A Leading Metals Distributor ROI increased x10

Case Study

A Leading Metals Distributor *ROI increased x10*

A $4B+ metals distributor needed market-relevant, dynamic pricing across volatile cycles. Leadership wanted tighter discount discipline and faster quoting, plus an implementation approach that would stick across sales offices and customer segments.

• Pricing

*Company’s Challenge* Margin compression and inconsistent field pricing made it hard to protect profitability and win rate in volatile markets.

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• Margin compression intensified during volatile and declining market cycles
• Discounting varied widely for similar customers and deals
• Quoting was slow and lacked analytics for price decisions
• Sales teams lacked shared understanding of pricing rules and guardrails

Cortado Group *Results*

• Discount variability dropped meaningfully across like customers and transactions.
• Win rates increased 5% to 10% across geographies and customer segments.
• In-scope portfolio margin improved 200+ bps.
• The initiative delivered 10x ROI through improved price realization and control.

Cortado Group *Solution* *Strategies*

• Design Pricing Engine
• Re-Price Portfolio
• Set Discount Guardrails
• Embed in CRM/CPQ
• Operationalize Governance
• Train the Field
• Instrument Measurement
• Enable Continuous Improvement

• Built index-based logic to set prices from relevant market indices and inputs.
• Established pricing for new and existing products with clear corridors by segment.
• Defined when reps can discount, how much, and when approvals are required.
• Delivered CRM-integrated CPQ guidance to improve quote speed and accuracy.
• Implemented cadence, ownership, and escalation paths to sustain adherence. ​
• Ran implementation training across US sales offices with role-based scenarios.
• Built a methodology to track adoption, realization, win rate, and margin impact.
• Created a feedback loop to tune thresholds and rules as markets moved.

• list

• Solutions Provided

• Pricing Model & Architecture

• Price New & Existing Products

• Discounting Methodology

• Pricing and Sales BI Tools

Key *Insight*

An index-driven pricing engine reduced discount variability, delivered 200+ bps margin lift, and generated 10x ROI.