Real-World Workflow · Case Study
Turn a fragile pricing spreadsheet into a workflow your team can trust.
An industrial fabricator had years of core pricing knowledge trapped in a legacy spreadsheet. Using WhoDB, they transformed it into a structured quote workflow with tested calculations, connected records, and a clear step for expert human review.
The challenge.
The team's critical pricing formulas lived inside an error-prone VBA workbook. Unit-conversion glitches were hard to spot, tests didn't exist, and new team members struggled to explain why a quote produced a specific number.
The solution
Calculation logic moved into a dedicated, tested function in WhoDB, while quotes, tanks, and item details became connected records.
The engineering team now automatically runs 45 reference test cases to verify every calculation before quotes go out.
Generating an accurate PDF quote went from hours of manual work down to roughly five minutes.
How the workflow operates.
A clear, 4-step workflow that automates heavy calculations while keeping experienced humans in the loop.
1
Quote Spec
Dimensions, materials & quantities
2
Pricing Engine
Automated validation & math
3
Connected Records
Quote, tank, and item line details
4
Human Review
Approve & generate final PDF
How WhoDB supports this workflow.
While this solution was customized to the fabricator's exact process, the core building blocks—connected schemas, automated functions, permission controls, and audit trails—are standard features of WhoDB.
Start with the specification
An estimator captures the tank, materials, dimensions, quantities, and other details that determine a quote.
Run tested business logic
A dedicated pricing function calculates engineering and cost outputs from a structured record instead of a fragile spreadsheet macro.
Review connected records
Quotes, tanks, and tank items are related in the application, so the detail behind a result is easier to inspect.
Keep a human in the decision
The system makes calculation and review faster. It does not remove the estimator’s responsibility to review a quote.
Have a similar spreadsheet challenge?
If your critical business logic lives in a spreadsheet that has grown risky, complex, or hard to explain, we can help you move it to WhoDB.