// Use case · Engineering, fabrication & manufacturing · Midlands & UK
RFQ quoting automation for UK engineering & manufacturing SMEs
RFQs — requests for quote — usually land in Outlook with a PDF and a drawing attached. Someone retypes the dimensions into a spreadsheet, then Sage. We build workflows that produce quote drafts your estimators check before send. Nothing goes out without a named sign-off. Four-week production slice from £4,950.
Request AI Consultation Watch RFQ demonstration (illustrative workflow)
If you are pricing customer enquiries and fabrication jobs, this page is for you. Framework bids and PQQs belong on our tender response page instead. Plenty of Midlands manufacturers run both; we still scope one queue at a time.
We usually deliver this through workflow automation and agentic AI consultancy, with governance & deployment where you need audit trails. It often starts as the quoting slice inside our Microsoft 365 email workflows programme: same inbox, less retyping.
What you get
RFQs arrive faster than estimators can respond. The point is not autonomous pricing.
Typical build: intake from email and attachments (no new portal), line items pulled into a worksheet or draft, quote packs in Outlook, handoff toward Sage when the data is clean enough. Your team approves before anything customer-facing goes out. We log what was read, what was assumed, and who signed off.
Who this fits
Engineering and fabrication SMEs across the Midlands and UK — often 20–250 people with one or two people carrying quotes. Ops leads tired of the same RFQ living in inbox, spreadsheet, and ERP. Shops where PDFs and drawings drive the estimate, not a catalogue SKU list.
Where time disappears today
Shared inboxes with no triage. Dimensions copied by hand from PDFs or CAD exports. No easy answer to “what did we quote last time?” One senior estimator who owns every Friday rush. Clarification threads with nothing behind them.
Sound familiar? You are probably the audience.
How a run works
- An RFQ lands — usually by email or a folder rule in Microsoft 365.
- Attachments and thread context are parsed into fields; low-confidence reads are flagged, not guessed.
- A quote skeleton or line-item draft is generated against your templates and pricing guardrails.
- An estimator adjusts price, lead time, and exclusions in a familiar surface — often an Outlook draft.
- A named owner signs off; Sage or your job system gets an update when you are ready for that step.
- Outcomes from one job can inform the next — without silent auto-pricing on new enquiries.
Systems we plug into
Microsoft 365 and Outlook for intake and drafts. Sage and similar ERP stacks when handoff data is reliable. CRM or job systems where customer history already lives. CAD and drawing exports where filenames and metadata help — humans still validate dimensions.
We do not replace your ERP. We shorten the manual bridge from inbox to quote to system.
See the pattern
The steel RFQ demonstration is a short walk-through: drawing in by email, priced Outlook draft out, someone reviews before send. Illustrative only — your templates and stack define the production build.
RFQ vs tender — pick the right wedge
| RFQ / quoting (this page) | Tender / bid response |
|---|---|
| Customer enquiry, repeat supplier quotes, fabrication jobs | PQQ, SQ, ITT, framework and public-sector bids |
| Email + attachments + ERP | Bid libraries, compliance matrices, word limits |
| Estimator / commercial owner sign-off | Bid manager and governance sign-off |
Governance
Estimators stay accountable for price and lead time. We do not auto-send customer quotes. Missing data gets flagged rather than guessed. Logging suits ISO-minded shops and customer audits — see quality standards. One RFQ shape first; expand when that works.
First 30 days
- Map one recurring RFQ type, baselines (hours to first quote, rework), and who approves.
- Connect intake — typically M365 — plus templates and review checkpoints.
- Run live or redacted RFQs beside your current process.
- Measure turnaround, review effort, and error types; decide whether to scale or stop.
On measurement: KPIs for AI pilots that hold up. On how runs execute: How agentic workflows run.
Frequently asked questions
Is this quoting software or a consultancy service?
Consultancy. We build the workflow in your tenant — usually Outlook and M365, with Sage or ERP handoff when you are ready. No self-service SaaS login. Your estimators still set price and approve every customer quote.
Can this work with Sage and the ERP we already use?
Yes, when the data is clean enough to map. Most teams start with drafts in Outlook; ERP write-back follows once fields and approval rules are agreed. We are not replacing your system of record.
How is an RFQ different from a tender or bid?
A request for quote is a customer enquiry — email, drawings, repeat fabrication work — that you price and send back. Tender work is formal PQQ, SQ, ITT, and framework packs. Plenty of shops do both; see tender response automation for that path. We still take one queue at a time.
Next step
Founder-led delivery with on-site workshops across Leicester, the wider Midlands, and remote UK where that fits. Registered office Birmingham B4. How we work.