The estimating template still looks up last year’s supplier rates

The price list was updated but the quote was not

The business has revised its pricing after several poor jobs. A new supplier list is saved in the shared folder, yet the next estimate still produces the old material allowance. Before deciding the revised pricing has failed, trace how the estimating template obtains its rates. Having a current file available does not establish that the quote actually uses it.

Follow one item from source to output

Choose a product appearing in the proposed quote and find its supplier code, rate source and selected value. Ask the person responsible for the workbook or estimating system to demonstrate the connection. Distinguish a manually entered amount from a linked lookup. Preserve the original working file so the investigation does not quietly change a quotation already supplied to a customer.

Keep the cost basis supportable

Business.gov.au recommends considering material, labour and overhead costs when setting prices. That calculation depends on the figures actually used. Check the selected supplier rate against the intended source, including its date and unit. The general pricing guidance does not validate your software: a competent person still needs to examine the template's configuration and any manual overrides.

Source: business.gov.au: Choose a pricing strategy

Test a hypothetical stale connection

Imagine the current list shows a component at $46 while the estimate uses $40. The workbook points to an older tab that remained after the update. Increasing the selling markup would conceal the stale input rather than correct it. First establish which rate should apply to the purchase and repair the connection through the business's authorised process.

Check the reach of the problem

Identify which other product groups and recent draft estimates use the same source. Do not assume one corrected cell repairs every lookup, or automatically resend accepted quotes with higher totals. Have contractual consequences of issued prices assessed separately. Ask a second competent person to verify a small selection of outputs against their supporting rates before the revised template is used again.

Give the working template a clear owner

Record the approved source, version and person responsible for updates. Archive superseded copies so staff can identify the current working template while retaining historical evidence. Review a sample when a new supplier list arrives. A turnaround needs prices based on the intended costs, not a reassuring update notice while the estimating tool continues selecting figures from last year.