Quoting custom products can be one of the biggest challenges for manufacturers and distributors. Every order may involve different parts, labour, specifications, and customer requirements. As a result, businesses need a custom product quoting ERP that provides flexibility without losing control of costs or production.
Aquilon ERP helps simplify this process with Kit “P” Production Kits. This powerful feature supports configure-to-order, assemble-to-order, and custom manufacturing workflows.
Now, with the introduction of Blank Kit “P” in Aquilon ERP version 3.97 and later, businesses have even more flexibility when quoting and building one-off products and projects.
What Is Kit “P” in Aquilon ERP?
Kit “P” is a Production Kit designed for businesses that sell products with changing components, labour requirements, or specifications.
Instead of forcing every product into a fixed Bill of Materials (BOM), Kit “P” allows users to configure products during the sales process.
With Kit “P”, businesses can:
- Start the configuration directly from a sales order
- Select components, labour, and specifications as needed
- Calculate costs more accurately
- Create clear and professional customer quotes
- Pass order information directly to production
- Maintain a record of what was quoted, sold, and built
Therefore, sales and production teams can work from the same information.
ERP for Configure-to-Order Manufacturing
Many manufacturers do not sell the exact same product every time. Instead, customers may select different sizes, materials, components, options, or specifications.
This is where configure-to-order ERP becomes especially valuable.
Aquilon’s Kit “P” can support products such as:
- Doors and custom door systems
- Pumps and compressors
- Equipment and machinery assemblies
- Repair and service kits
- Custom manufactured products
- Project-based products and assemblies
Rather than changing your business processes to fit rigid software, Aquilon ERP provides tools that can adapt to your workflow.
Introducing Blank Kit “P” in Aquilon ERP
Aquilon ERP version 3.97+ adds another level of flexibility with Blank Kit “P.”
A Blank Kit “P” starts without predefined components, labour, or specifications. Users can then build the required product or project during sales order entry.
This approach is useful when a customer requests something that has never been built before.
For example, your sales team can create a high-level quote without first building a complete standard product structure. As more details become available, the order can be refined within Aquilon ERP.
When Should You Use a Blank Kit “P”?
Blank Kit “P” is particularly useful for businesses that handle custom or project-based work.
It can help with:
- One-off manufactured products
- Custom assemblies
- Non-repeatable projects
- Early-stage estimates and quotes
- Products where specifications change frequently
- Projects where final components are not known at the quoting stage
In addition, businesses can control the level of detail shown to customers while keeping the information needed internally.
Quote Custom Products Without Relying on Spreadsheets
Custom product quoting often creates a difficult choice.
A business can define every possible product configuration in advance. However, this can require significant setup and may become difficult to maintain.
Alternatively, employees may create custom quotes using spreadsheets or separate documents. While this offers flexibility, important information can become disconnected from the ERP system.
Aquilon’s Kit “P” provides another option.
Sales teams can quote custom products within the ERP while maintaining the structure needed for costing, order management, and production.
Improve Cost and Margin Control
Accurate quoting is about more than giving customers a price. Manufacturers also need to understand the expected cost and margin of each order.
By keeping components, labour, specifications, and sales information connected, Aquilon ERP can provide better visibility during the quoting process.
This helps businesses:
- Prepare quotes faster
- Improve costing accuracy
- Protect margins
- Reduce duplicate data entry
- Create professional customer documents
- Improve communication between sales and production
- Maintain better records of custom orders
Consequently, teams can spend less time transferring information between separate systems.
Turn Successful Custom Products Into Repeatable Processes
Today’s one-off product may become tomorrow’s regular seller.
When a Blank Kit “P” configuration begins to repeat, the business can use what it has learned to develop a more standardized Production Kit.
This creates a practical path from a custom project to a repeatable product.
Instead of starting over each time, your team can build on previous work. Over time, this can improve quoting speed, consistency, and production efficiency.
Built for Real-World Manufacturing and Distribution
Small and mid-sized manufacturers often need both structure and flexibility. Their ERP system needs to support standard products while also handling the unexpected requests that come from real customers.
Aquilon ERP’s Kit “P” was designed with this reality in mind.
It provides structure where it matters while giving experienced users the flexibility to configure products based on each customer’s requirements.
With the addition of Blank Kit “P,” Aquilon ERP offers even greater flexibility for businesses that quote and manufacture custom products, assemblies, and projects.
Is Your ERP Making Custom Quoting More Difficult?
If your team relies heavily on spreadsheets, manual calculations, or disconnected documents to quote custom products, your ERP may not be supporting your business effectively.
Aquilon ERP combines sales orders, product configuration, costing, and production information within one integrated ERP system.
For manufacturers and distributors that regularly handle custom or configure-to-order products, Kit “P” and Blank Kit “P” provide a smarter way to quote, build, and deliver what your customers need.
Contact Aquilon Software to learn how Aquilon ERP can support your custom product quoting, configure-to-order, and manufacturing processes.
