Case Study: Success With Creating a smooth quoting and ordering experience

In the highly competitive building materials distribution industry, providing a seamless quoting and ordering experience is no longer just a value-added service—it’s a business necessity. This case study explores how a mid-sized building materials distributor in the Midwest transformed its operations by focusing on streamlining the quoting and ordering journey for contractors and construction firms.

Background

The distributor, operating across five states with a customer base of contractors, architects, and homebuilders, was facing repeated complaints related to slow quoting, pricing errors, and delays in order confirmation. These inefficiencies were affecting customer satisfaction and resulting in lost business, especially during peak construction seasons.

Their system relied heavily on manual data entry, email-based quote requests, and inconsistent inventory information shared across departments. A growing customer base and expanding product line made these problems even more pronounced.

The Challenge

Delayed Quotes: Sales reps took 24–48 hours to respond to quote requests, often due to unclear pricing and availability.

Order Errors: Manual entry of quotes into the order system led to frequent errors and miscommunications.

Customer Frustration: Contractors needed fast, accurate quotes to keep projects on schedule. Delays and errors impacted their trust.

Lack of Visibility: There was no centralized tracking of quote history or customer communication.

The Solution

The company implemented an ERP system tailored to the construction supply industry, along with a web-based customer portal and mobile quoting app for the sales team. This system integrated real-time inventory management, customer-specific pricing, and digital quote approval capabilities.

Key Features Deployed:

Real-time access to product availability and tiered pricing.

Automated quote generation with built-in approval workflows.

One-click conversion of quotes to orders with integrated fulfillment steps.

Customer portal for self-service quoting, order tracking, and invoice downloads.

Training for sales and support teams on using the new tools effectively.

Results

Within six months of implementation, the company saw measurable improvements:

Quote Response Time: Reduced from 24–48 hours to under 2 hours.

Order Accuracy: Error rate dropped by 75%, significantly lowering rework and returns.

Customer Satisfaction: Positive feedback increased, with many contractors citing the speed and professionalism of the new quoting process.

Sales Growth: Improved customer retention and faster quoting led to a 12% increase in repeat business from contractors.

Efficiency Gains: Sales reps were able to handle more quotes per day without compromising accuracy.

Takeaway

This case demonstrates the tangible benefits of investing in tools and processes that simplify quoting and ordering. By eliminating bottlenecks and leveraging technology, the distributor not only improved internal efficiency but also strengthened its customer relationships.

In today’s market, where contractors expect speed, accuracy, and transparency, a smooth quoting and ordering experience isn’t just good service—it’s a growth strategy. Distributors that embrace this approach will be better positioned to retain loyal customers and compete more effectively in 2025 and beyond.