Service 02 — Quotes and proposals

One pipeline, from enquiry to signed.

Supplier costs in, client-ready quote out — margin rules, tax, and payment terms applied the same way every time, by whoever happens to be at the desk.

Your margin rules Consistent terms
◇ The problem
Fig. 01 — Flow rack, gravity lanes

The quote is not slow because the math is hard.

It is slow because the same numbers get typed three times, the terms get remembered differently depending on who is writing, and the proposal document gets rebuilt from the last one that looked close enough.

Supplier pricing re-keyed by hand into an estimate, then into a proposal.
Margin applied from memory, so it drifts between quotes.
Payment milestones and tax handled differently by different people.
Follow-up that slips once the quote is sent.
◇ How it works
Fig. 02 — Cantilever, 4 arms

What the workflow actually does.

Your rules, encoded once. The output is the document you would have written on a good day, every time.

01 Cost intake

Supplier quotes, freight, rentals, and labour go in as they arrive — no reformatting first.

02 Margin applied

Your margin structure runs automatically by category, so the sell price is right without a second pass.

03 Quote built

A QuickBooks-ready estimate with correct tax and payment milestones, formatted the same way every time.

04 Proposal assembled

Cover letter, scope statement, and terms wrapped around the estimate as one branded PDF.

◇ Measured result
Before → after, same operator
Time per quote
5 hrs → 75 min
Proposal prep time
2 hrs → 25 min
Margin consistency
Encoded, not remembered
◇ Questions
Do I have to change accounting systems?

No. The workflow outputs into what you already use. Most clients stay in QuickBooks.

Can it handle different margin rules by category?

Yes — material, labour, freight, and rentals can each carry their own structure, including job-size overrides.

What about supply-only versus supply-and-install?

Both. Scope type is an input, and it changes which sections and terms appear in the proposal.

Who owns the templates?

You do. The branded documents and the rules behind them are yours to edit and keep.

◇ Get started
Fig. 03 — Wire partition enclosure

Book a Workflow Audit.

One to two weeks, a fixed fee, and a prioritized plan you keep either way.

EMAIL
ryan@sidesandbenson.ca
OFFICE
Ontario, Canada
By appointment
Start here
Tell me what’s eating the week — quoting, tenders, proposals, collections. I reply personally, usually within one business day.
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EMAIL
ryan@sidesandbenson.ca
Sides & Benson Consultants

AI workflow consulting for material handling businesses — racking dealers, installers, and distributors across Ontario. Twenty years on the floor, applied to the paperwork.

Fixed fee You own the build
Contact
ryan@sidesandbenson.ca Book a Workflow Audit Wasaga Beach, Ontario Serving Ontario
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