An AI Agent for Quotes Stuck Waiting on Specifications

A buyer asks for five hundred printed cartons and attaches artwork. The estimator still needs the carton dimensions, material, print sides, and delivery destination. If the account team sends a generic questionnaire, the buyer has to repeat details already in the attachment. An agent can prepare a shorter, more relevant request.

Define what makes a request ready to price

Sit with an estimator while they work through recent jobs. Separate missing information that changes the price from details that can wait until production. Color specifications may change the quote; a recipient’s delivery phone number can usually wait. Have the estimator define which conversions, substitutions, or assumptions require review.

For the carton job, the agent could produce three lines: confirmed quantity and artwork received; material unclear because two grades appear in the file; shipping location missing. The estimator checks that summary, then sends a concise question about material and destination. Pricing authority stays with the estimator.

Catch revisions before they become separate quotes

A buyer might reply with “make that 750” and a revised drawing. Store the version and time, and give the owner the old and new quantity side by side. Preserve attachments in the system the team already uses, with the original access restrictions.

Compare sample quote packets against the estimator’s final inputs. Record when the agent asks a redundant question or misses a detail that changes the price. A useful buying test is whether an estimator can pick up a request after a colleague leaves for the day and still know exactly which questions are open.

Put this into practice

Bring an example of a recurring task. We can map what an agent can prepare, which decisions stay with your team, and what a pilot should measure.

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