Other Costs are the additional costs for processes that can be added into your estimates and jobs. There is no limitation to the number of 'other costs' that can be created in ePrint or the number that can be added onto an estimate or job.
Some examples of other costs include;
- A Delivery/Shipping charge
- A fee for finishing processes for example; Binding, Laminating, Folding etc
- Artwork Costs for example, an hourly charge for any design work
The Layout of Other Costs
Other costs are categorised, typically by their purpose, in the example below, the category names are Finishing, Mailing Costs, Promo Costs, Admin, Press & Delivery. Within each of these categories, the cost is listed alphabetically, when users click the name of the cost an additional dialog box will be visible where the cost is displayed including any markups that may apply.
Other Costs as Main Items
When an 'other cost' is added as a main item, the cost will appear in its own dedicated panel on the estimate/job/invoice, with its own item number and when the estimate/invoice PDF is generated the customer will be able to see the associated costs.
For example, in the example below delivery has been added as a separate main item, the panel shows the costs and a markup could be added just to this item. When the estimate template is generated, the customer would see 2 items listed Item 001 and 002, each with its own heading and details.
Other Costs as Sub Items
If a cost is added as a sub-item, it is listed within a main item and under a sub-heading 'Additional Costs'.
In the example below, the delivery is to be included, however the cost must still be passed onto the customer, it is added as a sub-item, the customer will not be aware of the actual amount being charged, however you could make use of the item descriptions and add a comment "Including Delivery" and the comment could appear on the estimate.
Accessing Other Costs Settings
A user with Administrator access to the system can setup and edit Other costs,
1. Click the Settings cog (top right corner), then select ePrint MIS.
The window is arranged with a navigation pane on the left-hand side of the screen.
2. Click Appearance, then Costs.
The Other Costs are displayed with a Category name, Name of the Other Cost and the Description.
Options available in this window;
| Add New Record |  | To create a new cost. |
| Delete |  | Delete a cost. |
| Copy |  | If you want to make a cost similar to another use the copy function and then modify as required. |
Create an 'Other Cost' Category
Categories enable the costs to be grouped for easy access and selection, for example any cost associated with Finishing could be placed into a Finishing category. The system has predefined categories or you can create your own, they will appear in the order they are created.
How To Create an "Other Cost
A cost can be created using several types of calculation methods, the most flexible way to create an other cost and the one we recommend you most frequently use is Formula Based.
In the example below, we will create a cost for Artwork. Artwork is charged by an hourly rate, the variable is how many hours it will take to do the artwork for each job. Using the Formula Based method, when the user selects this cost, they will be prompted with a question; "How many hours for artwork?" The value that is entered in response to this question will then be multiplied by a cost per hour of $10.
Watch the video below, or use the instructions to learn how to setup the Artwork Other Cost in ePrint.
1. Click Add New Record.
2. Enter a Name for the Cost, a description is optional. The description may be used where two costs are similar in nature.
3. Select a Category from the drop-down list.
Note: Click the + (plus) symbol to create a new category.
4. From Calculation Used select the calculation type, Formula Based.
5. In this example, we want the user to be prompted with a question, from the right side select Add Question.
6. When prompted, type the question, then click OK.
The Formula string populates, as displayed, click at the end of the formula string to complete the formula.
7. Using the operator buttons, (or the keyboard), complete the formula as shown.
8. On the left of the Other Cost options, you can also add a Supplier, Markup or Minimum Value to this other cost.
Supplier - Select a Supplier name to assign the cost according to a specific supplier.
Markup - Enter a percentage markup for the cost being entered.
Minimum Charge - Enter a dollar amount for the minimum cost that will be charged. For example: artwork may be a flat rate when the job size is considered small. Therefore the minimum charge will be applied rather than the result of the formula.
9. Click Save.
Other Calculation Methods
There are other Calculation methods available when setting up Other costs, these are outlined in the table below, it should be noted that a well constructed Formula Based Calculation can equally achieve a more user friendly result.
| Calculation Method | Description | Example of Use |
|---|---|---|
| Formula Based with Matrix Table | This calculation method allows users to create a type of lookup table, where they can select a column label, and the appropriate value is returned. | You may have 6 available types of wire binding sizes , using the matrix table the sizes would be listed across the top of the table, when a size is selected the appropriate cost is applied based upon the quantities listed in rows of the table. |
| Quantity Based | Used when the job quantity is used to determine the cost. | Packing of the product, A product is packed at a rate of $20 per item. |
| Time Based | The time spent can be used to determine the cost. | An 30 minute machinery setup fee may be applied to all jobs, this could be calculated according to the experience of the machine operator and therefore the rates may differ. |
Formula String Tips
- Use brackets in instances where a formula is more detailed. Basic mathematical rules apply to formulas created in ePrint e.g.: mathematical principles of brackets are done first.
- Under the mathematical symbols are headings, within each are tags that are pre-built to draw information from the estimates and jobs that are created. Click the plus symbol besides each bold heading for example, Job Variables. The list will expand to show the information that is available such as the Finished Job Quantity which can be used in the construction of the formula.
Associated Topics
If you have any further questions, please contact Support.