Energy Audit And Quotation App Streamlining The Quote-To-Sale Pipeline With Cross-Platform Technology

QuotationApp emerged from a strategic partnership between an industry innovator and CMARIX to address the critical inefficiencies in field-based quotation processes. They wanted to create a multi-platform app for iPad and Android tablets. The purpose of this app is to transform how sales teams and auditors generate quotes on-site, replacing the manual tedious paper processes with sleek, innovative digital solutions.

Our Flutter and .NET Core developers build the perfect solution using cross-platform experience that integrates powerful calculation engines and a stunning user interface. The application allows field representatives to capture client requirements, perform complex calculations, and generate professional quotations in minutes rather than days, significantly improving operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Technology: Flutter (Dart), .NET Core, MS-SQL
Industry: Field Services / Electrical
Built for: iPad & Android Tablet Users
Access: Canada

Rewriting the Approach Overcoming Quotation Barriers in Canada's Electrical Field Services

Challenges and Problems List The Canadian electrical services industry faced significant operational hurdles that directly impacted business efficiency and customer satisfaction. When Quotation App approached CMARIX, they highlighted several industry-specific challenges:

01Time-Intensive Manual Calculations

Electrical contractors spent hours manually calculating material quantities, labor hours, and specialized equipment requirements. This leads to delays and occasional errors that affect profit margins.

02On-Site Quotation Delays

Field technicians lacked real-time access to current pricing databases. This meant quotes often couldn't be finalized until technicians returned to the office, extending sales cycles by days or sometimes weeks.

03Inconsistent Pricing Structure

Across Canada's diverse provinces, maintaining consistent pricing while accounting for regional material costs and regulations created significant complexity for multi-region electrical contractors.

04Weather-Related Accessibility Issues

Canada's extreme weather conditions frequently complicated on-site visits, making it crucial to maximize efficiency during the initial client meeting by providing immediate, accurate quotes.

05Compliance with Canadian Electrical Code

Staying current with the ever-evolving Canadian Electrical Code (CEC) requirements across different provinces added layers of complexity to the quotation process.

06Material Supply Chain Volatility

Recent global supply chain disruptions disproportionately affected the electrical sector, requiring frequent pricing adjustments and alternative material suggestions that were difficult to calculate in the field.

07Skilled Labor Shortage

Canada's electrical sector has experienced a significant skilled labor shortage, making accurate labor allocation in quotes particularly critical for project profitability.

08Limited Mobile Connectivity

Many job sites in remote Canadian regions had limited internet connectivity, making cloud-dependent solutions impractical for field operations.

Current Flow How QuoteApp's Architecture Enables Seamless Field-to-Office Integration

Adaptive Cross-Platform Framework Implementation

Flutter-based tablet application architecture with optimized native code integration.
Platform-specific rendering pipeline customization for maximum performance coefficient.
Shared business logic layer maintaining rendering fidelity across device ecosystems.

Advanced Distributed Data Orchestration

Bidirectional SQLite-to-MS-SQL synchronization with delta-compression algorithms.
Conflict resolution engine with timestamp-based vector clocks for data consistency.
Atomic transaction management ensuring ACID compliance across distributed nodes.

Microservice-Oriented Backend Architecture

Containerized .NET Core microservices with bounded contexts and domain-driven design.
Event-sourced communication patterns facilitating service independence.
Horizontal scaling capabilities with load-balanced service mesh implementation.

Enterprise-Grade Security Implementation

Made use of secure enclave integration and AES-256 encryption for at-rest data security
Certificate-pinned TLS 1.3 connections with ECDH key exchange
Used JWT Authentication Framework for Accurate RBAC (role-based access control)

Computational Estimation Engine

Parametric calculation models incorporating Canadian Electrical Code matrices
Real-time constraint satisfaction algorithms for material optimization
Machine learning-assisted labor estimation with historical performance calibration

Amplifying Efficiency How CMARIX Engineered QuoteApp's Transformative Features

Field Operations Command Suite

Geospatial Quote Generation Framework

Provincial regulation auto-application based on geolocation parameters.
Guided sequential estimation protocol with component validation algorithms.
Location-specific pricing deployment with real-time adjustment capability.

Disconnected Mode Catalog System

Comprehensive offline material database with hierarchical taxonomy.
Decentralized product specification access with search optimization.
Pre-cached labor operation templates with standardized time allocations.

Visual Documentation Acquisition Module

Multi-format media capture integration with automatic metadata tagging.
Context-aware embedding of visual assets within quotation documentation.
High-compression storage implementation for bandwidth optimization.

Dynamic Labor Calculation Engine

Multi-variable complexity coefficient application for labor estimation.
Architectural constraint analysis for installation difficulty assessment.
Consistent pricing matrix deployment across distributed field teams.

Client Engagement Platform

Interactive Quotation Presentation System

Component-level itemization with detailed specification access.
Tax calculation engine with jurisdictional rule application.
Dynamic scope modification interface with real-time recalculation.

Cryptographic Signature Authentication

On-site digital authorization with non-repudiation mechanisms.
Legal compliance validation with provincial electronic signature regulations.
Immediate workflow transition upon authorized acceptance.

Tiered Solution Comparison Matrix

Multi-option presentation framework with differential highlighting.
Feature-based comparison engine with benefit analysis.
Value proposition visualization with ROI calculation capabilities.

Automated Customer Communication System

Quote-status-driven messaging deployment with personalization variables.
Behavioral response analysis for timing optimization.
Multi-channel distribution with engagement tracking metrics.

Management Control Interface

Hierarchical Approval Pipeline

Threshold-triggered quote escalation with automated routing protocols.
Multi-level review capabilities with granular adjustment permissions.
Cross-platform approval interface with synchronous state management.

Business Intelligence Dashboard

KPI visualization with drill-down analytical capabilities.
Temporal conversion pattern analysis with predictive modeling.
Performance benchmarking with statistical deviation highlighting.

Price Strategy Orchestration System

Rule-based discount application engine with multi-tier capabilities.
Customer-specific agreement enforcement with versioning control.
Promotional campaign deployment with time-bound activation parameters.

Inventory Integration Framework

Real-time material availability verification through secure API channels
Quote-to-inventory reservation system with temporal holds
Substitution recommendation engine for stock-limited scenarios

System Hub The Intelligent Backend Powering Canada's Electrical Quotation Revolution

Administrative Infrastructure Components

01Enterprise-Grade Dashboard Implementation

Real-time KPI visualization with multi-dimensional data filtering.
Geospatial performance analytics with regional benchmarking.
Customizable dashboard widgets with role-specific metric prioritization.

02Hierarchical Access Control Framework

Role-based permission matrix with inheritance capabilities.
Granular function-level authorization with audit logging.
Context-aware access policies adapting to organizational structure.

03Centralized Master Data Governance

Versioned catalog management with regional pricing variants.
Formula-driven calculation templates with parameter inheritance.
Real-time synchronization protocol with conflict resolution algorithms.

04Process Automation Orchestration

Event-driven workflow engine with conditional branching.
Threshold-based approval routing with escalation protocols.
State machine implementation tracking quote lifecycle progression.

05Advanced Business Analytics Platform

Multidimensional data warehouse with predictive modeling capabilities.
Custom report generation with dynamic filtering parameters.
Trend analysis algorithms identifying conversion pattern correlations.

06Enterprise Integration Architecture

RESTful API gateway with standardized payload structures.
Webhook support for real-time third-party system notifications.
ETL pipelines facilitating bidirectional data synchronization.

07Dynamic Document Generation System

Template engine with region-specific clause repositories.
Conditional content inclusion based on project attributes.
Digital asset management ensuring consistent brand application.

Typography

Manrope

Regular

SemiBold

Bold

ExtraBold

Used Color

#007A00

#68AA44

#333333

Technology Stack and Third-Party APIs

Complete Technology Stack

Mobile Application

Framework: Flutter (Dart language)

Development Platform: Android Studio & Xcode

Device Support: iPad (iOS 13.x to 17.x) & Android Tablets (Android 10.x to 14.x)

Orientation: Portrait mode

Local Database: SQLite

State Management: Provider pattern

UI Component Library: Material Design & Cupertino

Backend System

Framework: .NET Core

Database: Microsoft SQL Server

API Architecture: RESTful

Web Server: Apache 2.x

Operating System: Linux

Authentication: JWT (JSON Web Tokens)

Caching Layer: Redis

Background Processing: Hangfire

Development & Deployment

Version Control: Git

CI/CD Pipeline: GitHub Actions

Code Quality: SonarQube

Testing Framework: NUnit, xUnit

Containerization: Docker

Monitoring: Application Insights

Performance Testing: JMeter

Third-Party APIs and Integrations

Document Management

Adobe Document Services API for PDF generation and processing.

DocuSign API for electronic signature capture.

Geolocation Services

Google Maps API to get distance calculations and location dependent services.

Geocoding APIs for address verification.

Communication APIs

Twilio API for distribution of quote and SMS notifications.

SendGrid for email communication.

Cloud Storage

AWS S3 Storage for document and image storage.

Analytics

Google Analytics for user behavior tracking.

Mixpanel for feature usage analysis.

Authentication

Firebase Authentication for secure user authentication.

Weather APIs

Environment Canada Weather API to factor weather conditions into scheduling estimates.