Rate Cards

Manage centralized pricing and rate information for scoping estimates

Rate cards provide centralized, organization-wide pricing information for your scoping estimates. By maintaining rate cards, you ensure consistent pricing across all estimates while making it easy to update rates as your business evolves.

Overview

A rate card is a collection of billable items (roles, products, services) with their associated rates. When linked to scoping templates, rate cards automatically populate pricing calculations, eliminating manual rate entry and reducing errors.

Why Use Rate Cards?

Benefit
Description

Consistency

Same rates used across all estimates

Efficiency

No manual rate entry per estimate

Flexibility

Update rates once, applies everywhere

Accuracy

Reduce pricing errors and inconsistencies

Margins

Track cost rates for profitability analysis

Automation

Support for calculated fields (percentages, step functions)

Creating a Rate Card

Access Rate Card Management

  1. Navigate to Settings in the top navigation

  2. Select Organization -> Scoping Configuration from the sidebar

  3. Click on the Rate Cards tab

  4. Click Create Rate Card

Basic Information

Field
Description
Required

Name

Descriptive name (e.g., "Standard Consulting Rates 2024")

Yes

Description

Optional details about this rate card

No

Default Rate Card

Mark as organization default

No

Default Rate Cards are automatically selected when creating new templates, streamlining your setup process.

Rate Card Items

Each rate card contains multiple items representing billable roles, products, or services.

Standard Rate Items

Standard items have fixed rates:

Field
Purpose
Example

Name (Label)

Display name

"Senior Cloud Engineer"

Rate

Billing rate

$200

Cost Rate

Internal cost (optional)

$150

Unit

Rate unit

"hour"

Active

Enable/disable item

✓ Active

Calculated Field Items

Calculated fields automatically compute rates based on project totals, perfect for overhead items like project management or buffers.

Fixed Percentage Calculation

Calculates a fixed percentage of the total project cost:

Example: Project Management

  • Type: Fixed Percentage

  • Percentage: 15%

  • If project subtotal = $100,000, PM cost = $15,000

Common Use Cases:

  • Project Management (10-15% of project)

  • Quality Assurance (10-20% of development hours)

  • Contingency/Buffer (5-10% of total)

  • Administrative Overhead (5% of project)

Step Function Calculation

Applies different percentages based on project size thresholds:

Example: Volume Discount

Hours    | Percentage
0-100    | 10%
100-250  | 15%
250+     | 20%

For a 300-hour project, the rate would be 20%.

Common Use Cases:

  • Volume discounts (larger projects get higher rates)

  • Complexity premiums (more hours = more complex)

  • Tiered support packages

  • Scalable overhead rates

Cost Rates for Margin Analysis

Add optional cost rates to track profitability:

Rate Item: Senior Cloud Engineer
- Billing Rate: $200/hour
- Cost Rate: $150/hour
- Margin per hour: $50 (25%)

Cost rates enable:

  • Gross margin calculations

  • Profitability analysis per estimate

  • Resource optimization insights

  • Pricing strategy decisions

Security Note: Cost rates are never exposed in client-facing exports or sharing. They're internal-only for margin analysis.

Managing Rate Card Items

Adding Items

  1. In the rate card editor, click Add Item

  2. Enter the item name (e.g., "Cloud Architect")

  3. Choose item type: Standard, Fixed Percentage, or Step Function

  4. Enter rate and optional cost rate

  5. Set the unit (typically "hour")

  6. Ensure item is marked Active

Editing Items

  • Click the Edit button on any item

  • Update rates, labels, or calculation settings

  • Changes apply to future estimates using this rate card

Activating/Deactivating Items

Use the Active toggle to hide items without deleting them:

  • Active: Item appears in scoping estimates

  • Inactive: Item hidden but data preserved

When to Deactivate:

  • Seasonal rates (bring back later)

  • Deprecated roles (historical data preserved)

  • Temporary rate changes (switch active/inactive)

Deleting Items

To permanently remove an item:

  1. Click the Delete button

  2. Confirm deletion

  3. Item is removed from the rate card

Warning: Deleting rate card items doesn't affect existing estimates, but they won't receive future rate updates for that item.

Rate Card Strategies

Single Rate Card Approach

Best for: Small organizations, single service offering, simple pricing

Structure:

Standard Consulting Rates 2024
- Solution Architect: $250/hour
- Senior Cloud Engineer: $200/hour
- Cloud Engineer: $175/hour
- Data Engineer: $200/hour
- Project Manager: $175/hour
- QA Engineer: $150/hour
- Project Management (Calculated): 15%

Pros:

  • Simple to manage

  • Easy to update

  • Consistent across organization

Cons:

  • Doesn't account for different service tiers

  • May not fit all engagement types

Multi-Card Approach

Best for: Multiple service tiers, different engagement types, regional pricing

Structure:

Premium Consulting Rates
- Senior Solution Architect: $300/hour
- ...

Standard Consulting Rates
- Solution Architect: $250/hour
- ...

Staff Augmentation Rates
- Cloud Engineer: $150/hour
- ...

Product Implementation Rates
- Enterprise License: $50,000
- Professional Services: $200/hour
- ...

Pros:

  • Flexible for different scenarios

  • Clear pricing tiers

  • Better margin control

Cons:

  • More cards to maintain

  • Need to select correct card

Hybrid Approach

Best for: Medium organizations with some complexity

Structure:

Primary Rates (Default)
- All standard roles
- Standard calculated fields

Premium Rates
- Same roles, higher rates
- Used selectively for strategic accounts

Pros:

  • Most work uses simple default

  • Premium option available when needed

  • Manageable complexity

Cons:

  • Requires discipline in card selection

Calculated Fields Deep Dive

Fixed Percentage Examples

Project Management (15%)

Type: Fixed Percentage
Value: 15%
Application: Applied to total project cost

Quality Assurance (20% of Dev Hours)

Type: Fixed Percentage
Value: 20%
Application: Applied to development tasks only (filter in estimate)

Administrative Overhead (5%)

Type: Fixed Percentage
Value: 5%
Application: Applied to all billable hours

Step Function Examples

Volume Pricing

Threshold | Percentage
0 hours   | 0%
100 hours | 5%
250 hours | 10%
500 hours | 15%

Interpretation: Projects get a percentage boost based on size

Complexity Premium

Threshold | Percentage
0 hours   | 10%
150 hours | 15%
300 hours | 20%

Interpretation: Larger/more complex projects warrant higher PM percentage

Early-Bird Discount (Inverse)

Threshold | Percentage
0 hours   | 10% (standard)
200 hours | 8% (discount for larger projects)

Pro Tip: Step functions can represent discounts (decreasing percentages) or premiums (increasing percentages) based on your pricing strategy.

Linking Rate Cards to Templates

Rate cards are linked at the template level:

  1. Create or edit a scoping template

  2. Navigate to Level of Effort Configuration

  3. Select your rate card from the Rate Card dropdown

  4. Rate card items automatically populate the role/product options

  5. Save the template

Benefits of Linking:

  • Automatic pricing in all estimates using that template

  • Rate updates flow through automatically

  • Consistent options across estimates

  • Reduced setup time per estimate

Learn more: Templates Configuration

[Image Placeholder: Rate Card Linked to Template]

Updating Rates

Annual Rate Updates

Most organizations update rates annually:

  1. Option A - Edit Existing Card

    • Edit the current rate card

    • Update all item rates

    • Changes apply to new estimates immediately

  2. Option B - Create New Card

    • Create "Standard Rates 2025"

    • Copy items from previous year

    • Update rates

    • Switch templates to new card

    • Keep old card for historical reference

Recommendation: Option B provides better audit trail and allows side-by-side comparison.

Mid-Year Adjustments

For rate changes mid-year:

  1. Edit the existing rate card

  2. Update affected items

  3. New estimates use new rates

  4. Existing estimates unchanged

Best Practice: Document rate changes in the rate card description field for future reference.

Rate Card Organization Tips

Naming Conventions

Use clear, descriptive names:

  • ✅ "Standard Consulting Rates 2024"

  • ✅ "Premium AWS Services Rates"

  • ✅ "Staff Aug Rates - East Region"

  • ❌ "Rates"

  • ❌ "Card 1"

  • ❌ "New Rate Card"

Item Naming

Keep item names consistent:

  • ✅ "Senior Cloud Engineer"

  • ✅ "Cloud Engineer"

  • ✅ "Junior Cloud Engineer"

  • ❌ "Sr Cloud Eng"

  • ❌ "Cloud Engineer (Senior)"

Description Usage

Use the description field to document:

  • Effective date range

  • Approval status

  • Target margin

  • Special considerations

  • Change history

Example:

Standard Consulting Rates 2024
Effective: January 1, 2024
Target Margin: 25%
Last Updated: Dec 15, 2023
Approved by: CFO
Notes: 8% increase over 2023 rates

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What happens to existing estimates when I update a rate card? A: Existing estimates are not affected. Only new estimates or re-calculations will use the updated rates.

Q: Can I have different rates for different customers? A: Create multiple rate cards (Standard, Premium, Strategic) and select the appropriate card when creating templates or estimates.

Q: How do calculated fields work in pricing? A: Calculated fields automatically add hours/cost based on the total. For example, a 15% PM field on a $100k project adds $15k automatically.

Q: Can I delete a rate card that's linked to templates? A: Yes, but templates will lose their pricing automation. You'll need to link a new rate card or switch to manual options.

Q: What's the difference between Rate and Cost Rate? A: Rate is what you bill clients. Cost Rate is your internal cost (salary, contractor cost, etc.) used for margin analysis.

Q: How many items should a rate card have? A: Only include items you actually use in estimates. Most rate cards have 5-15 items. More items make selection harder.

Q: Can I import rates from a spreadsheet? A: Not currently. Rate cards must be created through the UI.

Q: Do inactive items disappear from existing estimates? A: No. Inactive items are hidden from new selections but remain visible in existing estimates where they were used.

Advanced Use Cases

Multi-Regional Pricing

Create separate rate cards per region:

North America Rates
- Cloud Engineer: $200/hour

EMEA Rates
- Cloud Engineer: €180/hour

APAC Rates
- Cloud Engineer: $180/hour

Service-Tier Pricing

Different rate cards for service levels:

Enterprise Support
- Premium Engineer: $300/hour
- 24/7 Availability Premium: 50%

Standard Support
- Engineer: $200/hour
- Business Hours Only

Product + Services Bundling

Combine products and services in one rate card:

Cloud Platform Implementation
- Platform License: $50,000 (quantity)
- Solution Architect: $250/hour
- Cloud Engineer: $200/hour
- Training: $2,000/day
- Support Package: 15% (calculated)

Related Documentation

Ready to create your first rate card? Navigate to Settings → Scoping Configuration → Rate Cards and click Create Rate Card.

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