Client Overview
Golden Westcoast Pharma is an established pharmaceutical distributor and supplier of quality health care products to multiple markets. The company had a well-established supplier base and growing customer cohort, but had a desire for a better system to manage product inquiries, and provide timely quotations. Quotations were prepared manually, with team members required to compare prices across suppliers, apply any price margin, drafted content for the inquiry, etc. This was inefficient, and an error-prone system and slowed communication with customers.
Business Requirements
The client’s main pain point was their quotation workflow did not have any automation incorporated into it. The manual process led to the following:
• Taking too long to respond to inquiries.
• Human errors in comparing supplier prices and calculating margin.
• Inconsistent quotation formats sent to customers.
• No way for the customer to view the progress of their inquiry.
Golden Westcoast Pharma wanted a central location that would:
• Automate comparing supplier prices and applying margin.
• Allow customers the simple process of inquiring.
• Make professional quotations on demand and send them via email.
• Provide administrative controls for suppliers, products, and inquiries.
• Keep invoicing and payments outside the system for their existing process.
Our Solution
eTraverse built a custom Quotation Management System (QMS) that eliminated the pain points associated with the entire process, as I mentioned before.
Key Features Implemented:
• Customer Inquiry Portal – An intuitive interface providing customers with a simple way to raise product inquiries.
• Automate Supplier Price Selection – The system that compares supplier prices and selects the most competitive prices.
• Margin Application – Automatically applies pre-defined margins for consistency and profitability.
• Delivering Quotations – All quotations generated in PDF format, sent via email, in a professional and timely manner.
• Admin Dashboard – Central location for managing suppliers, products, and customer inquiries.
• Inquiry Tracking – Customers can check the status of all their requests online, without needing to reach out to support.
• Support for Offline Transactions – The solution is centred on quotations only, so invoicing and payments are outside the system.
Technology Stack
- Frontend: HTML, CSS
- Backend: PHP (Laravel Framework)
- Database: MySQL
- Hosting: Bluehost
Laravel was selected for its scalability, security, and ability to handle complex business logic with ease.
Value Delivered
The Quotation Management System helped Golden Westcoast Pharma accomplish:
• Faster Responses – Quotations that used to take hours were delivered in minutes.
• Error-Free Accuracy – Automated calculations allowed for accurate pricing and margins.
• Improved Customer Experience – Customers received timely, professional, and consistent quotations.
• Operational Efficiency – Sales staff could spend more time with customers instead of in repetitive processes.
• Scalability – The system is built to handle higher inquiry volumes as the business grows.
Navigating the Challenges
• Fluid Supplier Data – There were frequent pricing changes, so we developed a central administration module to ease updating for real-time pricing changes.
• PDF Formats – Multiple iterations were performed to ensure the quotation pages appeared professional and were consistent with what the client used branding-wise.
• Integration with Offline Workflows – The scoping of the system was limited to inquiries and quotations and allowed the client to maintain its existing offline invoicing process.
Summary
As a result of automating the quoting process eTraverse was able to provide a custom Quotation Management System that improved speed, accuracy, and customer satisfaction for Golden West Coast Pharma. The new system reduced manual work and provided potential to scale for the future.
This project demonstrates how eTraverse combines technology and business acumen to design viable solutions and solve challenges in the real world.
