FAQ: Estimating Scope & Effort

Published on April 23, 2026 QuoteX

One of the most important steps when preparing a professional services quote is defining what work needs to be delivered and estimating the effort required to deliver it.

QuoteX provides the Scope Size Effort experience to help you define the work included in a quote. You can either reuse predefined scope items from the Scope Library or create new scope items manually.

Once the scope items are added, you can further describe them, assign complexity, define Level of Effort (LOE), classify them by type, and manage whether they are active in the quote.

In simple terms The Scope Size Effort screen is where you answer: What are we delivering, how complex is each item, and how much effort is expected?

1. What Is the Purpose of the Scope Library?

The Scope Library is a centralized repository for predefined project scope elements.

Instead of recreating commonly used scope items every time you prepare a new quote, you can maintain reusable scope templates in the library.

This makes it easier for users to retrieve and reuse scope definitions for subsequent projects. It also provides a consistent starting point when similar work is quoted repeatedly.

Example Suppose your organization regularly delivers a standard Salesforce implementation. Instead of manually entering every common scope item for every quote, those predefined scope items can be maintained in the Scope Library and reused when preparing a new quote.

2. How Do I Define Project Scope in QuoteX?

To define the project scope for a new quote, follow these steps:

1. Create the new quote.
2. Open the Navigation Menu in the quote header.
3. Click Scope Size Effort.
4. Add scope items from the Scope Library, or create new scope items individually.
5. Review and complete the details for each scope item.

Navigation at a glance Quote → Navigation Menu → Scope Size Effort → Add / Edit Scope

3. How Can I Add Scope from the Scope Library?

If your organization has already created reusable scope templates, you can add them directly to the quote.

To add scope from the library:

1. Open the quote's Scope Size Effort screen.
2. Click Add from Scope Library.
3. Choose the library containing the scope items you need.
4. Select the required Scope Library Name from the dropdown.
5. Click Add.

QuoteX clones the selected scope items from the template into your quote. This is important because the scope items added to the quote can then be modified for the specific project without changing the original library template.

Important: Library vs. Quote Scope Adding an item from the Scope Library creates a copy for the quote. Changes made to the copied scope item do not modify the original template in the library.

4. Why Does QuoteX Clone the Scope Items?

A library template is intended to be reusable. Individual projects, however, may require changes to the standard scope.

For example, a standard implementation scope may normally include a particular configuration, but a specific customer may require additional work or a different level of effort.

QuoteX therefore clones the selected items into the quote. You can customize the copied items for the current project while keeping the original library definition unchanged.

5. How Can I Manually Add a New Scope Item?

You do not have to use a library template for every scope item. QuoteX also allows you to create a new scope item directly from the Scope section.

To manually add a scope item:

1. Go to the Scope Size Effort screen.
2. Locate the last row in the Name column.
3. Enter the name of the new scope item.
4. Press Enter.
5. Complete the available details for the new item.

After the new scope item is created, you can provide additional information such as:

1. Description
2. Complexity
3. Level of Effort (LOE)
4. Other applicable scope information

6. Can I Use Multiple Scope Templates in One Quote?

Yes. You can integrate scope items from the Scope Library at any stage while configuring the quote.

This means you are not restricted to selecting a single library template when you first create the scope.

If you have already added scope items and later discover that another reusable scope template contains additional work that should be included, you can use Add From Scope Library again.

ExampleYou might first add a standard Implementation scope template. Later, you may realize the project also requires a predefined Data Migration scope. You can use Add From Scope Library again to add the additional scope items to the same quote.

7. What Can I Manage in the Add/Edit Scope Section?

The Add/Edit Scope section provides several controls that help you describe, classify, review, and manage individual scope items.

The important capabilities include:

8. What Are RAG Status Colors?

QuoteX allows scope item statuses to be represented using RAG colors: Red, Amber, and Green.

The colors provide a quick visual way to identify the status of scope items without requiring users to read every detail.

The exact status represented by each color depends on the status configured for the scope item. For example, the source article specifically identifies Pending Review as an example of a red status.

9. How Does Complexity Affect Effort?

Each scope item can have a Complexity setting.

The available complexity options include:

1. High
2. Medium
3. Low

Complexity influences the effort hours associated with the scope item based on the defined percentage factors.

Why is this useful? Two scope items may represent similar types of work but require different amounts of effort. Complexity provides a way to distinguish those situations and influence the resulting effort hours using the configured percentage factors.

10. What Does the Active Checkbox Do?

The Active checkbox allows you to exclude a scope item from the project without deleting the scope item itself.

This is useful when a scope item was originally considered but is no longer part of the current project.

Instead of removing the item completely, you can make it inactive.

Important behavior: When a scope item is made inactive, its associated hours are deducted from the Capacity total.

This means the scope item can remain available for reference while no longer contributing its hours to the active project scope.

11. What Are Scope Item Types?

QuoteX provides scope item types to help classify project work.

The available types are:

1. Component
2. Epic
3. Story

These classifications provide a way to structure and organize the scope.

Parenting rule The design specifies that only a Component type can be parented to either an Epic or a Story scope item.

12. How Do Scope, Complexity, and Effort Work Together?

The scope definition is not only a list of project deliverables. The details associated with each scope item can influence how the work is understood and estimated.

A typical flow is:

13. Can I Start With a Library Template and Then Add My Own Scope?

Yes. QuoteX supports a combination of reusable and manually created scope items.

You can begin by adding one or more scope templates from the library and then create additional scope items manually for work that is specific to the customer or project.

This provides flexibility while still allowing commonly used project elements to be reused.

1. Recommended working approach Start with the most relevant Scope Library template.
2. Add additional library templates if required.
3. Create project-specific scope items manually.
4. Review descriptions, complexity, LOE, and status.
5. Deactivate items that are no longer part of the project.

End-to-End Example

Imagine you are preparing a new professional services quote for a Salesforce implementation.

1. Create the new quote.
2. Open the quote's Navigation Menu.
3. Select Scope Size Effort.
4. Click Add from Scope Library.
5. Select the appropriate library and scope library name.
6. Click Add to clone the selected scope items into the quote.
7. Review the cloned scope items and modify them as required for the customer.
8. Add any project-specific work manually by entering a new name in the last row of the Name column and pressing Enter.
9. Add descriptions and other required information.
10. Set the appropriate Complexity for each scope item.
11. Review the resulting Level of Effort.
12. Use the Active checkbox to exclude any scope items that should not contribute to the current project.
13. Review the overall scope and capacity information before continuing with the quote.

Quick Reference

QuoteX's Scope Size Effort experience provides a structured way to define and estimate project work. Start with reusable Scope Library templates where possible, add project-specific items when needed, and then refine each scope item using descriptions, complexity, Level of Effort, status, and scope type. Library items are cloned into the quote, so project-specific changes do not modify the original template.

Knowledge Article Number: KA-00028