Paper Quote Engine

What It Is

Paper Quote Engine turns your actual production history into accurate, defensible quotes. Instead of guessing based on memory or spreadsheets, it finds jobs you've already run that match the new spec — same machine group, similar dimensions, similar volume — and builds the quote from real labor, scrap, setup, and throughput data.

The Problem It Solves

Every quote in paper/corrugated production is different: new dimensions, new materials, different routes through Sheeters, Corrugators, Coaters, Rewinders, or Die Cuts. Most estimators have no systematic way to find comparable past jobs, so pricing drifts, margin leaks, and sales argues with ops over whose number is right. Paper Quote Engine fixes this by making the comparison explicit, auditable, and data-driven.

How It Works

1. Import your production data: Upload CSV exports from each machine line. The system normalizes raw rows into historical jobs, calculates produced MSF, material usage ratio, scrap %, labor $/MSF, setup burden, and MSF/hour — automatically.
2. Set your assumptions: Material prices, labor rates, handling %, margin %, commission %, pallet/box costs, and setup minute caps are all configurable in Admin. Change them anytime and re-quote instantly.
3. Build quotes fast: Type in plain English: "14 by 14 pad quantity 50000 35# KLB" — the parser fills the form. Or build manually: dimensions, quantity, liner/medium, coating, printing, packaging, route template, freight, and extras.
4. See the math: For every route stage, the engine:
   • Finds comparable historical jobs by machine group and item type
   • Scores them by dimensional and volume similarity
   • Uses robust weighted median (with outlier trimming) for labor, scrap, setup, and throughput
   • Falls back to dimension-bucket medians or group defaults when close history is thin
   • Shows exactly where each number came from and how confident it should be
5. Export and track: Save quotes, reopen to edit, and export a full Excel workbook with Quote, Assumptions, Comparables, and Formula sheets — all with live formulas your team can audit.