change the order of sections in a proposal?

A: Sections are ordered by their position settings. Contact your administrator to reorder sections.

Q: Can I hide a product from the customer but still include it in the total?

A: Yes! Use the “Hidden” property on custom products, or create a price adjustment.

Q: Can I show a product but hide its individual price?

A: Yes! Use the “Included” property. The product name appears but only the section total is shown.

Troubleshooting

Product shows $0 price in my proposal

Possible causes:

  • Variable pricing rules don’t cover this scenario
  • Base product is missing required attribute
  • Attribute pricing references non-existent field

Solution: Check the product’s pricing configuration and ensure all rules are complete. See the Base Products & Product System Guide for details on pricing types.

Prices don’t update when I change base product

Try:

  1. Refresh the page
  2. Remove and re-add the product
  3. Check if the product uses fixed or unit pricing (these don’t auto-update)
  4. Contact support if issue persists

I can’t find the base product I need

Options:

  1. Check if it’s archived (toggle “Show archived” switch)
  2. Create a new one (see Creating Base Products)
  3. Ask a colleague who might have created it
  4. Check if you’re looking in the right base product type

Custom attributes aren’t showing up

Possible causes:

  • Administrator hasn’t configured them yet
  • You’re editing an old base product created before attributes were added

Solution: Contact your administrator to configure base product attributes. See Working with Base Product Attributes.

Email won’t send

Possible causes:

  • No recipient email address selected
  • Invalid email addresses in CC field
  • Missing required fields (subject, body)

Solution: Verify all email fields are filled correctly and recipient has a valid email address.

PDF preview looks wrong

Try:

  1. Refresh the page
  2. Check if all products have valid pricing
  3. Contact support if layout issues persist

Can’t save proposal

Possible causes:

  • Missing base product
  • Missing required fields
  • Network connection issue

Solution: Ensure base product is selected and check your internet connection.

Getting Help

If you have questions not covered in this guide:

  1. Contact your system administrator - They can help with configuration and access
  2. Check with colleagues - They might have encountered similar situations
  3. Contact support - Include proposal ID for faster help
  4. Review the Base Products guide - For questions about products and pricing: Base Products & Product System Guide

Summary

Creating proposals in Neptune is:

✅ Fast - Auto-populates with defaults based on base product
✅ Accurate - Automatic price calculations reduce errors
✅ Flexible - Easy to customize for each customer
✅ Professional - Beautiful PDFs with organized sections
✅ Powerful - Automatic price recalculation when changing base products

Master this workflow and you’ll create better proposals in less time, leading to more sales and happier customers.