How Quoting and Takeoffs Automation Are Transforming Wholesale Distribution
Executive Summary:
Distributors face shrinking margins, labor shortages, and customers demanding faster quotes. Distro is the AI Revenue Platform that solves these challenges with quoting automation, takeoffs automation, and sales enablement. The result: faster responses, fewer errors, empowered teams, and higher margins.
What Problems Does Distro Solve for Distributors?
Distributors across HVAC/R, plumbing, and electrical are slowed down by:
Messy RFQs and incomplete requests.
Manual takeoffs that take hours.
Reps tied up retyping line items.
Long onboarding cycles for new hires.
Distro eliminates these bottlenecks by embedding automation directly into sales workflows.
How Does Distro Automate Quoting and Takeoffs?
Distro transforms slow, manual tasks into instant processes:
Quoting automation: Capture line items from PDFs, emails, or handwritten notes and generate structured quotes in minutes.
Takeoffs automation: Break down complex project documents instantly, turning them into ready-to-send quotes.
Upsell suggestions: Recommend complementary items based on inventory and buying history.
ERP integration: Confirm pricing and availability in real time.
What Are the Practical Applications for Sales Teams?
With Distro in place:
A 30-minute RFQ is completed in under 2 minutes.
Takeoffs that used to take half a day finish in under 5 minutes.
Counter reps answer pricing and spec questions instantly.
New hires contribute on day one instead of waiting months.
Distro doesn’t replace people. It empowers them to handle more opportunities and serve customers better.
What Myths About AI in Distribution Does Distro Prove Wrong?
“Our ERP data is too messy.”
Distro thrives on messy data — it interprets incomplete codes, vague descriptions, and even handwritten notes.
“We don’t need another tool.”
Distro isn’t another tool. It’s a unified platform that embeds directly into quoting and takeoffs.
“My team won’t adopt it.”
When reps see how much faster and easier quoting becomes, adoption is natural.
What Results Are Distributors Seeing with Distro?
Distributors already using Distro report:
Hours of manual data entry eliminated.
Quote turnaround reduced from 30 minutes to under 5.
New reps onboarding in weeks instead of months.
Experienced staff freed from repetitive admin to focus on customers.
These aren’t small gains — they’re transformational shifts in how teams operate.
Is Your Team Ready for Distro?
Checklist for readiness:
Are reps still retyping line items into your ERP?
Do takeoffs slow down your quoting team?
Do new hires take months before quoting independently?
Are upsell opportunities being missed?
If you answered yes, your team is ready for Distro.
Why Is Distro the Only Platform You Need?
Unlike point solutions that create fragmented workflows, Distro is the only holistic AI Revenue Platform for distributors.
It unifies:
Quoting automation.
Takeoffs automation.
Product lookup and sales enablement.
Agentic AI that acts, not just suggests.
With Distro, distributors quote faster, sell smarter, and capture more margin — all in one system.
FAQs
Q: What is quoting automation?
A: Quoting automation uses AI to capture line items, enrich them with specs, and generate quotes instantly.
Q: How does Distro handle takeoffs?
A: Distro scans contractor documents, automates takeoffs, and creates structured quotes in minutes.
Q: Does Distro replace people?
A: No. Distro empowers people by eliminating repetitive work, enabling them to focus on customers and revenue.
Q: Why Distro instead of multiple tools?
A: Distro is the only holistic AI Revenue Platform for distributors, unifying quoting automation, takeoffs, and sales enablement.
Closing Thought
Quoting and takeoffs will never disappear from distribution, but they don’t have to slow you down. Distro turns messy RFQs into fast, accurate, and profitable deals. By automating what holds teams back, Distro empowers distributors to quote more, win more, and grow margins.