Distributors talk a lot about speed. Faster quotes. Faster answers. Faster fulfillment. But the gap between talking about speed and actually building it into the quoting workflow is still wide at most branches. Prokeep is trying to close that gap with a new distributor order automation platform that uses AI to convert incoming customer messages into ERP-ready quotes, and they are launching it with a live webinar this week.
Why Speed Is the Real Competitive Advantage
The math on quoting speed is not complicated. The first distributor to return a quote takes the order off the market. The contractor needs material, they have a job to get done, and if your number lands first and it is competitive, you win. If you are second, you are already playing defense.
Prokeep’s own data supports this. Distributors that send faster, more accurate quotes are 35 to 50 percent more likely to win the order. And when the buying experience is slow or frustrating, 86 percent of customers say they will move to a supplier who makes ordering easier. That is not a preference. That is a warning.
CMG and Prokeep explored this dynamic in depth in our 2025 Distributor Report on sales productivity and proactive communication. The research showed that 80 percent of a distributor’s purchasing customers are house accounts that rarely receive proactive outreach. Speed and accessibility are the tools that turn those accounts into growth.
What Distributor Order Automation Actually Does
Prokeep’s Order Automation platform takes the messages your counter and inside sales teams already receive, whether by text, email, or even a photo of a parts list, and uses AI to identify products, pull pricing and availability from your ERP, and build a quote that is ready to send back. No toggling between screens. No re-keying part numbers. The system does the lookup, matches the products, and presents a quote your team can review and send.
At launch, the platform is optimized for Eclipse, P21, and Infor. Prokeep chose these three because they are the dominant ERP systems in the MEP distribution space. Additional integrations will follow, but they are starting where the volume is. That is a practical decision, not a limitation.
How Distributor Order Automation Fits the Branch
One of the persistent assumptions in distribution is that AI-powered tools are built for companies doing $100 million or more. Prokeep is pushing back on that. They have priced Order Automation to be accessible for distributors of all sizes, including those under $25 million in revenue. The platform scales, so it works whether you have three branches or thirty.
That matters because quoting speed is not a big-company problem. It is a branch-level problem. And the distributors who solve it at the branch will be the ones contractors call first. As we have written about before, digital commerce tools that reduce friction for customers do not have to be enterprise-scale investments to deliver results. The best ones work inside the workflows your team is already using.
See It Live This Week
Prokeep is hosting a live webinar on Wednesday, February 11 at 2:00 PM ET / 1:00 PM CT to walk through the platform and run a live demo. I will be joining the session to share research CMG has done on the competitive value of quoting speed, along with insights from this week’s NEMRA conference where electrical contractors made it clear that speed is not a nice-to-have. It is the expectation.
If you are running Eclipse, P21, or Infor, this is worth 30 minutes of your time. Register here. If you cannot make it live, all registrants will receive a link to the recording.
Distribution has spent years talking about digital transformation. Most of it has been about e-commerce and customer portals. The real unlock might be simpler than that: getting quotes out the door faster than the competition, with fewer errors, using the tools your team is already working in. That is what Prokeep is building toward.
If this aligns with what you are seeing in your market, I would like to compare notes. CMG works with manufacturers, distributors, and rep firms who want clearer strategy, stronger channel performance, and better alignment across the field. If you are exploring ways to strengthen your commercial approach, reach out and let’s talk through what you are trying to build.
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