Costing SaaS MVP Scope¶

Version 1.0

MVP Goal¶

Enable MSME/SME manufacturers to move from RFQ → defendable cost → quote-ready output faster, consistently, and with margin visibility, using logic they already trust.

Core User Flow¶

graph LR
    A[RFQ] --> B[BOM Setup]
    B --> C[Cost Build]
    C --> D[Review & Override]
    D --> E[Prototype Validation]
    E --> F[Final Quote]
    F --> G[Save Version]

Flow: RFQ → BOM Setup → Cost Build → Review & Override → Prototype Validation → Final Quote → Save Version

Must-Have Features¶

1. RFQ & BOM Setup¶

• Create/import RFQ details
• Define BOM (Bill of Materials) structure
• Define parts with basic specifications
• Link customer information

2. Material Cost Module¶

• Material grade selection
• Weight inputs (gross/net)
• RM rate management
• Yield calculation

3. Routing & Operations Engine¶

• Define operation sequence
• Setup/cycle time inputs
• Machine hour rate (MHR)
• Batch size logic

4. Outside Process Cost¶

• External vendor operations
• Multiple pricing models
• Minimum charge handling

5. Scrap & Yield Handling¶

• Material-level scrap
• Operation-level scrap
• Compounding logic

6. Manual Overrides¶

• Override any cost input
• Mandatory reason field
• Before/after comparison

7. Cost Summary & Explainability¶

• Component-wise breakdown
• Assumption visibility
• "Why this number?" drill-down

8. Margin & Pricing Scenarios¶

• Base/Aggressive/Safe scenarios
• Customer-specific margins
• Freight and terms

9. Versioning¶

• Save multiple versions
• Track changes
• Compare versions
• Maturity Lifecycle: Track from "Draft" (pre-prototype) to "Final" (post-prototype)

11. Learning Loop¶

• Record override patterns
• Suggest master data updates
• Reduce manual intervention over time

10. Quote-Ready Output¶

• PDF export
• Excel export
• Email-ready format

Should-Have Features¶

Explicitly Out of Scope¶

• No ERP integrations (System is an effort-saving assistant, not a replacement)
• No Accounting / GST compliance
• No CAD-based costing
• No Tool life modeling
• No Dashboards & analytics
• No Approval workflows (standard overrides only)
• No Automated pricing decisions (User remains the final authority)

MVP Screen List¶

Success Criteria¶

| Consistency | Same inputs = same outputs | | Explainability | Every line item traceable | | Intervention Rate | < 10% manual overrides on repeat orders | | ROI | One avoided bad quote pays for it |

Technical Stack Considerations¶

While not specified in the original scope, for implementation you'll need:

• Frontend: React/Next.js (for forms and interactive UI)
• Backend: Node.js/Python (for calculation engine)
• Database: PostgreSQL (for versioning and audit trails)
• File handling: Excel import/export libraries

Related Documentation¶

• Domain Logic Details →
• Costing Formats →
• Back to Home →