Engineering Pricing Model for Metal Components

Automated Pricing Model for CNC & Fabrication – Excel & ERP Integration Project Overview Impress Group is a precision engineering company supplying components globally. We specialize in laser cutting, bending, milling, turning, powder coating, welding, and fabrication and need a fully automated, accurate, and structured pricing model to improve efficiency and consistency in job costing. This project, called Project Alpha, aims to develop a dynamic, rules-based Excel pricing tool that: - Automates the quoting process using simple user inputs from technical drawings - Prevents incorrect quoting by restricting users from quoting parts beyond our manufacturing capabilities - Calculates accurate process pricing for all services - Generates time decimals for ERP integration (routing times) - Incorporates industry data tables for material processing, bending tonnage, tooling stock, and CNC cutting parameters - Reduces reliance on skilled estimators by enforcing predefined quoting rules Scope of Work 1. Automated Data Input & Rules-Based Quoting - Develop a structured data entry form with dropdowns and auto-populated fields for:  - Material type & thickness  - Cut lengths, bends, mill/turning features, welding length, coating area  - Job quantity  - Special tolerances or finishing requirements - Automate validation checks to prevent quoting outside capabilities, including:  - Bending tonnage calculations – Restrict parts exceeding press brake limits  - Maximum material thickness validation – Ensure users select processable materials  - X, Y, Z dimension limits – Prevent quoting of oversized parts for available machines  - Tooling availability – Ensure bending tools exist for specified material & radius - Integrate industry-standard data tables and lookup functions for:  - Bending tonnage requirements based on material, thickness, and length  - CNC cutting speeds & feeds based on material type and thickness  - Tooling stock database to ensure correct press brake tooling selection 2. Process Costing Calculations - Automate machine hourly rate selection based on job parameters - Calculate setup & cycle times dynamically using industry benchmarks - Apply efficiency multipliers to account for complexity and process limitations - Factor in tool wear, consumables, and waste rates - Estimate labour time requirements based on process complexity 3. Overhead & Profit Margins - Integrate overhead cost calculations to ensure accurate pricing - Allow dynamic profit margin application based on job type, customer grading, and volume 4. Automated Output & ERP Integration - Generate structured price breakdowns for customer quoting - Automatically calculate and output routing time decimals for ERP scheduling - Provide summary reports for sales and management to track pricing consistency Security & Intellectual Property Protection - The selected freelancer must sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) before beginning work. - The completed pricing model and all related work remain the exclusive property of Impress Group. - The freelancer cannot reuse, resell, or share any part of the model, its methodology, or associated data. Required Skills & Experience We need an Excel automation expert with experience in manufacturing costing, CNC machining, and fabrication pricing. Ideal candidates should have: - Strong Excel skills – advanced formulas, automation, VBA/macros if needed - Experience with rules-based quoting models and error-prevention logic - Knowledge of industry-standard data tables (bending tonnage, CNC speeds/feeds, tooling availability) - Manufacturing expertise – understanding of CNC, sheet metal, and fabrication - ERP experience – ensuring routing decimals integrate correctly into ERP Bonus (Not Required but Preferred): - Experience with Power BI or dashboard visualization - Knowledge of cloud-based ERP integrations Project Deliverables & Timeline - Fully functional Excel-based pricing tool with built-in quoting rules - Integrated industry data tables & lookup functions - Automatic validation checks to prevent incorrect quotes - ERP-ready routing time decimal outputs - Two to three rounds of refinement based on real job test cases Deadline: Ideally within three to four weeks Budget & Payment Terms - Budget: Open to fair pricing based on experience and complexity.  Please provide a fixed price with milestone breakdowns. - Payments will be milestone-based, with clear deliverables at each stage. How to Apply Submit a proposal including: 1. Your experience with manufacturing pricing models & CNC/fabrication quoting 2. Examples of similar work (Excel quoting tools, automation, pricing models) 3. Your proposed approach & estimated timeline This project will be a game-changer for our quoting process, removing human error and reducing dependency on skilled estimators. Successful completion may lead to ongoing work in further automating and optimizing our ERP integration. The pricing model should be developed using Microsoft Excel.