Proposals
Proposals are pre-engagement documents you send to customers before starting a project. They capture the scope of work, fee arrangement, and terms — giving your client a clear picture of what you will deliver and what it will cost. Once a customer accepts a proposal, you can convert it directly into a project with a single click.
The proposals module provides a complete lifecycle from draft to acceptance (or decline), with summary metrics that help you track your pipeline and conversion rate.
Vertical terminology: Depending on your industry, proposals may be called Quotes (consulting firms) or Fee Estimates (accounting firms). HeyKazi supports terminology overrides so the platform speaks your language.
Key Concepts
Proposal Lifecycle
Every proposal moves through a lifecycle that tracks its progress from creation to outcome.
| Status | Badge | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Draft | Neutral | Newly created, not yet sent. All fields are editable. |
| Sent | Teal | Sent to a portal contact, awaiting response. |
| Accepted | Green | Customer accepted. Can be converted to a project. |
| Declined | Red | Customer declined. A decline reason may be recorded. |
| Expired | Amber | Expiry date passed without a response. |
Fee Models
When creating a proposal, you choose a fee model that describes how the engagement will be billed.
| Fee Model | Description |
|---|---|
| Fixed Fee | A set amount for the entire engagement — you specify the total fee and currency. |
| Hourly | Billed by the hour, with an optional rate note (for example, “R850/hr”). |
| Retainer | A recurring retainer amount with optional hours included per period. |
Proposal Numbers
Each proposal is assigned an auto-generated reference number (for example, PRO-001). This number is sequential and unique within your organisation, making it easy to reference proposals in communications and reports.
Creating a Proposal
Step 1 — Navigate to Proposals
Click Proposals in the left sidebar. If you have no proposals yet, you will see a summary dashboard with zeroed metrics.
Step 2 — Click New Proposal
Click the New Proposal button to open the proposal creation dialog.
Step 3 — Fill in the details
Complete the form fields:
- Title (required) — a clear name such as “Annual Audit Proposal” or “Tax Advisory — Acme Holdings”
- Customer (required) — select a customer from the searchable dropdown
- Fee Model (required) — choose Fixed Fee, Hourly, or Retainer, then fill in the associated fields (amount, currency, rate note, or hours included)
- Expiry Date (optional) — set a deadline for the customer to respond
Step 4 — Create the proposal
Click Create. The proposal is saved as a Draft and you are taken to the proposal detail page.
Sending a Proposal
Once your proposal is ready, send it to a customer portal contact so they can review and respond.
Step 1 — Open the proposal
Navigate to the proposal detail page from the proposals list.
Step 2 — Click Send Proposal
Click the Send Proposal button. A dialog appears asking you to select a portal contact from the customer’s configured contacts.
Step 3 — Select a contact and send
Choose the contact who should receive the proposal, then confirm. The proposal status moves to Sent.
Portal contacts must be configured on the customer record before you can send a proposal. If no contacts are available, set them up in the customer’s portal settings first.
Withdrawing a Proposal
If you need to retract a sent proposal, click Withdraw on the proposal detail page. This moves the proposal back to Draft status and prevents the customer from responding. You can then edit and resend it.
Editing Proposal Content
The proposal detail page includes a rich text editor for authoring the body of your proposal — scope of work, deliverables, assumptions, and any other detail your client needs. Use the editor to format text, add headings, and insert lists before sending.
If your organisation has configured proposal templates, you can link a template to pre-fill the content with standard sections and merge fields, saving time on repetitive engagements.
Converting to a Project
When a customer accepts a proposal, a Convert to Project action becomes available. Converting creates a new project linked to the customer, with the fee model carrying forward into the project setup. If a project template is linked to the proposal, the new project is pre-populated with the template’s tasks and structure.
The Proposals Dashboard
The proposals list page includes summary cards at the top:
- Total Proposals — count across all statuses
- Pending — sent and awaiting a response
- Accepted — accepted by the customer
- Conversion Rate — percentage that result in acceptance
A Needs Attention section highlights overdue or pending proposals that may require follow-up.
Tips and Best Practices
- Set expiry dates — deadlines encourage timely responses and keep your pipeline moving.
- Use descriptive titles — include the client name and engagement type so proposals are easy to find.
- Configure portal contacts first — ensure your customer has at least one portal contact before sending.
- Review before sending — once sent, the proposal is visible to the customer. Double-check the fee model and terms first.
- Convert promptly after acceptance — this keeps momentum going and links the agreed terms to the engagement.
Related Features
- Projects — convert accepted proposals into active projects
- Customers — link proposals to customer records
- Customer Portal — where customers view and respond to proposals
- Invoicing — generate invoices from project work after conversion
- Documents & Templates — generate proposal documents from templates