Fostek Quoting System

What Is This System?

A quick overview of what the quoting system does and why we use it.

The Fostek Quoting System is where we create, price, approve, and track every quote we send to customers. Think of it as the central hub for everything related to quoting — from the moment a customer asks for a price to the moment we win (or lose) the business.

Here's what you can do:

• Create quotes for new and existing customers
• Price line items using our cost model (the system suggests costs and margins automatically)
• Route quotes for approval when margins or values need a second set of eyes
• Send quotes to customers as professional PDFs via email
• Track follow-ups so nothing falls through the cracks
• Close quotes as won, lost, or no-response and capture why
• See the big picture on dashboards and reports

User Roles

What you can see and do depends on your role level:

• Viewer (1) — Can see quotes, customers, and dashboards. Read-only.
• Quoter (2) — Can create quotes, add line items, send to customers, and manage follow-ups.
• Reviewer (3) — Everything a Quoter can do, plus participate in feasibility reviews.
• Approver (4) — Can approve quotes and override feasibility decisions.
• Admin (5) — Full access to everything, including user management, margin targets, and system settings.

Getting Started

The typical flow from "customer asks for a price" to "quote sent."

Here's the normal life of a quote, step by step:

1. A customer requests a quote. This comes in via email, phone, or a rep's conversation. Someone on the team creates a new quote in the system.
2. Add line items. Each product the customer wants is a "line item." You'll pick the product family, dimensions, skin type, production line, packaging, and customer requirements. The ASTM D1056 classification auto-fills based on the product family. Volume break tiers (TL, 1/2 TL, etc.) can also be configured at this stage. Core sizes default to 6" for Line 101 and 3" for Line 2. Pricing fields are hidden at this stage — they appear later.
3. Move to Pricing. Once line items are set, click "Move to Pricing" (green banner below the line items). This advances the quote and a blue guidance banner appears showing how many line items still need pricing. The Pricing breakdown section now shows each line item with a "Set pricing" button. Pricing and feasibility review happen in parallel.
4. Set pricing per line item. Click "Set pricing" on any line item in the Pricing breakdown section. This opens a dedicated Pricing Modal where you can look up the cost model, set the margin and quoted price, add a lot charge, and manage price adjustments. The modal shows a running summary with the effective price, effective margin, and estimated GP/Hr after all adjustments.
5. Submit for approval (if required). Before submitting, the system validates that customer requirements have been reviewed and a follow-up schedule is set. If requirements are non-standard, a completed feasibility review is also required. Quotes with thin margins or high dollar values automatically flag for approval. The approver gets an email and can approve with one click.
6. Send the quote. The "Send quote" button is greyed out until the quote is approved. Once approved, generate a PDF and email it directly to the customer from within the system.
7. Follow up. The system tracks when follow-ups are due and reminds you. If a quote goes too long without a response, it escalates automatically.
8. Close the quote. When the customer responds, mark it as Won (with a PO number), Lost (with a reason), or No Response.

Dashboard

Your at-a-glance view of how quoting is going.

The Dashboard is the first thing you see after logging in. It shows key numbers for the current year:

• Active Pipeline — How many quotes are currently in progress and their estimated annual value.
• Win Rate — What percentage of closed quotes we won. Green means we're doing great (≥50%), amber means room to improve (30-50%), red means we need to dig in (<30%).
• Won Value — Total dollar value of won quotes this year.
• Average Margin — The average margin across won quotes.
• Days to Close — How long, on average, from quote creation to customer decision.
• Overdue — Quotes past their follow-up date with no response.

Below the KPI cards, you'll see a win/loss bar, monthly activity trend, and a list of your top pipeline customers.

Use the quick-link buttons at the top to jump directly to filtered views of your quotes (Active, Sent, Won, Lost, etc.).

Quote Board

A visual kanban view of all active quotes moving through the pipeline.

The Quote Board shows every active quote as a card, organized into five columns. While data is loading, you'll see shimmer placeholders that fill in once the data arrives.

1. In Process — Quotes being worked on: new requests, pricing, and feasibility review (pricing and feasibility happen in parallel).
2. Awaiting Approval — Pricing is done and the quote needs someone to sign off.
3. Ready to Send — The quote has been approved but not yet emailed. The "Send quote" button becomes active at this stage.
4. Sent — The quote has been emailed to the customer. Ball is in their court.
5. Follow-Up Needed — It's time to check back with the customer.

Each card shows the quote number, customer name, a brief description, who's assigned, and the due date. Overdue quotes are highlighted.

What you can do here

• Click any card to open the full quote detail page.
• Search by typing in the search bar (searches quote number, customer name, and description).
• Filter using the buttons: "All" shows everything, "My quotes" shows only yours, "Overdue" shows only past-due.
• Create a new quote by clicking the green "+ New Quote" button in the top right.

Creating a New Quote

1. Click + New Quote.
2. Start typing the customer name — it will auto-suggest from your customer list. If the customer is new, type their name and the system will create them.
3. The quote number fills in automatically (you can change it if needed).
4. Set a due date, describe the product, and assign the quote to someone.
5. Optionally enter a Program / Reference — this text is included in the quote email subject line and on the PDF. Leave it blank if you don't want it shown to the customer.
6. Optionally add Context Notes — these are automatically posted as the first comment on the quote, so the team has background context from the start.
7. If you select a spec that contains "ASTM" (e.g., ASTM D1056), an ASTM Classification dropdown appears. Choose the specific callout (1A0, 2A0, 2A1, etc.) and the system will show which Fostek products match that classification.
8. Click Create. The quote opens in the detail page, ready for line items.

Quote Log

A searchable, sortable table of every quote in the system.

The Quote Log is your go-to for finding any quote, current or historical. Unlike the Board (which only shows active quotes), the Log shows everything.

Columns

The log table includes:

• Line Items — Shows a summary of part descriptions (e.g., "10mm x 54" x 70' S2S").
• SOP — Shows the SOP label or date if set. Won quotes without an SOP display an orange warning badge to flag that an SOP is still needed.
• Dates — Received and Sent dates are collapsed into a single column with icons to save space.
• Duplicate — A copy icon on each row lets you duplicate the quote (see Quote Detail for details on what gets copied).

Searching and Filtering

• Search box — Type a quote number, customer name, or description. Results filter as you type.
• Status filter — Narrow down to Active, Sent, Won, Lost, No Response, Reference, or Won — Missing SOP (shows won quotes that still need a Start of Production date).
• SOP period filter — Filter by SOP timing: Immediate, or by quarterly period (e.g., Q1 2026, Q2 2026).
• Date range — Set a start and end date for when the quote was received. Defaults to the last 2 months.
• Customer filter — Pick a specific customer from the dropdown.
• Assigned to — Filter by who the quote is assigned to.
• Thickness / Width — Find quotes by product dimensions.

Click any column header to sort (click again to reverse). Click a row to open that quote's detail page.

Exporting

Click the Export CSV button to download the current filtered view as a spreadsheet. Useful for reports or sharing data outside the system.

Quote Detail Page

This is where you do the real work — pricing, approvals, and communication.

The Quote Detail page is the heart of the system. When you click into a quote, the content is organized into three workflow tabs that guide you through the quoting process:

Mandatory Field Indicators

Certain sections must be completed before a quote can move forward. These sections — Line Items, Requirements, Packaging, Pricing, and Follow-up — display a visual indicator on their left border:

• Amber border + badge — The section has missing information and needs your attention.
• Green border + badge — The section is complete.

These indicators update dynamically as you fill in data, so you always know what's left to do.

Header Area

At the top you'll see the customer name, quote number, revision number, and who created it. The action buttons change depending on where the quote is in the process:

• PDF — Download the formal quotation as a PDF.
• Package — Download the product information package (packaging photos + technical bulletins).
• Duplicate — Create a copy of the quote with the same line items but no pricing. Useful when a similar quote is needed for a different customer or scenario.
• Send quote — Email the quote PDF to the customer. This button is visible but greyed out until the quote reaches "Approved" status, preventing premature sends.
• Submit for approval — Route the quote to an approver when pricing is done.
• Approve — Approve the quote (only visible to Approvers/Admins).
• New revision — Create a revision when the customer asks for changes.
• Close — Mark the quote as Won, Lost, or No Response.

Status Bar

A visual progress bar shows where the quote is in the pipeline: New Request → Pricing → Feasibility → Awaiting Approval → Sent → Follow-Up → Won/Lost. The current stage is highlighted.

Tab 1: Quote Setup

This is where you build the quote. It contains:

Line Items

Each line item represents one product configuration. The table shows pricing per unit, per BdFt, per roll, minimum release, and ~GP/Hr with color coding.

Adding or Editing a Line Item

1. Click "+ Add line" (or click an existing row to edit it).
2. Pick the Product Family (e.g., 3996 EPDM, XB41 V/N).
3. Enter the thickness in mm and width in inches.
4. Choose the skin type (S1S = skin one side, S2S = skin two sides) and production line (101 or 2). Core sizes default to 6" for Line 101 and 3" for Line 2.
5. Enter the EAU (Estimated Annual Usage in rolls/year) and minimum release.
6. Optionally enable Volume Breaks to generate multiple price tiers on the PDF. Select a volume break profile (the system auto-selects based on production line when possible), then choose which tiers to include (TL, 1/2 TL, 1/4 TL, 1 HU). Roll counts per tier vary by profile:
   • Line 101 Gaylord — 4 rolls/gaylord: TL = 104, 1/2 TL = 52, 1/4 TL = 26, 1 HU = 4
   • Line 2 Gaylord — 8 rolls/gaylord (double-stacked): TL = 208, 1/2 TL = 104, 1/4 TL = 52, 1 HU = 8
   • 1-Roll Box — 6 boxes/skid: TL = 66, 1/2 TL = 36, 1/4 TL = 18, 1 HU = 6
   Profiles are configurable in Settings → Volume Breaks.
7. For roll products, enter a roll length. The system shows standard roll lengths for the selected line and gauge as clickable suggestions. If you enter a non-standard length, an orange warning appears — this doesn't block anything, it just flags it for review.
8. Click Save. Pricing is done separately via the Pricing Modal (see below).

Sheet Products

To quote sheet products instead of rolls, use the Roll/Sheet toggle at the top of the line item modal (two buttons with Roll and Sheet icons).

When Sheet mode is selected:

• The roll Width field is hidden (sheets use their own dimensions).
• Sheet Width and Sheet Length fields appear.
• A Sheets Per Box field appears.
• An Inch/Meter toggle lets you switch between inches and meters for sheet dimensions. Values convert live when toggled, but are always stored internally as inches.
• A green banner auto-suggests the standard sheets per box based on the selected thickness. Click the "Use standard" link in the banner to apply it.
• Stack height is validated against packaging configurations.
• The EAU label changes to "sheets/yr" and Min Release changes to "boxes."

Special Notes

The Quote Setup tab includes a Special Notes textarea. Text entered here appears on the PDF between the pricing table and the standard notes section. Use it for customer-specific terms, conditions, or callouts that should be visible on the formal quotation.

If your notes are lengthy, check the "2-column layout" checkbox to render them in two columns on the PDF. This can help save space and improve readability for longer notes sections.

SOP (Start of Production)

Quotes have an SOP label and SOP date field. Set these when the customer confirms a start of production timeline. Won quotes without an SOP set are flagged with an orange warning badge in the Quote Log.

Technical Bulletin Approval

Technical bulletins included in the Quote Package may require approval before release. Bulletins not yet "approved for release" can be individually approved or rejected per quote through the existing approval workflow. Each bulletin shows a status badge:

• Orange "Needs approval" — The bulletin has not been reviewed yet.
• Green "Approved" — The bulletin has been approved for this quote.
• Red "Rejected" — The bulletin was rejected and will not be included.

Customer Requirements, Packaging & Quote Package

Also in this tab:

• Customer Requirements — Review and confirm the customer's requirements for each line item.
• Packaging — Select packaging photos for the quote. Photos are organized into collapsible groups by packaging type — click the chevron to expand or collapse each group. Groups are collapsed by default to keep the page tidy, and each group header shows a count of how many photos are selected.
• Quote Package — Select technical bulletins and configure the product information package. The "Cover Page" button opens a modal where you can configure a branded cover page for the package PDF. Options include a greeting message, automatic table of contents (generated from selected bulletins and photos), and custom notes. A live preview updates as you type so you can see exactly how the cover page will look.

Tab 2: Pricing

Shows a per-item pricing table with cost, quoted price, margin, and ~GP/Hr for each line item. Each row has a "Set pricing" button that opens the dedicated Pricing Modal. The section header shows the count of priced vs total items. The ~GP/Hr column includes a historical average based on the prior year's actual production data for that line.

Pricing Modal

Pricing is done through a dedicated modal, separate from the line item editor. Open it by clicking "Set pricing" (or "Edit" if already priced) on any line item in the Pricing breakdown section.

1. Click "Lookup cost" to search the cost model. The system finds a matching (or interpolated) cost and displays:
   • The modeled cost (preferred) or actual cost if no modeled cost exists
   • A warning if only actual cost is available
   • An interpolation note if the thickness was estimated
   Click "Apply" to load the cost model values into the base pricing fields.
2. Review the modeled cost, margin %, and quoted price. Changing margin recalculates the price and vice versa. Set a lot charge if applicable.
3. Add price adjustments to explain why the price differs from the standard cost model. Each adjustment has a type, description, and either a percentage or $/BdFt amount. Adjustments stack cumulatively on top of the base price.
4. The running summary at the bottom shows the effective price (after all adjustments), the effective margin, and the estimated ~GP/Hr with color coding vs. 2025 averages.
5. Click "Save Pricing" to save and close.

Price Adjustments

Adjustments explain why a price differs from the standard cost model. Common adjustments include:

• Volume Commitment — Discount for large annual commitments
• Strategic Account — Special pricing for key customers
• New Customer Premium — Markup for first-time customers
• Complexity — Premium for unusual specs or packaging
• Market/Competitive Pressure — Discount to match a competitor
• Short Run Premium — Markup for small-quantity runs

Each adjustment has a description and a percentage or dollar amount. Adjustments stack cumulatively on the base price, and the running summary updates live to show the final effective margin.

Sending a Quote to the Customer

1. Make sure the quote has at least one line item priced.
2. If approval is needed, submit for approval first. The approver will get an email with the cost/margin breakdown and can approve with one click.
3. Once approved (or if no approval is needed), click Send quote.
4. Fill in the To, CC, and Subject. The customer's primary contact email is pre-filled if available.
5. The system generates a professional PDF and sends it as an email attachment.

Closing a Quote

When the customer makes a decision, click Close and choose the outcome:

• Won — Enter the PO number. The quote moves to "Won" status.
• Lost — Pick a reason (price too high, competitor won, spec issue, etc.). If you lost to a competitor, you can record who and their price.
• No Response — Customer never got back to us.
• Reference — This was a reference/budget quote, not a real opportunity.

Sidebar (Right Side)

The sidebar shows quick-reference info and editable fields:

• Customer — Who the quote is for.
• Assigned to — Who owns this quote (click the pencil to change).
• Estimated annual value — Dollar value of the opportunity.
• Average margin — Across all line items, with a visual bar.
• Due date — When the customer needs the quote by.
• Follow-up date — When to check back.

When you edit a field, changes are saved automatically. A brief "Saved" indicator appears in the sidebar to confirm the save was successful.

Tab 3: Feasibility & Review

This tab contains everything related to review, communication, and follow-up:

• Feasibility — For new or unusual products, a feasibility review routes the quote through Technical, Quality, Manufacturing, and other reviewers.
• Comments — Internal discussion thread. Use "Ask Production" to flag something for the production team. If you entered context notes when creating the quote, those are automatically posted as the first comment.
• Revision History — If the customer asks for changes, create a revision. The system keeps a full history of every revision with what changed and why.
• Follow-Up Schedule — Timeline of scheduled follow-ups with status (completed, pending, overdue, skipped). When a quote is closed, any remaining pending follow-ups are automatically skipped.
• Activity Log — Everything that's happened on this quote, in chronological order.

Customers

Your customer database with contacts and quote history.

The Customers page has two panels: a searchable customer list on the left, and the selected customer's details on the right.

Finding a Customer

Type in the search box to filter the list. Click a customer name to see their details.

Customer Detail

When you select a customer, you'll see:

• Customer info — Name, default pricing unit ($/SF, $/LF, $/BdFt), default payment terms, and notes.
• Assigned Salesman — Set a default salesman for this customer. When creating a new quote for this customer, the salesman field auto-populates with this value.
• PDF Price Columns — Multi-select checkboxes to control which price units appear on the quote PDF. $/SF is always shown. Additional options include $/LF, $/Roll, $/SqM, and $/M.
• Contacts — A list of contacts with name, email, phone, and title. The primary contact is labeled and will auto-fill when sending quotes.
• Recent quotes — Links to the last few quotes for this customer. Click any to jump to the detail page.

Adding a New Customer

1. Click "+ New Customer" in the header.
2. Enter the customer name (required), pick their preferred pricing unit and payment terms.
3. Add any notes (e.g., "Automotive Tier 1, requires IATF certs").
4. Click Save.

Managing Contacts

Use the inline form below the contacts table to add a new contact (name, email, phone, title). Click the trash icon to remove a contact.

Cost Model

The production cost data that powers quote pricing.

The cost model stores the production cost per board foot for each combination of product family, thickness, skin type, and production line. When you add a line item to a quote, the system looks up the matching cost model entry and auto-fills the production cost and suggested margin.

What You'll See

• Summary cards showing total entries, average margin, and average list price.
• A filterable table of cost model entries (by family, line, skin type, and modeled cost status).
• Each row shows: family, line, thickness, skin, volume band, actual cost, modeled cost, standard margin %, ~GP/Hr, and calculated list price.

Actual Cost vs. Modeled Cost

There are two cost values for each entry:

• Actual cost — The raw production cost calculated from real production data. Can be noisy for low-volume gauges.
• Modeled cost — A smoothed, curve-fit cost that removes outliers and scatter from the data. This is the cost the system prefers when pricing quotes.

You can filter the table to show only entries "Missing modeled cost" to find entries that still need attention. The modeled cost can be set either by the curve fit tool or manually by clicking the cell in the table.

Cost Curve Analysis

Click "Show chart" on the cost model page to open the visual curve fitting tool. This shows a scatter plot of actual production costs by thickness, with:

• Blue bubbles — Actual production costs (bubble size = production volume)
• Green line — The modeled cost curve (polynomial fit)
• Orange circles — Outliers automatically detected and excluded from the fit

Use the controls to select the product family, line, skin type, polynomial degree, and whether to weight the fit by volume. Click "Save modeled costs" to write the curve values back to the cost model.

How Pricing Works

The system calculates the list price from the production cost and margin:

List Price = Production Cost ÷ (1 - Margin%)

For example, if production cost is $2.00/BdFt and margin is 25%, the list price is $2.00 ÷ 0.75 = $2.67/BdFt.

If your quoted thickness isn't in the cost model, the system interpolates — first checking for a saved curve fit (preferred), then falling back to the nearest neighbor with the higher cost (conservative approach).

GP/Hr (Gross Profit per Uptime Hour)

The ~GP/Hr column shows an approximate gross profit per uptime hour for each entry. This is Phil's preferred metric for evaluating how profitable a product is relative to machine time.

Color coding compares to 2025 averages:

• Green — Above line average (Line 101: >$1,415/hr, Line 2: >$417/hr)
• Yellow — 50–100% of average
• Red — Below 50% of average

Unit Converter

Quick conversion tool for common manufacturing and pricing units.

The Unit Converter page is accessible from the sidebar. It provides instant conversions for the units most commonly encountered when quoting foam products.

Available Converters

• Length — Select a conversion type from the dropdown: mm ↔ inches, meters ↔ inches, or meters ↔ feet.
• Area — Convert between square feet (ft²) and square meters (m²).
• Weight / Density — Convert between pounds per cubic foot (pcf) and kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m³).
• Pressure — Convert between psi and kPa.
• Pricing — Convert $/BdFt to $/SF and $/LF. Requires a thickness input since board foot pricing depends on gauge.

All calculated fields are rounded to 3 decimal places. Enter a value in either field and the other updates instantly.

Customer Surveys

Create survey campaigns, send them to customers, and track results.

The Customer Surveys page lets you run different types of outreach campaigns — satisfaction surveys, feedback requests, or any other customer communication that needs tracking.

How It Works

1. Create a campaign — Give it a name (e.g., "Q1 2026 Customer Satisfaction Survey") and type (periodic, event-driven, or annual).
2. Configure the email — Click "Email template" to set a custom subject line and body. Use variables like {{contact_name}}, {{customer_name}}, and {{survey_link}} which are replaced for each recipient. Leave blank to use the default Fostek survey template.
3. Add attachments — In the email template modal, upload files (PDFs, images, etc.) that will be included with every survey email in the campaign.
4. Preview — Click "Preview" to see exactly what the email will look like before sending.
5. Add customers — Select which customers to survey from a searchable checklist. Each customer receives their own individual email with a unique survey link.
6. Send surveys — Click "Send Pending" to email survey links to everyone who hasn't received one yet. Customers get a simple, no-login-required form.
7. Track responses — See who's responded, their ratings (1-5 stars across 5 categories), whether they'd recommend Fostek, and any comments.

Dashboard KPIs

• Surveys sent vs. responses received
• Response rate %
• Average rating
• Recommend % (NPS-style)

Managing Campaigns

Campaigns in "draft" status with no surveys sent can be deleted. The survey from-address can be configured separately from the quoting email address in the Admin → Email settings tab (e.g., sales@fostek.com for surveys vs. quotes@fostek.com for quotes).

Admin Page

System configuration for Admins (Level 5). Access via the sidebar menu.

The Admin page has tabs across the top for each configuration area. Here are the key sections:

Users & Roles

Add, edit, and deactivate users. Set role levels (0–5) and visibility scopes. New users who sign in via Azure AD appear here at Level 0 (Pending) until an admin promotes them.

Packaging Types

Manage the shipping/packaging formats available when quoting line items. Each packaging type has:

• Code — Short identifier (e.g., 1roll_box, gaylord, custom).
• Name — Display name shown to users (e.g., "1-Roll Box", "Gaylord").
• Line — Optionally restrict to Line 101 or Line 2, or leave as "Any."
• Rolls/HU — How many rolls fit in one handling unit (e.g., 6 for box skid, 4 for gaylord).
• Min Release — Minimum number of handling units per release.
• HU Dimensions — Physical size of the handling unit (e.g., 48x45x60").

To add a new type, fill in the fields at the bottom of the table and click + Add. To remove a type, click the trash icon. Types already used on quotes are deactivated (hidden from new quotes) rather than deleted.

Other Admin Tabs

• Product Families — Manage the product family codes used in cost models and line items. Families can be linked — for example, 3998 is linked to 3997, meaning they appear as separate choices in quotes but 3998 falls through to 3997's cost model data.
• Adjustment Types — Define the named pricing adjustments (Volume, Complexity, etc.) with min/max percentage limits.
• Tolerances — Configure gauge and width tolerance rules. Rules can be specific to a material type (EPDM, XB41, XCR3, NBR/PVC) and/or production line. The system uses priority ordering: material+line specific > material only > line only > global default.
• Sheets Per Box — Manage standard sheets per box by thickness. Each entry has a thickness (mm), sheets count, and box style. These values are used to auto-suggest the sheet count in the line item modal when quoting sheet products.
• Approval Rules — Configure the 5-tier approval routing (margin thresholds, auto-approve rules).
• System Defaults — Default values for new quotes (terms, lead time, FOB, etc.).
• Email — Configure the quoting from-address, survey from-address (can be different, e.g., quotes@fostek.com vs. sales@fostek.com), test mode (Off, Internal Only, or Full Test), and test address.
• Photos & Bulletins — Upload product photos and technical bulletin PDFs for the marketing package.
• CPA Agreements — Manage Competitive Price Agreements.
• Material Specs — OEM and industry material specifications, including ASTM D1056 callout mapping.
• Visibility & Teams — Control who sees what data (quotes, customers, pricing).
• Margin Targets — Set target and floor margins per product family.
• Feasibility — Manage reviewer positions and assignments.
• Roll Lengths — Define standard roll lengths by production line and gauge. These appear as clickable suggestions when adding line items, and non-standard lengths trigger a warning banner.
• Escalation Chain — Configure follow-up escalation steps.
• Follow-Up Cadences — Define follow-up timing templates.

Tips & Common Questions

Helpful things to know as you use the system.

How do I change my preferred pricing unit?

Click your avatar (initials) in the top-right corner and select Display Unit. Choose from $/SF, $/LF, $/BdFt, etc. Your preference is saved and all pricing displays will use that unit. Note that this only affects your on-screen view — the PDF always uses the customer's preferred unit. The system stores all prices in $/BdFt internally and converts for display.

How do I set my email signature?

Click your avatar (initials) in the top-right corner and select Email Signature. This opens an editor where you can compose your signature, which is appended to quote emails you send from the system.

What does "CPA" mean?

A Competitive Price Agreement is a pre-negotiated price for a specific customer, product family, and gauge range. When you create a line item that matches a CPA, a blue banner appears with the agreed price and a button to apply it automatically.

What are margin targets?

Each product family has a target margin (what we aim for) and a floor margin (the absolute minimum). These appear as a green banner when you're pricing a line item. If your price falls below the floor, it will require higher-level approval.

What happens when I submit for approval?

The approver gets an email showing the full cost and margin breakdown for every line item. They can approve or request changes with one click directly from the email — no login required. If they request changes, you'll see the quote status change to "needs revision."

Can I re-send a quote?

Yes. Even after sending, you can create a new revision, update the pricing, and send it again. The revision history keeps track of every version.

What if I made a mistake?

Most things can be edited as long as the quote hasn't been closed. If a quote was closed by accident, an Admin can reopen it.

How do follow-ups work?

When a quote is sent to a customer, the system automatically schedules follow-ups based on a cadence template (typically at 7, 14, and 21 days). You'll see reminders on the board and get email notifications. You can mark follow-ups as completed or skip them. When you close a quote (won, lost, no response, or reference), any remaining pending follow-ups are automatically skipped — you won't get reminders for quotes that are already resolved.

What's in the Product Information Package?

The "Package" button generates a separate PDF with a Fostek-branded cover page, any packaging photos you've selected, and the technical bulletins included for that quote. It's meant to accompany the formal quotation as a marketing/informational supplement.

How do I quote sheet products?

Use the Sheet toggle at the top of the line item modal. Sheet dimensions can be entered in inches or meters using the unit toggle. The system auto-suggests a standard sheets per box count based on the selected thickness — click "Use standard" to apply it.

What is SOP?

Start of Production date. Won quotes should have an SOP set to indicate when production is expected to begin. Use the "Won — Missing SOP" filter in the Quote Log to find won quotes that still need an SOP assigned.

Who do I ask for help?

For system issues, talk to Josh. For pricing questions, talk to Nicole or Phil. For customer or process questions, check with your supervisor.