Price calculation automation based on material and labor rates

**Purpose**

1.1. Streamline, automate, and standardize the price calculation process for custom carport and pergola projects by dynamically computing quotes based on real-time material costs, labor rates, and margin parameters.
1.2. Automates retrieval and calculation from vendor APIs and in-house databases, reduces manual errors, and enables instant customer quoting.
1.3. Enables automated adjustment to price changes, regional labor differentials, and contract-specific requirements, ensuring quote accuracy and margin protection.

**Trigger Conditions**

2.1. Automated trigger upon new lead form submission via website or CRM portal.
2.2. Activation by uploaded design specs/CAD files in project management software.
2.3. Triggered by internal sales team inputting initial project request data.
2.4. Automation initiated when supplier price feed/API updates with new material rates.
2.5. Automated recalculation when labor rate databases are updated or when custom parameters change.

**Platform Variants**

3.1. Salesforce
• Feature/Setting: Flow Builder → Automated “Calculate Quote” process using custom Apex automation and REST API calls for rates.

3.2. HubSpot
• Feature/Setting: Workflow Automation → Custom action invoking serverless function (Callable Webhook) for real-time pricing logic.

3.3. Microsoft Power Automate
• Feature/Setting: Scheduled/triggered flow with HTTP actions automating price retrieval via vendor/supplier APIs.

3.4. Zapier
• Feature/Setting: Webhook + Formatter steps automate parsing incoming data, HTTP action to rate providers, and automate result delivery to CRM.

3.5. Make.com
• Feature/Setting: Scenario builder automates API aggregation for cost data and recomputes project-specific estimates.

3.6. QuickBooks
• Feature/Setting: Automated invoice and quote generation using the “Create Estimate” API when labor/material rates are synced.

3.7. Xero
• Feature/Setting: Price List/Items API automates updating estimate templates with fresh material/labor rates.

3.8. Google Sheets
• Feature/Setting: Google Apps Script automates fetching current rates via API, calculates prices onSheetEdit.

3.9. Airtable
• Feature/Setting: Scripting automation or custom apps triggers when new quote request is entered, calls 3rd-party APIs for updated rates.

3.10. Monday.com
• Feature/Setting: Automation recipe with integration column triggers webhook to fetch and recalculate material/labor pricing for each item.

3.11. Pipedrive
• Feature/Setting: Workflow Automation + Custom fields triggering HTTP/Webhook actions to external price calculators.

3.12. Twilio
• Feature/Setting: Studio Flow automates SMS-based quoting with real-time material/labor API price pull.

3.13. Slack
• Feature/Setting: Workflow Builder automates posting quote calculation results triggered by a form or channel command.

3.14. DocuSign
• Feature/Setting: DocuSign Connect webhook automates quote calculation on envelope creation, merges final pricing into documents.

3.15. ServiceM8
• Feature/Setting: Automated job price update via Zapier/REST API when new job specs or labor rates change.

3.16. FreshBooks
• Feature/Setting: Automated estimates leveraging “Estimate Create” API fed with dynamic labor/material costs.

3.17. AWS Lambda
• Feature/Setting: Scheduled or triggered serverless function automates quote calculation logic, callable by multiple platforms.

3.18. Google Cloud Functions
• Feature/Setting: HTTP-triggered function automates computation on-demand from CRM or form submission.

3.19. Smartsheet
• Feature/Setting: Automated workflows with webhooks that recalculate row data on input changes; syncs with external pricing APIs.

3.20. NetSuite
• Feature/Setting: SuiteScript automation recalculates pricing rules on estimate creation based on external rate lookups.

3.21. Odoo
• Feature/Setting: Automated server action on sales quote creation, integrating Python script/API calls to suppliers.

3.22. Trello
• Feature/Setting: Automation (Butler Power-Up) to trigger web request for live material/labor rate lookup and automated card updates.

**Benefits**

4.1. Automating calculations delivers instant, accurate quotes, improving customer trust and sales closure rates.
4.2. Automated updates reduce manual labor and risk of outdated pricing leading to margin erosion.
4.3. Automation enables sales teams to focus on closing rather than administrative tasks.
4.4. Integrating automated workflows ensures every quote reflects real-time costs, supporting competitiveness and profitability.
4.5. Automatedly enforces consistency and compliance with regional pricing policies.
4.6. Automator-driven processes accelerate quote-to-contract timelines.
4.7. Automation futureproofs operations against supplier cost volatility and labor market shifts.