Glossary
Quote automation glossary for distributors
This quote automation glossary explains the terms distributors and wholesalers come across when they automate quotes and sales orders: RFQ, quotation, purchase order, sales order, order entry, customer part number, cross-reference and match score. Each entry gives a plain definition, what the term means in wholesale distribution, an example and related terms.
Definition
Quote automationIn wholesale distribution, quote automation is software that turns a customer’s enquiry, written in their own words in an email, PDF, Excel or Word file, into a draft quote from your catalogue and customer prices for a sales rep to check. CPQ (configure, price, quote), by contrast, helps a rep build a quote from product rules and price lists (CPQ vs AI quote automation). See AI quote automation for distributors.
Where does each term fit, from enquiry to delivery?
| Area | What happens | Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Enquiry | A customer asks for prices on a list of items. | RFQ vs RFP vs quotation |
| Product matching | Each requested line is matched to an item in your catalogue, often from a competitor’s code or the customer’s own part number. | Customer part number, cross-reference, match score |
| Order | The customer’s purchase order becomes your sales order. | Quote to order, purchase order vs sales order, order entry |
| Delivery documents | Steel and other metal products often ship with EN 10204 inspection certificates, which buyers may require for traceability. | EN 10204 3.1 certificate, material certificates |
| Software | Tools that work alongside the ERP or give AI agents access to its data. | Agentic AI layer for ERP, MCP server for ERP |
All glossary entries
- Customer part number: meaning and use in wholesale distribution Customer part number meaning: a customer’s own code for an item it buys. How it differs from your SKU and the MPN, with a worked distribution example.
- EN 10204 3.1 certificate: what a mill test certificate means What an EN 10204 3.1 certificate (mill test certificate) is, how it differs from 2.2 and 3.2, how to check one and how to file it automatically.
- Match score in AI product matching: what it means on a quote line A match score (or confidence score) shows how well the product an AI agent proposes fits a quote line: what moves it, how to read it, a fixings example.
- Part number cross-reference: meaning, types and competitor cross-references What a part number cross-reference means: how customer, manufacturer and competitor codes map to your SKU, and what to check before quoting an equivalent.
- Purchase order vs sales order: the difference, and which comes first A purchase order is the buyer’s document; a sales order is the seller’s record of it. The differences, which comes first, and how wholesalers handle both.
- RFQ vs RFP vs quotation: the difference for distributors RFQ vs RFP vs quotation: who writes each, what it asks for and how it is judged, plus a distributor’s example of an RFQ and the quotation that answers it.
- What is an agentic AI layer for ERP? An agentic AI layer for ERP works on top of your ERP and turns customer enquiries into quotes and sales orders your team approves. Definition and example.
- What is an MCP server for ERP? An MCP server for ERP lets AI agents look up products and customers and draft quotes and orders. How it differs from an ERP API, with a wholesale example.
- What is order entry? Meaning in wholesale distribution Order entry meaning: recording a customer's order as a sales order. What it involves at a wholesaler, a worked example, and what AI can take over.
- What is the quote to order process? Meaning in wholesale distribution Quote to order meaning: the steps from a customer’s enquiry to a confirmed sales order, how it differs from quote to cash, and a wholesale example.
More quoting terms in brief
- Quote line: one line item on a quote: a product, its quantity and unit, and the price. It usually answers one line of the customer’s enquiry. According to our case study, a sales rep spends on average 4–7 minutes per line when creating quotes and orders by hand.
- Customer-specific pricing: the price one customer pays after their agreements and discounts, usually held in the ERP.
- Enquiry: the usual UK word for a customer’s request for prices; procurement teams call the same document an RFQ. Many arrive by email (email to ERP).
- Order acknowledgement: the seller’s confirmation of the items, prices and delivery dates on a customer’s PO. Wholesalers also receive them from their own suppliers and check each one against their purchase order (supplier order confirmations).
- Unit of measure: the unit a line is sold in, such as piece, metre, kilogram or box. Customers often write a different unit from the one in your catalogue, so the line is converted before it is priced.
- Placeholder code: a generic item code that holds a line no catalogue product fits yet, so it stays on the quote until someone picks the right product. ERP Agent puts a line it cannot match on your placeholder code instead of guessing.
From glossary to your own enquiries
Every term on this page shows up in the work ERP Agent takes off your sales desk: it reads the enquiry as the customer wrote it, identifies the right products in your catalogue, brings in customer pricing and prepares the quote or sales order with a match score on every line. See AI quote automation for distributors.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an RFQ and a quotation?
An RFQ, or enquiry, asks for prices on stated items and quantities. The quotation is the seller’s reply with products, prices and terms. An RFP asks for a proposed solution. See RFQ vs RFP vs quotation.
What is the difference between a customer part number and a cross-reference?
A customer part number is one customer’s own code for your item. A cross-reference is the link from a code like that, a manufacturer’s number or a competitor’s part number to the item in your catalogue. See customer part number and cross-reference.
What is a match score in quote automation?
A number for how well a proposed product fits the requested line. In ERP Agent every line carries a match score from 0 to 100, and lines under 80 are marked for review. See match score.
Related
- AI quote automation for distributors and wholesalers
- RFQ automation for distributors and industrial suppliers
- Order entry automation for distributors: customer POs to sales orders
- Customer part number cross-reference: match every code on an enquiry to the right product in your catalogue
- Quote automation ROI calculator: what your manual quote lines cost
- Quote automation guides for distributors
Let’s look at your quote workflow
See these terms on enquiries like yours
Bring a few of the enquiries your team handles, including the difficult ones. We’ll walk through how the agent handles requests like them and agree the data needed to test it on your catalogue.
- Your requests and product catalogue
- Your pricing and review process
- A clear scope for the next step
Lauri Pelkonen
Founder & CEO
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