3 Real-World Ways Manufacturing Sales Reps Are Using AI Today
By David Gordon, Channel Marketing Group
From a tech viewpoint, AI is what companies talk about. Distributors are implementing it or at least discussing it. Not much gets shared within the manufacturer environment, but it is well in use. In fact, Zekelman just hired a VP AI and Innovation, and he was the #2 person at Eaton Electrical!
Reps have asked the question. Some have dappled. Some are advanced (and, FYI, this is a topic at the 2026 NEMRA Conference).
The challenge for many reps is the quality of their data (the data they receive from manufacturers), ideation, technical skills, people skills, and, at times, willingness to invest in technology. For smaller firms, it is a challenge unless someone in the firm, or their sphere of influence (aka friends and family), have the thought process and skills.
Curtis Seare from FlowRMS, which is an AI-powered operating platform for reps, has been meeting with reps in a number of industries this year. I asked him what he is seeing:
3 Real-World Ways Manufacturing Sales Reps Are Using AI Today
If you’ve been waiting for AI to “get real” before it’s worth your time, the wait is over. Across industries, manufacturing sales reps are already putting AI to work in ways that deliver measurable results — from automating the most repetitive admin work to creating professional marketing content in minutes.
Here are three practical examples happening right now, along with a glimpse at what’s next.
- Data Ingestion & Automation
Reps lose hours each week retyping or reformatting quotes, orders, invoices, and commission statements from PDFs, spreadsheets, or portals.
AI-powered document parsing can now take these files and:
- Extract the correct fields (customer, product codes, amounts, etc.)
- Match products to the catalog
- Apply account mapping rules
- Post the results directly into the CRM or commission tracking system
The results: One rep firm cut manual data entry and reporting from 256 hours per month to just 88 hours — a 66% reduction in time spent and $8,000 in monthly savings on data entry and reporting expenses.
The payoff is speed, accuracy, and the peace of mind that every dollar is tracked.
- Creating LinkedIn Content From Product Catalogs
LinkedIn is where decision-makers are, but turning technical cut sheets into something they actually want to read is a time sink.
AI can now transform a product catalog into hundreds of quality, educational content pieces in under 20 minutes. These posts can include:
- Plain-English summaries that cut through jargon
- Industry-specific use cases for target buyers
- Ready-to-post headlines, bullet points, and hashtags
- Captions for image carousels
The results: In one pilot campaign, a similar approach generated 1,833 new organic connections, sustained high impressions, and booked 10 net new meetings in a high-value renewables segment.
What used to take days of manual writing and scheduling can now be completed before your morning coffee.
- Turning Product Catalogs Into Podcasts for Reps
For reps carrying multiple lines, keeping product details top of mind is a challenge. Some firms are using AI to turn catalogs into short, conversational podcasts for internal training.
Here’s how it works:
- Upload the catalog or cut sheets.
- AI organizes the information into an interview-style script.
- It produces natural-sounding audio episodes.
A “Product Spotlight” series might cover features, benefits, applications, and common objections — all in plain language. Reps can listen on the road or between meetings, so knowledge stays sharp without having to dig through PDFs.
More Ways Reps Are Using AI
The possibilities are almost endless, and they’re getting more practical by the day. A few examples already in use:
- Summarizing meetings: Tools like Granola record and distill conversations into clear action items, so nothing gets lost.
- Competitive intelligence: AI compares public competitor catalogs and websites to your own, then delivers quick talking points for sales calls. The new GPT-5 in agent mode is great at this.
- Niche market research: GPT-5 Deep-research can surface market size, regulations, competitors, and potential accounts in emerging segments — work that would take hours manually.
These examples barely scratch the surface. AI isn’t just for back-office automation anymore — it’s becoming a daily sales tool.
What’s Next – Bringing It All Together
Right now, many reps are using AI in scattered ways — a parser here, a content generator there, a podcast experiment, and, as Parspec.io shares below, in the lighting industry for quotations and submittals. The real opportunity comes from connecting these tools, so they work with your data, your products, and your customers in one streamlined workflow.
And there’s more coming: Flow is launching a free Market Intelligence Feed powered by AI to surface insights you might otherwise miss — from upcoming projects and funding events to opportunities you can act on before competitors even know they exist.
To stay in the loop on the upcoming Market Intelligence Feed, sign up for The Flow Dispatch at theflowdispatch.com. You’ll also get AI tips for reps, more detailed looks at AI used cases, and early access to tools that keep you the most informed person in the room.
Streamlining Lighting Quotations and Submittals
Recognizing that the lighting industry is, shall we nicely say, “unique,” I reached out to Forest Flager at Parspec.io to get his insights. Parspec has “grown up” in the lighting space and its initial foray was to help those in the lighting space (agents and distributors) improve their quotation and submittal processes.
According to Forest, “Our research found that lighting agents spend an average of 67 hours on quotations and submittals per won project, making it one of the most time-consuming parts of their business. (Yes, it sounds high, however, this is “per won project,” so think of how many “losses” or quotes that do not result in business!) In recent years, many agents have struggled to meet customers’ expectations for more comprehensive deliverables in less time. AI is changing this dynamic by automating cumbersome workflows, providing better data to inform decision-making, and freeing up more time to focus on customer relationships.
Parspec has helped to lead the shift toward AI-native software by demonstrating the significant business benefits that these solutions can offer. Instead of manually searching for cut sheets and completing markups, Parspec leverages AI to automatically associate current cut sheets, complete markups and generate a polished submittal package in a fraction of the time. Since its launch in 2022 over 100 lighting reps have adopted Parspec and are reducing submittal creation times by 50-70%.
We are also seeing some exciting AI developments to improve the quoting process, including:
- Instantly parsing part numbers and associated requirements from drawings and specifications
- Automatically identifying spec-compliant alternatives from your line card
- Providing product recommendations based on spec-compliance, customer order history and pricing
Beyond efficiency, the benefits extend to better decision-making and improved customer experiences. AI isn’t just making the quoting and submittal process easier — it’s positioning agents to be more competitive in an increasingly fast-paced and demanding market.”
While many AI consultants state that “AI is in the top of the first inning,” that does not mean you should wait. Every year, hundreds of homeruns are hit in MLB. In fact, as of August 31, the New York Yankees have hit 4 and the Los Angeles Dodgers have hit 33. It’s interesting that both would currently be in the playoffs. Winners start early.
Thoughts for Reps
- We know AI is here to stay. As evidence – look at the investment into data centers. Second, OpenAI is already on pace to exceed $12 BILLION in revenues this year. AI is big business (and think of what electrical industry revenues would be, nationally. without data centers (they are holding up commercial construction market revenues, nationally.)
- At the recent NAED Marketing Conference, 80-90% of attendees in one AI session said their company is doing something with AI.
- Most reps / lighting agents, as well as distributors, are doing something, even if only using it for meeting notes or research. There are opportunities for contractors (check out www.trunktools.com and there are takeoff tools coming into the market.)
- While “low-hanging fruit” should be taught, perhaps expected, to be used, development of other functionality / capabilities may require ideation…“what could be.” Consider holding a session with a group of your staff to whiteboard ideas, or if you want a facilitator give me a call.
AI, when well implemented, is a productivity enhancer and a time / business scaler. While it is in its early usage stages, it is time to dip the toe into the proverbial water, knowing that, like waves, it will be continuously coming.
