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Hi, how is it going so far? Pretty exciting, isn’t it? In project management, you have created your first quotation. If not, I highly encourage you to go back and take that guide. I’ll be waiting for you, no worries.
Where were we... Quotations? Yes. You have probably used a default template from Rentman and it looked great already. We call them system templates. You now want to personalize this template.
If you get lost or stuck at some point in the process, please don't hesitate to ask our Support team for help in the bottom right corner of your screen. They will be happy to assist you.
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Editing a document template
How-to: Customize your document templates
1 - Go to the settings Configuration module, Customer communication and then Document templates. You must have already seen this list of templates. Find the one that you have used to generate the quotation earlier. As you cannot edit system templates, you need to file_copy Duplicate it first.
2 - The first thing to do when you duplicate a template is to rename it. Otherwise, things could get confusing.
You see that there is already data in the template as Rentman uses the quotation you have already generated as an example. However, there is no letterhead, just pure text. With a closer look, you realize that the template is made of different blocks.
3 - Take one of the blocks and move it around to change the position on the document.
It seems to be pretty responsive, this is great. You now want to make sure that the project’s information and schedule are always on the first page and the rest of the information on the other pages.
4 - Add a page break below the block Time schedule.
So far so good. You have a closer look at the information displayed and realize that in the block with all the information about the project, you would like to add the name of the account manager of the project. To do this, you will need to add a variable which is a piece of code that picks up information from a different field of the software. Do not worry, Rentman will add the code for you. You just need to select the information you want to add to your document.
5 - Edit the block. Insert a row to the table and the variable "Account manager". This will pull the name of the account manager from the project and show it on the document.
The variable will pull data directly from a project, piece of equipment, contact, etc. These data are then updated each time a document is generated using this document template. The variable “Date of the quotation” for example will vary depending on the document you are creating.
You may now realize that the digital signing button (we use DocuSign) at the end does not match the colors of your company.
6 - Select the digital signing button at the end of the template. [...]
You are now pretty satisfied with these first edits. As you do not want to lose everything you have done so far, it is now time to save your work.
Creating an email template
You now want to generate another quotation but with this template. You remember how you did in Project management - Level 1 so you can do it again. It’s generated; it looks amazing! Here comes the moment to send the quotation to your customer via email.
7 - Write a message but instead of using the name of the customer, use the variable Client > Name. Save this message as a template.
8 - Cancel the email and come back to it straight after. You will see the same screen but this time, when you click on apply template, the template that you have created shows up and can be used. Create as many templates as you want.
Remember, the variable will always adapt to the project.
If you’ve made it this far, that means you have completed Level 1 of Rentman Academy. Congratulations! If you missed one of the Level 1 modules or need a refresher, do not hesitate to go back. You will need this knowledge to survive Level 2. See you there!