A Quoting System for Retail Furniture Stores.
Fed by a live ERP system.
In the fall of 2019, Graydian was asked to build a system that could interact with an existing ERP manufacturing system. DesignPal was our answer. DesignPal serves hundreds of retail furniture stores, and is updated daily with live furniture information, giving sales reps an accurate, reliable quoting system for their customers.
“Some dealers had written us off as too complicated to deal with. Within just 2 weeks of previewing this system, quoted orders have exploded. We could not be happier with it. This is a huge milestone for us. Can’t wait to see how we use this in the future!”
- Bryan Coblentz, Palettes By Winesburg
Technologies Used:
PHP & Laravel
Laravel is a web framework for web apps, that gives Graydian a big head start on every application we build.
HTML/CSS
The interface of DesignPal is built with custom html and css, allowing for great usability features, like keyboard navigation.
Javascript
DesignPal uses Javascript for interactive features, like chained dropdowns, where one choice feeds the next.
The Client
Palettes By Winesburg
An Amish-inspired custom furniture maker with a retail presence in 400+ retail locations across the United States and Canada.
The Problem
“The products are complex, which makes quoting them and ordering them difficult. We need a quick and easy way for our dealers to create and quote orders so they can sell our products with confidence.”
– Bryan Coblentz, Palettes By Winesburg
Our Strategy
1. Research
Conversations with the key stake-holders, factory management, company IT, retail store management and sales reps.
2. Workflow
Use the facts discovered in research to design a system with a simple flowchart, for company managers to provide feedback, and for programmers to understand logic.
3. Programming
Marry the existing ERP system to the new quoting system through the use of a custom-built API.
4. 3D Modeling
Design and build over 7 GB of 3D models and textures to rigid product specifications. Built to easily swap out color-matched wood species and fabric textures on the fly by the end user, as each product is constructed.
5. User Interface
Design the retail interface with a focus on clarity and speed. Write the HTML, CSS, and Javascript which allows the system to function in a web browser.
6. Implementation
Internal testing by Palettes employees, using a bug reporting system. External testing by select retail locations to provide real-world feedback.
Chained Selections
A dropdown menu system where each selection feeds the next. This system is fed by the live ERP (manufacturing software) that actually runs daily factory production.
Fit & Finish
Dropdown menus use typeahead search fields to quickly navigate long lists. Built-in keyboard support allows use of tab and arrow keys to build a product in no time.
Building a Product
As each selection is made, a progressively built list of options (and associated costs) is created, allowing the retail store to quickly quote a custom-built furniture collection.
Built-In PDF Creation
Every quote can generate a PDF for quickly sharing with retail customers, store employees, or for storage and follow up on potential sales leads.
