The short answer
Stop transcribing the drawing by hand. Build the component list from the customer drawing for the estimator, tie it to your own part numbers, and let the estimator review it instead of retyping it. The judgment calls stay with the estimator. In our case study, quotes moved from days to hours, and a revision no longer starts from scratch.
Where the days go
A complex assembly arrives as a customer drawing. The estimator reads it by hand and transcribes each component and its parts before pricing can even start. A quote takes days, and a revision means another pass through the drawing.
The work is careful but repetitive, and it lands on the person whose judgment you most need for pricing. Turnaround then limits which opportunities are worth pursuing. Slow quotes are not only a workload problem; they decide which work you bid on.
What it takes
- The component list is built from the drawing for the estimator, instead of by the estimator line by line.
- Each line is tied to your own part numbers. Any line without a clean part number is left for the estimator.
- A revision builds on the previous quote instead of starting over.
- Freight, tax, and other judgment calls stay with the estimator.
Your quoting and ERP systems stay the system of record. The first connection only reads from them.
We start by checking a set of your recent drawings against your part data, so you can see how many lines match cleanly before you commit.
What changes
In our estimator case study, a manufacturer quoting complex assemblies from customer drawings went from days to hours, and a revision no longer starts from scratch. The estimator no longer transcribes the drawing line by line. Freight, tax, and any line without a clean part number are still the estimator’s call.
The decision it supports: quote it, and requote it. Turnaround is less of a limit on which opportunities are worth pursuing.