Today
A customer messages: ‘Need 500 kg copper tube, 22 mm OD × 1 mm wall. What’s your best rate?’
A practical build example
A new enquiry shouldn’t mean starting from scratch.
Sales should spend time on the customer, not copying the same requirement into a spreadsheet, a quotation and the ERP.
INCOMING ENQUIRY
Quantity: 500 kg
Copper tube
22 mm OD × 1 mm wallQuantity: 500 kg
Original enquiry attached
Draft quotationQ–0248
Copper tube
22 mm OD × 1 mm wall · 500 kg
Specification reviewed
Free stock checked
Approved pricing applied
Commercial termsReady for review
Review quotation
One enquiry. One checked draft.Your team makes the final call.
One job. Too many handoffs.
01
Sales copies the message into a sheet and checks the specification.
02
Someone calls stores to check availability, then checks the rate sheet.
03
A discount needs another call. The quote is typed into a document.
04
When the customer confirms, the same details are entered again as an order.
How we would build it.
Connected steps.
Clear checks along the way.
Read the requirement
Bring the enquiry into a shared list. Extract material, dimensions and quantity, keeping the original message alongside it. Missing grade, temper or delivery details stay marked as missing.
Your team checks
Sales confirms the specification. The system should never guess a grade because a similar product exists.
Check what can be supplied
Match the confirmed specification to the product record. Show free stock separately from reserved stock, QC holds and incoming material, with the last update time.
Your team checks
Stores confirms exceptions or stale stock information before delivery is promised.
Prepare the price
Use the approved rate source, conversion charge, freight and customer terms to prepare a draft. Save the rate timestamp, unit and quote validity with it.
Your team checks
The right person approves special discounts, credit exceptions or prices below the agreed margin.
Send, follow up, convert
Generate the quote from the checked details. Keep each version, set a follow-up reminder and use the approved lines to create the order when accepted.
Your team checks
Sales sends the quote. An expired offer needs a rate review before it becomes an order.
What your team
stops doing.
Retyping the enquiry into several places
Calling around for routine rate and stock checks
Rebuilding the quotation document
Remembering every follow-up manually
What we need to get started +
- Product list and approved specifications
- Stock access and reservation rules
- Rate source and customer terms
- Quote format and approval limits