The project shouldn’t lose its supply chain.
TradeFlo connects the contractor’s project workflow with the manufacturer rep and distributor relationships already used to select, price, supply, install, and support electrical products.
TradeFlo does not replace the manufacturer–rep–distributor channel. It gives that channel a place to stay connected to the contractor’s actual project.
One live Project Record
From proposal through warranty
Proposal + material need
8 LED emergency fixtures
Manufacturer rep
Product / spec / warranty confirmation
Authorized distributor
Price / availability / fulfillment
Installed product
Product history stays with the job
Warranty + future support
Rep and distributor relationship retained
Rep
Product
Distributor
Price
Contractor
Approval
How it works
A lightweight layer on top of the project workflow.
The contractor does not stop building the proposal to enter another system. TradeFlo carries the project context forward and gives each channel participant only what they need.
Contractor builds the proposal
Materials are already part of the proposal. TradeFlo can show a planning range and ask whether the contractor already has the product or rep connection they need.
The contractor stays inside the proposal — no separate procurement app or duplicate data entry.
TradeFlo connects the product request to a rep
If the contractor needs help, TradeFlo creates a product request from the project context and routes it to a selected manufacturer rep.
The rep receives the contractor contact, product need, quantity, location, timing, and any known specification details.
The rep confirms the product
The rep can call the contractor directly, then use a secure no-login page to return the product, manufacturer, model or SKU, technical notes, spec sheets, warranty terms and requirements, alternates, and a recommended distributor with contact information.
TradeFlo supports the rep relationship instead of replacing it.
The distributor confirms price and availability
The distributor receives a focused pricing request and returns actual unit cost, availability, lead time, quote number, pickup or delivery details, freight if applicable, and quote documents.
Final pricing and fulfillment remain with the authorized distributor.
Everything stays with the Project Record
The selected product, rep, distributor, pricing, documents, fulfillment status, installation date, serial numbers, inspection context, and warranty information stay connected to the same live project.
The project does not lose its supply-chain history after the sale.
See the three sides
The contractor, rep, and distributor each get the right view.
These examples use demo project data, but they mirror the actual workflow now built into TradeFlo.
1. Contractor proposal
Product connection starts while the proposal is being built.
Commercial Receptacles
20 Each
$240
Material Planning
$4.50–$9 / Each
Planning guidance only — final pricing comes from the distributor.
Do you already have a manufacturer rep?
This mirrors the proposal experience shown inside the contractor workspace.
2. Manufacturer rep page
Secure, no-login product confirmation.
PR-1042
Confirm Product
Manufacturer
Lithonia Lighting
Model / SKU
ELM2L M12 · ELM2L-M12
Warranty
5 years · starts at installation
Distributor
Northline Electrical Supply · Sarah Lopez
3. Distributor page
Secure, no-login pricing and fulfillment response.
PR-1042
Submit Distributor Pricing
Unit / Total
$142.80 · $1,142.40
Availability
8 in stock · 3–5 business days
Fulfillment
Pickup · Secaucus Branch
Quote
NL-839102
Who confirms what
The channel keeps its existing roles.
TradeFlo structures the handoff without pretending every participant owns the same decision.
Manufacturer rep: Confirms product selection, manufacturer, model/SKU, specs, substitutions, warranty terms/start requirements/documents, and the recommended distributor/contact.
Distributor: Confirms actual price, stock or availability, lead time, quote details, pickup/delivery, freight if applicable, sale, and fulfillment.
Contractor: Makes the final project decision and decides what is approved, ordered, installed, and carried into the Project Record.
What stays protected
Rep sees project product context
Need, quantity, project location, timing, specs, and contractor contact when the contractor consents.
Rep does not see contractor financials
No labor cost, markup, margin, customer selling price, deposit, or customer financial information.
Existing relationships come first
Manufacturer rules, territories, and established contractor relationships override automation.
Human connection stays human
The rep can call the contractor directly. TradeFlo is the context layer, not a replacement for the relationship.
After pricing is confirmed
The product stays connected through fulfillment and installation.
The contractor approves the distributor and price, then TradeFlo keeps the product record moving through the practical field steps that usually disappear into calls, emails, and PDFs.
Approved
Contractor approves the confirmed product and distributor pricing.
Ordered
Order status is saved to the Project Record.
Pickup / Delivery
Track ready-for-pickup, shipped, or received status.
Installed
Contractor records installation date and serial numbers.
Warranty
Manufacturer warranty terms, start rules, documents, and support stay attached to the installed product.
Why it matters
One project. Four perspectives. One connected record.
Contractor
Less guessing, fewer disconnected calls and PDFs, and a clear path from product need to installed product.
Manufacturer Rep
Gets involved while a contractor is making a real product decision for a real project — with the context needed to help.
Distributor
Receives a more complete request and remains responsible for actual pricing, availability, sale, and fulfillment.
Project Record
Preserves who specified it, who supplied it, what was installed, and who supports it later.
What exists today
Proposal-level product and rep request
Contractor contact-sharing consent
Secure rep response page — no TradeFlo account required
Secure distributor pricing page — no TradeFlo account required
Contractor approval and Project Record connection
Product, pricing, specs, warranty terms/documents, distributor contact, fulfillment, installation date, and serial-number history retained with the project
Designed to validate with the channel
Routing stays intentionally flexible.
TradeFlo can use manufacturer line, product category, territory, project location, and existing contractor relationships to recommend the right rep. But the first version keeps human review in the loop so real manufacturer and distributor channel rules shape the routing — not assumptions.
The goal: make it easier for contractors to reach the right rep at the right point in the project, while preserving the distributor’s role in pricing and fulfillment.
TradeFlo OS
Connecting the project lifecycle without breaking the relationships that already make the channel work.
Contractor → manufacturer rep → distributor → installed product → inspection → warranty and future support, all connected to the same Project Record.