Trading & Distribution
Automation for trading and distribution companies
The daily reality
What the work actually looks like
- A customer sends a price enquiry on WhatsApp for a list of SKUs, some in stock and some on back order.
- The sales team checks stock in one system, pricing in another spreadsheet, then types a quotation from scratch.
- A customer confirms an order by replying 'ok go ahead' on WhatsApp, which someone has to convert into an actual sales order.
- Delivery notes and packing lists are prepared manually and cross-checked against the original enquiry.
- Invoices are raised after delivery, often a day or two later, because someone has to remember to do it.
- The accounts team calls customers individually to ask about overdue payments.
- Management asks the sales team every morning which orders are pending, delivered or unpaid.
Where it breaks down
Enquiries get lost between channels
With enquiries arriving on WhatsApp, email and phone, there is no single list of who asked for what and whether it was answered.
Quotations take longer than the sale should
Pricing, stock and terms live in different places, so building a quotation means checking three systems before typing a fourth document.
Orders and invoices are re-typed
The same product list is entered again at quotation, again at order, and again at invoice, with room for mismatches each time.
Collections depend on someone remembering
Without a scheduled reminder process, overdue invoices are chased inconsistently, and cash flow suffers as a result.
The connected flow
How the operation runs once it is connected
Enquiry captured
WhatsApp, email and web enquiries land in one place, assigned to an owner.
Quotation built
Pricing and stock are pulled automatically into a priced quotation.
Follow-up sent
Reminders go out to the customer until the quotation is accepted or closed.
Order confirmed
An accepted quotation becomes a sales order without re-typing.
Delivery prepared
Packing lists and delivery notes are generated from the confirmed order.
Invoice raised
The invoice is issued automatically once delivery is confirmed.
Collection tracked
Overdue invoices trigger scheduled reminders and an accounts escalation list.
Systems that fit
What we usually build first in this industry
Sales & CRM Automation
In a business with a high volume of small enquiries, the first fix is making sure none of them go unanswered.
02WhatsApp Business Automation
Most trading enquiries and order confirmations happen on WhatsApp, so it needs to feed the same system as everything else.
03Quotation & Sales Automation
Removing the re-typing between stock, pricing and the quotation document is usually the fastest time saving.
04Invoice & Payment Follow-up Automation
Once orders and deliveries are tracked, invoicing and collection reminders can run from the same data.
Questions we usually get asked
See how a trading workflow connects end to end
Book an AI business audit and we will map your enquiry-to-collection flow and show you where it is losing time.

