The verdict in three sentences
When your prices are negotiated customer by customer, a standard e-commerce site does not work, and a simple contact form converts poorly: incomplete requests, 48 h response times, no follow-up. A request-for-quote (RFQ) cart lets buyers build their list of part numbers and quantities, then triggers a priced quote from the ERP. For a European or US industrial distributor, a custom build costs EUR 18,000 to 35,000 (USD 19,500 to 38,000), targeting a conversion rate of 25 to 40% of requests.
Contact form, RFQ plugin or custom build
Three solution levels exist for distributors of industrial supplies, spare parts, electrical equipment or material handling gear.
| Criterion | Contact form | RFQ plugin on existing platform | Custom RFQ cart |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | EUR 0 to 1,500 | EUR 5,000 to 12,000 | EUR 18,000 to 35,000 |
| Recurring cost | Negligible | EUR 150 to 600 per month (subscription, extensions) | EUR 250 to 700 per month (hosting, maintenance) |
| Structured request (SKUs, quantities) | No, free text | Yes | Yes, with CSV list import |
| Customer prices from ERP | No | Rarely | Yes, terms and discounts per account |
| Automatic PDF quote | No | Standard template | Branded, terms and conditions, validity |
| Automatic follow-up | No | Basic | Sequences at D+2, D+7, D+14 |
| Average response time | 24 to 72 h | 12 to 24 h | 5 minutes to 4 h depending on approval |
| Build time | 1 week | 3 to 6 weeks | 8 to 12 weeks |
A plugin on an existing platform (Shopify Plus, Adobe Commerce, BigCommerce) is enough if your pricing is simple and volumes modest. Once you manage account-specific pricing terms, negotiated net prices, different shipping thresholds and sales approvals, custom becomes more profitable because it removes manual workarounds.
The RFQ journey that converts
A good RFQ cart follows the professional buyer's real path: search by manufacturer part number or equivalent, add quantities, import a bill of materials, then submit. On the seller side, the request lands in the CRM, the price is calculated by the ERP, and the sales rep approves or adjusts before sending.
| Component | Role | Indicative 2026 budget |
|---|---|---|
| Catalogue and part-number search | Manufacturer search, equivalents, technical filters | EUR 4,000 to 8,000 |
| RFQ cart and list import | Quantities, comments, attachments, CSV | EUR 3,000 to 6,000 |
| ERP connection (net prices, stock, lead times) | Automatic pricing per customer account | EUR 4,000 to 8,000 |
| CRM connection (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive) | Opportunity created, assigned to sales rep | EUR 2,000 to 4,500 |
| PDF quote and one-click approval | Online acceptance, conversion to order | EUR 2,500 to 5,000 |
| Follow-ups and tracking dashboard | Email sequences, conversion rate | EUR 2,500 to 3,500 |
The most sensitive part is the ERP connection: pricing rules (discounts by product family, contract net prices, minimum quantities) must be reproduced faithfully. Plan a 2 to 3 day scoping workshop with sales management and order administration.
Mini case study
Claire, sales director of an industrial supplies distributor near Lyon, receives 220 quote requests a month through a form. Without follow-up, only 14% convert, with an average order of EUR 2,800 and a 28% gross margin. After deploying a custom RFQ cart billed EUR 27,000, response time drops below 4 h and conversion reaches 24%. That means 22 extra orders a month, EUR 61,600 of revenue and EUR 17,250 of additional gross margin per month. The project pays back in under 2 months, excluding EUR 450 of monthly maintenance.
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FAQ
Can we mix listed prices and quote requests?
Yes, the cart can contain items with public prices, orderable directly, and items on quote. This hybrid mode adds roughly EUR 2,000 to 4,000 to the budget and often lifts average order value by 10 to 15%.
Do logged-in customers see their negotiated prices?
Yes, once identified they see their net prices from the ERP. Anonymous visitors go through the RFQ cart, which protects your pricing policy.
Which ERPs are compatible?
Sage X3, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Odoo, NetSuite and SAP Business One offer usable APIs or exports. A standard integration takes 2 to 4 weeks depending on product data quality.
How do we measure ROI?
Track three indicators: average response time, request conversion rate and average order value. Moving from 14% to 24% conversion is usually enough to pay back the project in under 6 months.
Does an RFQ cart help SEO?
Yes, product pages become indexable even without public prices. A well-structured catalogue of 5,000 SKUs can generate several hundred qualified requests a year from Google.
Let's scope your project. Send us your monthly request volume, your ERP and your CRM: we will price the scope, indicative budget and delivery schedule. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
