Speed matters. But so do your margins.
In custom manufacturing, quoting fast often comes at a cost — literally. When you rush quotes or rely on oversimplified templates, you risk underpricing complex jobs or overcharging simple ones. Either way, you lose.
The solution? Smart pricing logic — automated, precise, and flexible enough to handle the real complexity of custom parts manufacturing.
🧮 The Problem with Flat-Rate Pricing
Flat-rate pricing might seem convenient, but it quickly breaks down when applied to diverse, custom jobs. It doesn’t account for real production time, unique setups, or differences in part complexity — which makes accurate job costing nearly impossible.
That means:
- You charge the same price for every part, but one includes multiple tight-radius pockets and fine details, while another is a simple flat profile that takes minutes to produce.
- A CNC part with tight tolerances and manual deburring gets the same quote as a basic profile cut
- You spend 2 hours programming a prototype — but there’s no field in your quote sheet for that
The result? Inaccurate quotes, disappearing margins, and wasted time manually correcting for exceptions.
✅ Smarter Quoting Starts with the Right Model
Digifabster gives you control through a powerful pricing engine based on Time-Based Pricing — a perfect fit for services like:
- CNC machining
- Laser cutting
- Multi-axis milling
- Sheet metal work
Quotes are calculated using:
- Machine runtime
- Operator time
- Programming effort
This time-driven approach makes your cost estimation process more precise and scalable — especially for high-mix, low-volume environments where every part is unique.
🔀 Built for Real-World Manufacturing Workflows
With Digifabster’s flexible quoting logic, you can:
- Set unique pricing rules per machine or material
- Define minimums and logic for complex jobs
- Build consistency across your team — no more guesswork
- Quote instantly through your online quote system, without spreadsheets
It’s built to support the realities of modern manufacturing operations — from metal parts production to on-demand fabrication services.
🧠 Bonus: Built-In Cost Estimator for Every File
Digifabster uses CAD file analysis and feature recognition to automatically adjust pricing based on:
- Geometry
- Volume
- Surface area
- Complexity
- Machining features (like holes, threads, or pockets)
This turns your estimating software into a smart, automated cost calculator — ready to handle even the most complex RFQs.
🏁 Final Thought
If your quoting process is either too slow or too risky, you’re stuck choosing between accuracy and speed. You shouldn’t have to.
With Digifabster’s smart, automated quote software, you can protect your margins and respond faster — whether you’re quoting metal parts, plastic prototypes, or high-precision CNC work.
Ready for the switch?
Learn more about Digifabster’s instant quoting, order management, invoicing, and payment solution here.
YOUR PATH FORWARD STARTS TODAY
Start your free trial now. No sales call required.
