How It Works

From inbox to quote in 4 steps

No manual data entry. No spreadsheets. No missed margins. Tidal handles the entire quoting workflow automatically.

Step 01

Email Arrives

A customer sends an RFQ to your inbox — often 800+ unstructured line items, attachments in every format imaginable. Tidal reads it the moment it lands, around the clock.

  • Connects directly to Outlook and Gmail — no forwarding rules
  • Processes RFQs 24/7, including nights and weekends
  • Handles attachments: PDFs, Excel, Word, plain text
  • No RFQ sits unanswered while your team is offline
Container ship at sea representing incoming maritime RFQs
Port cargo operations representing AI item extraction

Step 02

AI Parses Every Item

Tidal's AI extracts every line item, quantity, and specification — including IMPA and ISSA codes — even from messy, inconsistent formats that would take a human hours to interpret.

  • 847+ line items processed per RFQ automatically
  • IMPA and ISSA code matching at 90%+ accuracy
  • Handles inconsistent formats, typos, and missing codes
  • Unmatched items flagged for manual review — nothing is lost

Step 03

Prices Matched & Margins Protected

Live vendor pricing is pulled and applied against your master catalogue. Your margin rules are enforced automatically — no human touches the numbers before the quote goes out.

  • Live vendor pricing pulled in real time
  • Client-specific pricing tiers applied per account
  • Margin protection rules enforced — zero missed margins
  • Full audit trail: every price decision is logged
Shipping port representing price matching and logistics
Vessel at sea representing completed quote delivery

Step 04

Quote Sent

A professional, margin-protected quote lands in your customer's inbox in under 30 minutes. Before Tidal, the same quote took 2–3 days.

  • Branded quote template, fully customisable
  • Quote ready for ERP export (ShipNet, Bassnet)
  • Full P&L visibility per quote and per vessel
  • Confirmed orders trigger automatic PO generation

Full Platform

Everything a ship chandler needs

Beyond quoting — Tidal handles the complete RFQ-to-profit workflow. No ERP required to get started.

Confirmed Orders

When a client confirms, the order is locked in and tracked through to fulfilment.

Purchase Order Generation

Confirmed orders automatically generate POs and route them to the relevant vendors.

Vendor Invoice Matching

Vendor invoices are ingested and matched back to orders. Historical data feeds future quote accuracy.

Master Catalogue

A centralised product catalogue maps items to IMPA/ISSA codes with standardised pricing logic.

Client Price Lists

Configure individual pricing tiers and markup rules per client account.

Inventory Management

Track physical stock levels. Avoid over-ordering or stockouts during high-demand port windows.

P&L Reports

Full profit and loss reporting per RFQ and per vessel. Margin visibility at the transaction level.

User Management

Multi-user access with role-based permissions. Quote and document templates customisable per chandler.

Vendor & Client CRM

Centralised contact management for all supplier and buyer relationships.

Email & Portal Config

White-label portal setup. Full email automation rules with SMTP/API integration.

ERP Integrations

Native integrations with ShipNet and Bassnet. CSV export available. No ERP required to go live.

AI Learning Engine

Every correction improves future match accuracy. The system gets smarter with every RFQ processed.

Ready to automate your RFQ workflow?

Most customers are live in one week. No ERP required.

Book a Free Demo