Custom software for post-calculation and quote calculation in machining
Appfront builds software for machining companies that want their quotes based on what the work really costs. The cost per machine hour, built up from depreciation, energy, floor space and staff; a calculation model per operation; and times adjusted using the post-calculation of previous orders. A repeat order is calculated using the actual times from last time. How times are recorded at the machine is described on our app page.
What is software for quote costing based on post-calculation in machining?
In machining, a quote is calculated from time, material and tooling: how long a part spends on which machine, how long setup takes, what the material costs. Those times are often estimated by an experienced estimator. After production, post-calculation shows what the job actually cost. The gap between the two determines your margin, and whether the next quote should be sharper or more cautious.
In many companies, pre-calculation and post-calculation remain separate. The estimator works with an hourly rate that hasn't been revised for years, and with times based on gut feeling. The post-calculation shows that an order made a loss, but that knowledge never feeds back into the next quote. A repeat order is estimated afresh rather than calculated from the times of the last run. And nobody knows which quotes are lost, or why.
We build custom solutions because every company has its own machines, operations and way of calculating. The software builds on the data your machinists and operators record at the machine, and on your ERP and CAM. That way, the calculation improves a little with every order, instead of the knowledge staying with a single estimator.
Cost per machine hour
The rate per machine, built up from depreciation, maintenance, energy, floor space and operation, and updated every year.
A calculation that learns
Times per operation, adjusted using the post-calculation of previous orders.
Repeat orders with real times
A repeat order calculated using the actual times from last time, not estimated afresh.
How we build your software for quote costing based on post-calculation in machining
We start with your calculation: how a quote is currently calculated, which rates and times are used, and where the post-calculation sits.
Your machines, operations, rates, calculation method, ERP and the post-calculation app.
Cost per machine hour, built up and substantiated.
Times per operation, material and tooling, and quotes per piece and per batch.
Adjustment using post-calculation, repeat orders, quote analysis, and ongoing management afterwards.
What software for quote costing based on post-calculation in machining actually does
The components below come up at almost every machining company. Which ones you need depends on your work.
Machine hour rate
Cost per machine, substantiated by cost item.
Operations
Setup and operation times per operation.
Material and tooling
Costs per part and per batch.
Quote
Price per piece and per batch size.
Adjusting
Standards adjusted using the post-calculation.
Quote analysis
Won and lost quotes, and margin per customer.
Who we build software for quote costing based on post-calculation in machining for
The software is intended for machining companies that want to calculate more sharply and with substance.
One-off and small batches
Many different parts. The calculation model is the core.
Series manufacturers
Repeat orders with established customers. The actual times matter most.
Subcontractors
Quotes under price pressure. The machine hour rate is what's needed.
Machine builders
In-house machining alongside purchasing. The comparison is the core.
Test your idea first: a working prototype in 1 day
With OneDayBuild, we turn your idea into something tangible in one day for €1,150, so you can see whether further development is worth the investment. Decide to go ahead with the full build? Then we credit the full cost.
Explore OneDayBuild →Technology and integrations
This page is about quote calculation based on post-calculation. For recording machine times, see our page on an app for post-calculation in machining; for metal companies, our page on metalworking software; and for an ERP for manufacturing, our page on an MKG integration. You can read about how we work under custom software development.
If you want to manage bills of materials with operations and variants in one place, take a look at our bill of materials software for metal products.
Why Appfront for your software for quote costing based on post-calculation in machining?
A quote built on an outdated hourly rate wins orders that lose money. That is what we build on: an accurate cost price, a calculation that learns, and repeat orders based on real times.
Sharp where possible
Verified times give you room where the estimate was too cautious.
Careful where it matters
Loss-making orders inform the next quote.
Knowledge stays
The calculation doesn't depend on a single calculator.
Security and privacy in software for quote costing based on post-calculation in machining
The software holds your cost prices, rates and margins: confidential business information. Access is set by role: a calculator sees the calculation, and management sees the margins and rates.
The software runs in a European data centre or in your own environment, with encrypted storage, daily back-ups and two-factor sign-in.
Frequently asked questions about software for quote costing based on post-calculation in machining
Questions machining companies ask before getting started.
It builds up the cost price per machine hour, calculates quotes using a costing model per operation, adjusts times using the post-calculation of earlier orders, calculates repeat orders with actual times, and shows which quotes are won and what margin they deliver.
The app records at the machine what an order really cost: times, material, tooling and scrap. This software uses that data for the next quote. They work together, using the same orders and operations.
From the costs you record per machine, such as depreciation, maintenance, energy, floor space and operation, and the number of hours the machine runs per year. This makes it possible to justify what an hour costs per machine, and to update it every year.
After every order, the actual times per operation are compared with the pre-calculation. Where they consistently deviate, the software proposes an adjusted standard. The calculator decides whether it is adopted.
Yes. A repeat order is calculated using the actual times from the last time, rather than being estimated again. This makes the price fairer, for you and for your customer.
Yes, provided they offer an interface. Quotes and items go to the ERP, and machining times from the CAM can serve as the basis for the calculation.
Check that first. Many ERP packages for the manufacturing industry include costing and post-calculation, which is enough if the two are aligned. Custom software makes sense if the post-calculation doesn't feed back into the quote, or if your way of calculating doesn't fit the package.
Quotes based on what the work really costs?
Tell us how you calculate now, which machines you have and where the post-calculation is kept. We'll show you what the rates, the calculation and the adjustment look like.