The main workflow, step by step
The window shows a single request moving through the platform, from the customer's specification to an accepted quote. Select any step to see its screen. The companies, part numbers and operating figures are invented for the demonstration.
New request
RFQ-3107Being written- Product family
- Gear pumps, GP series
- Medium
- Hydraulic oil
- Duty
- Continuous, outdoor
- Needed by
- End of next quarter
Off the pathIf a required operating value is left empty, the request can still be sent, marked as incomplete for the engineer.
Technical review
RFQ-3107Change advised| Requirement | Selected | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Flow at duty point | GP-40 | Suitable |
| Seal material | Standard | Change advised |
| Mounting | Flange B | Suitable |
Off the pathWhen no catalogue product fits, the request branches to a custom enquiry with its own approval route.
Quote builder
Q-3107, revision ADraft| Line | Lead time | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| GP-40 pump, upgraded seal | From stock | Contract price |
| Coupling kit | From stock | List price |
| Commissioning visit | To be agreed | Day rate |
Off the pathA discount beyond the salesperson's authority sends the quote to a manager before the customer can see it.
Quote received
Q-3107, revision BAwaiting customer- Changed since A
- Quantity raised from two to four
- Valid until
- Shown on the quote
- Documents
- Datasheet and drawing attached
Off the pathA quote that passes its validity date cannot be accepted. The customer asks for a refresh with one click.
Accepted
Q-3107, revision BOrder created| Step | State |
|---|---|
| Customer acceptance | Recorded with name |
| Order in the ERP | Created and linked |
| Engineer's notes | Passed to fulfilment |
Off the pathIf the customer accepts only some lines, a partial order is created and the remaining lines stay open on the quote.
Who uses it, and what each role can do
Quoting technical products involves people who rarely share a tool. The platform gives each of them the part of the request they are responsible for.
| Role | Sees | Can do |
|---|---|---|
| Customer | Their requests, quotes, revisions and documents | Submit, clarify, ask for changes and accept |
| Application engineer | Requests waiting for technical review | Approve, advise a change or route to a custom enquiry |
| Salesperson | Their accounts' requests and quotes | Price, discount within authority, revise and convert |
| Sales manager | Quotes awaiting approval and the whole pipeline | Approve discounts and reassign stalled requests |
| Administrator | Product families, request forms and rules | Edit forms, approval limits and response targets |
When the work leaves the usual path
A quote process is judged by its awkward requests. These are the ones we design for explicitly, each with an agreed behaviour.
| Situation | What the system does | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| No standard product fits | Opens a custom enquiry with its own route | Application engineer |
| Request missing key values | Accepts it and marks the gaps for follow-up | Application engineer |
| Discount above authority | Holds the quote for a manager's approval | Sales manager |
| Quote past its validity date | Blocks acceptance and offers a refresh | Salesperson |
| Customer accepts some lines | Creates a partial order and keeps the rest open | Customer |
| Request untouched past its target | Alerts the owner, then their manager | Sales manager |
What it connects to
The platform owns the conversation around a quote. Prices, stock and customers stay where they are, and the systems are joined at a few clear points.
| System | What moves | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| ERP | Customers, prices, lead times, and orders from accepted quotes | Both ways |
| Product data or catalogue | Families, specifications, datasheets and drawings | Into the platform |
| CRM, where used | Requests and quotes as opportunities | Out of the platform |
| Notifications, with replies captured on the request | Both ways | |
| Document generation | Branded quote documents for each revision | Out of the platform |
What a first release includes
Guided request forms
Forms per product family that ask for the operating conditions your engineers need, with drawings and photos attached.
Technical review stage
A queue for engineers with approve, advise and custom routes, and notes that travel with the request.
Quote builder
Lines priced from ERP data, discount rules with approval, validity dates and a generated quote document.
Revisions and history
Every version of a quote kept and compared, with the conversation alongside it.
Customer workspace
A signed-in area where customers see their requests and quotes, ask questions and accept.
Order conversion
Accepted quotes written to the ERP as orders, whole or in part, with the engineer's notes attached.
Often added after the first release
- Product selectors that narrow the range from operating values
- Win and loss reasons with reporting
- Supplier quotes for bought-in items
- Service and spare parts quotes on the same record
- Requests started from a website product page
What we need from you
- A sample of real quote requests, including the difficult ones
- The questions your engineers ask before they can confirm a selection
- Your discount rules and who may approve what
- Access to a test copy of the ERP and to product data
- One engineer and one salesperson who will shape the stages with us
Ownership and licensing terms are defined in the project agreement.
What to do next
Send us two or three recent quote threads with the commercial details removed. They show us where time is lost better than any description, and we answer with a proposed flow and scope. Start a conversation or book a 30-minute call.
Common questions
Could a CPQ product do this instead of a custom platform?
Sometimes. Configure, price and quote products are strong when your range can be expressed as rules and options. They fit less well when requests depend on application engineering, when the review is a judgment by a person, or when the process around the quote matters as much as the price. We look at your requests and say which case you are in before recommending a build.
How do customers reach the request form?
Usually from several places. A signed-in customer starts from their workspace. A new enquirer starts from a public form on your website, linked from product pages, and is invited to a workspace once the request is accepted for review. Requests that still arrive by email can be entered by your team, so the record is complete whichever door was used.
What happens to requests that need a custom product?
They leave the standard route at the technical review. The engineer opens a custom enquiry, which carries its own stages, such as feasibility, costing and management approval, and its own response target. The customer sees that the request has moved to engineering and who owns it. Nothing about the original request has to be typed again.
Can we measure how long quotes take?
Yes. Each stage records when it started, who held it and when it passed on, so you can see the time from request to first response, the time spent in technical review and the share of quotes that needed revisions. Those figures come from your own data once the platform is in use. We do not promise a particular improvement in advance.