Business optimization with AI: IT distributor from South Africa compresses quotation creation to a few clicks and seconds

The secret is revealed: This is how a new AI can do what previously took a whole working day

In a world that incessantly talks about the revolution brought by artificial intelligence, it's concrete success stories that make the true scale of the transformation tangible. Imagine a critical business process that routinely takes 24 hours to complete – suddenly shrinking to a few seconds. This isn't a distant vision, but the impressive reality of a partnership that is currently rewriting the rules of the game in IT distribution: the collaboration between one of South Africa's most established and leading IT distributors and Unframe AI, a groundbreaking enterprise AI platform.

Faced with time-consuming, error-prone, and manual quoting processes, as well as the increasing pressure of a highly competitive market, this leading distributor faced a classic challenge of modern business: How to operate faster, more precisely, and more customer-centric without increasing operational complexity? The company found the answer in Unframe AI's revolutionary technology. Using a unique "blueprint approach," they managed to fully automate the entire quoting process—not in years or months, but in record time.

This case study is more than just a report on a technological success. It's a lesson in strategic foresight, choosing the right technology partner, and the immense potential of AI when used purposefully to solve real business problems. It shows how an established company is paving the way for the future, setting a new standard for an entire industry with relevance far beyond Africa's borders.

Case study: From 24 hours to 2 seconds – is this the future of work?

At a time when business processes are increasingly being transformed by artificial intelligence, one success story exemplifies the possibilities of modern technology: the partnership between a leading South African value-added distributor and Unframe AI, a revolutionary enterprise AI platform.

From 24 hours to a few seconds: A dramatic transformation

The success story begins with a challenge familiar to many distributors: time-consuming quotation processes. The distributor's CFO describes the transformation in impressive terms. After working with several automation partners, the company chose Unframe due to their unparalleled expertise and commitment.

The implementation led to complete AI automation of the quotation process, reducing processing time from 24 hours to just a few seconds. This efficiency gain represents more than just a technical improvement—it revolutionizes the way business processes can be designed in the distribution industry.

The distributor: An established market leader with an innovative vision

Company history and market position

Since its founding several decades ago, the distributor has established itself as one of the oldest and largest IT distributors in South Africa. As part of a larger technology group, the company was recently acquired by a strategic investor. This acquisition significantly strengthened its market position and cemented its role as an industry leader in the South African and African markets.

As a company that meets the highest local requirements for economic development, the distributor enjoys not only social recognition but also important competitive advantages, particularly in the awarding of public contracts.

Business model and specialization

The distributor operates as a value-added distributor and focuses on the marketing, logistics, and distribution of hardware, software, and cybersecurity solutions from leading international brands. Key partners include some of the world's largest technology giants.

The company pursues a channel-oriented approach and works closely with IT resellers and system integrators. These partners are not only supplied with products but also receive comprehensive services such as technical support, financing options, and supply chain management.

Geographical presence and infrastructure

The headquarters are located in one of South Africa's economic centers, with virtual teams in all major provinces. Furthermore, the company has expanded its presence into neighboring African countries. This geographical distribution allows it to serve the entire Southern African region.

With a workforce of several hundred employees, the company has the resources needed to manage complex business operations while implementing innovative technology solutions.

Modern challenges in distribution

Complexity of offer preparation

In today's distribution landscape, companies face increasing challenges in creating offers. Customers expect fast, precise, and customized offers, while the complexity of products and services is constantly increasing.

Traditional quotation processes require manual input, review of various price lists, consideration of discounts and special conditions, and coordination between different departments. These processes are not only time-consuming but also error-prone.

Competitive pressure and customer expectations

The South African IT market, which according to market research data has a volume of over USD 15 billion and is growing by more than five percent annually, is characterized by intense competition. Customers expect ever faster response times and higher service quality.

In this environment, delays in quoting can mean the difference between business success and lost contracts. Companies that fail to modernize their processes risk being overtaken by more agile competitors.

Unframe AI: The revolutionary enterprise AI platform

Company genesis and vision

Unframe AI was founded by an experienced leadership team with a proven track record of impressive success in the technology industry. CEO Shay Levi brings deep industry experience as co-founder of Noname Security, where he led the company to $40 million in annual revenue and facilitated its sale to Akamai for $500 million.

The $50 million funding, led by Bessemer Venture Partners and supported by TLV Partners, Craft Ventures, and other renowned investors, underscores the market's confidence in Unframe AI's innovative technology and business model.

The Blueprint Approach: Innovation in AI Implementation

At the heart of Unframe's technology is the so-called blueprint approach. While traditional AI implementations can take months or even years and often fail, Unframe enables companies to implement customized AI solutions within hours or days.

The key to this speed lies in blueprints – specialized specification files that orchestrate all the necessary components for a complete AI solution, from integrations to user interfaces. These blueprints function like detailed technical blueprints that describe exactly what the software should do.

Modular architecture and flexibility

The platform is based on hundreds of reusable AI building blocks specifically designed to solve real business challenges. These building blocks can be flexibly combined to meet specific business requirements.

Another key advantage is the LLM-agnostic nature of the platform. Customers can use public and private models or switch between them without being tied to a single ecosystem. This flexibility gives companies control over their data and enables them to leverage the best available AI models for their specific needs.

Security and data protection as a priority

Security and data protection are top priorities at Unframe AI. The company ensures that customers never have to share their data outside of their secure perimeters. The platform securely integrates with any SaaS application, API, database, or file, allowing companies to individually determine whether and which data is shared with the AI.

The implementation at the distributor

Challenges before automation

Before implementing the Unframesolution, the distributor faced typical challenges of the traditional quoting process. Manually creating quotations required coordination between different departments, navigating extensive product catalogs, calculating complex pricing structures, and considering customer-specific requirements.

These processes tied up significant human resources and led to delays, which were problematic in a highly competitive market. Furthermore, the manual approach increased the risk of errors in pricing calculations or product specifications.

The selection process and the decision for Unframe

The manager responsible for the project reports that the company evaluated several automation partners before choosing Unframe . The deciding factors were the company's unparalleled expertise, exceptional commitment, and its philosophy that no effort is too great.

Unframe's collaborative approach was particularly impressive. The team took the time to understand the distributor's unique workflows and developed a seamless integration that consistently exceeded expectations.

Implementation and integration

The AI ​​solution was implemented gradually, with a particular focus on seamless integration into the company's existing systems. Unframe used its blueprint approach to develop a customized solution perfectly tailored to the distributor's specific requirements.

The solution integrates various data sources, product catalogs, and pricing systems and automates the entire quotation creation process. Customer inquiries are automatically analyzed, relevant products are identified, prices are calculated, and professional offers are generated.

Dramatic results and business impact

Quantifiable improvements

The results of the implementation exceed all expectations. Reducing the quote creation time from 24 hours to just a few seconds represents an efficiency increase of several thousand percent. This dramatic improvement has far-reaching implications for the entire business model.

Customers now receive virtually instant responses to their inquiries, significantly increasing customer satisfaction and the likelihood of successful deals. The speed of quote creation gives the distributor a significant competitive advantage in a market where response time often determines business success.

Increased quality and consistency

In addition to increasing speed, AI automation has led to a significant improvement in bid quality. The automated processes eliminate human errors in calculations and ensure that all bids are consistently formatted and complete.

The AI ​​automatically considers all relevant factors such as volume discounts, special conditions, and customer-specific agreements. This leads to more precise quotes and reduces the need for subsequent corrections or negotiations.

Release of human resources

Automating the proposal process has freed employees from time-consuming, repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on more value-added activities such as developing customer relationships, strategic planning, and identifying new business opportunities.

This redistribution of work resources not only improves efficiency but also the job satisfaction of employees, who can focus on more challenging and fulfilling tasks.

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Technological innovation and market impact

Robotic Process Automation as a supplement

The distributor already uses robotic process automation for various logistics and supply chain management processes. The integration of the UnframeAI solution complements these existing automation initiatives and creates a comprehensive ecosystem of intelligent business processes.

This combination of various automation technologies positions the company as a pioneer in the digital transformation of the distribution industry.

Scalability and future prospects

The implemented solution is highly scalable and can easily keep pace with the company's growth. New products, suppliers, or markets can be easily integrated into the system without affecting the underlying architecture.

This flexibility is especially important for a company like this, which is continually expanding its product portfolio and entering into new partnerships. The AI ​​solution grows with the company and consistently delivers optimal results.

Industry-wide impact and future outlook

Role model for the distribution industry

The success story of the South African distributor and Unframe AI serves as a blueprint for other companies in the distribution industry. It demonstrates that even established companies can benefit from revolutionary AI technologies without fundamentally changing their proven business models.

The implementation also demonstrates that successful AI projects don't have to take years, but can be implemented quickly with the right approach. Unframe 's blueprint approach makes AI technology accessible to companies of all sizes.

Market trends and technological development

The South African IT services market is expected to grow from USD 6.47 billion in 2025 to USD 7.70 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 3.53 percent. This expansion will be primarily driven by increasing digitalization and the adoption of new technologies such as AI.

Companies that implement AI technologies early on are optimally positioned to benefit from this growth and gain market share. This success story demonstrates that investments in AI automation can not only save costs but also open up new business opportunities.

Competitive advantages and sustainability

The efficiency gains achieved through AI automation create sustainable competitive advantages. Companies can not only respond more quickly to customer inquiries but also optimize their cost structure and allocate resources more strategically.

These advantages are especially important in a globalized market where customers have increasingly higher expectations for service quality and responsiveness. Companies that fail to meet these expectations risk losing market share to more agile competitors.

Global perspectives and international significance

Unframe AI's global success

The success story with the South African distributor is just one example of Unframe AI's growing global influence. The company already serves dozens of Fortune 500 customers and has achieved multi-million-dollar annual revenue, despite its recent market launch.

Client testimonials from global firms such as Cushman & Wakefield and various investment banks confirm the transformative impact of Unframetechnology. This international recognition validates the approach and demonstrates the potential for further expansion.

Technological paradigm shift

The partnership between the distributor and Unframe AI represents a fundamental paradigm shift in the way companies implement AI technology. Instead of lengthy, costly development projects, the blueprint approach enables rapid, cost-effective implementation with immediate, measurable results.

This approach democratizes AI technology and makes it accessible to companies of all sizes. Especially for established companies like this distributor, which have proven business models, this approach offers the opportunity to reap the benefits of AI without having to make fundamental changes to their organizational structure.

Sustainability and social impacts

Contribution to Africa's digital transformation

As one of South Africa's leading IT distributors, the company is making a significant contribution to the continent's digital transformation. The implementation of advanced AI technologies not only strengthens the company itself but also sets standards for the entire industry.

This success story shows other African companies that they don't have to wait for international technology trends, but can actively participate in shaping the digital future. This role model function is particularly important for the region's economic development.

Economic and social impacts

The efficiency gains achieved through AI automation have a positive impact on the entire value chain. Faster quotation processes mean better service quality for customers, who in turn can implement their own projects more efficiently.

As a company deeply committed to South Africa's economic transformation, the competitive advantages achieved through AI technology will strengthen the company's position and create long-term jobs and development opportunities.

Lessons learned and best practices

Success factors for AI implementation

The success story of this distributor and Unframe AI offers important insights for other companies planning similar transformation projects. A key success factor was the careful selection of the technology partner, considering not only technical capabilities but also cultural fit and commitment.

Unframe's willingness to invest time in understanding the distributor's specific workflows was critical to success. This collaborative approach, in which the technology provider acts as a strategic partner rather than simply a service provider, proved particularly valuable.

Importance of corporate culture

Another important aspect was the distributor's open and innovative corporate culture. Management demonstrated a willingness to explore new technologies and challenge existing processes. This openness to innovation was fundamental to the success of the AI ​​implementation.

Employees were involved in the transformation process from the beginning and informed about the benefits of automation. This reduced resistance and promoted acceptance of the new technology.

Outlook and future developments

Extended applications

The success of the quotation process automation opens the door for further AI applications at the distributor. Potential areas for future automation include inventory management, customer service, demand forecasting, and supply chain optimization.

The modular architecture of the Unframeplatform makes it easy to integrate additional functionality and continuously expand the system. This scalability ensures that the initial investment generates long-term returns.

Industry-wide transformation

The success story of this South African company will likely inspire other companies in the distribution industry to launch similar AI initiatives. This could lead to an industry-wide transformation in which AI automation becomes standard.

Companies that invest early in these technologies are likely to achieve sustainable competitive advantages. Those that hesitate risk being overtaken by more agile competitors.

Technological development

The continuous development of AI technologies promises even greater opportunities for the future. Advances in natural language processing, machine learning, and automation will enable new use cases and enhance existing solutions.

Unframe AI continuously invests in research and development to expand its platform and add new functionality. This continuous innovation ensures that partners like this leading distributor always have access to the latest and most powerful AI technologies.

A milestone in business optimization and automation!

The partnership between the South African IT distributor and Unframe AI represents a milestone in the development of business automation. The dramatic reduction in quote creation time from 24 hours to just a few seconds demonstrates the transformative potential of modern AI technology.

This success story demonstrates that the future of business automation is already accessible today. Companies don't have to wait years for specialized solutions to be developed; instead, with the right partners and technologies, they can achieve immediate, measurable improvements.

The combination of the distributor's decades of industry experience and Unframe AI's innovative technology has created a solution that not only increases efficiency but also sets new standards for the entire distribution industry. This partnership proves that the intelligent integration of AI technology can strengthen existing business models while paving the way for future growth and innovation.

The success story of this company and Unframe AI will undoubtedly serve as a benchmark for successful AI implementations in the distribution industry and inspire other companies to embark on their own digital transformation journeys. In an increasingly connected and automated business world, this partnership represents a shining example of the opportunities that arise when traditional business expertise meets revolutionary technology.

Business automation: How AI compresses an entire workday for quotation creation into a few clicks and seconds – Image: Xpert.Digital

More about it here:

• Business automation: How AI compresses an entire workday for quotation creation into a few clicks and seconds

Konrad Wolfenstein

I would be happy to serve as your personal advisor.

contact me under Wolfenstein ∂ Xpert.digital

call me under +49 89 674 804 (Munich)

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