It’s Only Common Sense: Win the Sale Before the RFQ Arrives
The Marketing Minute: Marketing Is a Team Sport
Cetec ERP and Boardera Software Inc. have announced an integration partnership designed to help electronics manufacturing services (EMS) and contract manufacturing companies move more efficiently from incoming RFQ to production-ready quote. The integration synchronizes parts inventory from Cetec ERP directly into Boardera, giving quoting teams access to current component data without switching between systems or performing repeated manual lookups.
Boardera uses AI to automate the most time-consuming steps in PCB assembly quoting: design-file analysis, BOM scrubbing and sourcing, labor and material costing, and manufacturability review. Manufacturers stay in control, applying their own pricing rules, labor configurations, and Excel-based formulas. Through its integration with Cetec ERP, Boardera draws on live inventory data, so quotes account for parts already on the shelf. That means more accurate pricing, less redundant purchasing, and fewer manual checks between systems.
A More Connected RFQ-to-Order Workflow
PCB assembly quotes often begin with an unstructured package of design files, fabrication notes, and BOM data. Quoting teams must organize that information, verify components, check availability, estimate labor, and apply pricing logic before a customer can receive an answer. When ERP inventory data and quoting tools are disconnected, staff also spend time searching for parts in multiple systems and reconciling information by hand.
With the Cetec ERP and Boardera integration, parts inventory data flows from Cetec ERP into Boardera’s quoting environment. Boardera then uses the customer’s project package and the manufacturer’s configured rules to support BOM analysis, component sourcing, labor calculations, PCB pricing, DFM reporting, and quote generation. The connected workflow helps teams respond faster while maintaining control over the assumptions and formulas behind each quote.
Key Benefits
- Direct synchronization of parts inventory from Cetec ERP into Boardera
- Less manual searching and re-entry across ERP and quoting systems
- Automated BOM scrubbing with component pricing and availability data
- Configurable labor and material costing based on the manufacturer’s own rules
- Earlier visibility into DFM concerns before a quote is finalized
- A documented quoting process that supports faster handoff from RFQ to order
Quotes
“Boardera is excited to partner with Cetec ERP, a platform many EMS manufacturers rely on to run their operations. This integration gives Cetec ERP users a new option for PCB analysis and quoting that starts with the full project package and carries through to the final quote. With real-time Cetec ERP parts and inventory data flowing directly into Boardera's automated analysis, every quote is built on current component data, closing one of the most time-consuming gaps in the quoting process. Together, we're helping EMS teams respond to customers with greater speed, accuracy and consistency," said Curtis Hunter, CEO, Boardera Software Inc.
“This integration gives EMS companies a practical way to reduce the human touches required to move from an incoming RFQ to a production-ready order in their manufacturing ERP. That is pragmatic efficiency,” said Jordan Jolly, Cetec ERP.
