AI quoting for fastener and fluid power distributors
Fastener and fluid power RFQs are long, precise and full of small variations, which makes them slow to quote by hand and a good fit for Merlin's Quote Desk. Merlin matches each line to your price sheet, applies quantity breaks in code, and flags any line with a missing or ambiguous thread, size or material instead of guessing, for a rep to approve.
From quote request to finished quote in two minutes.
Nothing goes to a customer until someone on your team approves it. Watch full screen
Faster quotes. More orders. Hours back every week.
Win more orders
Buyers often go with the first solid quote they get. Merlin gets yours out in minutes, day or night, and follows up on the quotes that go quiet.
Get your team's time back
A desk that gets 60 quote requests a week at 15 minutes each spends about 65 hours a month building quotes. Merlin takes most of that routine work off their plate.
Grow without hiring
Handle more requests with the team you already have, in English and French, while good inside-sales people are hard to find.
Why are fastener and hydraulic RFQs so slow to quote?
A single fastener RFQ can list dozens of SKUs that differ only by length, grade, finish or thread pitch. Each one needs the right quantity break, and buyers often quote in boxes while your price sheet is per hundred. Fluid power adds thread standards: NPT, JIC, ORFS, BSPP and metric fittings look similar in an email but are not interchangeable.
The work is precise but repetitive, which is exactly the part of the job an AI desk can draft while your rep keeps the judgement calls.
What does a typical RFQ look like?
Two illustrative examples of the kind of request Merlin is built to read:
| Illustrative RFQ line | What Merlin does |
|---|---|
| 500 x 3/8-16 x 1-1/2 hex cap screw, Gr 8, yellow zinc | Matches the SKU, applies the 500-piece quantity break from your sheet |
| 2,000 x M8 x 1.25 x 25 SHCS, 12.9, black oxide | Matches the metric SKU and its tier price |
| 1/2 in. hydraulic adapter, male JIC to male NPT | Matches if the sheet has one clear item; flags if dash size or configuration is ambiguous |
| Hose fitting for 3/4 hose, thread TBD | Flags for a rep: the thread spec is missing, so it won't guess |
Examples are illustrative, not from a real customer.
How does Merlin handle quantity breaks and customer pricing?
Prices, quantity-break tiers, customer-specific pricing and totals are calculated in code from your price sheet. The AI only chooses which item matches a line. If a buyer always writes 'SHCS' for socket head cap screws or uses their own part numbers, a rep's correction becomes a learned alias, so the next RFQ matches correctly. See Excel price sheets for how to structure tiers.
Where is Merlin a good fit, and where isn't it?
- Good fit: stocked fasteners, fittings, adapters, hose and seals sold from a price sheet with quantity breaks.
- Good fit: repeat customers who send RFQs by email or web form in English or French.
- Needs a rep: assemblies built to order, such as custom hose assemblies with crimp specs, which Merlin can flag but not engineer.
- Needs a rep: specials and non-catalog parts that require a supplier quote first.
What about certifications and documents?
Fastener and hydraulic customers often ask for certificates of conformance, material certs, RoHS declarations or SDS for lubricants and sealants. Merlin's Documents desk sends the matching file from your library, with a send log, as long as the document is in that library. The Quote Desk handles the quote itself.
Frequently asked questions
Will Merlin guess a thread type?
No. If a line has a missing or ambiguous thread, size or material, Merlin flags it for a rep. It never guesses a spec.
Can it handle hundreds of SKUs in one RFQ?
Merlin reads every line in the RFQ and matches each against your price sheet. Unmatched lines are flagged, and a rep approves the full quote before it is sent.
Does it learn our customers' shorthand?
Yes. When a rep picks a different part for a request line, Merlin remembers that choice as a learned alias.
Can it quote custom hose assemblies?
Only if they are priced items in your sheet. Built-to-order assemblies with custom specs are flagged for a rep.
