Standardization and Automation of the Quoting Process

Initial situation

A company faced the challenge of processing quotation requests largely manually. Although many services were very similar in their structure and pricing logic, larger RFQs were handled individually. The market was highly price-driven, yet also very time-sensitive: end customers often needed components to be transported from their locations at short notice. Nevertheless, response times to inquiries often exceeded two weeks. In many cases, this resulted in proposals being submitted too late.

What we implemented

Standardization of the Quotation Portfolio

In the first step, the most important services were described in a standardized form and supported by clear pricing logic. The goal was to process a large portion of recurring requests quickly and consistently based on defined service modules. This allowed more than 80 percent of incoming inquiries to be covered with a clearly structured quotation approach.

Harmonization of Data Collection

In the next step, the collection of relevant customer data was standardized and digitally supported. The required information only had to be captured once and was then immediately available for quotation generation. This reduced media discontinuities, avoided manual transfers, and significantly shortened processing time.

Quotation Responses in Less Than 48 Hours

Based on standardized services and simplified data collection, the quotation process could be largely accelerated and partially automated. Inquiries were now typically answered within less than 48 hours – oftenwithout additional price reductions and with significantly less effort than before.

Result

The significantly faster response to quotation requests noticeably improved the closing probability. At the same time, the internal processing effort decreased considerably, as recurring requests no longer had to be set up individually each time. The company was able to win more smaller orders, react faster to market demands, and clearly improve the economic efficiency of the quotation process.