01
One request, several files
Quantities sit in a spreadsheet, specifications in a PDF, and drawing revisions in a follow-up email. Your team has to keep them together.
RFQ automation / MZ-001
Stop manually processing RFQs.
Turn incoming quote emails, BOMs, drawings and part lists into structured data ready for review and your existing quote workflow.
MZ-001 / Example workflow
RFQ intake
Customer RFQ
Email + PDF + BOM + drawings
ManualZero
Managed intake and processing
Extract
Part numbers · quantities · stated specifications
Validate
Missing fields · formats · possible duplicates
Human review
Resolve unclear details before the handoff
Quote workflow
Reviewed data → existing CRM / ERP / quoting tools
Example flow. Extraction and handoff depend on your files, rules and system access.
RFQ intake → structured quote preparation
Managed by ManualZero
The manual problem
The quote starts with a copying job.
An RFQ lands in the shared inbox. Before anyone can price it, someone has to assemble the request, read the attachments and turn it into a usable part list.
02
The same fields, entered again
Part numbers and quantities move from the customer's BOM into an internal sheet, then into a CRM, ERP or quoting tool.
03
Gaps surface during quoting
A missing unit, unclear specification or repeated line is discovered only after someone starts preparing the quote.
What ManualZero can handle
Prepare the request. Keep the judgment.
Map the intake around the RFQs you actually receive. These are examples of steps we can assess for a managed workflow.
01
RFQ email intake
Collect the request text and attachments from an agreed inbox or handoff point. Keep the original source available alongside the working record.
02
BOM and part-list extraction
Prepare line items from suitable PDFs and spreadsheets: part numbers, quantities, units and stated specifications. Flag rows that cannot be read reliably.
03
Field and format checks
Check required fields, normalize agreed formats and flag possible duplicates. Uncertain product matches stay visible for review.
04
Attachment organization
Associate supplied drawings and specification files with the request. Route ambiguous revisions or missing references to the person who can resolve them.
05
Quote preparation handoff
Prepare a structured record or import file for your quoting process. Pricing, substitutions and commercial approval remain with your team.
06
Incomplete request routing
Separate requests that are ready for the next step from those needing clarification. Identify what is missing so the reviewer knows what to check.
Keep your software
Keep your quoting tools.
Your CRM, ERP and quoting system remain the place your team works. ManualZero handles the repetitive preparation between the inbox and those tools; your team does not have to build or maintain the automation.
Your existing stack
- Shared inbox
- Documents
- Spreadsheets
- CRM / ERP
- Quoting tools
The connection is part of the audit
During the audit, we check whether a suitable API, authorized account or import/export process can support the handoff. A specific system connection is confirmed only after that review.
Control points / human review
An unclear RFQ should stop for a person.
Automation should surface uncertainty before it reaches a quote. We define what needs review with your team, including whether every prepared request must be approved.
01
Missing information
No quantity, unclear unit or incomplete specification: flag the field and hold the affected request for clarification.
02
Conflicting information
Different quantities in the email and BOM, or an uncertain drawing revision: ask a reviewer which source to use.
03
Commercial decisions
Product substitutions, pricing and quote release follow your approval process. Extracted text is not an engineering decision.
Before / with ManualZero
Change the intake, not the quoting decision.
Before
- Open the RFQ email and each attachment
- Rebuild the part list in an internal format
- Copy quantities and specifications
- Find missing details during quote preparation
- Re-enter the request into the quoting workflow
- Check the copied result
With ManualZero
- Receive the request and its source files
- Extract the agreed fields into line items
- Validate required information and formats
- Route unclear fields for a person to resolve
- Prepare reviewed data for the existing workflow
- Keep pricing and quote approval with the team
Example sequence. Your intake rules determine the checks and approval points.
Who this is for
For teams quoting from an inbox.
A practical starting point for US small and midsize B2B industrial businesses handling recurring quote requests.
- Industrial distributors receiving multi-line part requests
- Manufacturers assembling RFQs from BOMs and drawing packages
- Inside sales teams reformatting requests before they can quote
- Operations teams handing the same information between email and quoting tools
A useful first scope
Start with one recurring RFQ format or intake queue. If most requests require original engineering interpretation, map the administrative steps separately.
RFQ automation / FAQ
Before you automate.
Can you process BOMs in both PDFs and spreadsheets?
We assess the layouts and fields in representative files. Suitable tables can be mapped to a common line-item structure, but merged cells, scanned pages and inconsistent formatting may need different rules or human review. Support is confirmed against your samples.
Does RFQ automation generate prices or send quotes?
This workflow focuses on preparing the request for quoting. Pricing, availability, substitutions and sending the final quote remain in your existing process unless a separate, explicitly approved scope defines otherwise.
Can it read engineering drawings?
A workflow can organize and route drawing files with the RFQ. Extracting particular text fields needs sample-based assessment. We do not assume that a drawing can be fully interpreted or that dimensions, tolerances and engineering requirements can be inferred reliably.
What happens when a customer sends a revised RFQ?
We map how your team identifies a revision and which references can link it to the original request. Possible matches or conflicting quantities can be held for review instead of silently replacing the previous data.
Will it work with our current ERP or quoting system?
The audit checks the available access, supported data formats and approval points. A handoff may use an API or an import file. We do not assume a ready-made integration exists for your software.
What do we need for the free workflow audit?
Describe how RFQs arrive, which fields your team copies and where the information goes next. We reply by email with a proposed workflow, review points and any questions about feasibility. No call required.
Connected operational work
Related solutions.
One workflow / free audit
Show us the work before the quote.
Describe one RFQ intake process. We'll map the extraction, validation and review steps, then identify how the result could reach your existing tools.
Tell us
- Where RFQs arrive
- Which fields and files your team handles
- Where the prepared request needs to go
Get a free workflow audit
No call required. Reply by email.
Get a proposed automation map with the systems, checks and review points. If it looks like a fit, the next step is a fixed-scope pilot proposal.