Recommendations

Things to consider

● The Recommendations workflow allows better visibility for your

Sales Manager in the form of a Recommendations table to keep

track of the Recommendations and see how many of them are

being converted into Quotes.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What is a Recommendation?

💡The Recommendations workflow assists & streamlines the process of

documenting Recommendations identified out on the field or in the

office to later be converted into Quotes.

This allows better visibility for your Sales Manager in the form of a

Recommendations table to keep track of the Recommendations and to

see how many of them are being converted into Quotes.

Recommendations can be created in the Mobile App or BuildOps Web.

Recommendation Use Cases

The Recommendations workflow is used for the following scenarios:

1. While working on site, a technician identifies and records a

potential opportunity as a Recommendation in a Mobile App

Technician Report. The sales manager tracks and manages all

Recommendations from the Recommendations table in

BuildOps web.

2. A technician concludes that a Quote is needed after the initial

site walkthrough and records a potential opportunity through

the Visit Flag feature in the Mobile App.

3. The sales manager creates a Recommendation from the

Recommendations table in BuildOps web when they receive a

call from a technician reporting a potential opportunity.

4. While the sales manager is working on a Quote, they find that

there are some existing Recommendations on the same

Property that they are working on. The sales manager reviews

the existing Recommendations and includes them in their

current Quote.

5. When an office manager reviews visit reports filled out by

technicians, they can add Recommendations based on the

technicians' notes. Technician Recommendations can also be

included in Job Report PDFs to capture Customer attention.

Creating A Recommendation From A Technician

Report (Mobile App)

If a technician identifies a potential opportunity while working onsite,

they can record it as a Recommendation in the Technician Report

section of a Visit in the Mobile App.

💡Depending on your account settings, this section may be optional or

required for the Technician Report.

1. From the Technician Report, tap the “Recommendations” section.

2. To view existing Recommendations for the property, tap the "On

Property" tab. This ensures visibility of existing Recommendations

and prevents the creation of duplicates.

3. Tap to open an existing Recommendation and view detailed

information about what was previously recorded.

4. From the “On Visit” tab on the Recommendations screen, tap

“+ Add” at the bottom of the screen to create a new

Recommendation.

5. Fill out the data fields. The only required field is the “Name” field,

but we recommend filling out as much information as possible if

it is known.

6. Asset - Select a Property asset, if applicable.

7. If the Property asset does not yet exist in BuildOps, create a new

asset on the fly by tapping “CREATE NEW ASSET” at the bottom

of the Search assets screen.

8. Name (required) - Enter a Recommendation name.

9. Priority - Select a priority level. Options include Highest, High,

Medium, and Low.

10. Description - Add a Recommendation description. This can be

copied from the Recommendation name, or more detailed.

💡TIP: Tap "Improve Spelling and Grammar" to let BuildOps AI enhance

the description.

11. Quote Forms - Tap “+ Add Form” to select a quote form, which

provides context for quote creation. Any forms added here will be

included as Quote attachments

12. Attachments - Tap “+ Add Attachments” to add any supporting

attachments e.g., photos, videos, or documents.

13. Labor - Tap “+ Add Labor” to include the following labor details:

● Labor Rate Group - Labor Type* (e.g., Service - Journeyman)

● Labor Description (e.g., RTU refrigerant repair.)

● Payroll Hour Type (e.g., Regular Time)

● Labor Hours* (e.g., 2)

14. Parts & Materials - Tap “+ Add Item” to input details about the

parts and materials that will be used if this Recommendation is

converted into a quote and job.

15. Tap “Search Items” to select an Item from your company’s Item

List.

16. Once an Item has been selected, the Name & Description fields

will auto populate.

● Description - Update the text in this field to be more

specific, if needed.

● Quantity - Specify how many Items are needed.

● Unit Of Measure - Will automatically populate and cannot

be changed.

● Unit Cost - Cost refers to the cost of Items to your business.

● Unit Price - Price refers to the Price that you are going to bill

your customers.

⚠️NOTE: The Unit Cost and Unit Price fields can be hidden. Reach out

to your BuildOps Point of Contact for assistance.

17. Tap “Save” at the bottom of the screen.

18. The new Recommendation will be listed under the “On Visit” tab

of the Recommendations screen. To make edits, tap on the

Recommendation to open it.

💡Once the Recommendation has been saved, it will also be visible in

BuildOps Web. The sales manager can track the Recommendation

where it can be added to a new or existing quote, edited, rejected,

archived, and deleted – all from the Recommendations table.

Adding A Recommendation From A Visit Flag

(Mobile App)

A technician can also add a Recommendation if they conclude that a

Quote is needed after the initial site walkthrough.

1. Tap the flag icon (upper right corner of the Visit) to flag a Visit.

2. Tap “Quotes Needed”.

3. Tap “Yes” to add a Recommendation.

4. Fill in the data fields according to the steps outlined in above.

Creating A Recommendation From BuildOps Web

The sales manager can create a Recommendation from the

Recommendations table in BuildOps Web when they receive a call

from a technician reporting a potential opportunity.

1. To do this, hover over Operations → click Recommendations.

2. Click CREATE RECOMMENDATION (upper right corner).

3. Fill in the data fields. Pay attention to which fields are required*.

● Property* - start typing to select a Property.

● The Customer* and Billing Customer* will auto populate once a

Property has been selected.

● Asset - Select a Property Asset, if applicable.

● Recommendation* - Enter a Recommendation name.

● Department* - Select the department primarily responsible for

the work.

● Priority - Select a priority level. Options include “Highest”, “High”,

“Medium”, and “Low”.

● Action Needed - Select an appropriate action. Actions are clearly

displayed on the Recommendations table and can be filtered and

sorted, ensuring a streamlined review process for the sales

manager. Options include "Ready for Quote," "Follow Up with

Tech," and "Follow Up with Customer."

● Recommendation Description - Add a Recommendation

description. This can be copied from the Recommendation name,

or more detailed.

● Forms - Click “+ Add Form” to select a quote form, which provides

context for quote creation. Any forms added here will be included

as Quote attachments.

● Attachments - Click “+ Add Attachments” to add any supporting

attachments e.g., photos, videos, or documents.

● Labor - Click “+ Add Labor” to include the following labor details:

○ Labor Rate Group - Labor Type* (e.g., Service - Journeyman)

○ Labor Description (e.g., RTU refrigerant repair.)

○ Payroll Hour Type (e.g., Regular Time)

○ Labor Hours* (e.g., 2)

⚠️NOTE: Click "+ ADD LABOR" again to add additional types of labor if

multiple labor groups or types are necessary to complete the task.

● Parts & Materials - Click “+ Add Item” to input details about the

parts and materials that will be used if this Recommendation is

converted into a quote and job.

○ Search for the Item Name - The Item must be listed in your

Item List to appear in the drop down.

○ Description - Update the text in this field to be more

specific, if needed.

○ Unit Cost - Cost refers to the cost of Items to your business.

○ Markup - A default markup will automatically populate, but

can be changed, if needed.

○ Unit Price - Price refers to the Price that you are going to bill

your customer.

○ Quantity - Specify how many Items are needed.

○ Taxable - Check the box if the Items are taxable.

○ Subtotal - Will automatically update depending on the

Items added, their quantities, price, and markup.

Click “+ Add Item” to add multiple items, if applicable.

⚠️NOTE: Items are pulled from the Item List. If an Item does not appear,

use a generic Item in your list, or add the Item to the Items List.

4. Click “CREATE RECOMMENDATION” (upper right corner).

💡We recommend adding as much information as possible to the

Recommendation because this information will be carried over to the

Quote directly and will save time during Quote creation.

All information from the Recommendation can be revised in the

Pricing section during Quote creation.

Navigating The Recommendations Table

1. To access the Recommendations table, hover over Operations →

click Recommendations.

2. The Recommendations table provides a list view of all

Recommendations created by technicians in the field or by office

users.

3. To quickly sort, filter, hide, or show a column, click the 3 dots next

to a column header.

4. Use the controls in the top left corner of the table to create a

custom table view. These custom views can be saved as presets

for quick access to your preferred layout.

5. Click the three dots on the right side of a Recommendation to

view more actions, including "Add to New Quote," "Add to

Existing Quote," "Edit," "Reject," "Archive," and "Delete."

💡Archiving and rejecting Recommendations enhances organization

and streamlines backlog management, making it easier to prioritize

and track important tasks.

6. Click the “Archived” tab (upper left corner) to view a list of all

archived Recommendations. Click the 3 dots on the right side of

an archived Recommendation to “unarchive” or “delete” it.

7. To add multiple Recommendations to a new or existing quote, or

to archive or delete multiple Recommendations, check the box

next to each Recommendation, then click "BULK ACTIONS"

(upper right corner) and select an option.

⚠️NOTE: Multiple Recommendations can be added to a new or

existing quote only if they are created for the same property. Otherwise,

the available bulk actions will be "Archive" or "Delete."

Adding A Recommendation to A New Quote

1. To add a Recommendation to a new Quote, click the 3 dots on

the right side of the Recommendation → click “Add to New

Quote”.

2. Fill out the data fields on the “Info” tab of the Quote. Then, click

“SAVE” (upper right corner).

3. Once the Quote is saved, the Recommendation will be added as a

Section in the “Pricing” tab of the Quote. Make updates to the

Section details, labor, and parts & materials as needed.

4. The “Recommendations” tab provides visibility into all

recommendations associated with the quote. Hover over a text

field to view the entire text.

5. Build out the rest of the Quote according to your company’s best

practices.

Adding A Recommendation To An Existing Quote

1. To add a Recommendation to an existing Quote, click the 3 dots

on the right side of the Recommendation, then click “Add to

Existing Quote”.

2. Search for and select the existing Quote. Click “ADD

RECOMMENDATION TO QUOTE”.

3. The Recommendation will be added as a section in the “Pricing”

tab of the existing Quote where it can be edited if needed.

4. It will also be added to the “Recommendations” tab.

5. Build out the rest of the Quote Quote according to your

company’s best practices.

Adding Existing Recommendations From the

Recommendations Notification Bar

1. If the sales manager is working on a Quote and there are

existing Recommendations on the same Property that they are

working on, a blue notification will appear at the top of the draft

Quote.

2. Click on the blue notification to review the existing

Recommendations. Check the box to select a Recommendation

and click “ADD”.

3. The Recommendation will be added to the “Pricing” and

“Recommendations” tabs of the Quote.

Removing A Recommendation From A Quote

💡When a section is removed from “Pricing” tab, this will not remove

the Recommendation from the Quote.

1. To remove a Recommendation from a quote, click the

“Recommendations” tab → click the 3 dots on the right side of the

Recommendation → click “Remove From Quote”.

2. A popup will display asking to confirm the changes.

💡Removing the Recommendation will change the Recommendation

status back to “Recommended”. This action will not affect sections in

the “Pricing” tab.

⚠️When a Recommendation is removed from the “Recommendations”

tab, this will not remove the corresponding Recommendation section

from the “Pricing” tab of the Quote.

To remove the corresponding Recommendation Section from the

Quote Pricing, this must be done from the “Pricing” tab.

Recommendation Automatic Status Updates

💡As a Recommendation progresses through the lifecycle of a quote

and job, it’s status will update accordingly, offering transparency to

office staff and technicians.

When the quote status is “rejected” or “canceled”, the

Recommendations will be updated to "Rejected."

If the quote is “approved”, the Recommendations will be updated to

"Approved."

When the job status is “complete”, the Recommendation status will be

updated to "Complete."

If the job status is “canceled”, the Recommendation status will change

back to "Approved."

Creating & Updating Recommendations On A Job

Report

1. To access a Job Report, click “OPEN JOB REPORT” in the upper

right corner of the Job record page.

2. Click to the Visits tab.

💡There are (2) main use cases for managing Recommendations on a

Job Report:

1. Use Case 1 - Capturing Recommendations from Technician

Notes: As office managers review visit reports filled out by

technicians, they can add Recommendations based on the

Technician Notes or Visit Summary.

a. After reviewing the Technician Notes and Visit Summary, and

determining that a Recommendation is needed, click “ADD”

(upper right corner of Recommendations section).

b. Fill out the Recommendation information accordingly before

clicking “CREATE RECOMMENDATION”.

c. The Recommendation will be added to the Recommendations

section of the Job Report and will be available in the

Recommendations table to later be managed by the sales

manager.

Recommendation section of the Job Report with new Recommendation

2. Use Case 2 - Managing Recommendations

From the Recommendations section on the Visits tab of the Job Report,

an office manager can perform the following actions to manage

Recommendations:

● Add to New Quote

● Add to Existing Quote

● Edit

● Reject

● Archive

● Delete

a. To display all options, click the 3 dots on the right side of the

Recommendation line > select an action from the dropdown list.

In this example, the Recommendation will be edited

b. Make any edits to the Recommendation. The following screenshot

displays how to change the “Action Needed” status.

Select an option from the dropdown (e.g., “Ready for quote”). Then, click

“SAVE” in the upper right corner.

c. This status change will be reflected in the Recommendations

section of the Job Report and the Recommendations table,

enabling the sales manager to follow up and prepare a quote at a

later time.

Recommendation section of the Job Report with updated Recommendation

Including Recommendations in A Job Report PDF

1. To access the Job record page, click to “Reports & Invoices”.

💡There are (2) main use cases for including Recommendations in A

Job Report PDF.

Use Case 1: Notify Customer of Potential Risks/Issues

Communicate any potential risks or issues identified during

maintenance or inspections. This ensures the customer is aware of

possible problems that could affect the performance or safety of their

equipment, allowing them to take proactive measures to address these

concerns.

Use Case 2: Highlight Potential Upsell Opportunities

Bring attention to potential upsell opportunities by informing the

customer of additional services or upgrades that could enhance the

performance, efficiency, or lifespan of their equipment. This not only

adds value for the customer but also creates additional revenue

streams for your business.

2. Click “GENERATE JOB REPORT PDF”.

3. Choose which information to display on the Job Report PDF. The

Recommendations setting is located at the end of the list. Click

“GENERATE JOB REPORT”.

4. Click on the Job Report hyperlink to open a downloadable/

printable Job Report PDF.

5. The Recommendations section will be displayed in the Job Report

PDF, notifying the Customer of potential risks/issues or

highlighting potential upsell opportunities.

FAQs

1. What are the key differences between Mobile Quotes and

Recommendations?

Recommendations are mainly designed for users to log potential

opportunities that can be turned into a quote. The long-term plan for

mobile quoting is for technicians to perform end-to-end quoting

workflow on mobile (taking pictures, performing estimation, and

eventually sending quotes out to customers).

2. What would happen to attachments on a Recommendation

when it’s added to a quote?

Attachments on the Recommendation will move to the quote’s

attachment section.

3. What would happen if a Recommendation is added to a quote

and then deleted?

If deleted from a Quote, the Recommendation will revert back to an

open Recommendation. If deleted from the Recommendation list

view (users can only delete open Recommendations), it will be gone

completely. If a Recommendation is archived, it will be visible in the

‘archive’ tab on the Recommendations page.

4. What happens to Recommendations when a Quote is

dissociated from a Job?

When the Quote is dissociated from the Job, the Recommendation

status will change to “in quote”.

5. Can I delete a Recommendation from the Job page after the

Quote has been converted into a Job?

No, users cannot delete recommendations from the Job page after the

quote is converted into a Job.The Assigned Tasks section will

correspond to the sections on the Quote. However, it may not exactly

match the recommendations if the user edits the section on the Quote

after adding the recommendation to the Quote.