Fixings and ironmongery is a world of enormous range and tiny detail. Thousands of sizes, threads, finishes, grades and part numbers, where the difference between the right item and a returns note is a millimetre or a coating. OptiFlow puts an AI layer on top of the systems you already run so enquiries are matched to the exact part and turned into accurate orders.
The challenge of range and precision
A fixings merchant might carry tens of thousands of lines, and customers rarely quote a clean part number. They describe what they need, send a photo, or read out a code with a digit missing. Your team then hunt the catalogue to find the exact size, thread, grade and finish, check stock and price, and key the order. It is skilled, careful work, and at volume it queues and it slips.
What OptiFlow does for you
OptiFlow reads enquiries across every channel and matches free text, part numbers and descriptions to the exact item in your catalogue. It checks live stock and account pricing, suggests the correct alternative when a line is out, and builds the order ready for a person to confirm.
- Accurate part matching from descriptions, codes and photos to your live catalogue.
- Automated order entry and stock and price enquiries.
- Sensible alternatives offered when a size or finish is out of stock.
- Fewer wrong items and returns because the match is exact.
Works with your systems, no rip and replace
OptiFlow is an AI layer that sits on top of the platform you already run, whether that is Kerridge, Intact, Ibcos or another trade system, and acts on the data it already holds. There is no migration, no long project and nothing new for your team to learn, and most merchants are live in weeks rather than months. See the fuller picture on our AI for builders merchants page, and how we protect your data on the data security and trust page.
See OptiFlow work on your own orders and enquiries. Get a quote.
Related reading: returns and credits automation and order entry automation.
Frequently asked questions
Can it match vague enquiries to the right part?
Yes. OptiFlow matches free text descriptions, part codes and photos to the exact size, thread, grade and finish in your live catalogue.
What happens when an item is out of stock?
It checks live stock and offers a sensible alternative where one exists, so the customer still leaves with what they need.
Will it cut returns?
Yes. Getting the exact match first time means fewer wrong items and fewer returns, which saves the cost and hassle of putting them right.
Can it handle a very large range?
Yes. It matches against your full catalogue however many tens of thousands of lines you carry.
Do I need to replace my system?
No. OptiFlow layers on top of your existing platform with no migration.