Avoid the ping pong when creating sales quotes for custom project/products 

The Challenges of ETO Quoting

ETO projects are unique because each job is tailored to customer specifications. This introduces several challenges:

• Complexity: Every project involves a unique design, making it hard to rely on predefined pricing models or templates.
• Time Constraints: Customers expect fast and accurate quotes, even for intricate designs.
• Communication Silos: Sales teams often lack direct access to detailed engineering data, leading to repetitive questions and delays.
• Tight Margins: Misquoting due to outdated or inaccurate data can lead to unprofitable projects.

To tackle these issues, businesses need a solution that bridges the gap between engineering and sales while ensuring accurate, up-to-date information

Integrating CAD and ERP Systems: A Game-Changer

Imagine a scenario where your sales team can easily collaborate with design teams to generate precise quotes directly from your CAD/PDM/PLM (SolidWorks, Autodesk, etc.) system. The designer/engineer selects a specific configuration, so the project/product is created in the CAD/PDM/PLM and pushed directly to the ERP (Oracle NetSuite, IFS, Microsoft Dynamics 365, etc.) as a Sales Order/Sales Quote. Once the order is validated by the customer, it can also be pushed as a BoM on the ERP side using current meta-data from your CAD/PDM/PLM designs.

This is where Agni Link from Elmo Solutions stands out. By integrating your CAD and ERP systems, Agni Link streamlines the flow of accurate data between teams, transforming the way ETO projects are quoted and managed. Here’s how this integration can transform your quoting process:

1. Centralized Data Access

With CAD-integrated ERP software, all item and component data—from materials to dimensions—flows seamlessly from engineering to sales. This eliminates manual data entry, ensuring your sales team works with accurate, real-time information.

2. Improved Collaboration

Engineering and sales teams can collaborate more effectively. Instead of answering repeated queries, engineers focus on design, while sales leverage detailed data to craft informed proposals.

3. Enhanced Accuracy

CAD metadata often includes crucial information like material costs, weights, and specifications. By pulling this data directly into your ERP system, your quotes reflect the true scope and cost of the project, minimizing errors.

4. Faster Turnaround Times

By automating data transfer and integrating workflows, sales teams can respond to customer inquiries faster, giving your business a competitive edge.

5. Better Margin Control

With accurate cost data built into every quote, your business can maintain tighter control over margins, reducing the risk of underbidding or unexpected cost overruns.

How Agni Link Solves These Issues

Agni Link is a CAD-ERP integration tool that ensures seamless communication between your engineering and sales teams. Agni Link will create/update the items/products as usual BoM integration. However, a Sales Order/Sales Quote with its SalesLines can be created/updated by Agni Link rather than a BoM/BoMVersion with its BoMLines from the CAD structure. Other real-world benefits include:

Streamlined Collaboration

The tool bridges the gap between engineering and sales. Instead of endless back-and-forth to verify design details, a sales quote/sales order can be created directly instead of first creating a BoM and afterwards manually creating a sales quote/sales order.

Enhanced Speed and Accuracy

With Agni Link, quotes are generated faster and more accurately. This not only shortens the sales cycle but also builds customer trust by providing reliable and timely proposals.