Quotation time cut to minutes

Emplas has reduced the time taken to create professional quotes to the end client with its new quotation software.

Offered as part of its online EVA (Emplas Virtual Assistant) support tool, it creates detailed and professional quotes in minutes, pulling in relevant certification, accreditations and product specifications from minimal data input.

This is built around a tailored quotation template including: tailored Quality Charter; Quality Assurance; BSi Kitemark Licence – enhanced security and Window Energy Ratings guide; Specific energy labels as relevant to the order; and security overview.

It also includes: enhanced security Kitemarks as relevant; Secured by Design Certification if relevant; BSi window and door surveying license; guide to Pilkington EnergiKare; independent accreditation certification, eg BM Trada or other; DGCOS certificate and terms and conditions.

John Leary, Emplas’s sales and marketing director, said that the support package had been modelled on the quotation packs and software created by the company’s retail business, T&K Home Improvements.

“Having previously headed up T&K Home Improvements, our £4 million retail business, based only in Northamptonshire, I know first-hand just how long it can take to pull together a properly structured retail quote,” he said.

“We used to do this manually, pulling together certification and product specifications from different files. If you’re not doing it day-in and day-out, you never know where they are – it took a huge amount of time. In the end, we had someone doing it as an almost a full-time admin role.

“That’s why we created our quotation pack software. Having been input once, it automatically pulls-in our customers’ logos, and their details as relevant including accreditations and memberships of professional bodies, specific to them. All they then need to do is input the relevant quote details including price, how long it’s valid for and then select the product specification from a tick-box menu.

“The system does the rest. It cuts the time taken to create a professional quote from 30 minutes plus to literally a couple minutes.”

The quotation pack also allows Emplas customers to ‘piggy-back’ on legally checked and regularly updated, terms and conditions created for T&K Home Improvements, which guarantees that they stay on the right side of trading regulations.

EVA was launched by Emplas last year. This features lead generation and management software, automated quotations, remote placement of orders and subsequent order tracking, facilities to check invoices, and CE Marking.

Accessed via the manufacturer’s online portal installers can log-on from any PC, laptop, tablet or mobile phone, to access a secure quoting and order processing system – and track those orders in real-time.

Emplas reported last year that almost two-thirds of its trade customers were now opting to place orders online through EVA using its Window Designer Cloud and Fengo 2 Door Designer platforms.

“If there is a single support tool on EVA, which has really grabbed our customers, it’s the quotation support tool,” John said. “For the many customers who are using the service, it is the difference between converting an enquiry to a sale. It also has allowed many of our customers the time saving benefits of having their evenings and weekends back.”

www.emplas.co.uk