This exercise takes you once all the way through the invoicing process: you write a quote, send it to the customer by email, create an order after the customer agrees, turn it into a project, assign staff, record times and finally bill by e-invoice. It is best to follow it in a test or demo tenant – each step has its own detailed article, linked from here.
ℹ Tip: First watch the video “Über die Schulter geschaut – Vom Angebot zur Rechnung” for an overview, then work through the steps yourself.
Step 1 – Create a quote
Via the + at the bottom → New document → type Quote. Choose a template, enter a Short info and select the contact. On the Line items tab you use + to add what you are offering – for example a consultation by effort and a fixed-price workshop. In the Preview you check the PDF, validate via Validate quote and send it via Send by email.
→ Details in Create and follow up quotes.
Step 2 – Order from the quote
When the customer agrees, you run the action Create order on the quote – line items, addresses and contract details carry over, and the quote status becomes Ordered. In the order you validate via Validate order confirmation.
→ Details in Create and bill orders.
Step 3 – Create a project
In the order’s Actions → Create project (Main project). Work packages are created from the line items. For each line item, check the Project creation – set basic fees and hourly-rate collectors to Do not create a project.
→ Details in How projects and orders work together.
Step 4 – Record times
In the project you record time on the work packages (e.g. two hours of consulting). The system assigns the time to the matching hourly rate. Be careful with several staff members: create one collector Hourly rate Volker (with an assignee restriction) and one the rest, otherwise other people’s times end up on the wrong rate.
→ Details in How projects and orders work together.
Step 5 – Issue an invoice
Back in the order: Actions → Create invoice. In the dialog you choose the Time billing (e.g. Bill all times). The activity report with the recorded times goes out automatically.
→ Details in Issue invoices and record payments.
Step 6 – Bill by e-invoice
If e-invoicing is active in the tenant, the invoice carries the barcode symbol and automatically creates ZUGFeRD/XRechnung. It goes out via Send by email – you notice no difference in the outgoing process.
→ Details in Set up and use e-invoicing.
Done
You have run through the complete arc once – quote → order → project → times → invoice → e-invoice. From here it is worth looking at recurring billing (Recurring invoices) and clean price maintenance (Adjust prices in ongoing contracts).
Related topics
- Invoicing – introduction (with video) Invoicing Introduction
- Create and follow up quotes Invoicing How-to
- Create and bill orders Invoicing How-to