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Quote automation guides for distributors

These quote automation guides for distributors show where a sales rep’s time goes in a quote, what that costs per line and how ERP Agent turns a customer’s email, PDF or spreadsheet into a reviewed quote or sales order in your ERP, CRM or other system. Start with what manual quoting costs you, then test the agent on your own enquiries.

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Why measure quoting per line, not per quote?

In wholesale, the work in a quote sits in its lines: reading what the customer wrote, finding the matching product and pricing it for that customer. According to our case study, a sales rep spends on average 4–7 minutes per line when creating quotes and orders by hand, so an enquiry of 30 lines takes 2 to 3.5 hours of a rep’s time.

ERP Agent does that line work for your reps. A typical request takes the agent 3–8 minutes, and the rep checks a finished draft instead of building one.

Which quote automation guide should you read first?

If you are starting an evaluation, read them in this order.

  1. What does manual quoting cost us?

    The cost of manual quoting: quote lines × minutes per line ÷ 60 × loaded hourly cost, or your own volumes in the quote cost calculator.

  2. Where do our quotes get held up?

    Quote turnaround time: queue time versus touch time, and what drives both. Product matching and pricing are the steps ERP Agent takes over.

  3. Do we need CPQ or an AI quote agent?

    CPQ vs AI quote automation: CPQ builds a quote from product rules once the rep knows what to sell. A distributor’s quote starts earlier, with the customer’s own words, which is where ERP Agent starts.

  4. What should we demand from the software?

    Five things, all listed below: the right product from the customer’s own words, customer pricing, a scored draft to check, any ERP and learning from your team. AI quote automation for distributors shows how ERP Agent covers each one.

  5. How do we test it before signing?

    The AI quote agent pilot checklist: score drafts of your own enquiries on right product, right price, lines edited and time per line. ERP Agent shows a match score and its reasoning on every line, so scoring is quick.

All quote automation guides, A–Z

What distributors need from quote automation

Every guide comes back to the same five needs. ERP Agent is built around them.

  • The right product from the customer’s own words. ERP Agent identifies the right products in your catalogue from abbreviations, dimensions, part numbers and customer codes.
  • Customer pricing on every line, from the data and rules configured for your company.
  • A draft your rep checks instead of builds. Every line carries a match score from 0 to 100 and the agent’s reasoning, and nothing is sent without your team’s approval.
  • Any ERP system. ERP Agent integrates with Business Central, SAP, NetSuite, Visma, IFS, Sage and any other ERP or CRM. We set up the connection for your company during onboarding, and you can start with a catalogue file the same week.
  • It learns from your team. The next time a customer writes the same thing, the agent picks the product your team sent.

ERP Agent in numbers

4–7 min
per line when quotes and orders are created by hand, according to our case study
3–8 min
for the agent to prepare a typical request
95%
average automation across our customers

Also worth reading

Frequently asked questions

How do you automate quotes in wholesale distribution?

An AI quote agent reads the request as it arrived, identifies the right products in your catalogue and brings in each customer’s prices. A person approves the draft, with uncertain lines marked, before it goes into your ERP, CRM or other system. See AI quote automation for distributors.

Can ChatGPT make a quotation for a distributor?

Out of the box, a general chatbot does not know your catalogue, your customers’ prices or your ERP, so every line still has to be checked and keyed in by hand. ERP Agent is built for that work, and you can connect your own AI assistant to it through our MCP server.

Does ERP Agent work with my ERP?

Yes. ERP Agent integrates with Business Central, SAP, NetSuite, Visma, IFS, Sage and any other ERP or CRM. We set up the connection for your company during onboarding, and you can start with a catalogue file the same week. See ERP integrations.

Can we start before our ERP is connected?

Yes. Start with a catalogue file: the agent identifies the products, your team reviews the draft and exports it for your ERP’s import. Connect your ERP when you are ready, and customer prices come in too. See starting with a catalogue file.

Let’s look at your quote workflow

Test ERP Agent on your own enquiries

Book a call and send a few real enquiries, difficult ones included. You will see line by line what the agent proposes from your catalogue.

  • Your requests and product catalogue
  • Your pricing and review process
  • A clear scope for the next step
Lauri Pelkonen

Lauri Pelkonen

Founder & CEO

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