New Release: Resource Catalog, Estimates and Proposal Builder

Objective

This guide provides a high-level overview of the major features introduced in the September 18th release. Users will learn about the newly interconnected modules—ranging from catalog management and AI-powered estimating to advanced work order delegation and site observations—and understand how they streamline the entire project lifecycle.

Overview

Sitefotos has launched a massive update designed to unify your workflow. By overhauling how data is stored and utilized, the platform now offers a seamless journey from the initial client touchpoint all the way to project execution and billing. This release introduces a consolidated Resource Catalog, unlimited custom Service Types, an intelligent Estimator, a client-facing Proposal builder, Parent/Child Work Orders, and an enhanced Site Observations module.

Prerequisites

These updates are live for all users. Upon your first login following the release, you will need to complete a brief, automated setup wizard to migrate your legacy materials and services into the new Resource Catalog.

Expanded Feature Breakdown

1. The New Resource Catalog

The Resource Catalog is your new central hub for pricing and operations, consolidating all former Services, Equipment, and Material libraries into one unified place.

• Make It Your Own: You can create specific items under designated categories (Services, Equipment, Material, and Labor) and establish standardized internal costs and customer-facing prices.

• Client & Site Specificity: You now have the flexibility to link specific line items directly to a particular client or site. You can even set expiration dates on these specific rates to ensure your pricing is always up to date.

2. Custom Service Types

We have removed the limitations of pre-set service categories.

• Unlimited Creations: You can now create the exact Service Types you need, and as many as you need, tailoring the system to perfectly match your business model.

• Total Control: This new feature completely replaces the old "Internal Service" library, giving you absolute control over your resources for more accurate estimate and contract creation.

3. The Upgraded Estimator

Estimating is now faster and more intuitive, featuring three distinct pathways: the Snow Estimator (for quick seasonal proposals), the Recurring Services Estimator, and the Project Estimator (for one-time services).

• AI-Powered Building: You can manually build your estimate or use our new AI tool to instantly generate a draft simply by describing the job.

• Seamless Catalog Integration: Pull items directly from your new Resource Catalog, or create ad-hoc (one-time) items on the fly without leaving the estimate screen.

4. Client-Facing Proposals

You no longer need external software to send professional quotes.

• Brand New Builder: Generate fully customized proposals directly from your Estimates. You can draft, adjust templates, and share them with clients via email.

• Interactive Client Portal: Clients can electronically Approve, Reject, or Request Revisions. If a revision is requested, you can easily adjust the document and resend it.

• Automated Next Steps: Once approved, proposals automatically convert into actionable items. Snow and Recurring estimates convert into Pricing Contracts, while Project estimates unlock the ability to generate Work Orders.

5. Advanced Work Orders (Parent & Child)

Managing complex jobs and multiple contractors is now effortless.

• Parent & Child Delegation: You can now split a single estimate into multiple "Child" work orders. This allows you to assign different tasks to different contractors or internal crews, managing separate costs and prices, all while keeping them organized under one overarching "Parent" work order.

• New Service Status Column: A new column in the dashboard provides immediate, at-a-glance visibility into the exact status of any work order in your system.

6. New Site Observations

The new Site Observation module allows you to walk a site and geotag a specific area on the property with a corresponding icon per trade with a photo. After tagging all areas of concern, you can easily generate an Estimate where you can attach the map and images to a Proposal for your client.

• Actionable Insights: Directly from a Site Observation, you can now seamlessly generate Work Orders, Estimates, and detailed Reports.

• Trade Separation: Observations can be separated and categorized by Trade, ensuring the right information gets to the right specialized teams immediately.

Pro-Tips & Best Practices

• Garbage In, Garbage Out: Because these modules are deeply interconnected, the quality of your workflow relies entirely on your Resource Catalog and Service Types. Spend the time upfront to properly build, categorize, and price your catalog. A well-organized catalog will make your Estimator and Proposal generation nearly instantaneous.

• Utilize Site Observations as a Sales Tool: Train your field crews to use the enhanced Site Observations module to spot out-of-scope issues. Because you can now generate an Estimate directly from an observation, it is easier than ever to upsell additional work to your clients while the crew is already on-site.

Troubleshooting

• Missing Items in the Estimator: If you are building an estimate and cannot find a specific item you know you created, check your Resource Catalog to ensure that item wasn't accidentally linked to a different specific Client or Site, which would hide it from your current estimate. If you want it available at all times, don't make any assignments.

• Cannot Generate a Work Order: Remember that Work Orders can only be generated from One-Time Project estimates. If you built a Snow or Recurring estimate, the system will prompt you to build a Pricing Contract instead. Furthermore, the estimate's Proposal must be marked as "Accepted" before the work order generation tool unlocks.The September 18 Sitefotos feature release rolls out six major updates designed to streamline estimation, resource management, and client communication for all users.

• Resource Catalog: This feature consolidates the former Services, Equipment, and Material libraries into one unified price list. You can create custom items under specific categories—services, equipment, material, and labor—and attach respective rates, costs, and pricing. Line items can now be linked to specific clients or sites, with the option to include an expiration date.

• Service Types: Removing previous limitations tied to pre-set choices, this update allows for the unlimited creation of custom service types tailored exactly to what you need. This fully replaces the old "Internal Service" library, handing you complete control over your resources to build better estimates and contracts.

• Estimator: This introduces a completely new way to estimate, featuring an AI tool to help build estimates alongside standard manual creation. It offers three distinct pathways: a Snow Estimator for quick proposals, a Recurring Services estimator, and a Project Estimator tailored for one-time services. While building these, you can seamlessly pull values from your new Resource Catalog or generate ad-hoc items on the fly.

• Proposals: Built directly into the workflow, this new tool allows you to take your Estimates, draft and adjust templates, and share them with clients via email. It features interactive client input where they can approve, reject, or request revisions. If a revision is requested, you can easily adjust the proposal and re-send it. Once approved, the system automates the next steps: approved Snow & Ice recurring contracts can be converted into Pricing Contracts, while approved Project Estimates can directly generate Workorders.

• Workorders: You now have a dedicated "Service Status" column to easily track the progress of any workorder. It also introduces Parent & Child Orders, enabling you to split services within a single work order, assign them to multiple different contractors, and independently adjust the price and cost.

• Site Observations: The site inspection module receives an enhancement that allows you to generate Workorders, Estimates, and Reports directly from the module. Additionally, these observations can be separated by trade.