RFQ automation · Electrical distributors
RFQ Automation for Electrical Distributors
Electrical RFQs arrive from contractors, often as a takeoff exported to a spreadsheet or a list pasted into an email. They mix commodity items sold by length with branded devices sold by the piece, and the same product shows up under trade shorthand, a manufacturer catalog number or the contractor’s own description.
What these RFQs look like
Illustrative lines, not customer data.
| Customer line | Why it slows quoting |
|---|---|
| 2,500 ft THHN 12 AWG solid CU black | Quoted in feet; your catalog may stock 500 ft reels. |
| 24 x QO120 20A 1P breaker | Catalog number without the brand name. |
| 300 x 3/4 EMT set screw connector | Trade shorthand instead of your item description. |
| 12 x 2-gang box 4in sq 2-1/8 deep | Dimensions written in the customer’s own order. |
Where manual processing breaks
Length versus package
Wire and cable are requested by the foot or meter and stocked by the reel or coil. Converting by hand is where quoting errors creep in.
Catalog numbers without context
Contractors copy a catalog number and drop the brand, or use a competitor’s number for an equivalent device.
Long takeoffs
A single project RFQ can run to hundreds of lines, most of them low-value fittings that still need an exact SKU.
How RFQ Inbox handles it
- Unit mismatches are flagged
When the line’s unit differs from the catalog unit, the candidate shows it as a difference so the rep converts deliberately.
- Catalog numbers and cross-references
Exact manufacturer part numbers score 96; equivalents stored as alternative part numbers score 88 and say so.
- Contractor codes map once
Save the item codes a contractor uses as customer aliases on your products. Any later line containing that code matches at 90.
Every match shows its score and evidence, prices come only from your catalog, and reviewed lines export to CSV or XLSX for your ERP. Read the full guide to RFQ automation.
Other industries
Send a sample RFQ and your catalog. We’ll show you the review table on your data.