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Costings

The Costings application in the Supplier Portal is your central list of cost sheets and quote requests your customer has shared with your supplier account. Use the costing search view to find styles quickly, monitor which items still need pricing, filter by factory and key dates, export data for internal review, and open individual costings to enter buy prices in the Quotes workspace.

Quick Check - Before You Start
  • Check that Costings appears in the left navigation menu; if it is missing, your Supplier Portal role may not include View access for Costing.
  • Enable Costing notifications in Profile › Notification Preferences so you are alerted when new costings are shared or comments are posted.
  • Have costing numbers or style numbers ready if you plan to search by keyword; avoid spaces in identifiers where possible.
  • Understand the difference between Costings (search and monitor) and Quotes (enter buy prices and quantities).

Who This Helps

The Costings search view serves different audiences across the supply chain. Understanding how each group uses it reduces missed quote deadlines, duplicate emails, and incorrect assumptions about what can be changed in the portal.

Audience How Costings helps them What to watch for
Suppliers See every costing and linked style your customer has shared with your factory or agent account; filter by Costed status, factory, workflow status, and ETD; export lists for commercial review; save favourite searches for recurring quote cycles (for example, outstanding costings due this month). You only see records explicitly shared with your supplier account — not your customer's full costing library. Entering buy prices happens in Quotes, not in the search view itself.
Supplier staff Merchandisers, costing coordinators, and commercial teams can use the same shared list without asking instance users for spreadsheets. Favourite Searches and Export support hand-offs between teams before prices are submitted. Each staff member needs their own portal login via Invite Staff. Favourites are saved per user, not shared across your organisation automatically.
Instance users (your customer's internal team) When suppliers monitor costings in the portal, buyers and product developers spend less time chasing quote status by email. Suppliers who keep the Costed column current improve visibility into which styles are ready for review and award. You must share each costing with the correct factory or agent and assign a Supplier Portal role with Costing View enabled. Unshared costings never appear for the supplier.

Costings Search vs Quotes Workspace

The Costings search view is for finding and monitoring shared cost sheets and their linked styles. To enter buy prices, quantities, and component details, open the costing and go to the Quotes workspace. See Supplier Portal › Quotes for quote entry workflows.

Accessing Costings

Open Costings from the left navigation menu in the Supplier Portal. The costing search view opens by default and lists every costing and linked style currently shared with your supplier account.

You can also reach costings from:

  • The Dashboard — click the Costings card to open the application and review summary counts (costings, quotes, awarded items, and comments).
  • Recent Activity — click a costing-related notification to open the linked record in context.
  • Favourite Searches — reopen a saved costing search view you created earlier.
  • Quotes — use Open costing → from the quote workspace header to return to the costing record.

Costing Search View

The costing search view is designed for day-to-day quote monitoring. It combines keyword search, advanced filters, layout options, and export tools so you can work with large costing volumes without losing context. Each row typically represents a style linked to a shared costing, so you can see at a glance which styles still need pricing.

Use the search bar at the top of the view to find costings by keyword. Keywords typically match costing numbers, style numbers, descriptions, and other indexed fields on shared records.

Common Pitfall

Key identifier fields such as costing numbers and style numbers should not contain spaces. Spaces in these fields can cause inconsistent search results and make filtering less reliable. Use a hyphen (-) or underscore (_) as a separator instead (for example, CST-001 rather than CST 001). If a search returns no results, try the exact identifier your customer quoted in email or on a costing request document.

Advanced Filters

Open Advanced Search to narrow the list with structured filters. The following filters are available in the Supplier Portal costing search view:

Filter Description
Costed Filter by whether the style on the costing has been fully quoted. Choose Yes for styles where all required quote rows are complete, or No for outstanding items that still need buy prices and quantities.
Company Filter by the production factory assigned to the costing. Lists factories your customer maintains in Site Settings › Company › Suppliers. Displayed as Company in the search view; this is the factory or supplier company on the costing.
Status Filter by current costing status (for example, Draft, Quote, Completed, Cancelled). Status values are defined in your customer's costing workflow.
ETD From / ETD To Filter by estimated time of departure date range for styles on the costing.

Combine filters to build precise views — for example, all uncosted styles for a given Company with ETD in the next thirty days and Status set to Quote.

Common Pitfall

Overly narrow filter combinations are a frequent cause of empty search results. If Costed, Company, Status, and ETD date ranges do not match the values on your shared costings, the list will appear blank even though records exist. Clear filters one at a time to identify which criterion is excluding results. A narrow ETD From and ETD To range that does not overlap your costing dates will hide every matching record.

Grid and List View

Switch between Grid and List view using the layout toggle in the search view toolbar.

View Best for
List Scanning many costing rows quickly, comparing columns side by side, and exporting structured data.
Grid Visual review when preview images are available and you want a card-style layout.

Your selected layout preference is retained for the current session. Saved Favourite Searches restore the layout that was active when you saved the favourite.

Results Per Page

Control how many rows appear on each page of results. Choose 25, 50, or 100 records per page from the pagination control at the bottom of the search view.

Use a smaller page size when you need faster load times on slower connections. Use 100 when reviewing a large shared quote cycle and exporting is not required.

Common Pitfall

Pagination affects what you see on screen, not what exists in the platform. A costing row on page three is still a valid shared record — do not assume it is missing because it is not on the first page. Use filters or keyword search to locate specific costings, or increase the page size temporarily.

Refresh

Click Refresh in the search view toolbar to load the latest data. Use this after your customer tells you they have shared a new costing or updated statuses, especially if you have had the search view open for a long time.

Columns Available

The default costing search view includes the following columns. Your customer may expose additional columns depending on portal and role configuration.

Column Description
Costing The costing number — the primary identifier for the cost sheet. Click to open the full costing record.
Style Number The style linked to the costing row. A single costing may include multiple styles, each listed on its own row.
QTY The estimated quantity for the style on the costing — typically the quantity your customer expects you to quote against.
ETD Estimated time of departure for the style on the costing. Use this to prioritise quote work against production timelines.
Company The factory or supplier company assigned to the costing — usually your organisation when the costing is shared with you.
Costed Indicates whether quoting is complete for this style. A check mark means all required quote rows have buy prices and quantities entered in the Quotes workspace.
Status The current workflow status of the costing.

Costed Column vs Costing Status

Costed reflects whether your quote entry is complete for that style row. Status reflects the overall costing workflow on your customer's side (for example, Quote or Completed). A style can show as costed while the costing status is still Quote if your customer has not yet reviewed or awarded the quote.

Save frequently used filter and layout combinations so you can reopen them without reconfiguring the view each time.

  1. Open Costings and apply the filters, columns, and sort settings you want to keep.
  2. Click the Love icon in the upper-right corner of the search view.
  3. Enter a descriptive name (for example, Outstanding quotes — Factory A) and click Save.

Saved favourites appear in Favourite Searches in the left navigation menu. See Supplier Portal › Favourite Searches for managing, renaming, and deleting favourites.

Common Pitfall

A favourite restores the configuration saved at the time you clicked Save — not live data. If you change filters after saving, the favourite still opens with the original layout until you update and save it again. Record counts change when your customer shares new costings or you complete quotes; click Refresh after opening a favourite to load the latest results.

Export the Costing Search View

Export the current search view to Excel for offline analysis, commercial meetings, or internal reporting.

  1. Apply the filters and columns you want included in the export.
  2. Click the Download icon in the upper-right corner of the search view.
  3. Open the downloaded file in Excel or a compatible spreadsheet application.

The export includes the columns currently visible in your search view and the records that match your active filters. It does not include fields you have not added to the view.

Common Pitfall

An export is a snapshot of the filtered list at export time — not a substitute for an official costing document or signed quote. Pricing, component breakdowns, and document content may be controlled separately through your customer's Site Settings › Costing › General Settings and portal configuration. Use exported data for planning and internal review; submit formal quotes through the Quotes workspace.

Opening a Costing Record

Click a Costing number in the search view to open the full costing record. From there you can review tabs and side widgets your customer has shared — such as styles, components, comments, files, and documents — depending on your Supplier Portal role and your customer's portal configuration.

For the Details, Style, and Notes sections and side widgets on an open costing, see Supplier Portal › Costing.

Typical supplier workflows from an open costing:

  • Open the Quotes workspace to enter buy prices and quantities for each style and colourway. See Supplier Portal › Quotes.
  • Review Comments and reply to instance user questions about pricing, MOQs, or lead times without leaving the record.
  • Download costing documents and tech packs from linked Drive files when shared.
  • Monitor Activity for status changes posted by your customer's team.

Common Pitfall

A costing visible in the search view does not guarantee every tab or edit action is available. Components, Files, and pricing sections depend on portal configuration and what your customer has shared on that costing. If you cannot enter quotes or a tab is missing, ask your instance user to confirm Costing portal permissions and member assignment before raising a support ticket.

Costings, Styles, and Orders Are Separate Records

Costings, styles, and orders are linked but maintained as separate records. Sharing a costing with your supplier account does not automatically share every linked style or order, and vice versa. Confirm all relevant records are assigned to your factory or agent if your workflow spans development, quoting, and production.

Staying Informed About Costing Changes

Configure notifications in Profile › Notification Preferences so you are alerted when costing activity affects your team:

Notification When it fires
Shared Costing Notification A new costing is shared with your company.
New Message in Costing Comment A new message is posted in a costing-related comment thread.

See Supplier Portal › Profile for full notification settings.

These Site Settings pages are maintained by your customer's administrators. Share them with your instance user contact if costings, quotes, or visibility do not match expectations.

Troubleshooting

Why can I not see any costings in the search view?

The costing list only shows records your customer's instance users have shared with your supplier account. An empty list usually means no costings are shared yet, you are on the wrong connection, or your role lacks Costing View access.

Steps to resolve:

  1. Open Active Instance and confirm you are connected to the correct customer.
  2. Check the Dashboard — if Number of Costings is zero, no costings have been shared with your account.
  3. Contact your customer's instance user and ask them to verify your Supplier Portal role in Site Settings › Company › Suppliers includes Costing with View enabled.
  4. Ask them to confirm the costings are shared with your factory or agent assignment on each record.
  5. Log out and back in after access changes, then click Refresh on the costing search view.
Why is the Costings module missing from my navigation menu?

Module visibility is controlled by the Supplier Portal role on your supplier record. If Costing is not granted View permission, Costings will not appear in the menu.

Steps to resolve:

  1. Ask your customer's administrator which modules you should have access to.
  2. Request an update to your Supplier Portal role in Site Settings › Company › Suppliers.
  3. Confirm your supplier type includes costing capability — Agent (only) suppliers may not have costing access where your customer restricts it. See Supplier Portal › Supplier Type Configuration.
  4. Log out and back in, then confirm Costings appears in the left navigation menu.
Why does keyword search not find a costing I know exists?

Search only returns costings shared with your supplier account. Keyword matching can also fail when identifiers contain spaces or when filters still restrict the result set.

Steps to resolve:

  1. Clear Advanced Search filters and retry the keyword.
  2. Search using the exact Costing or Style Number your customer provided — try with and without hyphens if unsure.
  3. Confirm the costing is assigned to your factory or agent and shared on the customer side.
  4. Click Refresh to load the latest shared data.
Why are my advanced filters returning no results?

Active filters — especially Costed, Company, Status, and narrow ETD date ranges — can exclude every record in the list when values do not match your shared costings.

Steps to resolve:

  1. Clear all filters and confirm costings appear without restrictions.
  2. Reapply filters one at a time to identify which criterion is too narrow.
  3. Widen ETD From and ETD To ranges and verify Status values match your customer's naming.
  4. If filtering by Costed, remember that recently submitted quotes may take a moment to reflect — click Refresh after completing quote entry in Quotes.
Why does the Costed column not show a check mark after I entered quotes?

The Costed check mark appears when every required quote row for that style has a buy price and quantity entered in the Quotes workspace — not when you have only partially completed a style.

Steps to resolve:

  1. Open the costing in Quotes and confirm every colourway row shows as filled (for example, 3/3 rows filled).
  2. Enable Show completed styles in the Quotes workspace to verify the style is marked complete. See Supplier Portal › Quotes.
  3. Click Refresh on the Costings search view to reload the Costed column.
  4. If rows are complete but the check mark is still missing, ask your instance user to confirm quote rows are configured on the costing.
Why can I see a costing but cannot enter buy prices?

Quote entry happens in the Quotes workspace, not in the costing search view. Access also depends on your Supplier Portal role and costing configuration.

Steps to resolve:

  1. Open Quotes from the left menu and select the costing from the list.
  2. If the costing does not appear in Quotes, confirm your role includes access to quote entry — not just Costing View.
  3. Ask your instance user to verify the costing is shared with your supplier and that styles and colourways are set up for quoting.
  4. See Supplier Portal › Guides if an instance user says they sent a costing but you cannot find it.
Why can I open a costing but not edit components or see certain tabs?

Component editing and tab visibility are controlled separately from the costing search view. Your customer configures supplier permissions in Site Settings › Costing › General Settings › Components and portal settings.

Steps to resolve:

  1. Confirm whether the tab is missing entirely or visible but read-only.
  2. Ask your instance user to verify Components supplier editing is enabled if you are expected to update unit measures, prices, or quantities.
  3. Use Comments or Chat to communicate component changes until editing is enabled.
  4. Review Site Settings › Costing › General Settings with your instance user contact.
Why does my export not include all costings or columns?

Exports reflect the current filter set, pagination context, and visible columns — not the entire shared costing library.

Steps to resolve:

  1. Clear or adjust filters so every costing you need is included in the filtered result count before exporting.
  2. Confirm the columns you need are visible in the search view; add any missing columns before clicking Download.
  3. Click Refresh, then export again if your customer recently shared new costings.
Why does a favourite search show outdated results or the wrong layout?

Favourites restore saved filters and column layout from the time you clicked Save. They do not automatically pick up changes you make afterwards.

Steps to resolve:

  1. Open the favourite and click Refresh to load current data.
  2. Adjust filters or columns to match your current workflow.
  3. Click the Love icon and save again — use the same name to replace the favourite, or delete the old entry from Favourite Searches and create a new one.
Why can I see a style in Costings but not in Styles or Orders?

Costings, styles, and orders are shared independently. Your customer must assign your supplier to each record type for you to see them in Costings, Styles, and Orders.

Steps to resolve:

  1. Search for the style in Styles and the related order in Orders using the identifiers your customer provided.
  2. Ask your instance user to confirm the style and order are shared with your factory or agent assignment.
  3. See Supplier Portal › Styles or Supplier Portal › Orders if those search views are empty.
Why was I notified about a costing but cannot find it in the list?

Notifications can arrive before a share completes, or the costing may be filtered out of your current search view.

Steps to resolve:

  1. Click the notification in Activity to open the costing directly.
  2. Clear all search filters and click Refresh on the Costings search view.
  3. Confirm you are on the correct customer connection in Active Instance.
  4. If the record still does not open, ask your customer's instance user to verify the costing is shared with your supplier account.
Why does ETD on a costing not match dates on the linked order or style?

Costing, Style, and Order dates are maintained on separate records and are not automatically synchronised.

Steps to resolve:

  1. Treat ETD on the costing as the date your customer expects you to quote and plan against unless they direct otherwise.
  2. Ask your instance user which date set drives reporting if values differ across modules.
  3. See Dates across applications for detailed cross-module behaviour.