From Quote to Shipment: Will the Sales Order Agent and Order Ship Express Replace You?

Are you tired of copy pasting customer emails into sales orders and then spending the afternoon hunting for the cheapest shipping rate? You’re not alone. In today’s business, manual order entry and shipping delays are two of the biggest pain points raised by Dynamics 365 Business Central users. Microsoft’s new Sales Order Agent and Insight Works’ Order Ship Express aim to change that by automating the entire flow, from the moment a customer requests a quote to the moment the package hits the carrier’s truck.

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What Does the Sales Order Agent Actually Do?

The Sales Order Agent is Microsoft’s AI powered assistant for order capture. When a customer sends an email requesting a quote, the agent:

• Monitors your designated mailbox and recognizes potential sales inquiries.
• Locates the customer in Business Central, checks stock, and generates a PDF quote including items, quantities, prices, and delivery dates.
• Engages in multi-turn email conversations to clarify missing details and confirm availability. If the customer replies with changes or questions, the agent adjusts the quote accordingly.
• Converts quotes into orders after user approval and sends them back to the customer.

Users remain in control: you set up permissions and profiles to define which tables and pages the agent can access, and you always review outgoing messages before they go out. Think of it as a diligent assistant who never tires, not a replacement.

Enter Order Ship Express: Shipping without the Headaches

Once the order is created, it’s time to ship. Traditionally, this means logging into carrier websites, copying addresses, comparing rates, and manually printing labels. Order Ship Express—a license free app from Insight Works—removes those steps entirely. The latest version includes some impressive capabilities:

• License free, user friendly integration: It plugs into Business Central and doesn’t require extra modules or complex setup.
• Global availability for domestic shipments: You can use Order Ship Express in many countries, but it will only generate domestic parcel labels. Users requiring international, LTL, or FTL labels should consider Insight Works’ Dynamic Ship solution.
• Flexible carrier support: Use built in shipping accounts or bring your own accounts. The app integrates with major parcel carriers, allowing you to shop for negotiated rates, print labels, and track shipments in real-time.
• Real-time rate shopping: Compare up to three carriers and choose the best option for every order.

At its core, Order Ship Express is designed to simplify domestic shipping, reduce costs, and improve customer communication. It’s perfect for warehouses, retailers, and e-commerce merchants that need to handle domestic parcels quickly and efficiently. For international shipments, the Dynamic Ship app provides the broader carrier and freight support you’ll need.

Putting It All Together: A Day in the Life of Your New Workflow

1. The customer sends an email asking for a quote. Instead of jumping between your inbox and Business Central, you sip your coffee. The Sales Order Agent reads the message, locates the customer, and confirms item availability.
2. The agent creates a sales quote. It fills in quantities, prices, and shipping details, then emails a PDF quote back to the customer. If the customer replies with changes or questions, the agent manages the conversation.
3. You review and approve. The agent never sends anything without your blessing. You may want to adjust the discount or add a special note.
4. The quote becomes an order, and you move to shipping. Within the Sales Order Shipping page, you choose “Create Shipping Labels,” select your carrier and service, and click Get Rate or Get Label. Order Ship Express calculates the freight cost and price, then downloads a PDF label.

5. Labels are printed automatically, and tracking numbers are updated in Business Central. Email notifications can be sent to your customers instantly.
6. You get back to high value work. Instead of doing data entry or waiting on carrier websites, you focus on dealing with exceptions—negotiating better terms, up selling complementary products, or maybe taking that well deserved vacation. After all, if a shipping clerk can finally go on holiday, the tools must be doing something right!

Key Benefits

• Speed & Accuracy: AI order entry reduces transcription errors, and integrated rate shopping ensures you choose the optimal carrier every time.
• Cost Savings: Negotiated rates and real time comparisons help you avoid overpaying.
• Customer Satisfaction: Timely quotes and fast shipping improve the buying experience.
• Scalability: Both solutions scale with your business, allowing you to handle more orders without adding staff.

Will They Replace You?

In truth, no, at least not any time soon. The Sales Order Agent automates repetitive steps but still requires human oversight for approvals, exceptions, and relationship building. Order Ship Express simplifies domestic shipping, but won’t negotiate carrier contracts or resolve address errors by itself. For international shipping or complex freight, Dynamic Ship provides the additional functionality you’ll need. These tools free you from busywork, allowing you to focus more on the complex problems that humans excel at.

So will the Sales Order Agent and Order Ship Express replace you? Probably not. But they will replace the parts of your job that involve copying data from one screen to another, and that might be the upgrade you’ve been waiting for.

Install Order Ship Express today from Microsoft AppSource.