The verdict in three sentences
A made-to-measure B2B window configurator pays for itself once you pass roughly 1,000 price requests a month and dimension errors cost you more than 5% of revenue in remakes. The realistic 2026 budget is EUR 40,000 to 90,000 excl. VAT, depending on the complexity of feasibility rules, per-reseller pricing and integration with your ERP and production. The main gain comes from the end of re-keying between the installer's quote, the design office and the shop floor.
What manual quoting costs you today
Take a manufacturer of aluminium windows and sliding doors working with 300 installer resellers. Each installer sends requests by email, annotated PDF or phone call. A sales technician re-keys dimensions, checks feasibility (maximum sizes, sash weight, glazing type, air and water tightness rating), applies the customer discount and sends a quote back within 24 to 48 hours.
| Indicator (2026 order of magnitude) | Manual process | With B2B configurator |
|---|---|---|
| Average quote turnaround | 24 to 48 h | 5 minutes |
| Technician time per quote | 20 to 30 min | 2 to 4 min (exceptions only) |
| Dimension or option error rate | 8% | under 1% |
| Average cost of a remake | EUR 350 to 900 | same, but 8 times less frequent |
| Quote-to-order conversion | 25 to 30% | 35 to 45% |
| Technicians needed for 2,000 quotes/month | 4 to 5 FTE | 1 to 1.5 FTE |
| Quotes available outside office hours | no | yes, 24/7 |
With 2,000 monthly requests and an 8% error rate, 160 orders a month are at risk. Even if only a third end in a EUR 500 remake, that is about EUR 27,000 a month, or more than EUR 300,000 a year.
Configurator building blocks and their price
A serious configurator goes well beyond a drop-down form: it includes a rules engine (min and max dimensions per range, compatibility between sash, glazing and hardware, weight limits), a per-customer pricing engine, generation of dimensioned drawings and transfer of the validated order to the ERP and the profile cutting software.
| Building block | 2026 range (EUR excl. VAT) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Reseller portal (accounts, roles, history) | 6,000 to 12,000 | multi-user per installer company |
| Feasibility rules engine | 10,000 to 25,000 | depends on number of ranges and options |
| Per-customer pricing (discounts, grids, free shipping) | 5,000 to 12,000 | grids imported from the ERP |
| Dimensioned drawings and PDF quote | 6,000 to 15,000 | 2D view, sometimes simplified 3D |
| ERP and production integration (API or files) | 8,000 to 20,000 | export to cutting software |
| Online deposit payment (card, transfer) | 2,000 to 5,000 | optional for new installers |
| Testing, training and range data migration | 3,000 to 6,000 | often underestimated |
| Total project | 40,000 to 90,000 | 4 to 7 months |
Off-the-shelf CPQ tools (configure, price, quote) exist, but their licences often exceed EUR 25,000 to 60,000 a year for 300 active resellers, before setup. Custom development makes sense when your rules are specific to your profiles and you want to own the business logic.
The three decisions that drive the budget
The first is the number of ranges modelled in version 1. Launching with the two ranges that make up 70% of volume cuts the budget by about a third. The second is integration depth: a file export to the ERP costs a third of a real-time sync of prices and profile stock. The third is visualisation: a 2D dimensioned drawing satisfies 90% of installers, while 3D adds EUR 10,000 to 20,000 with no measurable effect on B2B conversion.
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Thomas, sales director of an aluminium window manufacturer near Nantes, receives 2,000 requests a month from 300 installers. He invests EUR 65,000 excl. VAT in a configurator covering his three main ranges. Errors drop from 8% to 0.8%, avoiding 144 at-risk orders a month. With a third of remakes avoided at EUR 500, savings reach about EUR 24,000 a month. He also moves 3 of 5 technicians to complex projects. Estimated payback: under 4 months, excluding conversion gains.
FAQ
How long does it take to launch a window configurator?
Allow 4 to 7 months for a first version covering 2 to 3 ranges. Modelling feasibility rules alone takes 30 to 40% of the schedule, because it requires workshops with the design office.
Do installers actually adopt the tool?
Yes, if quoting is faster than a phone call: with 5 minutes instead of 48 hours, manufacturers often see 50 to 70% of requests move online within 6 months. A 30-minute video training session and a slightly better online price speed up adoption.
Can we keep prices confidential per reseller?
Yes, each account sees only its own grid and discounts. The pricing engine applies conditions imported from the ERP, which avoids gaps between the online quote and the invoice.
Do we need to replace our ERP?
No. The configurator sends a structured order (dimensions, options, profile references) by API or file. Integration costs EUR 8,000 to 20,000 excl. VAT depending on how open your ERP is.
What about non-standard requests?
The configurator blocks or flags unfeasible combinations and routes them to a special request handled by a technician. In practice, 5 to 10% of requests remain manual.
Let's scope your project. Send us your ranges, quote volume and ERP: we price a configurator between EUR 40,000 and 90,000 excl. VAT with a 4 to 7 month schedule. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
