# AI-generated RFQs are flooding B2B inboxes. Here's how one manufacturer filtered the noise

By MarketScale Newsroom · Published 2026-07-13 · Business Services on MarketScale
Canonical: https://www.marketscale.com/industries/business-services/ai-generated-rfqs-are-flooding-b2b-inboxes-heres-how-one-manufacturer-filtered-the-noise

> As AI tools let buyers blast polished RFQs to dozens of suppliers in minutes, specialist firms are discovering that more inquiries doesn't mean better opportuni

## Key points

- AI tools allow efficient RFQ distribution to multiple suppliers.
- Surge in inquiries does not equate to increased business success.
- Companies are seeking ways to manage AI-generated RFQ influx.

A small UK precision moulder started receiving more RFQs than ever in 2026. The inquiries were neatly formatted, often accompanied by drawings and comparison tables, and addressed to the right company. Conversion barely moved. The sales team was spending more hours quoting and less time doing the engineering work that actually differentiated the business.

That pattern, documented in a July 2026 Harvard Business Review piece by Graham Kenny and Ganna Pogrebna, is becoming a recognizable operating problem across B2B. AI-assisted procurement tools now let buyers generate supplier shortlists, draft technically plausible RFQs, and distribute them to a dozen vendors in minutes. The buying cycle gets faster for the customer. For the supplier, it gets noisier.

## The scale of AI-mediated buying

The numbers behind the shift are meaningful. A Semrush report cited in the HBR piece puts AI use in product and service research at roughly 50% of consumers. McKinsey data referenced in the same article ranks shopping-related tasks as the third most popular application of generative AI, behind only a handful of other use cases. Financial services (13%) and travel (21%) join consumer goods (39%) as categories where AI plays a decisive role in purchase decisions.

## Sources

- [AI Is Changing How Customers Choose Your Business](https://hbr.org/2026/07/ai-is-changing-how-customers-choose-your-business) (Harvard Business Review)

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