Grade Matrix
A pricing table used in furniture and textile manufacturing that shows how product cost changes by fabric or finish grade. It accounts for material difficulty, yardage and upcharges.
What a grade matrix is in furniture and textile B2B
A grade matrix is a pricing table that maps fabric or finish grades to price bands for a furniture or textile product. The same sofa costs more in Grade C fabric than in Grade A. Higher grades reflect more expensive materials, greater yardage requirements, or textiles that are more difficult to work with. The matrix ensures buyers see the price for the grade they select, not an average or a guess.
Grade matrices are standard in custom furniture, contract upholstery, and COM (Customer's Own Material) orders where buyers bring their own fabric. The manufacturer's fabric supplier or brand assigns each textile to a grade; the grade matrix then controls how that grade affects the final product price.
How Poly9 applies grade matrix rules in configure-to-quote
Poly9 prices products from your approved grade matrix: the table you have loaded with your real grade bands and upcharges. When a buyer or designer configures a product and selects a fabric grade (or when Poly9 looks up the grade from a fabric name), the system applies the matching price rule. If the grade or fabric is in your matrix, you get a certified price. If not, Poly9 returns price on request rather than inventing a number.
This matters in three configure-to-quote scenarios:
- COM orders: A buyer supplies their own textile and specifies the grade. Poly9 looks up the grade in your matrix, applies the upcharge, and quotes frame plus labor plus COM fee. If the grade is not loaded yet, the answer is "price on request."
- Catalog fabric selections: Your own fabrics might also be tiered by grade. When a designer picks a Grade D catalog textile, Poly9 uses the same matrix to price it. No manual lookup required.
- Multi-brand showrooms: A showroom representing several furniture brands can load every brand's grade matrix. When a floor sale happens, Poly9 applies the right brand's rules without the rep needing to remember which brand uses which grade structure.
Why grade-based pricing beats averages and guesses
Without a grade matrix, manufacturers either quote a single "starting at" price (which loses accuracy when buyers pick high-grade fabrics) or route every inquiry to a pricing specialist. The first approach underprices the work; the second kills quote speed. A grade matrix captures the real cost structure: Grade A might be basic cotton, Grade F might be leather or a performance weave. Each grade step is an approved upcharge, not a guess.
Poly9's policy is to price from the matrix when the rule exists, or return "price on request" when it does not. That prevents accidental underpricing, keeps buyer trust (no fake AI estimates), and keeps quoting fast because most grades are already loaded.
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
How many grade levels should a grade matrix have?
As many as your pricing uses. Some manufacturers use simple A/B/C tiers; others have A through L or custom grade names. Poly9 does not force a fixed number of grades, so your matrix reflects your real pricing structure. If you work with leather, performance fabrics or specialty weaves, you might need more grades to capture the cost differences.
What happens if a buyer asks for a grade that is not in our matrix yet?
Poly9 returns "price on request" rather than guessing. That is the only honest answer when a grade or fabric is not in your approved rules. You follow up with the buyer once you have confirmed the real cost: no invented AI prices, no underpricing from a bad estimate.
Can showrooms manage separate grade matrices for every brand they carry?
Yes. Multi-brand showrooms load each manufacturer's grade matrix into Poly9. When a designer asks for COM pricing on Brand A versus Brand B, Poly9 applies the correct matrix and any showroom markup. Showrooms quote across their portfolio from one system without switching between each brand's price book.
Do grade matrices apply only to COM orders?
No. COM (Customer's Own Material) orders are the most common use case, but grade matrices also apply to catalog fabrics when manufacturers tier their own textiles by grade. A sofa can be listed at a starting price in Grade A even when the buyer selects from the manufacturer's fabric line rather than a COM textile.
Can we update our grade matrix without rebuilding every product quote?
Yes. When you update a grade matrix in Poly9 (a new grade level, an adjusted price band, a refined rule), the system applies the change forward. Historical quotes stay as issued, for audit integrity, and new inquiries use the updated matrix. Seasonal adjustments and cost increases go in without manual quote rebuilds.
Is a grade matrix the same as a fabric grade book?
Closely related, not identical. A fabric grade book is the reference that assigns each textile to a grade level ("Fabric XYZ123 is Grade C"). The grade matrix is the pricing table that says what the product costs at each grade. Poly9 connects the two: it looks up the fabric's grade in the book, then applies the price from the matrix.
Priced from your grade matrix, or on request.
Poly9 quotes from the grade rules you have approved. If a grade or configuration is not loaded yet, it returns price on request instead of guessing. 250 sales actions free for 30 days, no card, and the account stays yours.