Document types & flow
Document types in SimpliServ and how they flow — from the service request through estimate, order and delivery note to the invoice, including the conversions actually implemented and the case that ties them together.
In SimpliServ a customer job isn't a single document but a chain of several document types — from the first request to the paid invoice. This page explains each document type in a sentence or two and shows which documents convert directly into one another. Which conversions actually exist here is taken one-to-one from the code.
The typical flow
A complete run usually follows this order:
Service request → Estimate → Order → (Delivery note) → Invoice
Each of these steps is its own document type with its own number and its own PDF. You don't have to go through every step — you can, for example, start straight with an order or generate an invoice from an order right away. All documents that belong to the same customer case are held together by a case (see below).
The document types
Service request
An incoming request, usually via the public registration form. It carries the customer details and a description of the issue and is the starting point of a case.
Proposal
A price offer with line items, discounts and a validity date. The customer can view it via a public link.
Estimate
Technically the same document type as a proposal, but marked as an estimate. Optionally you can attach an inspection/diagnosis fee that can later be billed as an estimate invoice.
Order
The confirmed order. Here you manage line items, handle shipping and track delivery status.
Delivery note
Documents the delivered items. Typically created when you dispatch an order.
Invoice
The payment-relevant document with an invoice number, dunning level and payment status. The end of the chain.
Proposal and estimate are the same document type in the system — they differ only by a type flag. From a service request SimpliServ always creates an estimate, not a proposal.
The conversions in detail
A conversion creates a new document and carries over the customer, addresses and line items from the source. The following paths are actually implemented in SimpliServ:
From a service request
In the detail view of a service request, the action menu (…) offers these conversions:
- Convert to order — creates an order directly.
- Convert to estimate — creates an estimate.
If an order or estimate is already linked, the menu shows a link to the existing document instead (e.g. View order). After a conversion the request switches to the status Converted and stays linked to the new document. How you review, accept or reject incoming requests is covered in the guide Handle service requests.
In the service-requests list the row menu also offers Schedule appointment. This turns a request into a calendar appointment (e.g. for an on-site visit) without creating a document.
From a proposal or estimate
Via the action menu (…) you choose Convert to order. SimpliServ creates a new order with the same line items and jumps straight into its detail view. If an order is already linked, the action is hidden — so no duplicate order is created per proposal.
For an estimate with a stored fee, the Create estimate invoice button also appears. With it you bill the inspection/diagnosis fee separately, without creating the full order. If it has already been created, the button reads View estimate invoice. More on this under Proposals & estimates.
From an order
An order gives you two paths:
- Convert to invoice — turns the order line items into an invoice and opens it directly. If an invoice already exists in the case, the action is hidden.
- Dispatch — the dispatch dialog handles shipping. There you choose between Shipment with delivery note (creates a delivery note with the delivered items) and a dispatch without a delivery note.
You can also derive an estimate backwards from an order, in case the customer needs a written document after all before the final billing. This path is available in the case via the customer flow (see below).
The case ties it all together
All documents that belong to a customer case hang off a shared case (internally customer flow). The case has its own number (display_number) and a scan code, and bundles the service request, proposal or estimate, order, delivery notes, invoices and the related communication in one place.
In the case view, the customer flow shows the chain Service request → Proposal/Estimate → Order → Invoice as a list of steps. If the next step is missing, the list offers the matching conversion directly as a clickable step — you don't have to leave the individual modules to do it.
How you filter, merge and steer cases through the board is covered in the guide Cases (Customer Flow).
What isn't a document in this chain
Leads aren't part of this document chain. A lead is a sales opportunity in your pipeline and moves through stages — it doesn't automatically turn into a document. Capture the opportunity as a lead and, if needed, create a proposal alongside it. Details under Leads.
Related guides
How is this guide?
Getting started
Getting started with SimpliServ: the Base setup card on the overview, the mandatory steps for company data and inventory, the recommended setup order and what the dashboard shows you day to day.
Personal settings
Manage your personal account: profile picture, language, theme, in-app and email notifications, push, two-factor sign-in and your calendar subscription.