Short answer: if you select products, enter quantities and export a PDF, check the software you already use first. A custom quoting application becomes worth considering when finding prices, calculating special cases, chasing approvals and retyping data take more effort than creating the document.
The problem is often not how a quote looks. A salesperson waits for a calculation, a manager approves a discount by phone, and a colleague sends an old version. Good quoting software needs to organise that workflow, not just produce an attractive PDF.
From enquiry to accepted order
This is an illustrative workflow, not a client's internal application. Each step has a clear result and an owner.
- 01
Enquiry
What does the customer need, in what quantity and by when?
- 02
Checked inputs
Missing dimensions, outdated prices and incompatible choices are flagged.
- 03
Calculation
Materials, labour and other costs follow approved rules.
- 04
Approval
An authorised person reviews exceptions and special discounts.
- 05
Quote version
Prices and terms are saved when issued, with a clear version number.
- 06
Accepted order
After acceptance, a checked handover to the next system.
Standard quoting software or a custom application?
First check what your accounting software and CRM, the system used to manage customer relationships, already support. Building your own is not automatically the best answer.
1. Existing software for standard quotes
If you mainly need items, quantities, discounts and a document template, evaluate a ready made tool. Ease of use, data export and support matter alongside the subscription price.
For example, Microsoft documents quoting features in Dynamics 365 Sales, including quotes from opportunities, price lists and PDF export. Availability depends on configuration, permissions and licensing.
2. Connect tools when data is being retyped
If the calculation already works but staff copy information from a CRM into Excel and then into accounting software, an integration may be enough. Before promising automation, check the exact software version, permissions and data interface. Read more about business system integrations.
3. A custom app for your rules
Consider development when quotes depend on specific combinations of materials, dimensions, labour and conditions. It can also make sense when different roles need different information or existing software cannot reasonably support your approval process.
A practical test: can you teach a new team member to prepare a correct quote without searching several files and asking three colleagues? If not, document the rules first. Choose the technology afterwards.
Example: quoting supply and installation
A hypothetical company quotes equipment with installation. Its calculation combines materials, estimated hours and travel. Some accessories only fit particular models, and a larger discount requires a manager's approval.
In the proposed application, a salesperson selects a valid combination and enters the details. Missing dimensions stop the calculation. A quantity change recalculates the items; a discount above the agreed threshold moves the quote to “awaiting approval”. These are suggested rules for this example, not a promise that they suit every business.
A customer request for changes creates a new version. The previous one remains available. On acceptance, the system records which quote and terms were accepted. A price list update next month must not silently alter an already issued document.
What to define before development
- Price source: which system is authoritative, who maintains it and what happens when a price is missing?
- Calculation rules: units, rounding, currencies, discounts and tax treatment according to your approved instructions.
- Permissions: who sees purchase costs, who can change selling prices and who approves an exception?
- Versions: how are drafts, issued quotes, revisions, rejections and acceptances distinguished?
- Order handover: which data goes into the ERP and how are duplicate transfers prevented?
- Failures: who is alerted when a connection fails, and how can a transfer be retried safely?
Standard systems can already support revisions and the transition from quote to order. Microsoft's quote lifecycle documentation is one example. Check existing capabilities before building them again.
Where AI helps and where people must decide
AI can suggest a reply or extract requested products from an enquiry. Check those inputs, especially measurements, quantities and conditions. Verified business rules should produce the final calculation, with an authorised person approving special prices. A language model is not a reliable replacement for a price list or calculator.
Before sending business data to external services, establish permitted access and processing conditions. An initial discussion only needs a process description, without customer names, confidential price lists or documents.
How to start and measure the result
Start with one type of quote. By agreement, prepare anonymised examples of a regular order, a quantity change, a missing price and an approval exception. Use a prototype to check that the next action is understandable, then compare calculation results with approved examples.
Before rollout and during a pilot, measure preparation time, approval delays, corrections and manual transfers. Include price list maintenance and error handling. Released time does not automatically become a cash saving or additional sales.
Calculation rules, integrations and user roles have the greatest effect on scope. Indicative ranges are covered in the cost of custom application development. Your scope is defined by reviewing the process, not just counting screens.
At ČrtaIT, we first review existing tools, then propose the first useful scope. Explore custom business applications and the development process. To start, describe below where quoting currently gets stuck.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need a custom application to prepare quotes?
Not necessarily. For standard items, quantities and PDF documents, check existing quoting, accounting or CRM software first. Custom development makes sense when your calculation rules, approvals or integrations cannot be supported reasonably by those tools.
Can a quoting app connect to our ERP?
Potentially, if your version and licence provide a suitable API or structured import. Check access to customers, price lists and orders, supported operations, error handling and duplicate prevention before committing to the integration.
Can we keep our existing Excel calculation?
It can serve as a starting point. First document formulas, units, exceptions and the price source, then verify results against approved examples. Copying a workbook without checking its rules can carry existing errors into the application.
Should AI calculate the final quote price?
A language model should not independently set the final price. AI can assist with extracting inputs or drafting text, while checked rules calculate prices and an authorised person approves exceptions.
What should we include in the first enquiry?
Describe what you quote, which tools you use and which step takes the most time. An approximate number of quotes and who approves them also help. Do not include customer details, confidential price lists or private documents in the public form.