AI quoting for packaging distributors
Merlin drafts quotes for packaging items that live in your price sheet, such as stock boxes, stretch film, tape, void fill and labels, applying MOQs and quantity breaks in code. Requests for custom printed packaging, new dielines or artwork-dependent pricing are flagged for a rep, because those need a person and often a supplier quote.
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.
What makes packaging quotes tricky?
Packaging buyers mix two kinds of requests in the same email: repeat orders for stock items and new projects with custom dimensions, board grades, print colours and minimum order quantities. Stock items are pure lookup work. Custom printed jobs depend on artwork, tooling and supplier pricing.
Both land in the same inbox, often in English and French, and both expect an answer quickly. Sorting them is half the job.
What does a typical packaging RFQ look like?
| Illustrative RFQ line | What Merlin does |
|---|---|
| 1,000 RSC boxes 12 x 10 x 8, 32 ECT, kraft | Matches the stock SKU and applies the 1,000-unit tier |
| 20 rolls stretch film 18 in. x 1500 ft, 80 gauge | Matches and prices from the sheet |
| 5,000 printed mailer boxes, 2 colours, our logo, artwork attached | Flags for a rep: custom print, artwork and MOQ need review |
| Same labels as last order, 4 x 6 thermal | Matches if a learned alias or clear SKU exists; flags otherwise |
Examples are illustrative, not from a real customer.
How does Merlin handle MOQs and quantity breaks?
If your price sheet includes MOQs and tier pricing, Merlin applies them in code. For example, if a buyer asks for 600 units of an item that sells in tiers of 500 and 1,000, the draft uses the 500-unit tier price your sheet defines. If a request is below an item's MOQ, the line can be flagged for a rep to decide. The AI never sets a price; it only picks the matching item.
Your rep reviews every draft in the Quote Desk and approves it before it is sent.
Where is Merlin a good fit, and where isn't it?
- Good fit: distributors of stock packaging and shipping supplies sold from a price sheet.
- Good fit: repeat customers reordering the same items by email.
- Needs a rep: custom printed packaging, new structural designs and anything priced from artwork or tooling.
- Not a fit as the main tool: converters whose quotes are almost all custom builds costed from specs.
Why does follow-up matter in packaging?
Packaging projects often stall while the buyer waits on internal approval or artwork. Quote Follow-up drafts polite reminders on open quotes on the days you choose, day 3 and day 7 by default, and stops when the customer replies. For bilingual accounts, Merlin writes in the language of the thread; see bilingual quoting in Québec.
Frequently asked questions
Can Merlin price custom printed boxes?
No. Custom printed jobs depend on artwork, tooling and supplier pricing, so Merlin flags them for a rep.
Does it apply minimum order quantities?
Yes, if MOQs are in your price sheet. Lines below the MOQ can be flagged for a rep to decide.
Can it handle 'same as last time' requests?
When a rep has matched that customer's wording before, Merlin uses the learned alias. Otherwise it flags the line.
Which plan should a packaging distributor start with?
Every customer starts with the $3,500 CAD 30-day Quote Desk pilot, then Starter or Growth.
