Quotation Tool for Swiss Door Systems Company

OVERVIEW Eppert Consulting has developed numerous bespoke quotation tools for businesses across different industries. Although creating quotations is a universal requirement, the underlying logic, data structures, and workflows vary significantly from one business to another. For this project, we were commissioned by the Swiss subsidiary of a leading door‑system manufacturer to build a customised Excel‑VBA application that enables sales managers to produce professional quotations for door systems and automatic doors. The tool supports highly configurable door types and generates polished PDF outputs ready to be sent to customers. THE CHALLENGE The client needed a quotation system capable of handling a wide variety of door types, each with its own technical specifications, pricing logic, and configuration options. Their existing process relied on manual spreadsheets, inconsistent formatting, and repetitive data entry. Key challenges included: - Managing centrally maintained master data for all door types - Providing intuitive configuration options through dropdown lists and tick boxes - Supporting more than 30 templates for different door systems - Applying mark‑ups consistently and accurately - Ensuring professional, customer‑ready outputs - Protecting all non‑input cells to maintain data integrity - Saving quotations automatically in both Excel and PDF formats - Supporting multi‑user access across the sales organisation The goal was to create a fast, reliable, and user‑friendly tool that would standardise quotation creation and reduce manual workload. SOLUTION We developed a fully customised Excel‑VBA application that guides sales managers through the quotation process using dropdown lists, tick boxes, and lookup functions. The tool incorporates centrally maintained master data, ensuring consistency across all quotations. Once the relevant options are selected, the application automatically generates a complete quotation document, applies mark‑ups, and produces professional PDF outputs ready for customer communication. The system includes more than 30 templates covering all standard door types and configurations, ensuring flexibility while maintaining a consistent corporate format. Automatic saving, write protection, and multi‑user capability further enhance reliability and ease of use. KEY TECHNICAL FEATURES Excel VBA Architecture: Fully developed in Microsoft Excel VBA for maximum flexibility and maintainability. Centrally Maintained Master Data: Dropdown lists and lookup functions ensure consistent and up‑to‑date product information. Bespoke Tick‑Box Configuration: Intuitive selection of door options and features. Extensive Template Library: More than 30 templates for standard door types and automatic door systems. Automated Mark‑Up Application: Consistent pricing logic applied across all quotations. Write‑Protected Structure: All non‑input cells are locked to safeguard formulas and data integrity. Automated Saving: Quotations are saved automatically as Excel files and PDF documents. Multi‑User Capability: Supports distributed sales teams with shared access. Professional PDF Outputs: Clean, branded quotation documents ready for customer communication. IMPACT: The new quotation tool has significantly improved the speed, accuracy, and consistency of the client’s sales process. Sales managers can now configure complex door systems within minutes, relying on centrally maintained data and automated pricing logic. Professional PDF quotations are generated instantly, reducing administrative effort and improving customer responsiveness. The tool ensures standardised outputs across the organisation, enhances data integrity, and supports scalable multi‑user operation. Overall, it delivers a more efficient, reliable, and professional quotation workflow for the client’s sales team.