Customer Demo: LG Cloutier Using Paperless Parts + Genius ERP

How LG Cloutier turned complex quoting into an advantage

The Paperless Parts–Genius ERP integration lets LG Cloutier quote complex assemblies faster, push complete BOMs and routing into production, and start jobs almost immediately after quote acceptance. By replacing manual steps and duplicate entry, they turned quoting from a bottleneck into a real competitive advantage.

LG Cloutier is a Quebec-based manufacturer known for complex fabrication, machining, and assembly projects. For them, quoting isn’t about single brackets or simple weldments — around 70% of incoming RFQs involve large assemblies with hundreds of parts. That complexity used to slow everything down.

As demand grew, their estimating team was overwhelmed. Quotes for large assemblies meant hunting through models, building BOMs by hand, and then re-keying everything into Genius ERP. Response times stretched, and delayed quotes sometimes meant delayed job starts by up to a week.

By adopting Paperless Parts and integrating it with Genius ERP, LG Cloutier reshaped this entire process. Today, they can review 3D models live with customers, build assemblies and pricing quickly, and have a fully structured job — BOM, routings, files, pricing — waiting in Genius as soon as a quote is accepted.

The challenge: manual quoting for large, multi-part assemblies
Before the integration, LG Cloutier’s biggest pain point was simple: their quoting process couldn’t keep pace with the volume and complexity of RFQs. Large assemblies with 150–200 components required hours of manual effort before a quote could even be sent.

Estimators had to interpret CAD files, break down assemblies into individual parts, and then manually compile a BOM. Each operation — cutting, deburring, bending, machining, assembly — had to be defined and costed, usually in spreadsheets. Only after that work was done could data be keyed into Genius ERP.

This created three problems:

Slow response times: It was common for quotes on complex jobs to take several days. In some cases, duplicate entry and back-and-forth clarification pushed job starts out by a full week.

Risk of errors: Every manual step — copying part numbers, routing data, or prices — introduced opportunities for mistakes that would carry into production.

Limited throughput: With a growing volume of RFQs, the team simply couldn’t process significantly more quotes without adding headcount.

In a market where buyers expect quick, accurate responses on complex projects, LG Cloutier needed a way to automate the repetitive work and let estimators focus on engineering judgment, not data entry.

Inside LG Cloutier’s new Paperless Parts quoting workflow

With Paperless Parts, LG Cloutier now handles complex assemblies in a single, purpose-built quoting environment. Instead of wrestling with spreadsheets and manual BOMs, estimators work directly from 3D models and digital RFQs.

When an RFQ comes in, the estimator opens models and prints in Paperless Parts. The platform can handle the large, complex file types LG Cloutier receives, making it easier to navigate assemblies and identify key features. During customer calls, they can even open models live to review details, building trust and speeding up decisions, as highlighted in Paperless Parts’ case study.

The estimator then:
Breaks down the RFQ into parts and sub-assemblies within Paperless Parts.

Applies LG Cloutier’s costing logic, including material, machine time, and setup.

Defines the operations required — for example, program, cut, deburr, and fold on formed components.

Builds a clean, professional digital quote for the customer.

According to LG Cloutier’s president, the system is intuitive enough that he was able to quote 35 line items on a Sunday morning on his own — a clear sign that the platform is designed for speed and ease of use.

Once pricing and scope are finalized in Paperless Parts, the quote is ready not just for the customer, but for seamless handoff into Genius ERP.

What the Paperless–Genius ERP integration automates

The real game-changer for LG Cloutier is what happens after the quote is accepted. Instead of re-building everything inside Genius, the integration automatically pushes structured data from Paperless Parts into Genius ERP.

Here’s what gets created inside Genius when a quote is finalized:

The production part: For example, a four-plate beam support assembly is created in Genius with its part number already transferred from Paperless Parts.

Complete BOM: All components — whether three or 150 — are transferred with the correct quantities and relationships for the assembly.

Routings and operations: The full process defined in Paperless Parts (program, cut, deburr, fold, etc.) is sent over so the shop knows exactly how to manufacture each part and sub-assembly.

Files and documentation: LG Cloutier configured the process so that all necessary files are transferred as well, ensuring engineering data is available where production needs it.

Sales order and job: When the quote becomes an order, Genius automatically creates the order tied to the quote, generates the BOMs, and transfers the agreed pricing.

By the time the estimator is done in Paperless Parts, Genius is already populated with everything required to plan and execute the job. There is no rework, no manual job creation, and no need to chase down missing drawings.

Operational gains: from RFQ to production-ready in less time
This integrated workflow delivers very tangible gains for LG Cloutier. Instead of quoting and production planning being separate, disjointed processes, they now form a single continuous flow from RFQ to shop floor.

A few examples of the impact:

Faster quote turnaround: What previously took days of manual effort for large assemblies is now compressed significantly. With automation and a cleaner interface, estimators can process many more RFQs in the same amount of time.

Reduced delays at job start: Because the complete BOM, routing, and files are created when the quote is finalized, jobs can move into scheduling and production almost immediately. In the past, re-entry and clarification could hold jobs up for a week.

Higher confidence in costs and margins: Pricing logic in Paperless Parts, combined with accurate routing and material data in Genius, improves costing accuracy — critical for complex, custom assemblies.

Less fire-fighting on the shop floor: With all operations and documents pushed into Genius, production teams aren’t waiting on missing information or clarifications from estimating.

These gains echo results seen by other Genius customers. For example, QTG, another Quebec manufacturer, reports processing five times more quotes with an estimation process that’s two to three times faster using Genius ERP, as described in their case study on the Genius site. LG Cloutier adds the extra layer of specialized quoting automation from Paperless Parts on top of that foundation.

Takeaways for manufacturers considering this integration
For small and mid-sized manufacturers handling high-mix, complex assemblies, LG Cloutier’s experience offers a concrete roadmap for modernizing quoting and tightening the quote-to-production loop.

Key lessons include:

Treat quoting as a strategic workflow, not an isolated task. When your quoting system and ERP talk directly to each other, every accepted quote becomes a production-ready job, not a new project for your team to rebuild.

Use specialized tools where they add the most value. Paperless Parts is optimized for complex RFQs and digital collaboration; Genius ERP is optimized for managing production, inventory, scheduling, and costing. Together, they cover the full lifecycle.

Automate the handoff, not just the math. The real productivity boost comes from pushing BOMs, routings, and files straight into your ERP — not just calculating a faster price.

Start from your bottleneck. LG Cloutier’s bottleneck was quoting volume for large assemblies. By attacking that constraint with the right integration, they freed capacity across sales, engineering, and production.

Manufacturers who see their estimators buried under complex RFQs, especially for large assemblies, can draw a clear conclusion from LG Cloutier’s story: integrating Paperless Parts with Genius ERP isn’t just about quoting faster — it’s about getting profitable work onto the shop floor sooner, with less friction and fewer surprises.