Streamlining Quoting Processes for Energy Companies

In energy and utilities, every quote tells a story. The real question is: what story are you sending? A US-based energy & utility company came to us with one big problem: Their quoting process was slowing everything down for them. How? Let's see.... – 4 tabs open in Salesforce just to build one estimate – Discounts applied manually, from memory – Line items rebuilt from scratch every time – PDFs stitched together and emailed manually The slow and messy structure was enough for their team to get the quotes wrong... And by the time the quote went out, trust had already slipped between them and the customer. So what they needed was not another tool.... But a refined quoting process that actually fit into their utility sales work. So we rebuilt the experience right inside their Salesforce 👇 - One screen to create and edit quotes - Reusable, cloneable line items - Quantity-based discounts baked into logic - Auto-generated PDFs in approved format - Sent to customers in seconds Now quoting for them takes minutes instead of days. -Sales teams can move faster and focus on closing deals. -Ops teams don't have to chase paperwork. -Procurement gets everything they need without the back-and-forth. In high-stakes B2B deals, quoting carries weight. It’s the first signal that you’re reliable. If quoting still feels painful for you and your team, this is a signal to fix it. #salesforce #quoting #utilityindustry

Day 12 of #30DaysOfAI: Automating the RFQ Process Requesting quotes from suppliers shouldn’t be this painful — but it usually is. You have to: → Pick suppliers manually → Email each one individually → Hope they reply (in some kind of usable format) → Chase the ones who don’t → Try to compare wildly different quote styles, formats, and attachments Or you send them to a portal they hate — and get half the responses you need. Here’s how one company fixed it: They built an AI agent to streamline the RFQ process from start to finish. It: → Suggests the right suppliers based on the request → Sends out quote requests directly via email → Accepts responses in any format — PDF, email, spreadsheet → Normalizes the replies into a clean, comparable view → Lets the team move forward without delay The result: ✅ Faster supplier outreach ✅ No more chasing quotes ✅ Easy side-by-side comparisons ✅ Happier teams — and suppliers AI doesn’t just speed things up. It makes processes actually work the way they’re supposed to.

I was chatting with a customer recently about their quoting and order processing workflow. They were manually entering data across multiple systems - from spreadsheets to ERP to inventory management. This approach takes a lot of time and can lead to mistakes. Here's how I suggested they think about it: 1. Find key connection points: Look for ways to link systems, like quoting software with ERP. 2. Focus on high-volume tasks: Start by automating frequent jobs first, such as creating sales orders or importing BOMs. 3. Use APIs: Many modern systems have APIs that allow for smooth data transfer between platforms. 4. Think about all-in-one platforms: Check out solutions that combine multiple functions to cut down on separate systems. 5. Start small and build up: Begin with one or two connections and grow from there. By cutting down on manual data entry, companies can really boost their efficiency, accuracy, and ultimately, their profits. It's not just about saving time - it's about freeing up your team to focus on more important activities that push your business forward. What's been your experience with automating data flows between systems? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Waiting Two Weeks for Quotes is Hurting Your Business and the channel! As I wander around the various countries and discuss efficiency and RevOps issues with executive leadership at Vendors, Distributors and SPs, I am aghast that some distributors are taking up to 2 weeks to get a quote out the door! 🤯 How is this even viewed as normal???? When I heard this, I was like you can’t be f$%king serious!? When distributors take this long to deliver quotes to their partners, it stalls decision-making, delays projects, and frustrates customers and ultimately harms your business's scalability and reputation. Same-day quotes (at the minimum) should be the norm! In today's digital age, it's entirely reasonable to expect same-day quotes, even for complex requests. How do achieve fast turn arounds quickly? Adopt Automated Quoting Tools - Implement platforms like iasset.com (no such thing as a free post 😉) that streamline the quoting process by integrating with your existing systems, reducing manual input and errors. Improve Data Management - Ensure all relevant data is easily accessible and updated in real-time to facilitate quick quote generation. Collaborate with IT - Work closely with your IT department to ensure seamless integration of the CPQ into the ERP and the vendors. A real-world example from my Distribution Central days… We had Avaya as a vendor, they have very, very complex quotes for their Call Centre platform and my competitor at that time (who I won’t name to shield the guilty but DM me if you want to name names 😂) would take more than 2 weeks to get the customer the localised quote. Distribution Central would quote that in less than fifteen minutes. That’s right 1,5 minutes So where do you think the business went every time? It's time for distributors to prioritise efficiency and embrace modern solutions for quicker quote turnarounds. The channel waits for no one, and those who can deliver fast, accurate quotes will have a significant competitive edge. #revops #cpq #productlifecycles #automation [And just in case the image doesn't work for you in your country, it's just me hitting my head against a brick wall]