Custom Pricing Engine Templates for Faster Manufacturing Quotes
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current CAD programs require trained users to generate price quotes for manufacturing, leading to higher prices and delays due to inefficiencies in the price-quote generation process, causing suppliers to miss opportunities.
Innovation Solution
A custom pricing engine system that receives supplier-specific costs, generates pricing outputs based on inputs, and calculates an aggregate price, allowing designers and suppliers to interact through an electronic marketplace for streamlined pricing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automated pricing programs are used, then price quote generation speed is improved, but device complexity increases requiring specially trained users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary component (pricing template system and configuration interface) that mediates between the complex automated pricing engine and the end user. This intermediary layer allows users to configure and control the pricing program without needing to understand the underlying complexity, thus maintaining high productivity while reducing the operational complexity burden on users.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service through automated pricing engines that can generate price quotes independently without requiring specially trained users to manually guide execution. The program automatically processes design specifications, retrieves costs, and generates quotes, eliminating the need for expert intervention while maintaining high speed generation.
2Measurement precision
If manually guided pricing processes are used, then pricing accuracy is improved, but loss of time increases due to manual verification and guidance steps
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the automated pricing engine continuously verifies its calculations against stored cost data and pricing templates. The system provides feedback loops that check pricing outputs for reasonableness and accuracy, maintaining high pricing accuracy while operating automatically without manual verification steps that would consume time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring pricing templates, cost databases, and calculation parameters before the actual pricing process. Suppliers pre-load their cost structures, material rates, and pricing rules into the system, so that when a price quote is requested, the automated engine can immediately execute accurate calculations without requiring manual verification or guidance during the time-critical quoting phase.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple pricing engines are integrated, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universality through a standardized pricing template system that can accommodate multiple supplier-specific pricing engines and cost structures through a common interface. The system uses universal data formats and configuration templates that allow different suppliers with different pricing methodologies to integrate their engines without increasing overall system complexity. The template system acts as a universal adapter layer.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and software that allow one or more users to utilize custom pricing in the context of an electronic marketplace. Such custom pricing can be implemented by transmitting specifications of custom pricing engines and/or custom design document interrogator engines to the marketplace along with or independently from one or more design documents containing structures to be priced. Various corresponding and related methods and software are described.