January 13, 2005 -- CodeLab Technology Group, custom application development specialists, announce new Rules-Based Quotation System (RBQS). The software interfaces easily with most popular ERP and CRM systems, while also supporting both the Oracle and SQL databases.

According to David Ritchie, CodeLab Technology Group Founder and CEO, “We recognized the need to build a software utility that provides sales agents and customers with critical, real-time information that is accessible during the course of the customer interaction. RBQS interfaces with ERP and CRM production and scheduling software to provide sales people with remote wireless access. Users enter, save and modify multiple quotes, enabling customers to have instant feedback to their inevitable requests to modify product configurations.

“CodeLab Technology’s RBQS is installed at JEOL USA, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of electron microscopes and analytical instruments including mass spectrometers and semiconductor production equipment,” he continued. “A high level of complexity and variability characterizes JEOL’s products with long supply chain lead times for key components. Just to make it more interesting, JEOL customers are allowed a very high degree of customization,” he said.

RBQS Meets the Technical Challenge of Customization

During the sales process, customers often request multiple configurations to optimize constraints such as budget and delivery date. A critical element is the ability of the sales agent to quickly and accurately recalculate the price and delivery dates to reflect
multiple product configurations. At the same time, it is vital that these product configurations are compliant with engineering rules required for the specific instrument and production constraints in place at the time of the customer order. This task is often made more complex by the variety of requests JEOL customers make.

While sales agents are able to accommodate customer requests, they are not trained engineers. Consequently, rules-based quotation software ensures that customers’ product configurations are technically sound, and are delivered when needed, while appropriately addressing the customer’s requirements.

Mr. Pat McGinley, Vice President, JEOL USA said, “CodeLab was able to understand our requirements – which were quite complex – and build a system that not only reflected our initial requirements, but that has also proven capable of supporting our evolving needs.”

CodeLab Technology’s Rules-Based Quotation System provides dynamic, accurate pricing and delivery based on availability of components in the supply chain. It accommodates user-entered changes in delivery date; re-pricing product based on “rush charges” and costs associated with interruption of the production line; and eliminates manual entry errors made when transferring order information into production. These quotations can be sent to the client as a PDF document that includes images, diagrams, price lists and other appropriate product information.

About CodeLab Technology Group

With a staff of highly experienced IT professional consultants, CodeLab Technology Group is meeting the transactional support needs of some of the country’s best known manufacturing companies and financial institutions. Specific areas of expertise include Work Flow Management, Production Planning and Scheduling, Customer Relationship Management, Systems Integration, Dynamic Wireless Quoting, Auditing and Tracking and Unified Centralized Billing. The privately held company is located at 26 Princess Street, Wakefield, Massachusetts, 01880.