Use Quote Builder to create detailed, client-ready quotes with full manual control.
Creating a new quote (without the Pricing Agent)
There are multiple ways to start a new quote in Quote Builder:
- From a precedent
- From scratch
- From a template
- From a saved draft
Which should you use?
- Use Template (or Fee Menus, when available) when the matter is repeatable and you want a standard structure.
- Use Precedent when the matter is larger or more nuanced and you want to anchor the quote in similar delivery data.
- Use From scratch when the matter is genuinely unique.
From a precedent
If you don’t want to start from a blank quote, you can clone a precedent quote or matter. If you use a precedent matter as your starting point, resourcing assumptions for the new quote can mirror the actual experience from the precedent.
To start from a precedent, select Search Precedents to open the precedent bank, select the relevant precedent, then copy it using the button in the top right corner.
For more information about the precedent bank, click here.
From a template
To speed up quoting, you can use a template to create a new quote. A quote started from a template can come with pre-set scope elements and a relative allocation of fees across work streams. Fill in total fees, then adjust.
To start from a template, select Create New Quote, select the work type, then select one of the templates associated with that work type.
For more information about creating quote templates, click here.
From scratch
You can create a new quote from scratch without relying on precedents or templates. Select Create New Quote (or New Quote from the menu) to open the quote screen, then select the correct work type.
From a previously saved draft
All your quotes are automatically saved in your draft folder. The draft folder can be accessed from the left-hand sidebar.
Work streams and scope items
Every quote is made up of work streams and scope items.
- Work streams are the parent structure (comparable to phases).
- Scope items are the components inside work streams (comparable to tasks).
Work stream options are configured centrally by the administrator. You can create scope items freely, or choose existing ones from the bank.
Scope Item Bank is created from within the precedent bank. The bank displays scope items found in matters similar to the quote you are creating. For each item, you can see average fees and resourcing, and you can add one or more scope items into your quote.
Work streams have the following properties:
- Item (shows up in the client summary)
- Scope of work (optional; shows up in the client summary)
- Assumptions (optional; shows up in the client summary)
- Read-only subtotals: fee range and resourcing profile (sub-totals of constituent scope items)
Scope items have the following properties:
- Item
- Practice area responsible (useful for multi-team projects)
- Optional toggle (excludes the item’s fees from total fees excluding optionals)
- Fee range, expressed as:
- a relative value (a % of total fees), and
- absolute monetary value ranges (shows up in the client summary)
- Resourcing profile (% allocation of scope item-level fees across timekeeper grades)
Charge-out rates and effective charge-out rates
Charge-out rates are picked up automatically (if configured) when you select the client.
Effective charge-out rates are shown below firm rates and are calculated as:
headline charge-out rate × (1 − adjustments)
Adjustments include discounts and write-offs implied in sub-100% realisation.
Fees: top down or bottom up
Fees are shown at quote level (grand total) and at scope item level.
You can construct the quote top-down by setting total fees, then allocating fees across scope items using relative allocations.
You can construct the quote bottom-up by setting absolute monetary values for each scope item, then using the Assistant to roll them up into total fees.
Monetary values are always expressed in ranges. Profitability is computed using the mid-point of the ranges.
Realisation
Realisation reflects the proportion of fees that are likely to be recovered at the end of the matter. It impacts effective charge-out rates and the profit score.
Resourcing
To open the resourcing view, switch on resource allocation. You can add columns for timekeeper grades and allocate scope item-level fees across them.
The resourcing system uses these inputs:
- scope item fee ranges,
- charge-out rates, and
- relative by-grade allocations.
It treats person-hours as outputs.
The mid-point of scope item fee ranges is used to compute person-hours.
Timekeeper grades are managed centrally by the administrator.
Scenarios:
- Shifting more work to a more senior grade decreases person-hours (higher rates).
- Discounting charge-out rates increases person-hours.
- Increasing fee ranges increases person-hours.
If you start by cloning a precedent matter, the resourcing profile of your draft quote can reflect actual resourcing on that precedent.
Spreadsheet view
To enter data manually in bulk, use Spreadsheet view (above the work streams). This opens a spreadsheet that can be populated with the percentage breakdown of work done on each scope item by each fee earner level.
Resource visualisation
Select View resource to visualise hours across scope items and fee earner levels.
Profitability
Profitability is calculated based on total fees, the resourcing profile, and internal cost rates by grade.
All else being equal:
- Leveraging more junior resource improves profitability.
- Shifting work to more senior grades reduces profitability.
- Discounting rates reduces profitability.
Internal cost rates are configured centrally by the administrator.
All profitability calculations use the mid-point of fee ranges entered.
The Assistant
The Assistant helps address bugs and circularities in quotes by keeping numbers consistent.
It can help you:
- resolve conflicts when both top-down and bottom-up values have been set, and
- update charge-out rates to the latest rates.
Data guides
Data guides provide fee and realisation ranges based on historic matters that match the selected characteristics.
Maximise Profitability
Select Maximise Profitability and Ayora will search precedent transactions to identify the most profitable resource allocation for each work stream.
Discounts
Apply discounts by selecting Add discount and choosing the percentage discount.
Choosing a framework
You can access Pricing Frameworks from Quote Builder.
Quotes created from precedent matters
When you turn a historic matter into a new quote:
- A precedent matter may have been delivered under outdated charge-out rates. Total fees and scope item fees are computed using the latest rates and the hours by grade spent on the precedent.
- Fee ranges are derived using minimum and maximum charge-out rates per grade.
- Actual fees billed and realisation on the precedent are displayed for reference.
- Scope items may be reconstructed using AI and may require review.
- You can modify any aspect of the quote.
Tagging your quote
Accurate tags help you find quotes later and power analytics.
Client and work type
Select work type in the top left. Associate the quote with a client to apply any configured exception rates.
The administrator can configure exception rates for a client.
Characteristics
Characteristics are additional tags that provide context and enable analytics. They are specific to work types.
Assumptions
Add general assumptions (in addition to or instead of scope item-level assumptions). Assumptions are appended to the draft client email.
Sharing and tracking your quote
Sharing a quote with colleagues
Select Invite collaborators in the top right to add collaborators.
Client visibility (what is and is not shared)
Client-visible by default (via Client Correspondence / client-ready outputs)
- Total fees
- General assumptions
- Breakdown of key work streams
- Work stream-level assumptions and scope descriptions
Configurable visibility
- Work stream-level fees can be shown or hidden.
- More detailed breakdowns (for example task-level detail) can be made visible when required.
Not client-visible by default
- Person-hours
- Profitability information
- Relative allocations of fees across scope items
- Resourcing profile
- Work type
- Characteristics
Sending a quote to a client
Select copy table above the scope item table and paste into Outlook.
Recording quote status
Use the drop-down above the quote name to record status.