How distributors turn RFQs into quotes

What an RFQ looks like when it lands

An RFQ (request for quote) is a customer asking for line-item pricing on parts they’ve already picked out. For an industrial distributor, it usually shows up as a short email, a PDF, or an Excel file—especially for long lists.

The hard part starts when the customer's list doesn't speak your catalog's language. Part numbers don't line up. Descriptions contain abbreviations, typos, and the customer's own naming conventions.

Something like HHCS 1/2-13 x 2 GR5 ZP has to become a part in your system before anyone can price it.

That translation is the real job. Everything else in the quote depends on it.

The six steps from RFQ to quote

The work follows six steps, from getting the request out of the inbox to reviewing the finished quote.

1. Take in the request

   Pull the request out of the email and into a format your team can work with. A PDF may need to become a spreadsheet before the work can start.

2. Clean up the list

   Split combined lines, interpret abbreviations, confirm quantities and units of measure, and flag anything that needs clarification from the customer.

3. Match every line to a part you sell

   Compare customer part numbers and descriptions against your catalog. Check the manufacturer, specifications, and existing cross-references. This step often sets the pace for the entire quote.

4. Source what you don't stock

   Find a supplier for non-stock lines, request pricing, and collect the responses you need to complete the quote.

5. Price it

   Apply the customer's pricing, check what they paid last time, and set the margin on sourced items.

6. Review and send

   Check matches and prices, enter the finished quote in your ERP, and send it back to the customer.

Where BoltWise fits: BoltWise reads incoming RFQs, maps customer and supplier part numbers to your own, and helps find suppliers for non-stock parts. Your team reviews the proposed matches and keeps the final say.

Where the hours go when it’s done by hand

Matching a line by hand can mean searching your records, digging through vendor catalogs, and checking specifications. Repeat that across a large bid and the work quickly takes over the calendar.

Large distributors may spread that work across a sourcing department. On smaller teams, it often falls to the same people who need to be visiting accounts and helping customers.

With proposed matches already in place, the starting point changes. Your team can focus on checking manufacturer, description, and specifications, then resolve the lines that still need research.

Start with a proposed match, instead of a blank spreadsheet.

How to roll it out without disrupting the team

A practical rollout begins with the requests that consume the most time. Test on real data, involve the people who quote every day, and make corrections part of the workflow.

1. Point it at the big lists first.Keep quick one- and two-item requests in the workflow that already serves them well. Use longer lists to test where matching can make a difference.
2. Run real RFQs before committing.Use your own catalog and customer descriptions. Check the quality of the matches and the effort required to review them.
3. Give the change a clear purpose.Connect the rollout to faster responses and more time with customers. Give the team a reason to change a familiar routine.
4. Make feedback part of the job.Correct bad matches and save the right cross-references, so the next request benefits from what your team already knows.

What to look for in RFQ-to-quote software

A clean sample file only tells you so much. Use the requests your team actually receives to evaluate RFQ-to-quote software.

• Reads requests as they arriveEmail, PDFs, spreadsheets, typos, and abbreviations—without asking customers to change their process.
• Matches to your catalogCustomer and supplier part numbers map to your SKUs, with manufacturer and specifications visible for review.
• Keeps people in controlWeak matches are easy to identify, check, and correct before the quote goes out.
• Remembers correctionsFix a cross-reference once and check that the correction carries forward.
• Handles non-stock partsSupplier discovery and pricing belong in the quoting workflow, too.
• Works with your ERPAsk which systems are supported today and verify how a finished quote gets into yours.
• Covers the products you sellTest MRO, safety, electrical, and other categories alongside fasteners.
• Comes with evidenceAsk for customer references and measured turnaround, review time, and match rates.

Frequently asked questions