Quotation Revisions: Keep Costing and Changes on One Quote
Fabricators, engineering builders, renovation and print SMEs in MY/SG: keep Rev A to Rev D, costing per version and the accepted quote on one record.
Key Takeaways
Recalculate costing for every quote revision, not just the selling price
Keep who changed what, when and why on each version, with approval for below-margin discounts
Lock the accepted version into the job so production builds what was signed and its costing becomes the budget
In custom project work, Rev A is rarely the quote that gets signed. The customer wants a bigger size, a cheaper material, one less item or a better price, and by the time the PO arrives you are on Rev D. Nobody is sure what changed, or whether the job still makes money.
For fabricators, engineering builders, renovation firms and print houses in Malaysia and Singapore, margin often leaks before the job is even awarded.
- Quote_v3_final_FINAL.xlsx and two more “finals”
- Selling price cut, cost sheet left untouched
- Old material prices carried into new revisions
- Reason for each change buried in email or chat
- Production works from Rev B while the customer signed Rev D
- Rev A, B, C, D kept on the same quote record
- Cost build-up recalculated for every version
- Who changed what, when and why on each revision
- Accepted version clearly marked and locked
- Signed version becomes the job, with its costing as budget
What this looks like across project types
Fabrication / steel works
Rev C switches mild steel to stainless at the customer’s request. Sales updates the price, but the cost sheet still shows mild steel.
Engineering / machine builder
The customer asks for a cheaper option. Sales drops 12% on Rev B without the owner seeing the margin fall below target.
Renovation / ID
Four revisions over six weeks as the client trims scope. Two months later, nobody can say why the carpentry line dropped.
Print / packaging
Quantity tiers change between versions, but the outsourced lamination price is from last quarter’s supplier quote.
Map one quote from enquiry to signed PO
Pick a recent, normal job that went through at least three revisions. Follow it:
Mark where the quote stopped carrying its own costing and history, and started depending on memory.
Cost every version, not just the first
Each quote line should carry its build-up: material, labour hours, outsourced processes, delivery or site cost, and margin. When a quantity, spec or material changes, the cost recalculates on the same revision using current prices. A price cut then becomes a visible decision, not an accident discovered at job close.
If you cannot see the margin on the version the customer is about to accept, you are quoting blind.
Record who changed what, and why
Every revision should keep its date, author and parent version, plus the reason behind it: the customer email, meeting note or marked-up drawing. Discounts below an agreed margin should need approval before the revision goes out.
Compare versions side by side
Opening two spreadsheets to spot differences does not scale. A version comparison shows lines added or removed, quantities and specs changed, price moved, and margin before and after. The owner sees exactly which revision gave profit away.
Lock the accepted version into the job
When the customer accepts Rev D, mark it as accepted and turn it into the job or sales order without retyping. Production and purchasing see only that version, older ones stay for reference, and its costing becomes the job budget. Changes after award belong on the job itself, as in keeping mid-job changes on the same order.
Practical start for project SMEs
- Pick one recent quote with three or more revisions.
- Lay the versions side by side and note what changed in each.
- Check whether costing was updated for every revision, not just the price.
- Set a minimum margin that needs approval to go below.
- Make the signed version the job, with its costing as the budget.
Where this connects
After award, the same quote carries into fabrication cutting lists and delivery, renovation site work and print production. For cost build-up, see why costing is hard without a connected system, and for the full chain, building a sales-to-delivery workflow.
A free next step
If you run a custom project business in Malaysia or Singapore and your quotes live as a folder of revisions, bring one real quote. We will map it from enquiry to signed job and show how RocketBoard keeps costing, version history and approvals on one record.
Book a free workflow consultation: WhatsApp +60 16-778 0275 or visit rocket-board.com.
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