Pillar 3: Apply rates, mark-ups and commercial rules consistently
Updating supplier prices in an Excel estimating system without breaking it
A price list update should change the library, not every quote that was typed by hand.
5 min read · Published 2026-10-30
Supplier prices move. If those prices were typed into each quote, an update means a hunt through files. If they live in a library, an update is one import and a check.
Import into the library, not the job
Keep a rate sheet that quotes look up. A new supplier file replaces prices there. Open jobs can be refreshed on purpose, not by accident.
Check before you trust the file
Match on a code, not on a description that changes spelling. Review anything that did not match. Then price the next job from the updated library.
Fabricators, electrical contractors and engineering shops do this every time a wholesaler file arrives.