Information and Communication Technology Value-Added Resellers (ICT VARs) all face a common challenge: how to deliver accurate and timely quotes for solutions they build for their customers, which are based on products they purchase from manufacturers within dynamic supply chains. One especially effective and convenient solution that has emerged to address this challenge is PDF ingestion. By integrating PDF ingestion features into quoting tools, ICT VARs can make their quotes more efficient and accurate.
The Challenges of Manual Quoting
Traditionally, the quoting process in the ICT industry involves quite a bit of manual effort. Sales teams must gather a wide range of quoting details from various sources (different BoMs) often presented in PDF format. They then manually input this data into their quoting systems to generate accurate quotes for customers. This manual process is time-consuming, prone to errors, and can lead to delays in delivering quotes. For a typical VAR, each account manager might process numerous quotes each week, making the manual aspects even more frustrating.
However, new PDF ingestion features are available on the market that significantly enhance the quoting process by automating data extraction. This eliminates the need for manual data entry, minimizes errors, and speeds up the entire process.
What is PDF Ingestion?
PDF ingestion is the process of automatically extracting data from PDF documents and converting it into a format that software systems can easily process. This technology uses optical character recognition (OCR) and other machine learning algorithms to read and understand the content within PDF files.
5 Benefits of PDF Ingestion for ICT VARs
- Efficiency and Speed: Automating the extraction of data from PDFs eliminates the need for manual data entry. Instead, the system automatically reads the document, extracts relevant items and prices, and structures the data directly into the quoting system. This allows sales teams to generate quotes much more quickly.
- Accuracy and Consistency: Manual data entry is inherently error-prone. Common mistakes include misreading item descriptions or prices, incorrectly transcribing numbers or details, or overlooking other important information. Such errors can result in inaccurate quotes, which can damage customer trust, lead to financial losses, and require time-consuming corrections. PDF ingestion ensures that data is accurately extracted and standardized, reducing the risk of errors and inconsistencies in quotes.
- Scalability: As ICT VARs grow and handle an increasing volume of product information, manual processes can no longer be sustained. PDF ingestion enables scalability and supports business growth by efficiently processing large volumes of data without additional manual effort.
- Improved Customer Experience: Timely and accurate quotes are essential for customer satisfaction. By streamlining the quoting process, ICT VARs can provide customers with faster, more reliable quotes.
- Data Consistency: PDF ingestion can seamlessly integrate with existing quoting solutions and other business systems. This integration ensures that accurate data flows smoothly across the organization, enabling better decision-making and more efficient operations.
Tips for Implementing PDF Ingestion
While the benefits of PDF ingestion are clear, organizations must plan well to ensure successful implementation. Here are some useful tips to keep in mind:
Choose the Right Technology: Not all PDF ingestion solutions are created equal. Look for technologies that leverage advanced OCR and machine learning algorithms, both of which will ensure high levels of accuracy and reliability during the data extraction.
Integration Capabilities: Make sure that the PDF ingestion solution can integrate seamlessly with your existing quoting and business systems. Lack of integration introduces more headaches, not less.
Data Security: All quotes involve some level of sensitive product and pricing information. Choose a solution that prioritizes data security and is in full compliance with industry standards.
Customization and Flexibility: Every ICT VAR has unique requirements. Choose a PDF ingestion solution that can adapt to your organization’s specific needs and processes.
Case Simulation: Manual vs. Automated Quote Using PDF Ingestion
Consider an average scenario where a VAR has 10 account managers, each processing 5 quotes per week, with each quote having 3 versions. Manually, this would take:
- 15 minutes per version
- 45 minutes per quote
- 3.75 hours per account manager per week
- 37.5 hours per week for all account managers combined
- Approximately 1,950 hours per year
Using a quoting tool with a PDF ingestion feature:
- Each document would be processed in under a minute
- Less than 5 minutes per quote
- 25 minutes per account manager per week
- 250 minutes (approximately 4.2 hours) per week for all account managers combined
- Approximately 218 hours per year
The time savings are clear.
The Future of Quoting with PDF Ingestion
PDF ingestion offers a powerful solution for ICT VARs to streamline their quoting processes, reduce manual effort, and deliver accurate quotes more quickly. The technology allows ICT VARs to boost efficiency, improve customer experiences, and position themselves for growth in a competitive market.
Ready to streamline your quoting process? Try StrataVAR’s PDF ingestion feature today and experience the difference it can make for your account managers. Get a personalized demo here.
