Industry · Suppliers & metalworking
Suppliers and metalworkers: faster to the quote
We connect your existing ERP with AI agents, a customer portal and CO2 data. That turns an inquiry email with three PDFs into a reliable quote, without you switching ERP.
- 30 minutes
- no pitch
- reply within one business day
Shopware Silver Partner and Google PartnerTeams in Mönchengladbach and Düsseldorf
Where time and orders get lost
The bottleneck is rarely at the machine. It sits before it: in the inbox, in costing and between systems that do not talk to each other.
Quotes sit in the inbox
Inquiries arrive as emails with drawings and are costed by hand. One costing software vendor puts it like this: many manufacturers do not lose time in production but before it, in the quoting phase.
Buyers expect instant prices
Online platforms such as Laserhub offer instant quotes for laser cutting, bending and folding. Buyers measure your response time against that.
Skilled workers are missing
In metalworking occupations, around 26,500 skilled workers were missing in March 2026, 4,300 more than a year earlier. People who leave take costing and work planning know-how with them.
Source: IW, MINT spring report 2026 (for BDA, Gesamtmetall and MINT Zukunft schaffen)
CO2 data becomes mandatory
The CBAM definitive regime has applied since 1 January 2026. The first CBAM declaration for 2026 imports is due by 30 September 2027. Without verified actual data from producers, only the European Commission's default values remain.
Isolated systems
Costing tool, CAM, OEM portals, EDI and ERP are not connected. The result: data is entered twice and retyped between systems.
What we build for suppliers
Everything builds on your existing ERP. You start with one building block and expand step by step.
- AI agent for inquiries and quotesIt reads inquiry emails and drawings, recognises material, dimensions and tolerances and creates a costing proposal and a draft quote in the ERP. Approval stays with your team.
- ERP integrationAn integration layer between your ERP and costing tool, CAM, shop and portal, for example for Proalpha, abas, PSIpenta, SAP Business One with beas, Infor LN or Dynamics 365. We check which interfaces your system offers first.
- Customer portal and B2B shop with ShopwareCAD upload, reorders, customer-specific prices, punchout via OCI or cXML, plus certificates and CO2 data sheets for download. As a Shopware Silver Partner.
- CO2, CBAM and VSME dataWe bring emissions and product data together from ERP, production data and supplier data. The same base produces the CBAM declaration and the answers to your customers' CO2 questionnaires.
- Knowledge agent for costing and work planningCosting rules and practical know-how are documented and searchable, so they do not depend on individual people.
- GEO and websiteCapability pages and structured content so your company is named when buyers ask Google or an AI for suppliers. Important if you are looking for new markets beyond automotive.
- Custom softwareFor the processes where standard tools stop.
How we work
Email, agent, costing, ERP, quote: we build the chain step by step and test the benefit on your data.
- 01
Check
Together we go through how an inquiry travels from the inbox to the quote today and estimate how many hours per week it takes. To start on your own, use the AI potential check or the AI visibility check.
- 02
Pilot
The agent processes 50 real inquiries, with your data and your ERP. You see on your own material what it recognises and where it asks back.
- 03
Integration
We connect ERP, costing and portal and define who approves which steps.
- 04
Rollout and operation
Training, monitoring and expansion in steps, for example with a customer portal, CO2 data or GEO.
What this can look like
Three typical starting points at suppliers and how agent, shop and ERP work together.
Example scenario
Sheet metal job shop with abas
Inquiries land in a shared inbox. The agent matches the drawings, recognises material and sheet thickness, creates a draft quote in the ERP and asks back when tolerances are missing. Costing reviews and approves.
Example scenario
Standard parts dealer with Proalpha
A Shopware B2B shop with customer-specific prices and OCI punchout into customers' procurement systems. Orders flow into the ERP without retyping.
Example scenario
Importer of steel screws
Import quantities of CBAM goods and suppliers' emissions data are collected automatically. This produces a template for the CBAM declaration and a VSME answer pack for customer questionnaires.
Example scenarios for illustration, not customer references. They contain no result figures.
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All articlesFrequently asked questions
Your question isn't here? Ask us directly
Do we have to switch our ERP?
No. We build on your existing system, for example Proalpha, abas, PSIpenta, SAP Business One or Dynamics 365, and add the agent, portal and data flows. We clarify which interfaces your ERP offers in the first step.
Does the AI set our prices on its own?
No. The agent structures inquiries and prepares costing proposals. Your team always approves prices and quotes.
We already use an AI costing tool. Does that fit?
Usually yes. We connect inbox, costing tool and ERP so that no further silo appears. Whether your tool can be connected depends on its interfaces or exports. We check that up front.
Does CBAM affect us at all?
CBAM applies to imports of certain goods from non-EU countries, including iron and steel and aluminium. Anyone importing more than 50 tonnes of CBAM goods per calendar year (electricity and hydrogen do not count) needs authorised CBAM declarant status. Your customs or legal advisers clarify whether this applies to you. We take care of the data.
What do CBAM and VSME mean for us in practice?
For the first CBAM declaration by 30 September 2027 you need the embedded emissions of your 2026 imports. Without verified actual data from producers, you report the European Commission's default values. We build the data once, cleanly, from ERP, production and supplier data. The same base also answers your customers' CO2 questionnaires.
How do we start with low risk?
With a conversation about your quoting process, followed by a pilot with 50 real inquiries. You see the benefit on your own data before you invest.
How long does your next quote take?
Let's measure it together. 30 minutes, no obligation: we walk through one inquiry from email to quote and discuss whether a pilot with 50 inquiries makes sense.
