other systems — built for textile printers in the US. Doesn't know frosted film, vehicle wrapping, or channel letters.

other systems® Software — desktop-only, looks like Windows XP, no AI, no cloud, no smartphone access on site.

Excel — yes, Excel. Like 90% of the industry. 45 minutes per quote. No versioning. No CRM. No job costing. No answer to "too expensive".

Not a single solution was built for my reality. So I built it myself.

What makes PlotonIQ different

1. AI quotes in 30 seconds

Instead of 45 minutes in Excel, describe what the client needs in free text or voice: "3 windows frosted film 3M Crystal, 1 entrance door opening hours white vinyl, installation Thursday." The AI creates a complete quote with line items, pricing and — the crucial part — a written justification per position. Not just "film: 45 €/m²" but "3M Crystal frosted film, market price range 42-58 €/m², your position in the mid-market segment."

2. AI measurement from photos

Photograph the storefront. Click a window. The AI detects the surface as a polygon — not a rectangle. Bay windows, arches, triangles: everything. Enter one reference measurement (door height 2.10m) and all other surfaces are calculated automatically. I worked on it for over a year. Accuracy is ±5% — more than sufficient for quoting.

3. Audio-first workflow

Sign makers work with their hands. Typing on a phone on site isn't an option. So you dictate. Record a voice memo, attach photos, the AI transcribes and generates quote positions. Last week I stood on a building site, recorded three voice memos, and by the time I was back in the car I had a complete quote for a facade installation — 7 line items with material spec. 4 minutes. Previously: 45 minutes back in the office.

4. Open accounting handoff

Contacts, quotes, and invoices should hand off cleanly into your existing accounting workflow or to your accountant. That is the goal: expand existing connections, add more systems over time, and keep the transition free of double entry.

5. German servers, genuine GDPR compliance

Hetzner, Falkenstein, Germany. AES-256 encryption. Multi-tenancy with data separation at database level. No Google Analytics, no tracking pixels. GDPR-compliant by design, not as a bolt-on feature. If you use other systems, your customer addresses sit on Amazon Web Services in Virginia — legally problematic since the Schrems II ruling of the EU Court of Justice.

6. 17 languages

Your Polish installer sees the app in Polish. Your Turkish apprentice in Turkish. Arabic with RTL support. Not just the UI — AI-generated quotes and PDFs too.

7. One system instead of five tools

CRM, quotes, jobs, time tracking, invoices, accounting sync, production management, customer portal, team management with geofencing — one login. No WhatsApp for approvals, no Excel for calculations, no separate CRM.

A real scenario: my Monday morning today

Before: 7:30 AM on site, tape measure, notes on paper. Back in the office: look up material prices, open Excel, type quote for 45 minutes, export PDF, send email. Reply after three days: "Too expensive." No argument. Give 10% discount. Job closed at 90% of the price.

Now: 7:30 AM on site, photograph the facade, record a voice memo. In the car: PlotonIQ processes everything. Back in the office by 8:15 AM — quote complete, with justification, with PDF, customer number in CRM. 9:00 AM client call, "too expensive" objection comes, I show the justification block: "Market rate 45-65 €/m², your price is 52 €/m² — mid-market for this region." Job closed at 94% of the original price. No discount negotiation.

Step by step: your first AI quote

  • Step 1: Create account — no credit card, no sales call. 5 minutes.
  • Step 2: Add your first customer (or import from your accounting software).
  • Step 3: New quote — free text input or voice recording. The AI generates line items with justifications.
  • Step 4: Review PDF, adjust if needed (typical time: under 2 minutes), send to customer.
  • Step 5: Customer confirms — job automatically created, installer receives notification on their phone.
  • Step 6: After installation: invoice in one click, automatically transferred to your accounting software.

Frequently asked questions

Does PlotonIQ work for 1-2 person businesses?

Yes. The majority of our users are one to three-person operations. The time saving is greatest there because no dedicated office tools exist. No IT team needed, no weeks of onboarding — the first quote runs within 10 minutes of signing up.

What if I'm already using other systems or other systems®?

We have a migration guide for both systems. Contacts and customer data are imported. Most businesses switch completely within a week.

How accurate is the AI measurement?

±5% in good lighting with a frontal photo. Sufficient for quoting — you price with a material margin anyway. For final cutting you measure on site. Return trips to re-measure a forgotten dimension are eliminated.

What does PlotonIQ cost?

Transparent pricing on the pricing page — no sales call required. Less expensive than other systems for European businesses, with more features and German servers. Cancel monthly.

Conclusion: built by someone who needed it

PlotonIQ isn't the product of a software company that analysed the sign industry from the outside. It's the product of 20 years of industry experience, thousands of forgotten measurements, hundreds of "too expensive" replies, and a long night in November 2024 in an office in Homburg, Germany.

If you're writing quotes after work hours, if you send approvals via WhatsApp, if you don't know whether the last job was profitable — PlotonIQ is for you. No credit card, no risk. Your first AI quote runs in 5 minutes. Start for free →