How can quotes in the busy world of sheet metal processing be created faster and more accurately?

That’s exactly what our CEO, Isabel Koller, discusses with host Marvin Horn in the latest episode of the Code Blech podcast, titled “Quotes in Record Time.”

In this conversation, Isabel gives an open look into the challenges that led to the development of our costing software steel it —and how it now helps solve typical bottlenecks in the quoting process.

Typical challenges in sheet metal quoting

In the podcast, Isabel talks about the issues she keeps hearing from customers and prospects:

• Unnecessary preliminary work
  Poor CAD files often have to be painstakingly fixed just to calculate a quote—even if the job never turns into an order.
• Slow quoting processes
  Customers today are no longer willing to wait days or even weeks for a quote. If you respond too late, the deal is often already lost.
• Tool chaos
  CAD, Excel, ERP, email—the constant switching between different programs is error-prone and time-consuming.
• Error-prone Excel spreadsheets
  Many shops still calculate using complex, custom-built Excel sheets. When the “Excel master” leaves the company, things can quickly become critical.
• Inconsistent pricing
  Different employees often arrive at different results for the same request, because so much is based on experience and estimates.

How steel it speeds up the quoting process

steel it was developed precisely to tackle these issues—with the goal of saving up to 90% of the time spent on quoting. How does it work?

• Support, not replacement
  steel it doesn’t replace the expert—it supports them where time pressure, repetition, and tool-switching slow things down. That leaves more room for what really matters: technical expertise, customer relationships, and strategic decisions.
• Automated CAD processing
  STEP, DXF, or DWG files can be uploaded directly. steel it detects common errors—such as missing inside radii or open contours—and automatically corrects them, solely for the purpose of calculation.
• Faster pricing
  Instead of days of manual work, steel it delivers a reliable quote in a short time—often faster than the competition.
• Pareto principle
  It’s not about squeezing out the very last cent—it’s about quickly providing a solid, competitive price. Many of our customers report: “We win the job because we’re the first to respond.”
• Central, traceable data
  No more paperwork or endless copy-paste between tools. All data is in one place, structured and consistent.
• No wasted effort
  steel it detects errors and prepares CAD data for calculation—so no time is wasted on parts that will never be ordered.

Listen now!

In this podcast episode, you’ll also discover:

• How steel it works in detail
• Real-world examples from our customers
• Why speed in the quoting process is often more decisive today than the perfectly calculated price

👉 Listen to the episode here:

• Podcast.de
• Spotify
• YoutTube
• Apple Podcast