What is the best way for a roofing manufacturer to automate quoting?+
The most effective approach is a product configurator connected directly to your pricing and BOM logic — not a generic quote tool. A configurator built for roofing lets the client or installer enter roof dimensions, choose materials and fixings, and receive an accurate itemized price and material list instantly. This replaces the manual process of taking measurements, consulting engineering, building a BOM in a spreadsheet, and sending a PDF quote. Manufacturers using this approach typically reduce quote turnaround from days to minutes and shift the majority of standard orders to self-service. Wabric is built specifically for manufacturers of configurable products like roofing panels, solar roofs, cladding systems, and sandwich panels — unlike general CPQ tools that require heavy customisation to handle roofing-specific geometry and BOM logic. You can also see how we've approached this for doors and windows manufacturers and metal and glass manufacturers.
Can the configurator handle non-standard roof shapes — hips, valleys, dormers?+
Yes. The configurator handles standard pitched roofs as well as complex shapes including hipped roofs, valleys, dormers, and irregular plan shapes. When the user defines the roof outline and slope, the system calculates panel layout, ridge and valley trim requirements, flashing details, and total material quantities including waste allowance. Non-standard angles and intersections are resolved automatically. The Bill of Materials includes all cut panels, trim pieces, fixings, and accessories for the specific geometry.
How does it calculate material quantities for irregular roof shapes?+
When the user inputs roof dimensions and slope, the parametric model calculates the exact panel layout for that geometry. It determines the number of full panels, the dimensions of cut panels at edges and ridges, and the quantities of trims, flashings, fixings, underlays, and ventilation components. For irregular shapes with valleys or dormers, it calculates the cut geometry for each affected panel. The output is an itemized BOM ready to go to the factory or the installer's order form.
Can our installers order directly without going through our sales team?+
Yes. The Partner Portal gives your installers and distributors their own login where they configure the project, see their tier pricing, and place the order without contacting your sales team. You control which products each partner can access, what pricing level applies, and whether orders need approval before going to production. Your sales team focuses on new accounts and larger projects instead of routine reorders.
What happens when panel sizes or specs change — do we rebuild the configurator?+
No. Product data is managed in the PIM module, which is separate from the configurator logic. When a panel size changes, a new color is added, or a fixing specification updates, you edit the product record in PIM and the configurator reflects it immediately. No developer needed. Adding an entirely new product family does require configurator setup — but changes to existing products, pricing, and attributes are self-managed.
How do we manage different pricing for different installer tiers?+
The Partner Portal supports multiple pricing tiers. You define your tier structure — for example, certified installer, preferred partner, and distributor — and assign each partner account to the appropriate tier. When they log in and configure a project, they see prices at their level only. Volume discounts and project-specific pricing can be layered on top. All managed from your admin dashboard without developer involvement.
Does the configurator work on mobile — for installers measuring on site?+
Yes. The configurator runs in the browser and works on mobile and tablet. An installer can measure the roof on site, open the configurator on their phone, enter the dimensions, and get an instant material list and price — without going back to the office. This is particularly useful for retrofit projects where exact dimensions are only known once on site. The output can be emailed directly as a quote or BOM, or submitted as an order through the Partner Portal.
How does the system handle compliance documentation per project?+
Each configuration in Wabric is saved as a unique product record with structured data output — material composition, product identifiers, technical specifications, and provenance. This forms the basis for per-project compliance documentation: Declaration of Performance, environmental product data, and eventually Digital Product Passports under CPR 2024/3110. The data exists because the product was configured — you don't run a separate documentation process on top.
How long does setup take for a roofing product line?+
For a roofing manufacturer with one or two standard product families and organized product data, setup typically takes 6–10 weeks from kickoff to live. This includes configurator setup, pricing logic, BOM rules, partner portal configuration, and ERP integration. If your product data is currently scattered across spreadsheets and old CAD files, we spend 2–4 additional weeks on data structuring before the configurator build.
