Quote Builder Web App
Benefits:
Reduced average time to quote from 3 days to 1 day
Helped increase sales win rates from 20% to 25%
Helped reduce pricing errors by 18%, avoiding costly mistakes
Achieved standardised branding on quote documents
Synopsis:
The design & development of an online ‘quote builder’, allowing the customer to upload data and generate .pdf quote documents using preconfigured templates.
Problem:
Our client, a national solar & renewables subcontractor to the new build housing sector, was responsible for quoting for contracts valued in excess of £350 million annually. When we met, this was being done using multiple spreadsheets that were stored on employees PC / Laptops.
Although the company was logging all their quotes in a centralised CRM database, the data had to be first manually created (called a takeoff), inputted through various pricing calculators (excel), and then manually inputted into quote documents (MS word), before it could be sent to customers.
To further add to the complication, the customer operated 4 different brands across the UK, meaning they had to maintain various quote templates in MS Word, which was causing inconsistencies with branding.
Solution:
The eventual solution was a .NET web application hosted in Azure, with an ASP.NET backend and SQL database. This allowed us to create a user interface similar to their CRM system, which improved adoption as it was familiar to users.
Within the app was a .csv parser, which enabled users to take data from formatted spreadsheets and upload information on products and pricing into their quotes in just a few clicks; a significant time saving on their previous manual processes.
The system automatically populated preconfigured templates based on the selected brand, ensuring consistency in both pricing structures and visual branding across all customer-facing documents. By automating the generation of quote documents in PDF format, we eliminated the need for manual data entry in MS Word, reducing the likelihood of human error.
The application also included user role management, allowing different levels of access and approval workflows, ensuring that quotes followed internal compliance processes before being issued to clients.
Additionally, the entire solution was designed with scalability in mind. Hosting the application on Azure App Service allowed for seamless updates, high availability, and robust security, giving the client peace of mind as they expanded their operations.
Industry:
Construction
Project:
Quote Builder Web App
Technologies Used:
C# / .NET
ASP.NET
Azure SQL database
Syncfusion PDF library