RFQ management for welding distributors

Not every item a welding distributor sells fits neatly into a catalog with a fixed price. Custom fabrication materials, large-volume orders, and non-stock items are typically handled through a request-for-quote process. Here is how RFQ management works alongside standard catalog ordering.

Why RFQ exists alongside a catalog

Catalog ordering works well for standard, repeat-purchase items with a known price: wire, electrodes, gas, consumables. It does not work for items that require a custom quote — non-stock products, large volume orders that warrant a special price, or materials sourced only on request. RFQ management gives buyers a defined path to request pricing on items outside the standard catalog, rather than falling back to a phone call or email.

What a buyer submits in an RFQ

A well-structured RFQ captures what your team actually needs to quote accurately: item description or part number, quantity, and any specifications relevant to welding materials — alloy, diameter, package size. Submitting this through a portal, rather than an email thread, keeps the request structured and searchable instead of buried in an inbox.

Turning a quote into an order

Once your team prices an RFQ, the buyer should be able to accept it and have that quote convert directly into an order, without re-entering the item, quantity, or agreed price. This closes the loop between the quote and the order record, so there is a single source of truth for what was quoted and what was ordered.

• Structured requests: item, quantity, and specifications submitted through the portal, not email.
• Quote-to-order conversion: an accepted quote becomes an order without manual re-entry.
• Visibility: your team can see open, quoted, and converted RFQs in one place, rather than tracked per salesperson.

RFQ management is included on the Enterprise plan — see full pricing →