In Productive, setting up rate cards serves as a cornerstone for efficient pricing strategies, simplifying deal and budget creation by providing predefined service rates.
With the flexibility to create default rate cards for your company and client-specific rate cards, managing pricing information becomes streamlined and accessible.
While setting up rate cards manually offers control and customization, importing rate cards from CSV files can further enhance efficiency and accuracy.
A practical use case involves downloading existing rate cards from Reports, editing the CSV file to fully adjust rate card information in one go, and then importing the updated rate cards back into Productive.
How to Import Rate Cards
To get started, download and fill out the "Rate cards" CSV template with your data:
Navigate to Settings > Data import.
Select "Download .csv templates" and download the "Rates" CSV template.
The file you download will contain the following columns:
Name | Enter the name of the individual service. |
Company | The name of the client company. Fill in this field if you want to create a client-specific rate card, otherwise, if left blank, the rate card will be saved as your default one. |
Rate Card | Enter the rate card name. If a rate card with the same name already exists, the CSV services will be added to it. |
Unit | Input the desired tracking unit for the service; hour, day or piece. |
Quantity | Specify the number of hours, days, or pieces associated with the service. |
Rate | Specify the price for one hour, day, or piece. |
Currency | Enter the currency information using international currency codes (e.g., USD, EUR, CAD, NZD, and AUD). |
Service Type | Specify the service type to which the service belongs. |
Billing Type | Choose between inputting Time and materials (Actuals is also a valid input), Fixed, and Non-billable based on your tracking and billing preference. |
Booking Tracking Enabled | Add "Yes" if you want to enable the option to schedule people for this service in Resourcing. Otherwise, leave the field blank or type "No". |
Expense Tracking Enabled | Add "Yes" if you want to enable the option to track and input expenses for this service. Otherwise, leave the field blank or type "No". |
Time Tracking Enabled | Add "Yes" if you want to enable the option to track time for this service. Otherwise, leave the field blank or type "No". |
Markup | Optionally, add a percentage for the service markup. You can enter the number with or without "%". |
Discount | Optionally, add a percentage for the service discount. You can enter the number with or without "%". |
Uploading the Template and Fixing Errors
After completing the template, upload it:
1. Drag and drop the filled template into the upload box or manually upload it.
2. Productive will automatically check for errors. Any identified errors will be marked with a warning symbol (⚠️), which you can hover over to pinpoint specific problem areas.
3. You can edit data directly within the import popup to fix errors without saving and re-uploading the CSV file.
After making edits, select "Check for errors" to ensure a smooth import process.
Completing the Import
Once all errors have been resolved, proceed with the import by clicking "Proceed to import" and then "Import" on the subsequent screen.
After successful upload, review and further tweak the imported data in
Useful Tips
Do not delete or remove any columns from the CSV file template. If certain fields are not applicable, simply leave those columns empty without deleting them. Maintaining the integrity of the template structure ensures smooth data import processes!
Take advantage of the inline editing feature to fix any errors in the imported file efficiently.
Use Case: Refreshing Rate Card Information Using the CSV Import
As the end of the year approaches and you prepare for the upcoming year, updating rate cards for the next year becomes essential. With CSV imports, you can easily refresh your rate cards.
Here's a simple process to streamline this task:
1) Generate Rates Report
Navigate to Reports, select "From scratch" and choose the rates data source.
Make sure to include all the necessary fields there (Service Name, Company, Rate Card, Unit, Quantity, Rate, Currency, Service Type, Billing Type).
Download the report in CSV format.
2) Update Rates CSV File
Open the downloaded report and review the columns.
Ensure that the report's columns match those in your entitlements CSV file to avoid manual adjustments.
Copy the information from the report to the CSV template and update any necessary information.
3) Import Updated Rates
Navigate to Settings > Data import and select the Rate card CSV file with the updated data.
After uploading the file, the system will automatically integrate the imported rate cards, making them available for use with your deals and budgets.