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Building a Quote
This article walks through the spine of the workflow: starting the quote, adding items, reviewing, and sending.

Before you start

Most of this setup is an admin task, not a daily user task. If none of it is in place yet, loop in your admin before you try to build a quote.

Always required:

  • A stock material item list, with costs.
  • Pricing tiers and pricing strategies set up.
  • Your storefront theme customized.

Required only if you sell fabrication:

  • At least one machine set up for profile cutting operations (Laser, Plasma, Oxyfuel, Waterjet, Saw, etc.).
  • Calculators set up for those cutting operations.
  • Fabrication turned on for your store.


If your shop sells stock material only, or hasn't had fabrication turned on yet, the Upload a Part and Saw Cut options won't appear in your quote flow, and your customer won't see them in the storefront either. To add fabrication, work through the prerequisites above and then contact your CS rep to flip it on.


Start the quote

From the main dashboard, click BUILD A QUOTE.


Fill in the quote header:

  • Select from your locations: pick which of your company's locations the quote is coming from. If you run a multi-location shop, this choice can drive different inventory, pricing tiers, and lead times for the same customer, so pick the location that's fulfilling the work.
  • Company: start typing to search your customer list. If the customer isn't in your list yet, you can add them from here.
  • Customer's Location: pick the shipping location from the dropdown.
  • Customer's Email: pick the contact email from the dropdown.


Click GENERATE QUOTE.

You'll land on the Quote View page. This is where you add items and finalize pricing.


Add items to the quote

A quote is built from one or more items. You can mix item types on the same quote.

The left sidebar lists your available item types. Pick the one that matches what you're selling:

  • Add Stock Material. Sell raw material, no fabrication. Use this when the customer buys a sheet, plate, or length. See Adding Stock Material to a Quote.
  • Add from Catalog. A saved, pre-defined part or product. Use this for repeat parts or standard items. See Adding A Catalog Item to Your Quote.
  • Add Misc. Item. A free-form line for anything that doesn't fit the other types. See Adding Miscellaneous Items to a Quote.
  • Upload a Part. (Fabrication sales only.) Drag in a DXF, DWG, STEP, or STP file for a fabricated part. See Uploading a Part File to a Quote.
  • Saw Cut. (Fabrication sales only.) A part priced by cut length or dimensions, such as structural cuts, tube, or bar stock. See Adding A Saw Cut Item To Your Quote.


To add an item:

  1. On the Quote View page, click the item type you want in the left sidebar.
  2. Fill in the details in the panel that opens.
  3. The item appears as a row on the quote. Add as many as you need.



Pro-Tip: If you land on an empty quote, the page reads "No parts have been added. To get started, select an item type from the left sidebar." That's your cue. Head straight to the sidebar.

Set up cutting operations (fabrication items only)

Items that require fabrication (Upload a Part and Saw Cut) need their cutting operations set before they price correctly. This tells Stella Source which machine and operations to use.

For the full steps, see Assigning Cutting Operations to a Part.

Stock material, catalog items, and miscellaneous items don't need operations set. They price from their own configuration.

Review and send

When your items are on the quote, work the right-side panel on the Quote View:

  • Applied Charges. Confirm any fees (for example, a Minimum Order Fee).
  • Notes. Add anything the customer should see. The field has a 300-character limit.


Then move forward:

  1. Click CONTINUE TO QUOTE SUMMARY at the bottom of the page.
  2. On the Quote Summary page, review:
    • Ordered By and Ship To details.
    • Totals bar: Pieces, Total Weight, Total Price.
    • Each line: Pieces, Description, Est. Delivery, Total / Unit Weight, $/cwt, Total / Unit Price.
    • Pricing Valid Thru, Shipping Preference, and Payment Terms.

If something needs adjusting, click Quote View in the breadcrumb at the top of the page to go back and edit. Your items and notes are preserved.

  1. When everything looks right, you have two options:
    • SAVE FOR LATER: keep the quote as a draft.
    • SEND QUOTE: send it to the customer.


For sending details, see Sending a Quote to the Customer.


Troubleshooting

The price looks wrong. Confirm the material matches what your shop will actually use. Material drives the biggest share of the line cost. For fabricated items, also check that the right cutting operation is applied to the part.


I can't find the right item type. If what you're quoting doesn't match any of the sidebar options, use Add Misc. Item and describe it in the notes. See Adding Miscellaneous Items to a Quote.


I don't see Upload a Part or Saw Cut in the sidebar. Your store doesn't have fabrication turned on yet. If your cutting-operation calculators are set up, reach out to your customer success rep. They handle the final activation on the backend. If your calculators aren't set up yet, start there first.