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RFQ automation

RFQ automation for electrical distributors

Contractors send requests in every format there is. Goodshed reads each one, matches every line to your own catalog, and hands your inside sales team a draft quote with the judgment calls already flagged.

Most of an RFQ is typing, not quoting.

A 40-line material list can take an hour at the counter: finding each item, retyping part numbers into the ERP, checking reel sizes and pole counts, chasing the lines that are unclear. Only a handful of those lines need a person's judgment. The rest is transcription, and it's what keeps quotes waiting in the queue.

What contractors send

  • Emails with the list typed in the body
  • Excel and CSV BOMs, and estimating-software exports
  • PDF material lists, takeoffs and spec sections
  • Photos of handwritten lists and screenshots of text messages
  • Forwarded chains where the customer changed the order halfway

What Goodshed does with each one

  1. 01

    Read

    Goodshed reads the whole request, attachments included, and lists every item the customer asked for with its quantity and unit, in the customer's own words.

  2. 02

    Match

    Each line is matched against your catalog: exact part and item numbers first, then your team's past choices for the same words, then a shortlist from your catalog ranked by gauge, amps, poles, trade size and the rest.

  3. 03

    Check

    Rules in code check every pick. A conflicting attribute, an or-equal, a discontinued part or a unit that doesn't fit sends the line to Review with the reason written out.

  4. 04

    Draft

    Your rep opens a draft with each line marked Resolved, Review or Unresolved, works the flagged lines, approves, and exports it for the ERP.

What it looks like on a draft

Customer wroteGoodshed readOn the draftStatus
20 qo 30a 2 polesSquare D QO breaker, 30A, 2-pole · qty 20QO230Resolved
500' #12 grn#12 THHN, green, 500 ft (THHN is named on line 2)#12 THHN STR GRN, 500 ft reelResolved
10 20a gfci wr/tr grayGFCI 20A, weather- and tamper-resistant, grayOnly white is stocked: offered and flaggedReview
Three lines from a contractor email, as Goodshed reads them. Illustrative data.

What stays with your team

Pricing, margin and every judgment call stay with your team. Goodshed never approves a quote and never sends one to a customer: a named person reviews the flagged lines and approves the draft.

Questions

What does RFQ automation mean for a distributor?
The typing part of quoting happens without a person: reading the request, listing the items, finding each one in your catalog and building the draft. People still review the lines that need judgment and approve the quote.
Do we have to replace our ERP?
No. Goodshed works from the item export your ERP already produces, and approved drafts go back as CSV or Excel, or by webhook, the way your ERP already imports files.
What happens when Goodshed isn't sure about a line?
The line goes to Review or stays Unresolved, with the reason written out. Goodshed is built to flag a doubtful line rather than guess.
Can we try it before using it live?
Yes. A historical test runs RFQs your team already quoted through Goodshed and compares its drafts with the quotes you actually sent, item by item. Nothing live changes.

The last quote your team retypes by hand.

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