AI in manufacturing: from RFQ to a quote that wins

One request for quotation, followed from the inbox to the business result. Move through the stages with the buttons, and change the inputs to see every stage recalculate.

An RFQ lands in the inbox

A drawing, a spec and a Friday deadline. Today it sits in a shared inbox until an estimator has time.

Halden Aerospace, procurementMon 09:02

RFQ 24817: mounting bracket, 500 pcs

Please quote 500 pieces of the attached mounting bracket in Al 6061-T6. Tolerance ±0.05 mm, finish: anodize Type II. We need delivery within 6 weeks. Quotes are due Friday.

  • bracket_rev-C.pdf
  • bracket.step
  • AS9100_spec.pdf
Also sent to 3 other suppliers. Unassigned for 26 h
bracket_rev-C.pdf

Change the request

Edit any field. The email and drawing update, and every later stage recalculates from these values. When you are ready, press Run to walk through the stages with your RFQ.

6 weeks
Try a scenario:
Quote total
$23,000
Lead time
5 weeks
Win chance
68%
Expected profit
$4,229

Where this RFQ lands, recalculated as you change the fields.

AI reads it the way an estimator would

It reads the drawing, then checks past jobs, material prices, shop capacity, the buyer and the finishing partner.

Reading bracket_rev-C.pdfRead bracket_rev-C.pdf
  • Reads the drawing
  • Matches past jobs
  • Checks material price
  • Checks shop capacity
  • Checks the buyer
  • Checks the finishing partner
  • Works out delivery

The quotation builds itself

Each line is costed from your shop's own data. The price comes from that cost and your target margin. An estimator reviews the draft and sends it.

Material$2,840
CNC machining$7,520
Setup and fixturing$1,350
Finishing, outsourced$1,700
Inspection and first-article report$1,180
Overhead, 15%$2,190
Margin, 27%$6,220
Quote total$23,000

Higher margin raises the price and lowers the win chance. Stage 4 shows by how much.

How likely is this quote to win?

AI scores the quote against the buyer, the deadline, the competition and the price. Try changing the price.

68% chance to win 0 100
  • Base rate for similar RFQs52%
  • Win chance68%

Try a different price

Cutting the price wins more often but costs margin. Expected profit is win chance times the margin if you win.

10% lower10% higher
Win chance
68%
Margin if won
$6,220
Expected profit
$4,229
Versus your quote
0%

What it changes for the business

The same RFQ, answered in minutes instead of days, and priced with a clear view of the odds. Enter your own numbers on the right.

Manual process
3 days
With AI
6 min
Time to quote
6 min
was 3 days
Estimator time per quote
0.5 h
was 4.5 h
Win rate
27%
was 21%
Quotes sent on time
100%
was 72%

What it could mean for your shop

Estimator hours freed a year
5,760
Extra orders won a year
86
Extra revenue a year
$1.99M

Sample scenario. The part, prices, times and rates are made up to show the flow.

Version 4, 20 Sep 2026. Click-through stages, RFQ input fields, scenario buttons and the beige teal and copper theme.