We built an online system allowing DekBoard's Business Development Managers to design decking and automatically calculate quotes for that decking, while keeping detailed records of all client interactions.
We were introduced to Joe from DekBoard through another of Epwin Group PLC companies EcoDek, for whom we had built an Android app. The request was simple; they wanted a CAD design tool which would run through a web browser, allowing them to draw plans of Decking. Those plans then built up a quote, which was automatically generated based on pricing formulas that we would build into the system.
This system was to replace the use of third-party decking design tools, which never quite fit what they did, and replace spreadsheets that were used to calculate quotes; both were time-consuming for the BDMs and could easily contain errors. In addition, the lack of any CRM to centralise all quotes caused DekBoard a headache when keeping track of what had been quoted, ordered and delivered.
Step 1: Took the client's requirements in detail during a couple of deep-dive requirement-gathering sessions and wrote a specification with high-fidelity designs of the whole system.
Step 2: Picked the software stack (Laravel, REST API + React/TypeScript SPA (Vite, Tailwind)) best suited to the needs of the project. Developed a prototype CAD designer tool, and after approval from the client, built out the whole system: CAD designer, pricing module, quotation PDF tool and CRM integration with Zoho. Bespoke coded for the needs of the client's specification.
Step 3: Testing with the client and a select number of users.
Step 4: Training and roll-out.
Step 5: Continual development on our tokenised (small, medium and large job) system.
DekMate has revolutionised the way our BDMs work, with a simple decking designer, automated quotations, standardised quotes and automatically created packages for the Ops team.
Tell us what you've got. We'll confirm we can access it, then price the way forward.
