User Guide

Copyright © 2015 Electrika Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Tel: 0161 883 2650

E-mail: info@[Link]
Website: [Link]
 Contents List

Intro Quoting
Cover Creating, Saving, Opening
Welcome To Electrika Exporting Quotation Data
Running From A Network Quotation Manager
Transferring To Another PC Entering Project Details
Creating Your Own Customer List
Site Details Database
Tools Setting Your Rates
Using External Discount Files Creating Sections & Specials
Set External Discounts Using Headings Cut, Copy & Paste
Set External Discounts Using Groups Insert parts from Excel
Making Backups Quotation Sections List
Quote Repair Inserting Past Quotes
General Options Costing
Analysis
Printing - Sell Summary
Catalogues Printing - Design Header & Footer
Browsing A Catalogue Printing - Design Cover Page
Selecting A Manufacturer Printing - Cost Summary
Exporting Electrika data to PDF, Excel, Printing - Costing
CSV, Text Printing - Setup
Active Catalogue Number Search
Catalogue Number & Description Search Ordering
Viewing UK Wholesalers Pick List Entering Ordering Details
Adding To The Local Database Creating An Order
Wholesaler Discount Setup Inserting A Quote Into An Order
Using External Discount Files Insert Excel
Setting Up Install Times Order Print Options
Printing - Header & Footer
Printing - Cover Page
Local Database
Local Database Job Costing
Creating, Importing & Exporting
Job Costing

Create Kits
Create Kits
 Welcome!

The Electrika software contains what all users of electrical and

mechanical products have always wanted!

Powerful but easy to use estimating, ordering and job costing

software... computerised catalogues from leading
manufactures... and all for FREE courtesy of the manufactures.

To improve this service even more we need your active

involvement. Please tell us what new features or improvements
you would like to see in the software and which other
manufacture catalogues you would like to see on the service.

Buttons instead of menus!

We have made Electrika as intuitive and easy to use as possible

by providing a Tab structure that allows you to quickly switch
between any part of the program.

This design also gives you full visibility of all the features via the
buttons - nothing is hidden away.

The Benefits Of Using Electrika

Standardised Quotation Procedures Fast access to past contracts
All you staff will produce high quality If a new contract is similar to an old one,
quotations, and new staff can quickly then the old one can be recalled from
familiarise themselves with a standard disk and modified to produce a new
approach to estimating quotation very quickly

Faster quotations
Easy access to pricing and catalogue Information about all the material is
information for 1000’s of products stored in Electrika’s databases, and the
Using Electrika’s computerised computer does all the calculations, so
catalogues from leading manufactures quotations are produced in a much faster

More accurate quotations Collection of important contract data

By using pre-defined labour rates, and Clarifying all information with the client
the pricing information contained in the early on in the contract cycle reduces
databases, every quotation accurately misunderstandings and verifies
specifies material and labour costs. contractual obligations

Experimentation with different configurations

Electrika allows you to experiment with materials from different manufactures or to use different
labour rates, overheads and profit margins and immediately see the effect on price.
 Running From A Network
A. Setup Electrika on the Server

1. Run the Setup program on the server PC.

2. In the first box titled 'Default folder for all your local files' click the 'Browse' button to select the
location of the Electrika folder to be a shareable area on the Server e.g. 'Shared Documents' folder.
A folder called 'Electrika' will be created for all your settings and Local Database

3. In the second box titled 'Default folder for all your Read-Only files' click the 'Browse' button to
select the location of the ElectrikaCD folder to be a shareable area on the Server e.g. 'Shared
Documents' folder. A folder called 'ElectrikaCD' will be created for all the content that is updated e.g.
PDF files and product images

4. Click 'Yes' if you accept the terms of the Licence Agreement. Click the 'Run Install Program'
button to complete the setup. An Electrika Icon will be created on the desktop.

There are two ways of running Electrika on a network. Choose one of the methods below.

Method 1 - If you want users to share everything

Users share Manufacturers Database, Local Database, customer list, labour rates, discounts &
install times

B. Setup Electrika on each of the client PCs

1. Run Windows Explorer and find the Server PC on the network. On the Server PC open the
ElectrikaCD folder you created in Step A3. Click on the Setup folder under the ElectrikaCD folder.
Inside the Setup folder double-click the Setup file to run the Setup program.

2. On the Setup screen click the 'Browse' button in Step 1. Select 'Network Neighbourhood' or 'My
Network Places' and locate the Server PC. Select the location of the Electrika folder on the server
that you chose in Step A2. (Please note: select the location of the Electrika folder, not the Electrika
folder itself e.g. if the Electrika folder is located at 'Shared Documents\Electrika' you need to select
'Shared Documents' and the 'Electrika' part will be added for you).

3. Click 'Yes' if you accept the terms of the Licence Agreement. Click the 'Run Install Program'
button to complete the setup. An Electrika Icon will be created on the desktop.

Method 2 - If you want users to share only the Manufacturers Database

Each user has their own Local Database, customer list, labour rates, discounts & install times.
Quotes, Orders and Kits can be shared by using the same folders.

B. Setup Electrika on each of the client PCs

1. Run Windows Explorer and open the ElectrikaCD folder you created on the network Server in
Step A3. Click on the Setup folder under the ElectrikaCD folder. Inside the Setup folder double-click
the Setup file to run the Setup program.

2. The default location for the local Electrika folder is set to My Documents. If you want to use the
default location move on to Step 3. If you want to choose a different location click 'Browse' and
select a local location for the Electrika folder. (Please note: select the location of the Electrika folder,
not the Electrika folder itself e.g. if you want the Electrika folder to be located in 'My Documents' you
need to select 'My Documents' and the 'Electrika' part will be added for you).

3. Click 'Yes' if you accept the terms of the Licence Agreement. Click the 'Run Install Program'
button to complete the setup. An Electrika Icon will be created on the desktop.
 Transferring Your Files To Another PC
And Making Backups

Transferring Your Files To Another PC & Making Backups

To Backup or Transfer your Quotes, Kits, Local Databases and Job Costing files

These can be backed up by backing up the folders shown below. To transfer them to another PC just copy the files
from your current PC to the same folder on the destination PC.

By default your Quotes, Kits, Local Databases and Job Costing files are found in the following folders:

My Documents\Electrika\Quotes
My Documents\Electrika\Kits
My Documents\Electrika\Local Databases
My Documents\Electrika\Job Costing

Electrika will automatically select the last folder you used for Quotes and Kits, thereby allowing you to choose your
own default folders for these files, which may not correspond with the above.

To Backup or Transfer your Customer List, Supplier Discounts & Install Times, Suppliers List and Default Labour
Rates and Markups

Use the Backup options available in Electrika to create compressed WinZip backups of your data.

To view Backup options:

1. Click the Tools tab at the top
2. Click the Backups Tab

Every backup you create has the date and time added to the file name.

Use the Restore button to bring back any of the backups.

To transfer your data from one PC to another:

1. Create backups on the master PC and save them to a removable USB drive.
2. Put the USB drive in the destination PC
3. On the destination PC click the Restore button and locate the backups on the USB drive.
 Using External Discount Files
A great way for Wholesalers to easily set discounts for all their customers!

A great way for Electrical Contractors to have their discounts set up for them by their wholesalers!

Wholesalers can set the discounts they get from manufacturers and view net buy prices and markups. They can
also set the discounts they give to customers and e-mail the discounts file to a customer.

Why use External Discount Files?

A Wholesaler can quickly set up discounts for a customer and e-mail them a Discounts File. An Electrical
Contractor can open this file under the Catalogues tab and instantly use the discounts in their quotations,
orders and jobs.

This feature will save a great deal of time for both Wholesalers and Electrical Contractors!
Using Discount Files In 4 Easy Steps

Step 1 The Wholesaler sets the discounts

The Wholesaler must run Electrika and click the Tools tab, then the Discounts tab. You can then choose
whether to setup the Discounts using the Main and Sub Index headings or to use discount groups
provided by the manufacturers by clicking the appropriate button.

The Discounts Setup screen gives the Wholesaler the ability to quickly set discounts for all the products in
the Electrika database and save a unique file for every customer.

Step 2 Wholesaler e-mails file to Customer

To e-mail the Discounts File the Wholesaler must click the attachment button from their e-mail (usually
paper-clip icon) and browse to the Electrika\Discount Files or Electrika\Discount Files Groups folder
to locate and attach a discounts file.

The Electrika folder is usually either under My Documents or under Program Files.

Step 3 Customer gets Discounts File

When the customer receives the discounts file as an e-mail attachment it should be copied into the folder
Electrika\Discount Files if it is a .dis file or Electrika\Discount Files Groups if it is a .dgr file.

Step 4 Customer ticks Use Ext Disc option

The customer selects the Catalogues tab and ticks the box for Use Ext Disc. The Open buttons next to
the tick box can then be used to select and open one of the new discounts files.

In this way customers can quickly swap between their own discounts setup (by un-ticking the Use Ext
Disc box) or any number of external discount files.
 Setting Up External Discounts Using Main & Sub Index Headings
To display the Discounts Setup Screen:

Click the Tools tab, then the Discounts tab and the Setup
Discounts Using Main & Sub Index Headings button.

Step 4
Repeat steps 1-3 until you have
assigned discounts for all the
manufacturers products. Click the Step 2
Step 1 Select which group of
Browse the Electrika database Save button to save the discount
structure under a particular file name. items to apply the
to find the items you would like discounts. You can apply
to assign discounts to. You can then e-mail the discounts file
to a customer. the discounts to whole
You can select a Manufacturer, groups of items at a time
Main Index and Sub Index, or or to individual catalogue
search for a catalogue number numbers.

Step 3
Please note: Decide if you want to apply a Buy or Sell Discount,
When you save the discounts to a file only your Sell type in the discount and click an Apply button.
Discounts are saved. Your Buy discounts are never Note: Discounts are assigned by Catalogue Number,
saved in the external discount files. They are only so all items with the same Catalogue Number will
saved on your PC and only you can see them. have the same discount, even if they are in a
different group to that selected in Step 2.
 Setting Up External Discounts Using Manufacturer Discount Groups
To display the Discounts Setup Screen:

Click the Tools tab, then the Discounts tab and the Setup
Discounts Using Manufacturer Discount Groups button.

Step 3
Repeat steps 1-2 until you have
assigned discounts for all the
Step 1 Step 2 manufacturers products. Click the
Select a Manufacturer you Type in the Buy or Sell Save button to save the discount
would like to setup the discount for each structure under a particular file name.
discounts for. group of items. You can then e-mail the discounts file
to a customer.

Please note:
When you save the discounts to a file only your Sell
Discounts are saved. Your Buy discounts are never
saved in the external discount files. They are only
saved on your PC and only you can see them.
Making Backups

You can make backups

of your data by selecting
one of the options and
clicking Backup.

You can also restore

your data by selecting
one of the options and
clicking Restore.
 Quote Repair
If you have a problem with a quotation file click the Quote
Repair tab to view the procedures for fixing the errors.
General Options

Click here if you are running

Electrika on a Tablet and
need to hide the Toolbars for
extra screen area.
 Browsing A Catalogue

Selecting a manufacturer
Click on the manufacturer name or the button next to it to view the manufacturer selection window.

Manufacturer Catalogue layout

Where applicable up to three Trade prices may be shown. Trade1 is for quantities less than Qty2, Trade2 for
quantities between Qty2 and Qty3, and Trade3 for quantities greater than Qty3. For items without a split-pack
price only one Trade price is shown.

The Unit Hrs column shows a default install time for each item (not always provided), and the Status column
shows a D for discontinued items, which are displayed in purple.

See below for a full description of all the buttons available

View the manufacturer

selection window

View the Main & Sub

Index headings of the
manufacturer currently
selected

View the PDF documents

available for the current
manufacturer

Search the database for

a catalogue number or
description

Switch between
showing the data only or
data and product
images / PDF links.

View the current

manufacturer’s contact
details Allow you to set install times for any Allow you to set supplier discounts for any group
group of items of items

Displays a searchable
list of all UK wholesalers
Print the manufacturer data currently If the box is ticked you can use the drop down button
shown. You can select a range of to select an External Discounts File that has been
pages to print by clicking the Printer created for you by a Wholesaler. (See Using
Setup button on the Preview External Discount Files for more information about
View products in 3D (spanner on printer symbol) this feature)
If the box is un-ticked your own discounts setup is
used.

Add the highlighted item All the text information will be printed
to the active Quote, on a single page, together with the Export the manufacturer data into
Order, Kit or Local item description, info line product PDF/ Excel / CSV / Text format
Database image.
 Selecting A Manufacturer

As you click on a manufacturer's button the Main Index headings for their catalogue
appear on the right hand side. You can select a manufacturer by double clicking on a
manufacturer's button, or by double clicking on a Main Index heading.

The manufacturers contact details and web site link appear under the Main Headings.
Clicking on the web site link will automatically launch your web browser.

Click a tab to choose between

electrical manufactures or As you click on a
Price Update. Click “More manufacturer's button the
Manufactures” to request a Main Index headings for
new manufacturer their catalogue appear here

You can select a

manufacturer by double The manufacturers contact
clicking on a manufacturer's details and web link appear
button, or by double clicking here. Click the web link to
on a Main Index heading launch your web browser.
Scroll down for postal address
 Exporting Electrika data to PDF, Excel, CSV, Text
T

1 Select an export format. Important Note About The Excel Export

Available options are:
PDF, SYLK(Excel), CSV or Text To export to Excel you must export the file
as SYLK format. These files end with .SLK
and can be opened by Excel. After opening
2 Click the Export button the file in Excel click ‘Save’ and select ‘No’
when prompted ‘do you wish to retain the
original file format’. The file will then be
Select where to save the file. saved as standard Excel format (.XLS).
3
The default location for exported
files is ‘\Electrika\Exported Files’

After the file is exported you

are asked if you would like to
open the file. This will launch
the default program for each
file type e.g. Acrobat Reader
for PDF, Excel for SYLK
Active Catalogue
Number Search

As you start typing a

catalogue number in the
entry box Electrika starts
to search all the
manufacturers' data and
displays the item with the
nearest match

Choose to add the selected item Click here to locate an item in the
directly into your Quote, Order or Manufacturers Catalogue, where
Kit by clicking here. Double a picture and further technical
clicking on the highlighted item details may be available
will insert it into the section that
has been highlighted in yellow.
 Catalogue
Key WordNumber &
Search
Description Search

Type in parts of a description or a catalogue number.

These will be searched for in the Cat Number, Description,
Main Index and Sub Index. Click here to locate an item in the
Manufacturers Catalogue, where a
Use an abbreviated form to get the most matches picture and further technical details
e.g. CONS will find more matches than CONSUMER UNIT may be available

Click here to locate a Click here to locate a

Main Heading in the Sub Heading in the
Manufacturers Catalogue Manufacturers Catalogue
Choose to add the selected item
directly into your Quote, Order
or Kit by clicking here. Double
clicking on the highlighted item
will insert it into the section that
has been highlighted in yellow.
 Viewing UK
Wholesalers Pick List

Type your postcode here

to find your nearest
distributor

The details of a distributor

can be copied across to
your own Suppliers List by
clicking here

Click here to view your

suppliers list.

As each distributor in the

list is highlighted, their full
details are displayed here
 Adding an item to the
local database
You can add an item directly in to your local database from the catalogues tab.
Click on the + Loc button, then select the Main/Sub index you wish to add it too.

You can either insert the item into your local database with the Main & Sub index from the
manufacturers entry, or alternativley you can pick a section from one already created.
 Setting Up Wholesaler
Discounts
Highlight an item under the Catalogues tab for which you wish to set up discounts and click the % button to
display the discounts setup window.

The supplier discounts are linked to the Manufacturer & Cat Number. Please note items with the same Cat
Number will get the same discount even if they are not in the selected groups.

The right window displays all your suppliers and their details, such as contact name, address, telephone, fax
etc. Some examples have been entered which you can customise. This list is in alphabetical order according
to Abbrev. As you move to the right the screen scrolls to show more information. New suppliers are
automatically moved to their correct alphabetical position according to abbreviation.

This is your list of Wholsalers

(suppliers). Examples are initially
Step 1 provided and you should delete / add /
Choose a supplier from your edit the list so it contains all your
suppliers list to copy to discounts list suppliers details, such as contact name,
address, telephone, fax etc. All columns

Step 2
Assign a discount to
each of the suppliers in
the discount list. Double-
click on one or click the Click here to add
Set As Default Discount a new supplier
button to set it as default
(shown in red)

Step 3
Choose how you wish to
apply the discounts by
selecting one of the
options Step 4
Click the Apply button

When you exit this window move to other

Main and Sub Index sections of the
catalogue and click the % button to set up
the discounts in other sections
 Using External Discount Files
A great way for Wholesalers to easily set discounts for all their customers!

A great way for Electrical Contractors to have their discounts set up for them by their wholesalers!

Wholesalers can set the discounts they get from manufacturers and view net buy prices and markups. They can also
set the discounts they give to customers and e-mail the discounts file to a customer.

Why use External Discount Files?

A Wholesaler can quickly set up discounts for a customer and e-mail them a Discounts File. An Electrical
Contractor can open this file under the Catalogues tab and instantly use the discounts in their quotations, orders
and jobs.

This feature will save a great deal of time for both Wholesalers and Electrical Contractors!

Using Discount Files In 4 Easy Steps

Step 1 The Wholesaler sets the discounts

The Wholesaler must run Electrika and click the Tools tab, then the Discounts tab and the
Discounts Setup for Wholesalers button.

The Discounts Setup screen gives the Wholesaler the ability to quickly set discounts for all the
products in the Electrika database and save a unique file for every customer.

Step 2 Wholesaler e-mails file to Customer

To e-mail the Discounts File the Wholesaler must click the attachment button from their e-mail
(usually paper-clip icon) and browse to the Electrika\Discount Files folder to locate and attach the
discounts file.

The Electrika folder is usually either under My Documents or under Program Files.

Step 3 Customer gets Discounts File

When the customer receives the discounts file as an e-mail attachment it should be copied into the
folder: Electrika\Discount Files

Step 4 Customer ticks Use Ext Disc option

The customer selects the Catalogues tab and ticks the box for Use Ext Disc. The drop-down list
next to the tick box can then be used to select and open the new discounts file.

In this way customers can quickly swap between their own discounts setup (by un-ticking the Use
Ext Disc box) or any number of external discount files.
 Setting Up Install Times

For some items you may wish to enter a whole set of install options to show the different install times for
the different conditions in which the item is being installed e.g. on brick, wood, plaster etc. Electrika allows
you to enter up to 5 of your own install times for every item.

Using the arrow keys highlight the item for which you wish to set up install options and click on the Clock
button. The first two entries are reserved and cannot be edited.

Step 1 Step 2
Type in a heading or Type in a heading or Step 3
choose one from the choose one from the Position the highlight
drop down list. drop down list. under the Minutes or
Hours column and enter
the time it takes to install
each unit of the item.

Step 4
Repeat steps
1-3 for rows 2-
5 to create the
other install
options.
When you click here
your set-up will be
stored and the default
time will appear next
time you use the item

Step 5
Choose how you wish
to apply the Install Time
by selecting one of the
options and then click
the Apply button
 Creating Your Own
Local Database
The Local Database is very useful for adding your Adding new parts and Main & Sub Index sections
specials and other items that may not be available in
the Manufacturer catalogues provided on the DVD. To add a new item you can either click the +Blank button to add to an existing
The data is stored locally on your hard disk and is not section or click the Index button and create a new main and sub index.
affected when an updated DVD is issued. To add a new main index click the Insert Main Index button, a new main & sub
index will appear in the highlighted location. The headings can be typed over
Re-positioning items in the Local Database and re-positioned anywhere in the column by using the Up & Down Arrow
Use the Up Arrow and Down Arrow buttons to move keys. To delete a heading click the Delete button.
an item within the Local Database.

Browsing the Local Database Index

You can find your way around the Local Database by
clicking on the Index Button.

Changing Main and Sub Index headings

Click on the Index Button and click on the Main or
Sub Index heading you wish to change and type over.

Catalogue Number Search

Click on the Binoculars button, type in the Catalogue
Number you wish to search for and click OK

Setting up Supplier Discounts

Supplier discounts are assigned by clicking on the
Discounts % button in the same way as they are in the
Manufacturers Catalogues, according to Cat Number.

Setting up Installation times

Installation times are assigned by clicking on the Unit
Hrs button, in the same way as they are in the
Manufacturers Catalogues.

Import data from Excel - See next page for full guide.

Summary Of Keys For Selecting Items

To select items one at a time hold down the Control key and click an Click here to import an Excel file into your Local
item Database. Put the column headings on the first row and
arrange the columns in the order: Manufacturer, Cat
To select a group of items select one first, then hold down the shift key Number, Description, Unit, Trade Price.
and click another
Click here to rebuild the Index & Heading
To select all items click the top left hand corner of the grid structure of the Local Database.
To unselect all items click anywhere on the grid without pressing
Control or Shift

To export your local

To insert a blank item into
database select an export
your database click here.
format here and click the
Export button.
To paste the items
which have been either
cut or copied from a
section click here

Click here to copy the

marked items
To make an exact copy of
an existing item click here.
To delete the marked items To cut the marked items
click here. If no items are click here. You can insert
marked the highlighted into the current section
item will be deleted or into another section
Creating your Local Database,
Importing & Exporting

Click here to save the To export your Local

current Local Database Database select an export
with a different name format here and click the
Click here to Export button.
save the current
Click here to open an Local Database Important Note About The Excel Export
existing Local Database
which will display the To print the active Local To export to Excel you must export the file
Database click here as SYLK format. These files end with .SLK
standard Open Dialogue and can be opened by Excel. After opening
window the file in Excel click ‘Save’ and select ‘No’
when prompted ‘do you wish to retain the
original file format’. The file will then be
saved as standard Excel format (.XLS).

Click here to create a new

blank Local Database

Importing Excel data into Electrika

Prepare your Excel file ready to import Run Electrika and click the ‘Local Data’ tab at the
1 3
Make sure the first line contains the column headings. top & click the ‘Import Excel’ button
The columns must be arranged in the following order:
Manuf, Cat Number, Description, Unit and Trade Price.

Highlight your file. You

4 should see a preview in
the lower window. Check
that each column is
displayed in the correct
place. If the layout is OK
click the ‘Import all items’
2 Copy your Excel file into your ‘My Documents’ folder button.
 Creating Kits

A Kit consists of items that you wish to group together, and can even consist of a complete project which represents a
typical installation. There is no limit to the number of Kits you can create or the number of items you can add to a Kit.

The Catalogue Number, Description and Quantity of each item is stored in the Kit. When you come to putting the
Kit into a quotation section each item is located from the Catalogues and the relevant price, install time and supplier
discount are searched for and assigned. The latest price, discount and install time are therefore used regardless of
when the Kit was created

Creating a new Kit

To create a new blank Kit click on the New button. You can add items from a Catalogue to a Kit in exactly the same way
as you would build up a quotation section. You can even save a quotation section as a Kit - see Dividing A Quotation
Into Sections for more information.

To open an old Kit

click here
To save the current
Kit with a different To print the current To locate the
To create a new blank To save the current kit highlighted item within
name click here Kit click here
Kit click here click here the manufacture’s
catalogue click here

To add an item from a

catalogue click here.

Click here to display the

Catalogue Number
Search window

If you know the Catalogue Number

of an item you can create a new
blank entry at the end of the list and
type the catalogue number in here
and it will automatically be found
 Creating, Saving, Opening & Printing Quotes
The buttons of the Main Toolbar at the top of the screen are described below.

Click here to create a Click here to open an Click here to view your
existing Quotation which quotes in the Quotation Click here to save the
new blank Quotation Click here to save the
will display the standard Manager current Quotation with a
current Quotation
Open Dialogue window different name

To print the active quote

or to export as a PDF
File click here
 Exporting Quotation Data

To export a quotation: click the Quoting tab, open a quote file and click the Analysis tab. You
will see the Export buttons on the right hand side of the toolbar.

1 Select an export format. 2 Click the Export button

Available options are:
HTML, SYLK(Excel), CSV or Text

Select where to save the file. Important Note About The Excel Export
3 The default location for exported
files is ‘\Electrika\Exported Files’ To export to Excel you must export the file
as SYLK format. These files end with .SLK
After the file is exported you and can be opened by Excel. After opening
are asked if you would like to the file in Excel click ‘Save’ and select ‘No’
open the file. This will launch when prompted ‘do you wish to retain the
the default program for each original file format’. The file will then be
file type e.g. Internet Explorer saved as standard Excel format (.XLS).
for HTML, Excel for SYLK
 Quotation Manager
The Quotation Manager tab displays details of all the quotes
in the quotes folder and lets you sort them by Date,
Estimator, Customer etc.

To open the highlighted quote click here To delete a quote

or double-click one of the files (send it to the recycle To change the location of the
bin) click here quotes folder click here

To view a preview of the Click here to Export all the data

highlighted quote click the Click here to reset the quotes folder to
in the Quote Manager the Electrika default folder
preview button here

You can sort the column

alphabetically by clicking the
title at the top

You can preview the different

sections from a quote before you
open it by selecting from the tabs
above.
 Entering Project Details

This is usually the first step in every quotation. Fill in general project and client details. Use the text box at the
bottom of the screen to write useful notes. A built-in database is included for storing all your customers details.

Clicking on the arrows of The £ Tender and Date

The Status has a the Date Received and Created are entered for
Click here to access the choice of options Date Due entries a useful you and cannot be
Customer List which can be selected calendar will pop up from edited
by clicking here which you can select a date

Click here to access

your Sites List

Click here to create/view

the list of customers the
quote will be sent to.

Click here to add the

details shown to the The notes box can be used to
Customer Database enter any details about the
project. As you enter more text
the notes window scrolls to allow
you to type in more information
 Creating Your Own
Customer Database
You can add all your customer to the built-in database,
allowing you to instantly enter their details into a quote.

To import or export a To build up a multiple

Click here to repair You can add a customer list from list of customers to
the list if it seems new entry by Excel click here. This send your Quote to
to be corrupt clicking here will take you to the click here.
screen shown below

You can delete

a customer by
clicking here

The Customer Name and To search through your customer

Contact are shown here list type the company name here

The notes box can be

used to enter any details
about your customer. As
you enter more text the
notes window scrolls to
allow you to type in
more information

Click here to choose the

Excel file to import from

To import all the contacts

from the selected
customer list click here

Click here to import only

the highlighted contacts
from the selected
customer list
 Creating Your Own
Site Details Database
You can add all your Site details to the built-in database, allowing
you to instantly enter their details into a quote.

To import or export a site

Click here to repair You can add a To copy the list from Excel click here.
the list if it seems new entry by selected site to your This will take you to the
to be corrupt clicking here quote click here. screen shown below

You can delete

a site by
clicking here

The Site Name and To search through your site list

Contact are shown here type the site name here

The notes box can be

used to enter any details
about your site list. As
you enter more text the
notes window scrolls to
allow you to type in
more information

Click here to choose the

Excel file to import from

To import all the sites

from the selected site list
click here

Click here to import only

the highlighted sites from
the selected site list
 Setting Your
Rates

You can define up to 26 labour rates labelled A to Z. Each labour rate can have a description under the Labour
Type column, and you can specify the rate under the £/Hour column.

When you initially run Electrika you will see that the first labour rates A to F have been defined for you as
examples. You can change a labour rate at any time during a quotation and Electrika will automatically update
all items with the new rate and re-do all calculations.

When you define the labour rates that you use most often click the Save As Default button to save them as
Electrika defaults. If you change the labour rates but do not save them as Electrika defaults they will only be
used for that quotation.

Note: the Main Contractors Discount is allocated evenly across all the items in the Oth£/Unit column in
Analysis under Schedule of Rates. Any change to this value therefore affects the Unit Sell and Total Sell
values of all the items in the quotation.

You can define up to 26

labour rates labelled A to
Z You can specify the rate
under the £/Hour column

The Main Contractors

Discount is defined as a
percentage of the
Tender Sell price, which
is automatically re-
calculated

You can decide whether

to display quantities as
whole numbers or to two
decimal places
When you define the
settings that you use
most often click here to
save them as Electrika
defaults
 Creating Sections &
Adding Specials
Dividing a quote into sections
A quotation is normally divided into sections (Main Distribution, Lighting, Heating, Testing etc). The name of the active quotation
section is displayed on the top left corner. When you start a new quotation a blank section is created for your called ‘Untitled
Quotation Section’. Click either on the quotation name or on the down arrow next to it to display the Quotation Sections window
(see next page for details) where you can add more sections or change the name of a section.

Typing in the catalogue number of an item directly

If you know the Catalogue Number of an item you can type it in and Electrika will automatically do a search for you. First add a
blank item to the quotation section by going to the last entry in the quotation section and pressing <Down Arrow> on your
keyboard. Type in a Catalogue Number in the Cat Number column. The Manufacturers and Local Database will be searched
and if an exact match is found the item is copied into the quotation and you are taken to the Qty column. If an exact match is not
found you are taken to the Catalogue Number Search window where Electrika has located the nearest match.

Adding your own specials

You can add Specials by clicking the Specials button on the toolbar or by typing S under the S column of a new blank item. When
an items is a Special you can change all the columns of the item. You can also edit the details of an item that has been brought in
from a manufacturers Catalogue by typing S under the S column to make it into a special. Labels or headings can also be added
as specials.

Other ways to add items to a quotation

From the Catalogues tab by double-clicking on an item or clicking the +Q button
From the Catalogue Number Search window (displayed by clicking the binoculars button)
From Kits
From other Quotations by clicking the Insert Quo button

Click either the section

name or down arrow to
display the Quotation
Sections window

Insert items or sections

from a previous quote

Click the Insert Kit button

to display a list of all Kit
files

Click the Insert Excel

button to insert parts from
an Excel file

To pick items from the

manufacturer catalogue
click here

To pick items from your

local database click here

Click here to display the

Catalogue Number
Search window

To locate the highlighted

item within the
manufacture’s catalogue
click here

If you select Price

Based On Quantity
then Trade1 will be
used for quantities less than Click here to add the highlighted Click here to check trade
Qty2, Trade2 for quantities To add a Special item with your
item to your local database prices against the latest
between Qty2 and Qty3, and own description and price click here
manufacturers & local
Trade3 for quantities greater than database.
Qty3. If you select Lowest Price You can copy a supplier discount% Items not found and not
then the lowest price will be used The order of items in the quotation or supplier name to all items in a updated are shown with a
out of Trade1, Trade2 and section can be changed by clicking quotation section by clicking the grey background.
Trade3 regardless of quantity on the Up and Down arrow buttons Copy% button
 Cut, Copy & Paste

To delete the marked items To cut the marked items To paste the items which
click here. If no items are click here. You can insert have been either cut or
marked the highlighted item into the current section or Click here to copy the copied from a section
will be deleted into another section marked items click here

Summary Of Keys For Selecting Items

To select items one at a time hold down the Control key and click an item

To select a group of items select one first, then hold down the shift key and click another item

To select all items click the top left hand corner of the grid

To unselect all items click anywhere on the grid without pressing Control or Shift
Insert parts from Excel

Insert Excel feature - you can create a list of part numbers and quantities in Excel. You can choose whether to
match up the latest descriptions and prices from the Electrika database or import all parts as Specials exactly as they
appear in the spreadsheet.

This feature is useful for creating parts lists in Excel that are priced up in Electrika, or for importing a bill of materials
from another application.

Choose between
matching the parts in
the Electrika database
Select the Excel file list you or importing all the
wish to import from here items as specials

Click here to insert all

the items from your
Excel file

Click here to insert only

highlighted items from
your Excel file

To search through your part list

type the catalogue number here
Quotation Sections List

Dividing a quote into sections

A quotation is normally divided into sections (Main Distribution, Lighting, Heating, Testing etc). The name of the
active quotation section is displayed on the top left corner. When you start a new quotation a blank section is
created for your called ‘Untitled Quotation Section’. Click either on the quotation name or on the down arrow next
to it to display the Quotation Sections window where you can add more sections or change the name of a
section.

From here you can also create Kits from the sections or add sections to an Order

Hint: Start each section name with a 3 digit number eg 001, 002, 003 etc. This will allow you to re-position
the sections by changing the prefix.

Click here to save a

Click here to copy section as a Kit,
To insert a new blank the section you are allowing you to import
section click here currently highlighting it into other sections
Insert Parts of Another Quote
Into Your Current Quote

Choose how to sort

your selected quote by
Step 1
clicking one of the tabs
Select the quote you
wish to insert from

Step 2
Select whether to insert
highlighted section or
all the sections.
 Costing

The costing screen is split into two windows. The upper window always displays the price build-up, and the lower
window changes according to which item is highlighted in the upper window as follows:

This window always

1
displays the price build-up

Material Cost
3
The lower window shows the

1 The Main Contractors

4
material build-up automatically
sectioned according to the Product Discount can be changed
Group (Main Index) that each item 5
under under the settings tab
belongs [Link] item belongs to. 6
This window changes
according to which item is
highlighted in the upper
window

Labour Cost
The lower window shows the number of hours and cost
for each labour type. You can alter the text and adjust
the £/Hour for each labour type. Changes made here
will also be shown when the Labour Tab is selected. All
prices will automatically be re-calculate and all the
items in your quotation which use an adjusted rate will
2 be updated

Preliminaries
You can remove items from the default list by pressing
<Del> or add your own items by going to the last entry
and pressing <Down Arrow>. There is no limit to the
number of entries. For each entry you can type in the
Qty and Unit £, and Total £ is automatically calculated.
The totals in the upper window are also re-calculated.
3 You can click on the Save As Default button to save
the settings as Electrika defaults (only the text will be
saved with a default quantity of 1)

Extras
Extras can be added and removed in exactly the same

4 way as the Preliminaries

Tender Sell
The lower window shows a totals summary, with each
5 total shown both as a percentage of sell and as a
percentage of cost.

Provisional Sums
These can be added and removed in exactly the same
way as the Preliminaries. The Provisional Sums total
6 is shown separate to the Tender Sell price
 Analysis -
Creating A Schedule Of Rates
This powerful feature brings together all the items from all the quotation sections into just one list, with
headings automatically inserted.

When this button is clicked the When the Cost Summary button
columns relevant to the sell is clicked the columns relevant to
price build-up are displayed. the cost build-up are displayed Click here to view only section names
The only adjustable columns (which are the same as those and sub-totals
are Material Overhead %, shown under the Quotation Tab).
Material Profit %, Labour This is for viewing purposes only, Click here to assign the highlighted
Overhead %, Labour Profit therefore none of these columns margin to a group of items
% and Quantity can be edited

Click here to select one of the

available sort options:
1. Quotation Section
2. Source. This is the S column,
which represents the source of the
item. A C indicates that the item Click here to create a Bill Of Material.
came from a Catalogue, an L This brings together all the parts in
means it came from the Local the quote into a single list and
Database and an S means it was combines the quantity of all
typed in as a special. catalogue numbers, eg if you have 5
3. Catalogue Number of K2737WHI in section 1 and 5 in
section 2 it will show a quantity of 10.

Important information about the price calculations

1. The Tender Sell price under Costing may differ slightly from that under Analysis and on the Sell Summary printouts. This can be due to 2 reasons:

(a) Prelims, Extras and MCD are spread equally across all the items and the difference may occur due to the adding together of individual values which have been rounded off
to 2 decimal places.

(b) If decimal quantities are used. This is due to rounding off which occurs when the Quantity is multiplied by the Unit Rate.

If Prelims, Extras and MCD are all zero and the quantities used are all integers there will always be an exact match between the selling price under Costing that under
Analysis and on the Sell Summary printouts.

2. On the Labour Cost selection under Costing the £/Hour multiplied by Total Hrs may not be exactly equal to what is under the Cost £ column. This is because the total
labour cost is calculated by adding together the labour cost calculated for each individual item and rounded off to 2 decimal places.

3. Changing the quantity in analysis can bring about a slight change to the selling price of all the items. This is because Prelims, Extras and MCD are spread equally across all
the items in the Oth£ Unit column, which gets re-calculated every time the quantity changes. If Prelims, Extras and MCD are all zero then changing the quantity will only
change the selling price of the highlighted item, and will have no effect on the other items.

4. Maximum limits have been assigned to many of the column entries to reduce the risk of calculation overflow, which should never occur under normal use. However, if
calculation overflow does occur you are advised to double check all calculations.
 Printing
Sell Summary

Step 2
Step 1 Choose if you want a Header,
Click here to edit the sell Footer or Cover Page. These
summary heading. Click the can be created through the
‘Save As Default’ button if Header/Footer & Cover page
you want it to be the default tabs. You can also choose the
heading for all your quotes. sort order for the items.

You can also specify whether

you want to print the cover page
and / or the Project Details

Step 3
Choose what to print
here. For each option
you can choose a button
for printing, previewing
or exporting as a PDF
document
 Printing
Design Header / Footer

Step 1
Insert Your company
logo here by clicking the
open logo file button and
selecting your image.

Step 2
Edit your company details
here. Your office address
and contact details are
stored as a file, so you
can store as many
different versions as you
wish, and easily switch
between them.

You can use the Editor to

change font type, size,
colour or modify paragraphs

Step 3
Your Footer text can be
edited here
 Printing
Design Cover Page

Step 1 Step 2
Click here to edit the cover page heading. Select if you want to include
the header & footer

You can use the Editor to

change font type, size,
colour or modify paragraphs

Step 3
You can edit the main body of
the cover page here. You can
also open old text files or save
the current one by clicking the
appropriate button

Step 4
Print or preview the cover
page by clicking one of
these buttons
 Printing
Cost Summary

Step 2
Choose between the
different sort options of
the cost summary here
Step 1
Edit the heading for the cost
summary page by typing
here. Click the ‘Save As
Default’ button if you want it
to be the default heading for
all your quotes.

Step 3
Choose between printing
or previewing an
abbreviated or a full
layout of your cost
summary
 Printing
Costing

Print / preview the project

information or create a
PDF file from here

Print or preview the

various options for the
costing page here
Printing
Setup

Print in monochrome or
colour by choosing
between these options

Adjust the print margins for

the cost/sell summary here
 Entering Ordering Details

This is usually the first step in every order. Fill in general Supplier and Delivery details. Use the text box at the
bottom of the screen to write useful notes. Built-in databases store all your details regarding suppliers,
customers and sites.

Click here to access the

Customers list

Click here to access the

Sites list

Click here to add the

details shown to the
Customers or Sites list

Click here to add the Clicking on the arrows of

details shown to the the Order Date and
Suppliers list Payment Due Date entries
and useful calendar will pop
up from which you can
select a date

The notes box can be used to enter any

details about the order. As you enter more
text the notes window scrolls to allow you to
type in more information
 Creating An Order
Typing in the catalogue number of an item directly
If you know the Catalogue Number of an item you can type it in and Electrika will automatically do a
search for you. First add a blank item to the order by going to the last entry and pressing the <Down
Arrow> key on your keyboard. Type in a Catalogue Number in the Cat Number column. The
Manufacturers and Local Database will be searched and if an exact match is found the item is copied into
the order and you are taken to the Qty column. If an exact match is not found you are taken to the
Catalogue Number Search window where Electrika has located the nearest match.

Adding your own specials

You can add your own Specials by typing S under the S column of a new blank item, allowing you to
change all the columns of the item. You can also edit the details of an item that has been brought in from
a manufacturers Catalogue by typing S under the S column to make it into a special. Labels or headings
can also be added as specials.

Other ways to add items to an order

From an existing quote (see next page for full details)

Click the Catalogues button to bring up the Catalogues Browse window. You can add an item to an order
by double-clicking on an item or clicking the +Ord button

Click the Local Data button to bring up the Local Database Browse window. You can add an item to an
order by double-clicking on an item or clicking the +Ord button

From the Catalogue Number Search window (displayed by clicking the binoculars button)

From Kits

Click the Insert To open the manufacturer To open the Local Database To search for a catalogue
Click here to insert a
Excel button to catalogue window click here window click here number click here
past kit in to your order
insert parts from
Click here to insert an Excel file
a past quote in to
your order
To export your Order select
an export format here and
click the Export button.
To move items up
and down click
here.
Click here to check trade prices
To increase the
against the latest manufacturers
number of places to
& local database.
move the item in
Items not found and not updated
your order click here
are shown with a grey
background.
To add the
highlighted item
into your local
database click here

The total value of your

order (Excl Carriage &
Vat) is displayed here
 Inserting An Electrika Quote
Into An Order

A previous Quote can be inserted into your order by clicking on the button

You can enter items

only from a specific
Manufacturer by
Select the quote you
clicking here.
wish to insert from
To view items by Supplier To view items by Product
click here Group click here

Click here to insert a

section from the selected
quote into your order

To view all the items in

your quote click here.
You can double-click on
any item to insert into
you order.

Select whether to insert

highlighted section or
all the sections.
Insert parts from Excel

Insert Excel feature - you can create a list of part numbers and quantities in Excel. You can choose whether to
match up the latest descriptions and prices from the Electrika database or import all parts as Specials exactly as they
appear in the spreadsheet.

This feature is useful for creating parts lists in Excel that are priced up in Electrika, or for importing a bill of materials
from another application.

Choose between
Select the Excel file list you matching the parts in
wish to import from here the Electrika database
or importing all the
items as specials

Click here to insert all

the items from your
Excel file

Click here to insert only

highlighted items from
your Excel file

To search through your part list

type the catalogue number here
 Print / PDF Options
For Orders

Step 2
Choose if you want a Header, Footer
or Cover Page. These can be created
through the Header/Footer & Cover
page tabs. If you want to print on letter
Step 1 headed paper make sure the
You can also choose whether to Include header option is un-ticked
Click here to edit the Order display the carriage and Vat, and to
heading. and adjust your margins here
enter a value for carriage

Step 3
Choose how to view your
order here. You can choose
between printing, previewing
or to export as an acrobat file.
 Print Options
Design Header / Footer

Insert Your company

logo here by clicking the Edit your company details
open logo file button and here. Your office address
selecting your image. and contact details are
stored as a file, so you can
store as many different
versions as you wish, and
easily switch between them.

You can use the Editor to

change font type, size,
colour or modify paragraphs

Your Footer text can be

edited here
 Print Options
Cover Page

Click here to edit the

cover page heading.

Select if you want to include

the header & footer

You can use the Editor to

change font type, size,
colour or modify
paragraphs

You can edit the main

body of the cover page
here. You can also open
old text files or save the
current one by clicking
the appropriate button

Print or preview the cover

page by clicking one of
these buttons
 Job Costing

Click here to open an

existing Job File which Click here to save the To add a new entry line To export the active
will display the standard current Job file into your Job click here. Job file click here
Open Dialogue window

To filter the selected

field click here To remove the filter from
your Job click here
Click here to create a new
blank Job file

To insert items or whole

sections from previous
quotes click here Use the buttons on this
toolbar to search for
material to add to the
Job