Answers
Frequently asked questions
Clear answers about Cifral Custom: how it works, what it takes to set up, and what to expect. For the self-serve quotation app, see QuoteGen.
Getting started
Who is Cifral Custom for?
Cifral Custom is for companies that produce complex technical and commercial proposals: typically documents of more than ten pages, structured in chapters, where the scope of supply changes from one request to the next and the same technical and commercial conditions are repeated. Our starting focus is intralogistics, material handling, packaging machinery and system integration, and similar engineered-to-order work can fit when the proposal process has the same shape. If your quotes are mostly line items, quantities and catalogue prices, QuoteGen is the better fit.
Do I need to automate the complete proposal process?
No. Cifral can automate the full path from RFQ to review-ready proposal, or begin with one defined stage: data collection and validation, technical content generation, pricing and commercial calculations, or proposal document assembly. Many teams start with the single stage that consumes the most time and expand later.
How long does setup take?
Implementation of a defined first workflow typically takes one to two weeks, or the timeline we agree for your scope; more complex implementations are scoped separately. The first call takes 30 minutes: we learn your current process, pricing logic, and document template. We build and test from there. You review one test run with real data before it goes live.
Do I need to prepare anything before the scoping call?
No preparation needed. Just show up and walk us through how you currently build a quote: what comes in, how you calculate the price, and what the finished document looks like. We ask the questions.
What tools does it work with?
Cifral adapts to the workflow and document environment your team already uses. Intake can happen via email or a form, and PDF or Word output can be placed in your agreed environment, such as SharePoint, OneDrive or Google Drive. The exact workflow is defined during scoping, so you do not have to adopt a new document system.
Capabilities
Does it use my existing template and brand?
Yes. We configure Cifral to output documents in your current proposal template: header, logo, font, section structure and cover page are set up to follow what you send to customers today.
Can it handle my pricing logic?
Yes, for structured pricing logic: fixed costs, configuration variables, multipliers, installation estimates, margin targets. We map your pricing rules during the scoping call and encode them into the system. If your pricing currently lives in a spreadsheet, we can replicate that logic.
What does the output look like?
A complete proposal document in your template, ready for your engineer's review. Output formats are PDF and Word. Where the draft is placed is agreed during scoping based on your existing document environment, such as SharePoint, OneDrive or Google Drive. Only the approved version goes to your customer.
Can Cifral use our technical documentation and product data?
Yes, depending on the implementation. Approved internal sources can be connected as controlled inputs, including technical documentation, product and component data, previous approved proposals, and CRM or ERP records. During scoping we agree which sources the automation draws on; it only uses what you approve.
What happens when information is missing or uncertain?
The system flags it. Depending on the configuration, it can request clarification or leave the relevant section marked for engineering review. Cifral is deliberately designed not to invent technical or commercial information: a gap is surfaced, not papered over.
Can engineers edit the generated proposal?
Yes. The output is a normal document in your own template. The responsible engineer can review it, edit any section, and approve it before delivery. Nothing is sent without that review.
Does it connect to my CRM or ERP?
It can. Creating or updating a proposal record in your CRM can be included in the implementation scope when it is useful. ERP connection depends on your system and is scoped during setup. A first workflow does not require a CRM or ERP connection.
What if I want to change something after it goes live?
Minor adjustments (updating a line item, changing a section, modifying pricing variables) are part of normal maintenance. Significant changes to scope (adding a new product line, rebuilding the intake form) are scoped separately. We tell you upfront what is included.
Security and data
Is my pricing data secure?
Your pricing rules live inside the automation we build for you, not on a shared platform. Credentials are stored securely and access is controlled. Cifral is designed to minimise unnecessary data storage, and the hosting, model providers, access controls, retention and data flows are documented for each implementation.
Where does my data go?
Primarily between the tools you already own: your intake channel, your existing document environment and your CRM if included in the implementation. The automation is designed as a pipeline between your own systems rather than a central platform, and for each implementation we document exactly which services process your data and what, if anything, is retained.
Working with us
How is Cifral Custom different from a quoting tool or CPQ?
Quoting tools and CPQ, including Cifral's own QuoteGen, are built around line items, quantities and catalogue prices. Cifral Custom is for proposals that are long technical documents: the written scope, the technical sections and the pricing, assembled in your own template. It is configured around your specific pricing logic and template, informed by firsthand System Sales Engineering experience, and your engineer reviews every proposal before it goes out.
Does Cifral replace sales engineers or proposal engineers?
No. Cifral removes repeatable preparation and document assembly. Engineers still make technical decisions, review the output and approve proposals in configured customer workflows.
Does Cifral only work with RFQs?
No. Industrial companies use terms such as RFQ, RFP, tender or customer enquiry differently. Cifral fits workflows where an incoming customer request leads to a repeatable technical-commercial proposal process.
What changes after Cifral is implemented?
The team spends less time on repeatable preparation and document assembly, and pricing and proposal work follows a more consistent workflow. Results depend on your process, and we do not promise specific time savings in advance.
What if the output is not right?
You review a test run with real data before Cifral goes live. If something does not match your process, we adjust it before launch. After go-live, if something is off, we fix it as part of maintenance.
Do you work with companies in other countries?
Yes. We work remotely with teams internationally. The scoping call and support happen in English or Spanish, whichever you prefer.
Still have questions?
Book a 30-minute scoping call. We'll map your current proposal workflow and answer any questions about how Cifral fits.