Case study showing how a 3-site fabrication group eliminated quoting variance and RFQ bottlenecks by centralizing estimating rules locally.
Estimating at scale
Managing quoting workflows across multiple facilities is a major challenge for growing manufacturing groups. When estimators at different branches use different methods, quoting variance creeps in, leading to inconsistent pricing. This case study looks at a three-site steel fabrication group that resolved this bottleneck.
The group operated facilities in Texas, Ohio, and Michigan, with estimating handled locally at each branch. This decentralized structure resulted in pricing drift, as estimators used different calculation sheets to quote similar parts.
Solving branch drift
Estimating drift was costing the company business. Texas estimators were under-quoting complex weldments, while Ohio estimators were over-quoting simple parts. This variance confused customers and resulted in lost bids.
To resolve this drift, the group established a unified estimating standard. They defined clear pricing formulas, standardized labor rates, and mapped out a single routing flow for all branches.
Standardizing quoting rules
The company implemented a single, shared material database, ensuring all branches quoted steel by cwt at the correct local cost. Estimators were required to use standard machine rates and labor costs defined by headquarters.
This standardization eliminated individual guesswork, ensuring that quotes generated at different facilities for the same CAD file returned identical base costs.
RFQ triage bottlenecks
The manual data entry required to push quotes into the ERP was a major bottleneck. Estimators spent hours copy-pasting quantities, run times, and material specs into their ERP system, leading to transcription errors and delayed response times.
B2B sales benchmarks show that response speed is critical to winning tenders. Pushing takeoff data directly from the drawing to the ERP database eliminated this manual entry bottleneck.
On premises security
As a defense subcontractor, the group had to protect Controlled Unclassified Information. Attaching raw CAD drawings to ERP records expanded the compliance boundary and increased audit costs. The group needed a way to keep drawings secure.
By moving to on-premises geometry parsing, the group kept all drawings offline within their physical facilities, reducing security risk and compliance costs.
Connecting multi branches
To maintain consistency, the company synced its branch costing databases with a central server overnight. This ensured that every estimator worked with identical raw material costs and machine rates each morning, preventing pricing drift.
Separating the physical takeoff from local costing rules allowed estimators to calculate accurate prices based on the executing facility's exact machine capabilities.
Auditing CAD drawings
Standardizing the takeoff process was key to eliminating variance. Estimators used local software to extract physical dimensions, part volumes, and tolerances directly from CAD drawings on their workstations, ensuring takeoff consistency.
Kwantflow allowed the group's estimators to parse drawings locally and apply centralized pricing rules, reducing cycle times and eliminating quoting drift.
ERP database integration
The group integrated its local takeoff tool with its central Epicor database. Kwantflow synced quantities and run times directly into Epicor Kinetic, keeping drawings secure and offline. Are you still manually copy-pasting tolerances? Try dropping your next CAD file into Kwantflow locally to extract them in seconds.
Ways estimators can keep quote review clear:
- A 3-site fabrication group eliminated pricing variance by standardizing CAD takeoff methods.
- Centralizing pricing rules locally on-premises reduced database maintenance costs by 40%.
- Syncing numeric quantities directly to the ERP cut data entry times from hours to minutes.
- Keeping drawings offline reduced the scope and cost of CMMC compliance audits.
