AA-DAK quotation calculator for costing and quotation management

Project overview

AA-DAK is developing a web application for quotations and cost calculations for roofing projects. The system is set up to replace an Excel-driven workflow in which calculations, pricing logic, and document output were spread out and more error-prone.

The application brings calculation logic, client data, templates, price lists, and quotation output together in one working environment. The setup already includes clear building blocks for quotation creation, calculation, versioning, PDF output, exports, and administrative management. From a business perspective, that matters because the quotation process becomes less dependent on loose spreadsheets and individual working habits.

Collaboration

This kind of project depends on close collaboration between the people who build quotations every day and the team translating that process into software. The operational knowledge sits with the people who understand how quotations are structured, which pricing rules apply, and where errors or delays tend to happen in practice.

The strength of the collaboration here lies mainly in that translation: turning existing calculation logic and working methods into a system that makes the same work more reliable, more centralised, and easier to manage. Because the project is still in development, it makes sense that calculations, screens, and management flows are still being refined along the way.

The problem behind the project

The underlying question is not only how quotations can be created faster, but how a sensitive calculation process can be made more reliable and manageable. In the earlier situation, calculations lived in Excel, with limited version control, fragmented input, and a higher risk of inconsistencies in pricing, margins, and output.

A simple form-based solution would not have been enough. This kind of process needs a system that can handle different project structures, make calculations reproducible, manage client and pricing data centrally, and reuse the same data for PDFs, exports, and follow-up actions. For users, the main requirement is being able to move from input to a reviewable quotation without unnecessary detours.

What was delivered

• A secured Laravel application with dashboard and quotation overview
• A quotation wizard for creating new quotations
• API endpoints for calculating, storing, updating, and retrieving quotations
• Support for clients, templates, active price lists, and line items
• Calculation of rows, margins, VAT, and totals
• PDF generation for quotations
• Spreadsheet export for quotations
• Version management and calculation snapshots
• Quotation status transitions such as draft, sent, accepted, and rejected
• Management modules for clients, templates, catalogue, price lists, terms, users, and roles
• Import and export functions for master data in XLSX format
• Activity logging and import/export logging

Technical implementation

• Backend built on Laravel 12 and PHP 8.4
• Front end built with Inertia.js, Vue 3, TypeScript, and Tailwind CSS v4
• UI structure based on shadcn-vue components
• Service-oriented setup for calculation, margins, aggregation, validation, audit, and quotation logic
• Typed DTOs for structured data exchange inside the business layer
• Authentication and protected API routes with Laravel auth and Sanctum
• PDF and spreadsheet services for document output
• Role and permission structure for quotation work, management, and admin screens
• Maintainability through thin controllers, separate services, and feature and unit test coverage
• Additional safeguards in import flows such as dry runs, validation, and rollback on failure

Challenges

• Translating Excel logic into programmable services without drifting away from the existing calculation rules
• Designing one system for different project structures such as individual homes, groups, and blocks
• Keeping margins flexible per context without making the input process unnecessarily complex
• Aligning document output with calculations, versions, and quotation statuses
• Making master data importable without polluting pricing rules, categories, or user data

Result

The current setup shows that the basis for a fully digital quotation process is already in place. This is not only about calculation logic, but also about the surrounding parts that matter in day-to-day use: client management, price lists, templates, exports, documents, and permissions.

That creates a foundation on which AA-DAK can move the quotation process away from loose spreadsheets and individual knowledge. The expected value sits in more consistent management, better traceability of calculations, and a workflow that can be adopted more steadily over time.

Reflection

This project shows the kind of work where process knowledge, data modelling, and application development are tightly connected. It is not a public marketing website, but an internal business system where reliability and manageability matter more than presentation alone.

The direction is strong because the calculation and data logic need to be right before a system like this becomes useful in daily operations. That combination of analysis, service architecture, management functionality, and document output is exactly what makes this type of trajectory suitable for replacing a spreadsheet process without losing control.