How do you process estimates (Quotes) through Customer Invoice in QB 2015 Premier Mfg and Whsle?

Greetings, @Patsy20.

I want to make sure you're able to successfully create an estimate in your end.

With QuickBooks Desktop, you can create an invoice after you create the estimate. It doesn't work the other way around.

Here's how:

1. Create an estimate.
   1. Go to Customers.
   2. Choose Estimates.
   3. Select the customer or Customer:Job.
   4. Enter the Estimate details.
   5. Click Save and Close. 
2. Create the invoice.
   1. Open the estimate.
   2. In the estimate screen, click Create Invoice.
   3. In the Create Progress Invoice Based on Estimate, choose any of the following:
      • Create invoice for the entire estimate(100%).
      • Create invoice for a percentage of the entire estimate.
      • Create invoice for selected items or for different percentages of each item.
   4. Click Ok,
   5. Review the details on the Invoice page.
   6. Click Save and Close.

That should do it! For additional insights, you may check out this article: 

• Turn on progress invoicing

If you need further assistance with steps above, I'd suggest contacting our Customer Care Team. They have tools to further help you via secured remote access session.

Here's how to contact us:

1. Visit: https://help.quickbooks.intuit.com/en_US/contact.
2. Choose your QuickBooks Product.
3. Select your QuickBooks Version.
4. On the Contact Us page, click a topic.
5. Click on the Get Phone Number button to see the support number.

Keep in touch with us here in Community if you have other questions about Accounts Receivable workflows in QuickBooks Desktop. I'm always here to help.

@IamjuViel 

Please Learn from this input.

@Patsy20 

You can make an Estimate at any point. It has to already exist if you intend to "progress invoice" from it. Otherwise, it is one of your Planning and Tracking functions that you can use, and see in reporting, and especially useful for Comparison reporting.

Estimate = scope of work. That is why it also works as a Quote, to provide to customers, or internally, to document the scope.

You might later be listing the sale by using invoice or sales receipt; on that, you might be listing Direct Time & Costs, that you entered as Billable to the customer. Or, you might be using any of the Fulfillment and Order Tracking tools, including Estimates, with or without progress invoicing; Sales Orders, which are helpful for managing demand on goods and services and especially useful for inventory; and even Purchase Orders, where you look at the requirements from customers, and use the PO to enter and track orders you placed for those goods and services required, but you need to get stuff and services from suppliers to you = your vendors.

Sorry I meant the flow starting with an estimate....  We need to set up Quote, the customer approves.  We purchase products for production.  We receive items, We produce the product.  We then need to create a packing slip (for shipping or will calls), then finally an invoice...and wait for our payments....  How to create the documents to correlate through the flow process, is what I meant.

Yes, this is what I am having a hard time setting up?  We have been using Quickbooks since 1994.  We have upgraded through the years.  We are currently using Premier 2015 wholesale and manufacturing.  The "items" are (and have been for some time) listed as "NON INVENTORY", this might be what the problem is, but I am not sure because we have never used (even though I wanted to years ago...boss said no).  We want all the work flow process for job costing, etc.

Hello Patsy20,

Let me share some details about the job costing workflow in QuickBooks Desktop.

You are doing it correctly. After creating an estimate, you can click the Create Purchase Order button at the top of the transaction (refer to the first screenshot). This will allow you to link the customer or job on the vendor transaction. Then, open the purchase order and print a packing slip or shipping label (refer the second screenshot).

Once you create an invoice, the available estimates for the customer will show on the pop-up window so you can add it on the transaction (see the third screenshot).

Take a look at this article for more details: Track job costs in QuickBooks Desktop.

That should do it. Please reach out to me if there is anything else I can help you with. I'll always be here to assist you. Have a good one.

Thanks for reaching out.  Does it matter that the items (for invoicing are set up as NON Inventory)?

@Patsy20 

"Does it matter that the items (for invoicing are set up as NON Inventory)?"

The Point of the listing on the estimate is the List the scope. That is Goods and Services, Noninventory items, inventory items, and even Other Charge items such as Mileage and Freight or Shipping or Fork Truck Rental.

Please see my attachment.