Precise window quotation plays a key role for both manufacturing and trading companies. In both sectors, accurate cost calculation related to the production, sale and installation of windows affects profitability, competitiveness and the overall efficiency of companies. Below, we describe the importance of precise window quotation and its impact on the crucial aspects of the functioning of manufacturing and trading companies.
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Window quotation software - A modern tool for efficient production and sales
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The importance of precise quotation of window for manufacturing and trading companies
Precise valuation and costs of production
For manufacturing companies, precise calculation of windows is the foundation of effective management of production costs. Accurate determining of the costs of materials, labour and other resources necessary to produce a window allows for the optimization of production processes. Companies can better plan raw material purchases, minimize waste and avoid overproduction. As a result, precise quotation contributes to the reduction of unit costs, which in turn enhances market competitiveness.
Optimization of inventory management
In manufacturing companies, accurate window quotation plays a crucial role in inventory management. Accurate knowledge of production costs and sales enables better forecasting of demands and planning purchases of raw materials and finished products. This helps companies to minimize costs associated with storing excessive inventory, as well as avoid situations where key components for production are missing.
Impact on pricing policy
Precise window quotation directly influences the pricing policy of both manufacturing and trading companies. Accurate calculation of production costs enables the establishment of appropriate margins, which allows companies to achieve their financial goals. Trading companies with the use of precise quotations from suppliers can more effectively set their sales prices, ensuring market competitiveness, maintaining profitability at the same time.
Negotiations with clients and suppliers
Accurate window quotation is also a key element in the negotiation process with clients and suppliers. Manufacturing companies equipped with precise data about costs can more effectively negotiate the prices of raw materials and components, which helps to reduce production costs.
In turn, trading companies with accurate quotations can negotiate better purchasing terms from suppliers and offer more attractive prices to their customers.
Analysis of profitability of projects
Careful window quotation is essential for conducting accurate profitability analyses of various projects. Manufacturing and trading companies with precise data abut costs can evaluate the profitability of making specific orders or investing in new production lines. This enables them to make more informed business decisions, maximizing profits. As a result, they can make more deliberate business decisions, maximizing profits.
Impact on relations with customers
Precise window quotation plays a key role in building and maintaining positive relationships with customers. Accurate cost calculations allow companies to present reliable and fair offers to customers, which fosters trust and loyalty. Customers appreciate transparency and professionalism, which translates into long-term partnerships and recommendations.
Reduction of financial risk
Accurate window quotation also helps in reducing financial risk. Manufacturing and trading companies with complete data about costs can better plan their finances and minimize the risk associated with unforeseen expenses. This allows them to more effectively manage financial liquidity, and avoid situations where a lack of funds could threaten the continuation of their operations.
Support in planning investments
Precise window quotation is an indispensable tool when planning investments in new technologies, production lines or infrastructure expansion. Companies with accurate data related to costs of production and sales can better assess the profitability of such investments and their impact on future financial results. This enables more informed decision-making, minimizing risks and maximizing benefits.
Needs of manufacturing and trading companies related to quotation of windows
Based on many years of experience working with manufacturing and trading companies in the window industry, we observe that they face many specific needs and challenges related to the quotation of their products. Here are the most important ones:
A challenge is to include all necessary variables in the quotation, such as the type and dimension of a window, used materials, used accessories, and costs of labour and production.A common problem is the need for rapid price updates in response to dynamically changing prices of raw materials or other costs, as well as market trends.Challenging is ensuring transparency in the window quotation process for different customer segments, so the quotation process is understandable and fair. For companies selling windows to different countries, there is an additional challenge of adjusting quotations to local markets, converting currency rates, VAT values, and accounting for additional costs such as transportation and service.Once a window quotation is made, a challenge is to automate the creation of clear, easy to understand, and personalized offers that accurately present all costs for customers.Customers often request quotations for windows in various variants, e.g. differing in technology of production, colour, filling or other parameters, what makes it necessary to efficiently create some additional offers and handle them later.Another problem of window manufacturers is the lack of reliable knowledge about what is being sold and in what quantities, so that they could quickly prepare convenient summaries and respond to changing needs of customers.Companies must constantly monitor prices and adjust their offers in order to remain competitive. It is balancing between quality and costs to ensure an attractive price for customers without losing the margin.The role of the program for windows quoting in meeting the needs of manufacturers and traders
In the dynamically developing window industry, companies need precise tools for calculation of cost in order to avoid errors, automate work and ensure competitive prices. Effective management of window quotations in manufacturing and trading companies requires advanced IT tools that allow for quick and flexible offer preparation. The window pricing software ‒ Stolcad® Professional ‒ has been designed to meet all described challenges in management of sales.Unlike other solutions available on the market, Stolcad® Professional not only stands out with advanced features and automates the processes of valuation and offer creation. Our software also provides tools for convenient reporting and in-depth data analysis, as well as comprehensive management of production, warehouses and logistics. This allows for continuous monitoring of performance and identification of areas needing optimization. For this purpose, Stolcad® Professional offers a wide range of features that significantly streamline the operations of companies working with windows.
Pricing and quotation embedded in Stolcad® Professional
Our software is comprehensive. Even the standard version of Stolcad® Professional offers versatile capabilities for preparing window quotations in all technologies (PVC, wood, aluminium, steel), managing offers, and handling sales. Below, we present the main features of the program in this area.
Pricing using three different methods
Stolcad® Professional offers three main methods of window pricing: material-based, pricelist-based and quaterial-based. This gives users the option to choose the method that best suits the specifics of their business. Each of these methods is comprehensive and allows for detailed cost calculation and optimization. In one offer, it is possible to use more than one method at the same time.
It is also possible to use different quotation methods internally and in own sales showrooms, versus a different one in collaboration with external trading partners. Regardless of the chosen method for creating an offer price, Stolcad® Professional always calculates the production cost for each product. This makes it easy to calculate the margin.
The characteristics of methods of pricing windows:
Material-based method: This method relies on the precise accounting of the used materials, the labour and other production costs. In this case, the price calculation is based on the production costs. It allows for accurate determining of the minimum price at which it is still profitable to sell the product. This is crucial when calculating e.g. tender offers.Pricelist-based method: This method enables quick and effective quotations based on previously established pricelists plus broadly understood mark-ups. It allows for the adjustment of own sales prices to the prices that have formed on a specific market for selected products. Thus, it allows for the adjustment of one's own offer in relation to the sales prices offered by competitors for comparable products.Quaterial-based method: This method allows for quotation of subsequent window sashes. It is an extension of the pricelist-based method for more complex window constructions, where it is not always worth creating separate price grids.Handling additional costs
When opting for the material-based method, Stolcad® Professional considers not only costs of materials but also costs of labour and fixed costs. At each production station, it is possible to set unit prices for one man-hour. This enables individual rate settings and the assignment of names to labours, which facilitates their identification, e.g. painting, fitting, glazing, etc.
Adding fixed costs allows for the inclusion of specified amounts to the price of joinery, which are not modified by any percentage factors. For calculating fixed costs, so-called window units are used. Fixed costs may include rent, equipment depreciation, total wage value, etc. Accurate entry of these values is crucial for precise pricing.
Flexibility in configuration of price components
Stolcad® Professional provides great flexibility in managing unit prices of basic window components, such as profiles, fittings, accessories, glass, muntins and goods. Users can set prices both generally and for individual colours.
Additionally, unit prices can be set according to different units of measurement - per piece, running meters or square meters. This flexibility allows for precise management of price components regardless of the offered product type.
Multiple discounts and mark-ups
One of the key features of Stolcad® Professional is the ability to implement comprehensive systems of counting discounts and mark-ups. Discounts allow for flexible price adjustment depending on the order size, while individual mark-ups on elements can increase the profitability of specific projects. The program also enables adjusting prices with additional groups of discount factors, such as:
- percentage discount from prices,
- percentage loss on wastes,
- additional mark-up for each element,
- percentage group mark-up on the total.
An interesting method of discounting the purchase prices of elements is applying discounts based on the supplier such as profiles, steel, fittings, glass or muntins. This solution enables users to introduce discounts to purchase prices independently for each element. The number of discount groups for each supplier is as high as 250! Of course, Stolcad® Professional includes functions for setting discounts across all technologies at once, without needing to change each one individually. Additionally, the program has numerous mechanisms to facilitate entering and editing already set discounts and mark-ups.
Multidimensional discounting for demanding users
For demanding users, Stolcad® Professional offers advanced multidimensional discounting, allowing for precise product pricing. This functionality enables the application of individual waste loss rates independently for each profile type and colour, which enables more effective cost management. With these features, users tailor quotations precisely to their specific needs, minimizing losses and optimizing production processes.
Functions of multidimensional discounting also enable precise setting of percentage mark-up independently for cost elements such as labour, logistics, special costs, and other work ranges applicable in window pricing and production. The program quickly implements special percentage discounts on selected materials, further increasing offer competitiveness. With these advanced tools, users can effectively manage price formation.
Comprehensive surcharge system
The extensive surcharge system in Stolcad® Professional provides wide possibilities for applying additional charges based on components used in window production. The program comprehensively includes surcharges for components such as glass, colour, crossbars, fittings, angles, arches, muntins, accessories, seals, dowels, parameters and profile packages.
Surcharges can also be calculated based on the actual value of the used materials. This allows for flexible adjustment of pricing strategy to the individual needs. Depending on the adopted pricing policy, surcharges can be either transparently presented on the offer printout, or hidden from the customer.
Built-in personalization of offers
Stolcad® Professional in its standard includes two different offer templates, and extensive tools for customizing their appearance and content. The key functions include adding a graphic or text header, as well as adjusting font appearance such as type, size, bold or italic. Convenient switches allow users to change the range of printed information regarding specification of a position, the style in which the price is presented, or the summary. Stolcad® Professional also ensures flexibility in the visual presentation of drawings of windows.
Users can customize their appearance deciding whether they should be in colour, photo effect, include internal or external views. Additionally, it is possible to adjust margins and dimension axes, which allows for tailoring the appearance of the documents to the individual needs. These features ensure that each offer can be precisely tailored to the preferences of the recipient, enhancing its attractiveness and effectiveness.
Special pricing conditions for partners
Stolcad® Professional allows for configuring individual pricing conditions for different recipients of windows: both the end customers and the trading partners collaborating with the manufacturer.
This is particularly important in building long-lasting business relationships with partners. For example, favourable pricing conditions can be offered to regular customers promoting loyalty and long-term cooperation.
Extensions for Stolcad® Professional that expand pricing and quoting capabilities
Stolcad® Professional is not just comprehensive software in its standard version. With the additional modules, users can further increase the efficiency of pricing and quoting, tailoring the program to the specific needs of their company. Below we present key extensions that enhance the functionality of the program in this context.
Support for multiple currencies and languages
This tool allows for flexible preparation of technical data in any language, as well as setting additional data: currency, exchange rate and VAT rate. Using this module in daily work significantly streamlines the process of creating offers for international customers.
Service Configurator Module
Precise service calculation
This tool enables the configuration of any number of services, for which one can choose from many available calculation methods. The types and the quantities of services can be adapted to different technologies. Implementing this module allows for more precise calculation and increases profits from the offered services.
Export / Import of Prices to Excel Module
Effective price change management
This module allows for the export of prices of elements (profiles, accessories, fittings, glass and goods), their modification in a spreadsheet, and then import back into Stolcad® Professional. In the case of frequent price changes, it significantly speeds up work and minimizes the risk of errors.
Precision pricing in every inch
A solution for manufacturers who want to professionally cooperate with markets for which the basic unit of measure is inches.
Stolcad® Professional equipped with the module can provide dimensions in inches during designing, as well as on offer printouts.
Customization of Offer Templates
Appearance of offers with no limits
Standard offer templates are not the only possibility. We can freely code the appearance of offer printouts to your individual needs, or some large customers. It is worth noting that they can be adapted to specific markets that have different visual standards e.g. a different layout, more or fewer descriptions or graphics.
Classic IT tool for points of sales of windows
Dealer Professional has been trusted by numerous entrepreneurs for many years. Working on data from Stolcad® Professional, it enables the design, pricing and quoting of windows. It helps developing a network of sales points and streamlines cooperation between sales intermediaries and the manufacturer.
Application of Stolcad® Professional in various types of manufacturers
Stolcad® Professional, the window quoting program, is a universal tool that is applicable in various types of enterprises from small family businesses to large manufacturing companies. Due to its flexibility and extensive configuration options, the program can be adapted to the specific needs of each company, regardless of its size and scope of activity. The strength of Stolcad® Professional program is visible not only in its features but primarily in satisfaction of its users.
Case Study: EUROCOLOR Sp. z o.o. company - The large-scale production of PVC and aluminium windows
EUROCOLOR Sp. z o.o. company, based in Poland, is a renowned manufacturer of PVC and aluminium windows and doors, with whom we have been closely cooperating since 2001. On a daily basis the company is using almost all modules and extensions of Stolcad® Professional. Each year, together, we also develop numerous custom-made, dedicated IT solutions.
Case Study: Elegance s.a.r.l - A Small carpentry firm: the exclusive producer of windows and shutters
Elegance s.a.r.l company, based in Lebanon, after implementing our software, significantly automated its operations by streamlining the processes for pricing luxury windows and shutters. Increased efficiency and reduced working hours have led to higher margins and more efficient customer service, not only on the local market.
Both cases demonstrate the flexibility of Stolcad Professional in various operational conditions, from large-scale production facilities to smaller carpentry workshops, confirming that it is a scalable solution that effectively supports business processes at different levels of complexity. We have posted more customer reviews on our testimonials page, and more interesting projects and case studies on the completed implementations page.
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No matter if you run a large-scale production or specialize in nonstandard custom projects, Stolcad® Professional offers tools that support every aspect of window-related activities. We invite you to learn more about our program.
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