Guides
Answer-first guides on AI quoting for manufacturers: how it works, how accurate it is, how to read the documents an RFQ actually arrives as, and how to choose a tool.
Understanding AI quoting
What the category is, how it works end to end, and how it differs from should-cost software and an ERP's own quoting module.
What is AI quoting software?
The category defined: what it reads, where the price comes from, and who it is built for.
How does AI quoting software work?
The pipeline from a forwarded RFQ to a priced quote, stage by stage.
How accurate is AI quoting software?
What an accuracy claim actually needs to mean, and how it should be measured.
AI quoting software vs should-cost software: what is the difference?
Two different questions, both called quoting: pricing an enquiry versus modelling a cost.
AI quoting software vs an ERP quoting module: what is the difference?
Where quoting lives: inside the ERP that runs the shop, or in a layer that feeds it.
Reading the documents
The process depth behind extraction: 2D drawings, specification documents, scanned prints and bills of materials.
What is RFQ automation?
What actually gets automated when an RFQ arrives, and what still goes to a person.
How does quoting from 2D drawings work?
Title block, dimensions and feature tables: how a clean drawing becomes a feature list.
How does quoting from scanned drawings work?
What a scan has to go through before a single dimension can be trusted.
How is a bend count read from a 2D drawing?
Bend tables, bend notes and dimensioned views: where a bend count actually comes from on a print.
How is a BOM extracted from a drawing package?
Tables, parts lists and multi-sheet assemblies: reconciling a BOM from wherever it actually lives.
Choosing a tool
Labour standards, realistic turnaround expectations, and a framework for evaluating fit before comparing specific tools.
What are labour standards and rate cards?
What the two actually are, and why consistent application matters more than the numbers.
How long should quoting actually take?
What actually eats the time in a quote, and what automation changes about it.
How do you choose quoting software?
A framework for evaluating fit, before comparing any specific tools by name.
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