CPQ configurator and quoting tool for a greenhouse manufacturer

The verdict in three sentences

A greenhouse manufacturer that takes 3 to 5 days to quote each project loses deals to competitors who answer in 48 hours. A custom CPQ configurator that encodes 400 options and their compatibility rules, then generates the quote and the shop-floor bill of materials, ships in 4 to 6 months. Against an off-the-shelf CPQ at €30,000 to €80,000 (CAD 45,000 to 120,000) a year, custom development usually pays back within two years, provided the business rules are scoped first.

Why quoting a greenhouse is so slow

A commercial greenhouse is a structure (multi-span, tunnel, Venlo), dimensions, a covering (glass, polycarbonate, double-layer film), then equipment: vents, thermal screens, heating, misting, irrigation, grow lights, climate controllers. Each choice constrains others. A thermal screen requires a given column height, a glass roof requires a different snow load depending on the zone. In a mid-sized manufacturer near Amsterdam or Toronto, this knowledge lives in the heads of two or three sales engineers and in a 30-tab Excel workbook.

On quotes from €20,000 to €600,000 (CAD 30,000 to 900,000), a 3% error on a large greenhouse costs €18,000. And a 5-day response time loses part of the agricultural tenders, where growers compare three suppliers within a week.

Off-the-shelf CPQ or custom configurator

CPQ vendors (Configure, Price, Quote) offer powerful rule engines, but designed for selling standardised products. For a manufacturer with highly technical rules and a specific bill of materials, integration and setup often cost as much as the licence.

With 400 options and compatibility rules, the project clearly falls into the complex tier of Kolonell's grid. For a reduced scope (one structure type, 80 options), the medium tier, 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR), can be enough for a first release.

What the configurator must include

The core is a rule engine that sales engineers can read themselves: "if glass roof and snow zone B, then minimum 3.5 m column". Those rules must be editable in a back office, without a developer. Around the engine, you need a guided configuration flow, a pricing calculation that reads the current price list (steel, glass, assembly labour), generation of a branded PDF quote and export of the bill of materials to the shop floor or the ERP. A 3D view is not a priority: a dimensioned 2D plan already reassures growers and costs four times less.

The longest work is not the code but formalising the rules. Allow 4 to 6 weeks of workshops with the engineering office to turn the Excel workbook into a rule base tested against 20 historical quotes.

Mini case study

Pieter, sales director at a greenhouse manufacturer near Amsterdam, issues 220 quotes a year. Each quote takes on average 4 days of a sales engineer at €450 a loaded day, so €1,800 per quote and €396,000 a year. With the configurator, a standard quote takes 0.5 day and a complex one 1.5 days, about 1 day on average: 220 × 450 = €99,000. The saving reaches €297,000 of sales time redeployed to prospecting. The build, at the top of the complex tier, is around 22,870 EUR, plus 183 EUR a month for premium maintenance. Even counting only a quarter of the gain, €74,250, the project pays back in about 4 months, before counting deals won thanks to a 48-hour response.

FAQ

How long does it take to encode 400 options?

Rule formalisation workshops take 4 to 6 weeks, then development 3 to 4 months. Total is 4 to 6 months, with a first version usable by sales after 3 months on the best-selling structures.

Can the configurator be opened to customers?

Yes, in a second phase. You expose a simplified version with 30 to 50 options and an indicative price within plus or minus 10%, which creates a qualified lead for the sales engineer.

How does it connect to our ERP?

Through a bill-of-materials export in the expected format (CSV, XML or API). A simple connector to a mainstream ERP usually represents 10 to 20% of the total budget.

Who updates steel and glass prices?

The purchasing manager, in the back office, without a developer. Every change is logged and dated, so you can retrieve the price applied to a quote issued 18 months ago.

What if our rules change?

That is the point of an editable rule engine: adding an option or a constraint takes minutes. Heavy changes (a new structure range) are quoted separately, usually 5 to 15 development days.

Let's scope your project. Send us your quoting workbook and three typical quotes, and we will scope the rule engine and a 4 to 6 month delivery plan. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.