Proton launches AI quote and order automation for distributors

Proton.ai said July 21, 2026, that its new Order & Quote Entry Automation is generally available to help distributors turn messy inbound requests into quotes faster. The system is designed to draft, send and follow up on quotes while using shared business data to cut manual re-keying and improve order handling.

Why it matters: - Distributors lose time and margin when reps have to re-key customer requests across disconnected systems. - Proton’s new agentic workflow is built to handle quote entry work that often slows response times and pushes routine tasks back onto people. - The product is meant to let sales and branch teams spend more time on customer relationships and closing business.

What happened: - Proton.ai announced general availability of Proton Order & Quote Entry Automation on July 21, 2026. - The product turns inbound requests into quotes, then lets agents draft the reply, send the email, follow up if the customer does not respond and source substitutes when inventory is not available. - Reps still approve every quote before it goes to the customer. - The system accepts work from forwarded emails, uploaded spreadsheets or PDFs, and voice input from a rep at the counter or on a call.

The details: - Proton said the agent uses one data layer with the company’s other software tools, so the quote draft already knows the customer, catalog and pricing. - The broader platform includes CRM, PIM, eCommerce AI and Order & Quote Entry Automation on the same shared data layer. - Proton said connected data helps improve matching, enrich the catalog and sharpen recommendations over time. - The company said the architecture also keeps the agents affordable to run at scale because they do not have to move through disconnected systems. - Proton framed the launch as part of a broader mission to help distributors grow faster and lower operating costs.

Between the lines: - The launch positions Proton against point tools that only speed up one step, such as getting an order into the ERP. - Proton is betting that distributors want a system that can do more of the work end to end, not just a faster data-entry layer. - The company is also making the case that shared data becomes the core advantage, since every interaction improves the next one. - Benj Cohen, Founder & CEO of Proton.ai, said AI stays capped when people have to glue systems together. - Cohen said the new product “does the job” rather than simply typing faster because it is built on the same data layer as Proton’s other tools.

What happened in practice: - Proton described a scenario where a purchasing manager sends a late-night email asking whether a part works with existing equipment and requesting documentation and a quote. - In that example, the system drafts the reply, confirms compatibility, attaches the quote and waits for approval before the customer starts the day. - Proton also said a counter rep can read a part list into a phone and have a draft quote ready before the customer leaves.

The details: - Building Products Inc. is among the early customers using the system. - Cas Rangel, Chief Information & Technology Officer at Building Products Inc., said the company has long wanted a workflow where a customer emails a part list and the order simply happens. - Rangel said Proton is the first vendor he has seen that is building toward that outcome and that product feedback can appear in the next release after one call. - A large North American industrial distributor tested Proton against its in-house cross-reference system in a structured proof of value. - Proton said it beat every success criterion in that test. - On description-only lists, Proton found the right part without human help three times as often as the in-house system. - Proton said list preparation time fell 75%.

What's next: - Proton Order & Quote Entry Automation is available now at the product page. - The company is continuing to expand its modular platform for distributors around CRM, PIM, eCommerce AI and order automation. - Proton’s next phase appears focused on deeper agentic handling of distributor workflows as more customers adopt the platform.

The bottom line: - Proton is moving beyond AI that assists reps and toward AI that does the repetitive quote-and-order work first, with human approval at the end.