Broker enquiries to partners
With the Broker enquiries to partners function, offer requests can be sent to multiple suitable dealer partners. The fastest partners can accept the enquiry and then process it.
In brief
The function helps Finstral employees distribute offer enquiries more quickly and efficiently. Partners cannot see which other partners the same enquiry has been brokered to.
Purpose of the function
The new brokering function is intended for offer requests. It is used when a request should not be assigned to just one partner, but instead sent to several suitable dealer partners at the same time. The goal is to allow suitable partners to actively accept the request. As soon as a partner accepts a brokered request, they become the responsible processor of that request in Contacts.
When is a request brokered?
There are two ways to broker a quotation request:
- Automatically via specific website forms: when an enabled form is submitted, the request can be automatically brokered to suitable dealer partners based on the stored dealer logic.
- Manually via an action in Contacts: authorized Finstral employees can broker an existing offer request directly to partners in Contacts.
Important
This action is not available for all enquiry types. It can only be used for offer enquiries.
Manually broker a request to partners
If you want to broker an offer request manually, proceed as follows:
- Open the desired quotation request in Contacts.
- In the detail view, select the "Broker partners" action.
- Check which partners the request will be brokered to.
- Review the suggested maximum number of partners that may accept the request, or adjust the number if necessary. The number must not be higher than the number of displayed partners.
- Confirm the action to start the brokering process.
In the selection window, the identified dealer partners are displayed as cards. First-wave partners are shown at the top, followed by second-wave partners below. The maximum number of partners that may accept the request is prefilled with 3 by default. If fewer than three suitable partners are available, the number of available partners is suggested automatically. You can change this number, but it must not exceed the number of displayed partners.
What happens after brokering has been started?
Once brokering has been started, the original request remains with Finstral. In the background, separate copies of the request are created for the selected dealer partners. This allows each partner to independently decide whether to accept the request.
- The original request remains visible on the Finstral side.
- In the detail view of the original request, you can see which partners the request has been brokered to.
- Dealer partners cannot see which other partners have received the same brokered request.
- Partners receive a notification and can accept the request via the Accept button.
- Once a partner accepts the request, they become the responsible processor of their request copy.
Acceptance by the dealer partner
When a dealer partner opens a brokered request via the notification, an acceptance dialog is displayed. The dialog informs the partner that the request has also been offered to other partners.
If the request has already been accepted by another partner, this is indicated accordingly. The partner does not receive any information about which other partners are involved or who has already accepted the request.
If the maximum number of possible acceptances has already been reached, the request can no longer be accepted. In this case, a message is displayed indicating that the request has already been assigned. Additionally, the time of the last acceptance is shown.
Timing logic and fallback
The brokering process can take place in stages. In the first wave, Finstral Studio Partners are given the opportunity to accept the request. If the maximum defined number of acceptances has not been reached within 4 working hours, additional suitable dealer partners are subsequently included. Working hours are defined as weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
If no partner has accepted the request within 48 hours, the brokering process is completed as unsuccessful. The original request remains open or becomes due again and can be brokered again or assigned directly.
Status overview
Different statuses are used for requests during the brokering process. These statuses help identify whether a request is currently being brokered, has been brokered successfully, or whether the brokering process has failed.
Enquiry | Status | Meaning |
| Original enquiry at Finstral | Matching in progress | The enquiry has been brokered; the original enquiry remains with Finstral and is offered to partners for acceptance. |
| Original enquiry at Finstral | Successfully matched | The maximum defined number of acceptances has been reached. |
| Original enquiry at Finstral | Partially matched | At least one partner enquiry has been accepted, but the maximum defined number has not been reached. The original enquiry is closed. |
| Original enquiry at Finstral | Matching failed | No partner enquiry was accepted within 48 hours. The original enquiry remains open and must be brokered again or assigned directly. |
| Original enquiry at Finstral | Matching cancelled manually | The brokering process was cancelled manually. The partner enquiries are terminated; the original enquiry remains open. |
| Partner enquiry | In assignment | The partner has received the enquiry but has not yet accepted it. |
| Partner enquiry | Enquiry assigned | The partner has accepted the enquiry and is now the responsible processor. |
| Partner enquiry | Allocation failed | The acceptance was submitted too late, or the brokering process was cancelled. The enquiry is not visible to the partner. |
Important notes
• Offer requests only: the function is intended for brokering offer requests only.
• Contacts access required: requests are brokered only to partners who use Contacts.
• No cross-border brokering: a request is brokered only to partners in the country where the construction project is located.
• Partners remain anonymous: dealer partners cannot see which other partners have received the request.
• Sales outlets can be excluded: individual partner can be disabled for brokering if requests are not being handled correctly. They can still be assigned manually.
• Unaccepted requests: partner requests that are accepted too late or not accepted at all are closed and are not visible to the partner.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still assign a request directly to a single partner?
Yes. The existing option to manually assign a request to an individual partner remains available.
Can a partner see that other partners have received the same request?
Partners are only informed that the request has been offered to multiple partners. No details about other partners are displayed.
Can I change the maximum number of acceptances?
Yes. The suggested number can be adjusted in the brokering window, but it cannot exceed the number of displayed partners.
What happens if no partner accepts the request?
If no partner request is accepted within 48 hours, the original request remains open or becomes due again. It can then be brokered again or assigned directly.