About folders – WorkflowMax Support Centre

Folders on quotes, jobs and invoices (49:10)

Folders allow you to organise tasks, costs and other items on your jobs into logical groups for quoting, costing, invoicing, reporting and management purposes, providing you with greater visibility, context and control.

Folders are currently available on job templates, quotes, jobs and invoices.

In May 2022, invoicing in WorkflowMax was extended to support folders on invoices. Currently, this feature can be switched on (‘New invoicing’) or off (‘Classic invoicing’) in the Invoice detail screen. Articles in this support centre relate to ‘New invoicing’. Articles on 'Classic invoicing' and folders are available in the old support centre. In WorkflowMax accounts created after this date, 'New invoicing' is the only option.

Items you can store in folders

The following table shows how the tasks, costs and other items you can store in folders depend on the stage in the workflow. Numbered items in the table relate to notes below.

Stage	Tasks	Costs	Milestones	Options	Documents	Notes
Job template	X	X	X	-	-	-
Quote	X	X	-	1	X	X
Job	X	X	X	-	X	X
Invoice	X	X	-	-	-	-

1. An optional cost item on a quote cannot be associated with a folder. If you really want to associate an optional cost item with a folder, the cost item must be edited and flagged as Fixed (it is then no longer optional).

Sources of folders at each stage in the workflow

The following table shows how quotes, jobs and invoices can inherit folders and their contents from earlier stages in the workflow. Folders and their contents can also be added manually to job templates, quotes and jobs. Numbered items in the table relate to notes below.

	At the stage of the workflow shown in column 1, folders can be...
Stage	...added manually	...from the Job template	...from the Quote	...from the Job
Job template	X	-	-	-
Draft Quote	X	X	-	-
Job	1	1	1	-
Invoice	-	-	-	X

1. The folders in a job can be added manually or they can come from the job template used to create the job or from the quote that was accepted as the basis for the job. And, of course, the quote itself can be based on a job template, which may also contain folders.

Create folders and their contents in any order

When you are creating folders and their contents manually, the order that you do this is up to you.

You can create all the tasks and costs first, then create the folders to assign them to. This approach may be preferable if you want to get a clear picture of all the task and cost items required to complete the work then group them into phases later.
You can create the folders first and then create the items to assign to each folder. This approach may be preferable if you already have a clear idea of the phases or general structure of the work, and want to populate the folders progressively.
Or you can use a combination of both approaches to gradually build the folder structure and contents you need.

The Unassigned folder

Any items that are not specifically assigned to a folder are considered to be in a special folder called Unassigned. For example, when you add a new task or cost item to a quote or job, if you don't associate the item with a specific folder, the item is associated with the Unassigned folder. You can associate the item with a different folder later on, if you wish.

You can change the name of the Unassigned folder in Business > Settings > Organisation Settings.

Working with folders at each stage of the workflow

The ways you can work with folders varies slightly depending on the stage of the workflow.

Folders on job templates

You can create folders on a job template at any time, then assign tasks, costs and milestones to those folders, as required. If the same folders are required on more than one job, you can save time by setting up a template that contains those folders. Then you can apply one or more templates to build a quote or job with the required organisation of folders, tasks, costs and other elements.

Folders on quotes

You can create folders on a draft quote at any time, then assign tasks and costs to those folders, as required.

Folders on quotes allow you to organise your quotes into phases, or deliverables, so that your customers can see what they’re getting.

Each folder is a named container for selected tasks (labour) and materials (costs or disbursements) whose billable value you can subtotal to present to your client on a quote. The quote can show the level of detail you require - individual items or just a subtotal for the folder.

Folders on jobs

You can create folders manually on a job at any time, then you can assign tasks, milestones, costs, notes or documents to the folders, as required. Jobs based on a job template or a quote that contains folders will automatically inherit those folders and their contents.

Folders and their contents are specific to each job, so if you create folders manually for one job they will not be available to another job unless you copy an existing job with its folders.

Folders on invoices
If a job or quote contains folders, you can choose which folders you include in the invoice. When creating the invoice, you can also choose to ignore any folders completely, and just show the job's tasks and costs (but we recommend that you include folders in your invoice if you have used folders in your quote).
To ensure that your profit reporting is consistent through all stages of your job's workflow, there are restrictions on the changes you can make to draft invoices:
- It is possible to add tasks and costs into folders on invoices, but these do not flow back to the job.
- Folder management (edit/delete/add/amend folders) can only be done in the quote or job manager areas. For example, you can’t create a new folder on an invoice. A folder needs to be included in your quote or job and then it flows through when you create the invoice.

Managing folders

Creating folders
You can create folders manually in job templates, quotes or jobs, but invoices inherit any folders and their contents from the job being invoiced.

The flow of folders and their contents from job to invoice works only in one direction. This is because any changes made on the invoice would exist only on the invoice and cannot flow back to the job. For reporting insights, the folders shown at the invoicing stage are a reflection of those on the job.

When you create a task, cost or other item in a job template, quote or job, you can also specify which folder to assign it to - provided that the folder already exists. For this reason, it may be more convenient to create all the folders you need and then create the items to go into those folders. It is also possible to create the tasks, costs and other items before you create the folders. However, this requires additional steps to assign the tasks, costs and other items to those folders.

Although you can create as many folders as you need in a job template, quote or job, for ease of management, we recommend a maximum of about 20 folders in any one job template, quote or job.

Job template

To create a folder in an existing job template:
1. In the Business menu, select Settings > Job Settings > Job Template.
2. On the Job Template tab, drill down on the job template you want to work with.
3. Click the New Folder button.
4. On the New Job Template Folder screen, type a name for the new folder.
  A folder name can be up to 100 characters in length (including spaces).
5. (optional) Type a description for the new folder. This description appears on quotes based on the job template as well as on invoices for jobs based on the job template or quote.
6. Save the new folder into the job template. The folder will be empty until you assign tasks, costs or milestones to it.
Quote

To create a folder in a draft quote:
1. In the Business menu, select Quotes.
2. If necessary, choose a filter so that all quotes are listed.
3. Click the Draft tab and drill down on the draft quote you want to work with.
4. Click the Folders tab.
5. In the Folders pane, at left, click New folder.
6. In the New folder dialog, type a name for the new folder.
  A folder name can be up to 100 characters in length (including spaces).
7. (optional) Type a description for the new folder. This description appears on the quote itself invoices for jobs based on the quote.
8. Click Create. The new, empty, folder is created and appears last in the Folders pane.
  The new folder is saved automatically into the quote.
When the quote is accepted, the folders are created automatically on the job as they appear in the accepted quote.

Job

To create a folder in a job:
1. In the Jobs menu, select Jobs.
2. On the Job Manager screen, drill down on the number of the job you wish to work with.
3. In the job information screen, Folders pane (top left), click Manage. WorkflowMax displays the Manage Folders tab, which lists any milestones, tasks, costs, notes or documents in the current job.
4. On the Manage Folders tab, in the Folder Name field, type the name of the folder you wish to create.
  A folder name can be up to 100 characters in length (including spaces).
5. Save your changes. The new folder appears in the Folders pane.
Assigning items to folders
After creating a folder, you generally need to assign specific milestones, tasks, costs or other items to that folder. However, when you are working with a job template, it is possible to create a folder and assign an item to it in one step.

As folders are simply used for viewing and managing items, the items are not actually moved from their respective tabs.

Job template

Add new milestone, task or cost items to the job template, as required.

To assign items to folders in an existing job template:
1. In the Business menu, select Settings > Job Settings > Job Template.
2. On the Job Template tab, drill down on the job template you want to work with.
3. Click on the title of a milestone, task or cost.
4. On the Edit Job Template Milestone, Task or Cost screen, select a folder in the Folder drop-down list.
5. Click Save. When the job template is used, the milestone, task or cost will automatically be stored in the folder you selected.
Quote

Add new tasks or costs to the draft quote, as required

To assign items to a folder in a draft quote:
1. In the Business menu, select Quotes.
2. If necessary, choose a filter so that all quotes are listed.
3. Click the Draft tab and drill down on the draft quote you want to work with.
4. Click the Folders tab.
5. In the Folders pane, click the name of a folder. The contents of the folder are displayed.
6. Click the checkbox to the left of each task or cost you want to assign to a different folder.
7. Click the Assign to button and choose the folder to assign the selected tasks and costs to.
Job

Add new task, cost, milestone, note or document items to the job, as required.

To assign an item to a folder in a job:
1. In the Jobs menu, select Jobs.
2. On the Job Manager screen, drill down on the number of the job you wish to work with.
3. In the job information screen, Folders pane, click Manage. WorkflowMax displays the Manage Folders tab, which lists any milestones, tasks, costs, notes or documents in the current job.
4. On the Manage Folders tab, select the checkbox to the left of each milestone, task, cost, note or document that you want to assign to a specific folder.
5. In the Folder Name drop-down, choose the folder to assign the selected items to.
6. Save your changes. The folder name is displayed under the Folder column for each item you selected.
Deleting folders
Job template

To delete a folder in a job template:
1. In the Business menu, select Settings > Job Settings > Job Template.
2. On the Job Template tab, drill down on the job template you want to work with.
3. On the Edit Job Template screen, drill down on the name of the folder you wish to delete.
4. On the Edit Job Template Folder screen, click Delete Template Folder and confirm deletion.
Quote

To delete a folder in a draft quote:
1. In the Business menu, select Quotes.
2. If necessary, choose a filter so that the quote you want to work with is shown.
3. Click the Draft tab and drill down on the quote you want to work with.
4. Click the Folders tab. Existing folders in the quote are displayed in the Folders pane.
5. Click the folder you wish to delete. The folder description and contents are displayed.
6. In the Options drop-down, select Delete and confirm deletion. Any items in the deleted folder are now listed in the Unassigned folder.
Job

To delete a folder in a job:
1. In the Jobs menu, select Jobs.
2. On the Job Manager screen, drill down on the number of the job you wish to work with.
3. In the job information screen, Folders pane, click the name of the folder you wish to delete. The folder name is displayed in a new tab.
4. Select Options > Delete Folder, and confirm deletion. Any items assigned to the deleted folder will remain in their respective sections on the Manage Folders screen, but they are no longer assigned to the deleted folder.
Invoice

Although you can't delete a folder on your invoice, you can choose which folders to include at invoice creation time. In addition, you can create custom print templates to customise the information contained on your invoice.

Renaming folders
Job template

To rename a folder in a job template:
1. In the Business menu, select Settings > Job Settings > Job Template.
2. On the Job Template tab, drill down on the job template you want to work with.
3. On the Edit Job Template screen, drill down on the name of the folder you wish to rename.
4. On the Edit Job Template Folder screen, type the new name in the Folder Name box.
5. Save your changes.
Quote

To rename a folder in a draft quote:
1. In the Business menu, select Quotes.
2. If necessary, choose a filter so that the quote you want to work with is shown.
3. Click the Draft tab and drill down on the quote you want to work with.
4. Click the Folders tab. Existing folders in the quote are displayed in the Folders pane.
5. Click the folder you wish to rename. The folder description and contents are displayed.
6. In the Options drop-down, select Edit.
7. In the Edit folder dialog, type the new name for the folder.
8. Save your changes.
Job

To rename a folder in a job:
1. In the Jobs menu, select Jobs.
2. On the Job Manager screen, drill down on the number of the job you wish to work with.
3. In the job information screen, Folders pane, click Manage.
4. On the Manage Folders tab:
5. In the Folders pane, click the old folder name. The folder is opened in a tab of the same name.
6. In the Options drop-down list, select Delete Folder and confirm deletion.
Invoice

It's not possible to rename folders in an invoice. If you rename the folder in the job you are invoicing, the renamed folder flows through to the invoice.

Printing folders
You can print information about the contents of folders in quotes, jobs and invoices in several ways.

Print folders in quotes

To print a folder in a quote:
1. In the Business menu, select Quotes.
2. If necessary, choose a filter so that the quote you want to work with is shown.
3. Drill down on the quote you want to work with.
4. Click the Folders tab. Folders in the quote and the contents (if any) of the Unassigned folder are displayed.
5. Click the folder you wish to print. The folder name, description and contents are displayed.
6. In the Options drop-down, select Print folder.
7. On the Print Quote Folder screen, select which print template to use to print the folder. You can choose the System Default print template or any available custom print template.
8. If you chose the System Default print template, use the checkboxes to select which items you want to print and choose whether or not to include Time/Quantity, Rate, Amount and Notes for specific items.
9. Print.
10. Check the preview displayed on screen, and then send to the printer, email or export to an electronic format, as required.
Print folders in jobs

When you select a folder in the Folders pane of the job information screen, three print options are displayed on the left of the screen, below the Folders pane: Print Folder, Print Folder Brief and Print Financial Summary.

Print Folder

Allows you to select and print contents of the selected folder.
1. In the job information screen, Folders pane, select the folder you wish to print.
2. Click Print Folder.
3. Under the Options section, select the items you wish to include.
4. If required, under the Time Sheets section:
  1. Select Time Sheets.
  2. Use the From and To calendars to select a date range.
  3. Select the staff members whose time sheets you wish to include. Staff members are listed only if they have recorded time against tasks assigned to the selected folder.
5. Print.
6. Check the preview displayed on screen, and then send to the printer, email or export to an electronic format, as required.
Print Folder Brief

Allows you to select and print the following contents of the folder: tasks, to-do lists, milestones, costs and notes.
1. In the job information screen, Folders pane, select the folder you wish to print.
2. Click Print Folder Brief.
3. Under the Options section, select the items you wish to include.
4. Print.
5. Check the preview displayed on screen, and then send to the printer, email or export to an electronic format, as required.
Print Financial Summary

Allows you to print the standard job financial summary report for activities associated with tasks and costs assigned to the selected folder.
1. In the job information screen, Folders pane, select the folder you wish to print.
2. Click Print Financial Summary. There are no options to select for this report.
3. Print.
4. Check the preview displayed on screen, and then send to the printer, email or export to an electronic format, as required.
Print folders in invoices

It's not possible to print a specific folder in an invoice. You can, however, create a Job Financial Summary report for a specific folder in a job. See Invoicing and reporting from folders, below.

Invoicing and reporting from folders
- To invoice from a folder on a job, click into that folder, then click New Progress Invoice or New Final Invoice below the Folders pane.
- To print the job financial summary report for a folder on a job, click into that folder, then click Print Financial Summary below the Folders pane.

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Items you can store in folders

Sources of folders at each stage in the workflow

Create folders and their contents in any order

The Unassigned folder

Working with folders at each stage of the workflow

Managing folders

Job template

Quote

Job

Job template

Quote

Job

Job template

Quote

Job

Invoice

Job template

Quote

Job

Invoice

Print folders in quotes

Print folders in jobs

Print Folder

Print Folder Brief

Print Financial Summary

Print folders in invoices

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