A PVC window manufacturer. 12 salespeople. 200+ leads a month. An Excel sheet with 47 columns.
- Leads in Excel with 47 columns
- No reminders, lost notes
- The offer is working hours, the customer received a PDF
- 73% unmanned leads in 24–72 h
- Migration from Excel to CRM
- Automated quoting
- Listing as a page, not a PDF
- Integration with the window configurator
- No lead falls between sales reps
- Quote in minutes instead of hours
- 73% lost shares recovered
Leads are flying from commercials. Where do they land? In Excel.
Columns. Selections. Notes typed manually, important things — in colours. At first, you manage. Then the sheet grows. And then it starts: forgetting about leads. Losing notes. Someone did not come to the meeting because no one kept track of the entry. One sheet, several people, zero one truth. Who changed what? Who called whom? Offer? Hours of slapping. And the customer gets the file anyway. PDF. To be reviewed someday. Or in the trash.
The PVC window company was right there. 12 salespeople. 200+ leads per month. Excel with 47 columns. Ads for Meta Ads, leads are flowing, the sheet is growing. You can get out of it — that's what this story is about.
Before and after
Before
- 47 columns in Excel as the only lead database
- Each sales rep with their own note-taking system
- No reminders — customers did not attend appointments
- Zero visibility: who changed what, who called whom
- Quote submitted manually and sent as PDF
- Lost conversations without any analysis
After implementation
- One panel, one base, one truth
- Notes and contact history open to the team
- Automatic reminders and statuses
- You can see who changed what and at what stage the conversation is
- Listing as a personalized link page
- Weekly Review of Lost Conversations
(it was 3–4 h)
(was 30%)
(PDF: 12%)
offer → order
with analysis (was 0%)
Data from the first months after implementation at the PVC window manufacturer.
Having a CRM is not the same as having a single flow from lead to offer.
Most say: we already have a CRM, we use a ready-made package. And the truth is that the question is not „do you have a CRM”. The question is: does this CRM really combine leads, bidding and the customer in one place — and does the offer come out as a page that the customer wants to click on, or as another PDF to „browse someday”?
Ready packages are for hundreds of thousands of subscribers. No one sews a process under your flow in them. That's what they do JSON Hub.
What is JSON Hub
An internal platform that combines in one place:
- Lead generation — e.g. directly from advertisements
- Manage in one dashboard — customer, notes, contact history
- Interview and classification — statuses and tags matched to real flow
- Generating a quote — not as a PDF, but as a link to a personalized page
The salesperson conducts an interview, classifies, marks the conversation as arranged. From the same panel, it generates an offer and sends a link to the customer. The customer on the other side receives not an attachment to the e-mail, but the page they want to access. The whole team can see statuses and notes, and every week you can go through lost conversations and draw conclusions.
At first, their processes seemed too diverse for a single scheme: each sales rep had their own interview method, each client needed a different window configuration. The key turned out to be a flexible flow, statuses and tags adapted to the real lead-to-quote process. The window pricing algorithm (size, type, parameters, add-ons) was automated. The sales rep enters parameters from the interview, the rest is handled by the panel.
„The offer page is like a dream. After all, that's what I was looking for — and it does a wow effect on end customers.”
Same system, different industries
General Denominator valuation, interview, offer — and frustration when Excel is no longer enough and the PDF goes to the trash.
PVC window configurator and CRM: how a window manufacturer shortens the path from lead to quote
This article is for manufacturers and distributors of windows who generate inquiries from ads but prepare quotes by hand. It answers the question of how to combine a PVC window configurator, a CRM, and quoting into one process, so that inquiries don't get stuck in a spreadsheet.
A PVC window configurator is usually associated with a website tool where the customer picks dimensions and color. That's only half the problem. Window manufacturers most often lose customers not because they lack a nice form, but because the inquiry ends up in Excel, waits several hours for a quote, and comes back to the customer as a PDF nobody opens.
Why an online window configurator alone isn’t enough
An online window configurator collects data. But someone still has to assign the inquiry to a sales rep, send follow-up reminders, prepare the quote, and check whether the customer read it. If these steps happen in a spreadsheet, the configurator just adds rows to the table faster.
In the implementation described above, the starting point looked like this: 12 sales reps, over 200 leads per month from Meta Ads, and an Excel file with 47 columns as the only database. Each sales rep kept notes their own way, there were no reminders, and 30% of leads had no assigned owner. No one knew who changed what or who had called whom.
What parameters a PVC window configurator needs to handle
Pricing a window involves a dozen or so interdependent decisions. The manufacturer in our example was convinced his algorithm was too complex to automate. It took into account:
- window dimensions and profile type,
- thermal and acoustic parameters,
- add-ons such as insect screens, roller shutters, and trickle vents,
- color and opening type,
- installation and delivery.
With a well-designed data model, each of these elements becomes a pricing rule rather than an item to recalculate by hand. In this implementation, the pricing algorithm was automated and integrated with the CRM: the sales rep enters the parameters gathered during the call, and the system generates the price and the quote. Quote preparation time dropped from 3–4 hours to 15–20 minutes.
The same engine can later power a customer-facing configurator on your website. The order matters, though: first correct pricing logic on the team's side, then making it available externally.
CRM for a window manufacturer: what it should have
Many companies already have an off-the-shelf CRM. It's worth checking whether it connects leads, pricing, and quotes in one place or just stores contacts. A CRM for a window manufacturer should support the actual sales flow rather than force a standard funnel:
- automatic lead capture from ad forms,
- assigning each lead to a specific sales rep,
- statuses and tags matched to the stages: interview, qualification, meeting scheduled, quote,
- automatic reminders for follow-ups and meetings,
- a shared history of notes and changes, visible to the whole team,
- generating a quote from the same panel, without retyping data.
At the start of the project, the sales reps’ processes seemed too different to fit one model. The solution turned out to be a flexible workflow in which statuses and tags reflect how the team actually works.
Window configurator and CRM integration: how the data flows
The biggest time savings come when data is entered only once. In practice, the flow looks like this: a lead from an ad lands in the CRM and gets an owner, the sales rep runs the discovery call and marks the meeting as scheduled, and enters the window parameters directly in the panel. The same data produces the price and the quote, which is sent to the customer as a link.
Every time data is retyped between tools, there's room for a mistake in dimensions or price. That's why, when choosing a solution, it's worth asking not whether a configurator and CRM exist separately, but whether data flows between them without copying. The same applies to statuses: when a quote is opened, that information should appear on the customer record in the CRM immediately.
A quote as a web page instead of a PDF
The last step of the process often decides the outcome. A PDF sent by email ends up in a “to review” folder, and the sales rep doesn't know whether the customer opened it. A quote delivered as a personalized web page via a link has two benefits: the customer gets something they want to look at, and the team can see whether and when the quote was opened.
At the window manufacturer, the quote open rate rose to 67%, compared with 12% for PDFs. Quote-to-order conversion increased by 23%. When a change is requested, the sales rep updates the page instead of generating another file.
Window quoting in a CRM: what to measure before and after implementation
Before you start the implementation, measure the current state. Without it, it will be hard to tell whether the change made a difference. Below are the metrics from the first months after implementation in the case described:
| Metric | Before | After implementation |
|---|---|---|
| Quote preparation time | 3–4 hours | 15–20 minutes |
| Leads without an owner | 30% | 0% |
| Quote open rate | 12% (PDF) | 67% (website) |
| Lost deals with analysis | 0% | 100% |
| Quote-to-order conversion | baseline value | +23% |
One metric is especially worth watching: the time from first contact to sending the quote. Leads from ads lose interest quickly, and a customer who waits several days is talking to competitors in the meantime.
How to move off Excel without paralyzing sales
Technically, importing data from a spreadsheet isn't difficult. Changing habits is harder: sales reps need to enter notes in the system right away, not “tomorrow in Excel.” It helps that the new tool saves them time from day one, because they generate quotes in minutes.
The window manufacturer implemented the system in 6 weeks. The element that stays in place permanently after implementation is a weekly review of lost deals. With all the data in one place, you can see at which stage and why customers drop out, and improve the process based on facts rather than impressions.
The same approach works in other industries built on needs assessment and pricing: construction, solar PV, and HVAC installation. Anywhere Excel is no longer enough and a PDF quote gets lost in the customer's inbox.
We describe how our CRM works on the page JSON Hub, and we write about automated pricing and quotes as web pages in digital quoting and calculations, and you'll find Product configurators for end customers in configurators offering.
The three objections we hear most often
„We already have a CRM. We use a ready-made package.”
Many companies have CRM. It is worth checking one thing: whether this CRM combines leads, bidding and the customer in one place — and whether the offer comes out as a page that the customer wants to click on or as another PDF. Ready-made packages are for hundreds of thousands of subscribers; no one sews the process under your flow. If your CRM is already doing this — great. If not, it is worth calculating the difference.
„It won't work for us — our pricing algorithm is complicated.”
The window company thought so too. Their algorithm took into account window size, profile type, thermal and acoustic parameters, additions (mosquito nets, roller shutters, diffusers), color, opening method, assembly and transport. With good architecture, it is possible to build any algorithm and any number of parameters. Their listing time has dropped from 3–4 hours to 15–20 minutes.
„We don't have time to implement now.”
The window company implemented the system in 6 weeks. The time for implementation often pays off in the first month, because instead of a dozen or so hours over the offers, you have one panel and an offer in minutes. We don't say „you have to now”. We say: if there is a moment to count it — we will be happy to help.
Your next step
It is very possible that it is one panel and one truth — from the lead to the offer. Offer as a page, not a PDF to the trash. Just like the window manufacturer and companies from industries that already use it.
You don't have to go down this road alone. We can talk.
Three paths, each different
Select according to your state of discernment.
Frequently Asked Questions About This Implementation
Why do companies lose 73% of their customers before sending a quote?
Three main reasons: 1) leads land in Excel or e-mail, where they die in administrative chaos — no one has visibility, who changed what and who talked to whom; 2) bidding takes hours (PDF to submit, check, send), so the salesperson makes 5–10 offers per day instead of 30–50; 3) the customer does not get a response in 24–72 hours and goes to the competition (78% buyers choose the first company that will respond with a specific answer). Total: 50–75% leads die.
How can you tell if your company is losing leads in Excel?
Five symptoms: 1) Excel or email as the main place for saving leads; 2) salespeople have their own note-taking systems (colors, columns, paper notes); 3) the client asks “where is my quote?” three times or more; 4) the sales rep says “I'm sorry, I forgot”; 5) lack of hard metrics for win rate, response time, and sales cycle length. Three or more symptoms mean that leads are being lost.
Is migrating from Excel to a CRM system difficult?
Technically not — CRM (Pipedrive, HubSpot, JSON Hub, SalesManago) has native Excel import. The difficulty lies in adopting salespeople: they have to change the habit from „I will add tomorrow in Excel” to „I will add now in CRM”. Typical migration: setup week, two weeks of training, 1–3 months of adoption struggle. The success is80% + deals going through CRM after three months.
What were the benefits of replacing the PDF with a web page?
Four effects: 1) speed — the offer-page leaves in minutes, PDF takes hours; 2) the customer sees personalized variants interactively (color change, live price), which gives a higher conversion than static PDF; 3) tracking — you know when the customer opened the offer and what they clicked on; 4) editing — when requesting a change, you modify the page instead of generating a new file. Typical effect: openability of 60–80% against 20–30% at PDF.
How much does it cost to migrate from Excel to an integrated system?
Three levels. The cheapest: CRM SaaS (Pipedrive, HubSpot, SalesManago) about 500–1000 PLN/user per month plus 5–15 thousand PLN of implementation. Medium: CRM plus automatic bidding — additional PLN 15–30 thousand. The most powerful: configurator plus JSON Hub (CRM, offer-page and project management in one) — PLN 60–150 thousand, but with full automation. Return usually in 6–12 months from recovered leads.
Does every B2B company face the problem of losing 73% of its leads?
The number 73% comes from a specific case of a PVC window manufacturer. In other industries, it can be 50% (with a well-functioning CRM) or 80% (with a chaotic Excel). The pattern is universal: a company using Excel or email instead of CRM, having 12+ salespeople and 100+ leads per month, loses at least half of the deal. The first measure: how long it takes from the first contact to send the offer. After 24 hours, you lose most of the market.
What to do next if you have similar listing chaos
The PVC window manufacturer is a typical example of the syndrome of „47 columns in Excel, 12 salespeople, 200+ leads”. The configurator and automatic bidding together close this chaos. Here are the paths to get you started:
About the Author
Jędrzej Siewierski – CEO and co-founder JSON CrewSince 2024, he has been building Product configurators for B2B companies (manufacturers of agricultural machinery, hunting weapons, modular homes, and IoT electronics) as well as JSON Hub—his own SaaS platform that integrates CRM, automated quoting, and project management. Co-author of a digital sales transformation methodology: shortening the path from interest to purchase through a configurator + automated quoting + CRM. Stack: Next.js, Three.js, Nest.js, React Native. Contact: contact@jsoncrew.com · LinkedIn.
Check before we talk
Services associated with this deployment. Take a look at the offer, see how we approach similar problems in other customers.
View Case Studies
Three implementations from our portfolio. Specific numbers, processes rebuilt at real customers.
Did you like this article?
If after reading this you feel your company also has processes worth rebuilding, book a free call. Together we will check where sales are really leaking and what makes sense to implement first.
Schedule a call