Understanding the Product Catalog, Collections, and Estimate Workflows
Three related features in RoofChief help you estimate projects efficiently: Product Catalog, Product Collections, and Estimate Workflow. Each serves a specific purpose in organizing your materials and streamlining your estimating process.
Product Catalog
The Product Catalog contains all your materials and labor items. You can find it in Settings > Products > Product Catalog. This is where you store everything you might need for any project. Products are organized in folders like CertainTeed, GAF, Gutters, or TPO to help you stay organized. You can use the search function to quickly find specific items. The catalog is also where you add new products and update existing ones. To edit a product, select it, click Edit, and update details like price, coverage, and where it applies.
Product Collections
Product Collections group specific materials from your catalog for different types of estimates. You can find them in Settings > Products > Product Collections. While your catalog contains everything, collections show only relevant products for specific job types. For example, a siding estimate collection wouldn't include roofing products, and a tile job collection might exclude shingle products. Collections make it easy to switch between different material options. You can quickly go from a GAF bid to a CertainTeed bid by changing collections.
Estimate Workflow
The Estimate Workflow controls what you see when creating estimates. You can find it in Settings > Estimates > Estimate Workflow. Workflows let you set up different project types like residential re-roof, inspection report, repair, siding, or gutters. For each workflow, you can control:
- Which product collections appear
- Which measurements are visible Different project types need different measurements. A siding job requires different measurements than a re-roof, so workflows ensure you see only what's relevant.
How They Work Together
When you create an estimate, you select your workflow (like residential re-roof), which shows your chosen product collections and measurements. This keeps your estimates organized and focused on the right materials. This three-step process ensures your new products appear in the right places when estimating.