01
Development
Custom Software Development
Purpose-built applications that model your real operation (your data, your rules, your terminology), owned outright by you.
From$3,200
Solution example 08
Quoting & Pricing Engine
Consistent quotes from your real pricing rules (options, volume breaks, margin floors and approvals), sent as a branded document and handed to fulfillment.
- Type
- Custom system
- Delivered in
- 4 phases
- Main services
- Custom Software
What it is
A quote is a promise about price, scope and delivery. A pricing engine makes sure every quote your team sends follows your current rules, protects your margin and can be produced by anyone, not just your most experienced estimator.
A quoting and pricing engine turns your product catalog, options, pricing rules and discount policy into software. A salesperson or estimator picks the products and options, and the engine checks what's compatible, applies the right prices and volume breaks, calculates the margin and produces a quote ready to send.
It typically replaces a pricing spreadsheet with hidden tabs and fragile formulas, a folder of document templates and a habit of asking the senior estimator to double-check anything unusual. Prices drift out of date, discounts creep upward, and incompatible options get sold and discovered only when production starts.
With an engine in place, quotes are consistent no matter who prepares them. A price change is made once and applies everywhere. Discounts beyond policy go to a manager for approval, and an accepted quote becomes an order without anyone re-typing it.
Why organizations reach for this
Signs you might need one
If several of these sound familiar, a system of this type is probably worth a conversation.
- Quotes queue behind your most experienced estimator, because nobody else trusts their own numbers.
- Two salespeople can quote the same job and arrive at different prices.
- A price list update means editing dozens of spreadsheets and templates, and some always get missed.
- Discounts are given on instinct, and the effect on margin only shows up at month-end.
- Options that can't be built together still get sold, and production is the first to find out.
- Accepted quotes are re-typed into your order system, with mistakes creeping in along the way.
What's usually included
The building blocks
A typical system of this type includes most of the following. Your version keeps what you need and leaves out what you don't.
-
01
Product and option catalog
Products, variants, add-ons and services structured with their attributes, so every quote starts from accurate, current data.
-
02
Configuration rules
Compatibility, dependency and exclusion rules that block invalid combinations and add required items automatically.
-
03
Pricing logic
List prices, customer price lists, volume breaks, bundles, regional pricing and calculated items such as labor or freight, applied the same way every time.
-
04
Margin guardrails
Cost and margin calculated as the quote is built, with floors that hold a quote back when a discount goes too far.
-
05
Discount approvals
Exceptions routed to the right manager based on discount size, deal value or customer, with the decision recorded on the quote.
-
06
Branded quote documents
PDF or web quotes generated from templates, with terms, validity dates and optional items, ready to send or share as a link.
-
07
Revisions and quote history
Every version kept and searchable, so you can see what changed between the first draft and the quote that was signed.
-
08
Order handoff
Accepted quotes converted into orders, jobs or invoices in your ERP or accounting system without re-keying.
Visual model
How a quote is built and checked
Sales teamFrom the CRM
EstimatorsComplex and custom jobs
Partner portalResellers and dealers
CatalogProducts and options
ConfigurationValid combinations
Pricing rulesBreaks and bundles
Margin checkFloors and approvals
Quote documentBranded, versioned and ready to sign
E-signatureCustomer acceptance
ERP orderNo re-keying
CRM updateDeal stage and value
Systems it typically connects to
- CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive)
- ERP and inventory (NetSuite, Acumatica, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central)
- Accounting (QuickBooks, Xero, Sage Intacct)
- E-signature (DocuSign, Adobe Acrobat Sign, PandaDoc)
- Product information management (Akeneo, Salsify, Plytix)
- Sales tax calculation (Avalara, TaxJar, Vertex)
- Shipping rates (FedEx, UPS, ShipEngine)
Who it tends to suit
- Manufacturers selling configurable or made-to-order products
- Distributors managing large catalogs and customer-specific price lists
- Contractors and installers who quote materials, labor and site work together
- Print, signage and fabrication shops pricing by size, material and finish
- B2B companies whose resellers and partners need consistent pricing in every market
How it would be delivered
Four phases, each one usable
Durations are indicative for a typical scope. Your proposal will include a dated schedule.
-
01
Capture the pricing rules
Sessions with your estimators and finance team to document every price list, formula, exception and approval threshold, checked against past quotes.
2–4 weeks -
02
Build the engine
The catalog, configuration rules and pricing logic, with automated tests that compare the engine's results against quotes you've already sent.
5–8 weeks -
03
Documents and integrations
Quote templates, approval routing, e-signature and the handoff to your CRM and ERP.
3–4 weeks -
04
Parallel run and launch
Quotes produced in both the old process and the engine until the differences are resolved, then the old spreadsheets are retired.
2–3 weeks
Services involved
How we'd build it
The services most often combined to deliver a system like this.
04
Development
API & Systems Integration
Connect your CRM, ERP, accounting, store and payment systems so data moves on its own, mapped in writing, retried safely and monitored.
From$2,500
03
Development
Workflow Automation & Business Systems
Automate the re-keying, chasing and copying that eats your team's week, with clear rules, a queue for the exceptions and a log of every step.
From$2,800
Related examples
Often built together
04
Solution
Document & Approval Workflow
Route contracts, purchase requests, invoices and policies through the right reviewers, with deadlines, version control and a complete audit trail.
See how it's built
06
Solution
Systems Integration Hub
A central layer that keeps your CRM, ERP, accounting and e-commerce tools in sync, with retries, monitoring and one place to see what moved.
See how it's built
02
Solution
Customer Self-Service Portal
A secure portal where your customers check orders, download documents, pay invoices and raise requests, without emailing your team.
See how it's built
Is this close to what you need?
Tell us what's similar and what's different. We'll come back with an outline of scope, approach and cost.