DARK MATTER Artificial intelligence · 5 min read · Updated
How do you build an automatic AI quoting tool for a technical equipment distributor?
Short answer
An automatic AI quoting tool for a distributor takes the order typed the way you would tell a colleague, builds the spec sheet for each piece of equipment, asks only for what is missing and quotes with the prices in your ERP. A spreadsheet with formulas is enough when your products have few combinations; a custom quoting tool makes sense when every quote means checking sizes, brands and price lists by hand and each salesperson does it their own way.
Also asked as
- How to build an automatic quoting tool
- AI quoting tool for technical sales
- Quote generator software connected to the ERP
What an automatic AI quoting tool does
- Takes the order in natural language, by chat.
- Builds a spec sheet for each piece of equipment.
- Asks only for the missing details, such as voltage or enclosure type.
- Quotes with the current prices in your ERP.
- Explains when a size does not exist and suggests the next one available.
- Keeps the version history of every quote.
- Generates the PDF for the customer.
When a spreadsheet is enough and when it is not
A spreadsheet quoting tool works if you sell few products with few combinations and the person quoting knows the file well. It is cheap to start and easy to change.
It stops being enough when every quote means matching brand, size and specification against a price list, when several salespeople use different copies of the file, or when one forgotten detail turns into a pricing error.
Why AI helps in technical sales
In technical sales, customers rarely order with the exact catalog name. An AI agent understands the order written naturally, translates it into the fields your company needs and spots which detail is missing before calculating a price.
The AI does not make up prices: they come from your ERP or your official list. The AI organizes the order; your company's rules and prices decide the result.
How it connects to your ERP and your rules
The quoting tool needs two sources: your business rules (which combinations exist, what to suggest when a size is not available) and current prices. Connecting it to the ERP avoids copying lists by hand and each salesperson working from a different version.
It also helps for each salesperson to sign in with their own user, so you know who made each quote and keep its history.
How to check that the AI quotes correctly
Before an improvement to the agent goes live, it is tested against real quotes your team already knows. If a result changes, a person at your company reviews and approves it. That way the AI does not change its behavior without anyone noticing.
What drives the cost
It depends on how many equipment types and technical rules it handles, whether it connects to an ERP and how, how many salespeople use it, the PDF format and how many real cases are needed to test it. We do not give loose figures: after a free assessment you get a written proposal with scope, phases and investment.
How we solved it
Industrial electrical equipmentMAELEC · Cotizador con IAFor MAELEC, a distributor of industrial electrical panels and equipment in the Dominican Republic, we built an AI quoting assistant. The salesperson types the order in a chat; the agent checks MAELEC's rules, builds the spec sheet for each piece of equipment with its nameplate, asks only for what is missing and quotes with the ERP's prices. It explains when a size does not exist and uses the next one available, keeps the version history and generates the PDF. Each salesperson signs in with their own user and the agent's improvements are tested against real cases before approval.See the project →Related questions
Can I start with a single type of equipment?
Yes. It is common to start with the product line you quote most and add the rest in later phases.
Does the AI set the prices?
No. Prices come from your ERP or your official list; the AI helps understand the order and complete the spec sheet.
Does it work if I do not have an ERP yet?
It is possible. First we review where your prices live today, to define whether they connect to an existing system or to an organized list.
Does your business have this question?
Walk us through your operation in a free assessment and get a written proposal with scope, phases, timeline and investment.
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