Sales, Quoting & Project Planning AI

A specialist retail and trade services business in New Zealand partnered with ELab to identify and implement AI solutions across its sales, operations, and training workflows. Through a structured discovery process, ELab identified six high-value automation opportunities and deployed multiple AI assistants covering core business operations, CRM and sales support (MAISY), and training/SOP automation. The phased approach began with a low-cost pilot ($2,000 NZD) that delivered immediate productivity tools, with a roadmap for expanding into project planning, pricing automation, and marketing AI.

Industry: Retail / Trade Services | Duration: 2-4 months | Services: AI Foundations, Core AI, CRM AI, Training AI

Growing trade services and specialist retail businesses face a common scaling bottleneck: the sales and quoting process depends heavily on experienced individuals who carry pricing knowledge, client history, and project scoping expertise in their heads. As these businesses grow, the manual nature of quoting, project planning, and client management becomes a critical constraint on revenue growth.

Key Pain Points

• Manual Quoting Bottleneck: Experienced staff spending hours on each quote, manually looking up pricing from spreadsheets and catalogues, limiting the volume of quotes the business can produce
• Key Person Dependency in Sales: Critical pricing knowledge, client relationships, and project scoping expertise concentrated in one or two senior people, creating business continuity risk
• Disconnected Sales Processes: CRM data, pricing sheets, project specifications, and client communications managed across separate systems with no integration
• Field-to-Office Data Gap: Site visit observations and measurements captured via handwritten notes, requiring time-consuming verbal handover and manual transcription before quoting can begin
• Inconsistent Quote Quality: Quote accuracy and completeness varying significantly depending on which team member prepared it, leading to margin erosion and client dissatisfaction

Business Impact

ELab delivered phased AI enablement programmes tailored to each business context, beginning with discovery to map the full sales and quoting lifecycle and identify the highest-impact automation opportunities.

Phase 1: Core AI & Training AI (Delivered)

• Developed a Core Business AI assistant tailored to strategy, general operations, and daily tasks, integrated into Slack
• Built a Training AI to automate SOP creation, manage onboarding processes, and handle frequently asked questions
• Created SOP templates and training materials
• Provided training materials and guides for the team
• Investment: $2,000 NZD (Phase 1)

Phase 2: Sales & CRM AI (Delivered)

• Deployed MAISY CRM AI assistant integrated into Slack for sales and business development
• Automated client interaction logging, lead organisation, and follow-up tracking
• Created Marketing and Communications AI for brand-aligned content generation
• Configured tone of voice AI for consistent external communications

Ongoing Advisory Retainer

• 8 hours of tailored guidance and training on AI usage and optimisation
• AI best practices recommendations and monthly performance reports
• Investment: $1,000 NZD for 8 hours ($125/hour)

Identified but Not Yet Implemented

The following opportunities were identified during discovery and scoped for future phases:

• Project Planning & Pricing AI: Automated quote generation using live pricing sheets
• Advanced workflow automation across sales and operations processes

Solutions Deployed

• Core Business AI: General-purpose assistant for strategy, planning, and daily operations (Slack-integrated)
• CRM AI (MAISY): Sales and business development assistant managing client interactions, leads, and pipeline (Slack-integrated)
• Training & SOP AI: Automated creation of standard operating procedures and onboarding materials
• Marketing & Communications AI: Brand-aligned content generation with tone of voice configuration

Delivered Outcomes

Verified from discovery proposal and engagement deliverables

Identified Opportunities (Scoped, Pending Implementation)

From discovery analysis -- these represent future phases, not yet delivered

Value Delivered

Operational Efficiency

• Core Business AI provides an always-available assistant for strategy, planning, and daily tasks
• MAISY CRM AI reduces manual data entry, automates client interaction logging, and ensures consistent follow-up
• Marketing AI generates brand-aligned content quickly, improving consistency of external communications

Knowledge Preservation

• Training AI captures and maintains SOPs, reducing key person dependency for onboarding and process knowledge
• Sales processes and best practices documented in AI-accessible knowledge base
• FAQ handling automated, freeing experienced staff from repetitive internal queries

Strategic Foundation

• Six identified AI opportunities provide a clear roadmap for continued transformation
• Low-cost Phase 1 ($2,000 NZD) proved value and built confidence for further investment
• Slack-integrated platform means AI is embedded in existing workflows, not a separate system to learn
• Foundation established for future phases including project planning, pricing automation, and advanced workflow automation

The sales and quoting AI solutions establish a foundation for end-to-end business process transformation. As quoting accuracy and speed improve, the natural next steps extend into procurement, project delivery, and financial management.

Identified Future Phases:

• Project Planning & Pricing AI for automated quote generation using live pricing sheets
• Advanced workflow automation across sales and operations
• Deeper CRM integration and pipeline analytics
• Expansion of Marketing & Communications AI capabilities

The Pattern: Growing trade services and specialist retail businesses often hit a scaling wall: their sales and operations processes depend on experienced individuals who carry critical knowledge. AI-enabled CRM, training, and operations assistants capture that knowledge and make it accessible to the whole team, reducing key person dependency and enabling the business to grow without proportionally growing headcount.

Phased, Low-Risk Approach: Starting with a $2,000 NZD Phase 1 investment allowed the business to experience real AI value within two weeks before committing to larger initiatives. This de-risked approach, beginning with core productivity and training tools before expanding into sales and marketing AI, is particularly effective for SME businesses where budget scrutiny is high.

• AI Foundations Workshop
• AI Readiness Assessment
• Strategic AI Roadmap
• AI Policy & Governance
• Pilot Implementation
• AI Coworker Deployment
• Managed AI Services
• vCAIO Advisory

Document Control: v1.0 | Last Updated: February 2026 | Author: ELab

For more information, contact ELab at hello@elab.co.nz or visit www.elab.co.nz