How Can Industrial Manufacturers Speed Up Quoting and Estimating?

In the ever-changing manufacturing industry, time is money and shouldn’t be wasted on manual, cumbersome quoting processes among other inefficiencies. Quoting and estimating can be a chore for most, especially if you're manually executing the process for hundreds of potential clients. Our latest Manufacturing Forecast Report reveals that in 2023, organizations are striving to become more efficient, and a whopping 89% of them say that technology will be the key to unlocking their productivity.

What can industrial manufacturers do to hasten their quoting and estimating processes? It’s simple—by utilizing the benefits of automation with the help of an industry-specific enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, you can optimize and accelerate your quoting and estimating procedures.

So, put down your calculator, step away from those spreadsheets and discover how an ERP system can help you secure more manufacturing clients more efficiently with built-in estimating and quoting software functionality.

1. Automated, Flexible Quoting and Order Management

Excelling in quoting and estimating for clients relies heavily on accurate calculations, without sacrificing speed. An industrial manufacturing ERP solution can help discrete manufacturers automate tasks such as margin analysis and generating bills of materials (BOMs). The automation saves time, reduces errors and helps ensure that quotes are accurate and delivered to customers on time.

In addition to improving accuracy and streamlining processes, an ERP solution with quoting and order management features built-in can also provide valuable insights into customer buying habits and trends. Manufacturers can leverage data-driven insights to make informed business decisions and improve client satisfaction.

Aptean Industrial Manufacturing ERP is made with flexibility in mind as well, allowing discrete manufacturers to easily handle customer-configured products at the point of sale and assigning bespoke pricing structures to meet specific customer needs.

2. Precise Inventory Management with Real-Time Visibility

Industrial manufacturers require express and accurate pricing estimates to secure new business partnerships while maintaining relationships with their existing ones. With an ERP system in place, manufacturers can easily access real-time inventory data and pricing information to provide accurate price calculations for an existing client or new prospect.

With a centralized data repository, information silos are removed, ensuring that all teams in the organization are on the same page when giving project cost estimates. ERP features such as materials management automates inventory data collection facilitating precise resource management through tracking material lots.

We offer robust industrial manufacturing ERP software that has a contact and activity management tool which consolidates contact and account information and provides access to past and current sales data. Users can also leverage the tool as a scheduler for future meetings and list to-do items that everyone in the organization can easily view.

3. Secure Cloud-Based Deployment and Accessibility

Manufacturers are migrating their ERP applications to the cloud at a rapid pace. A recent study found that all but 10% of process and industrial manufacturers have begun their journey to cloud-hosted software by investigating the move, making the move or have already moved to the cloud. And for good reason. In addition to the accessibility and business continuity benefits garnered by a cloud-based ERP, manufacturers can easily scale and adapt their operations.

From a quoting perspective, a cloud-based ERP solution is the key to providing accurate and on-time price estimates to clients without the need to ever be on the shop floor. Gone are the days of using on-premise infrastructure and relying on third-party providers for server purposes. Aptean Industrial Manufacturing ERP centralizes all your quotation data and processes in the cloud, allowing for better accessibility and flexibility for everyone in your organization. Employees will be able to access their user profile from virtually anywhere, eliminating the need for costly and space-consuming individual workstations.

Aptean Industrial Manufacturing ERP from the Aptean Cloud is also equipped with advanced encryption, geo-fencing and additional proactive security measures. We also support our ERP solution with end-to-end penetration testing so that you will be aware in case there are vulnerability issues that require immediate attention.

The Power of Cloud and Automation, All at Your Fingertips

Our industrial manufacturing ERP software covers more than just automation—with Aptean Cloud, quoting and estimating can happen securely. Past orders and deals are stored secure in the cloud so that you can leverage your data anytime and anywhere for faster quotations. Aptean Cloud monitors your system with the help of our site reliability engineers to help ensure all components within the SaaS environment are optimized and performing effectively.

Here at Aptean, we know that manufacturing quoting software is only part of the solution. Behind the software, we’re more than just a solutions provider—as your long-term business partner we will share with you our industry expertise and best practices built from decades of experience working with discrete manufacturers across the globe.

Ready to supercharge your quoting and estimating process and experience automation from the cloud at its finest? Aptean Industrial Manufacturing ERP is the ideal solution to elevate your manufacturing business to the next level. Contact us today or request a personalized demo.