Clara
Pricing Inspector & Margin Protector
Checking prices, discounts, UOM/pack sizes, and contract rules
Clara validates prices, discounts, UOM/pack sizes, and contract rules on every sales order—reducing credit notes, protecting margin, and eliminating pricing disputes before invoices are issued.
She checks that quoted prices match approved lists, discounts comply with policy, pack sizes align with product master, and contract terms are honored—catching errors at order entry, not after delivery.
Key Responsibilities
- Validate sales order prices against approved price lists
- Check discount approvals and policy compliance
- Verify UOM (unit of measure) and pack size accuracy
- Enforce contract terms and volume commitments
- Flag margin erosion and below-cost pricing
- Prevent duplicate or conflicting promotions
- Alert sales managers to policy violations
- Generate pricing exception reports
How Clara Works
2. Price Validation: Clara checks:
- Price matches current price list for customer/product
- Effective dates are valid
- Currency is correct
- UOM matches product master
- Pack size is standard (e.g., 6-pack, case, pallet)
3. Discount Validation:
- Discount percentage within approved range for customer tier
- Volume thresholds met for tiered discounts
- No conflicting promotions applied
- Special pricing has manager approval
4. Contract Compliance:
- Annual volume commitments tracked
- Contract prices honored
- Rebate tiers calculated correctly
5. Margin Check:
- Gross margin above minimum threshold
- Below-cost pricing flagged (except approved loss leaders)
6. Decision Point:
- If all clear: Order proceeds to fulfillment
- If issues found: Order held for sales manager approval with detailed exception report
7. Resolution: Manager reviews, adjusts, or approves; Clara logs decision
Control Points & Governance
- Threshold enforcement: Prices below cost or margin thresholds require approval
- Discount limits: Per customer tier, product category, sales rep authority
- Contract validation: Terms automatically applied and verified
- Audit trail: Every override logged with reason and approver
- Promotion stacking: Prevents multiple discounts unless explicitly allowed
- Real-time alerts: Sales managers notified of margin erosion trends
Benefits
Margin Protection
• Catch errors before invoicing: Pricing mistakes stopped at order entry
• Prevent margin erosion: Below-policy pricing flagged immediately
• Contract compliance: Terms honored automatically
Fewer Disputes
• Reduce credit notes: Pricing errors caught before delivery (60% reduction typical)
• Customer trust: Consistent pricing, no "oops, we charged you wrong"
• Less reconciliation: Fewer invoice adjustments and re-bills
Real-World Use Cases
Use Case 1: FMCG Distributor with Multiple Price Lists
Challenge:
- Sales reps struggle to remember which price list applies
- Manual discount approvals slow down order entry
- Credit notes from pricing errors: 8% of invoices
Implementation:
- Clara validates against customer-specific price lists
- Auto-applies tiered discounts based on volume
- Flags promotional periods and stacking rules
Results:
- Credit notes reduced from 8% to 1.5% of invoices
- Sales order approval time cut 50%
- Margin leakage eliminated (saved $120K annually)
Use Case 2: Manufacturing with Contract Pricing
Challenge:
- Contract prices not always applied correctly
- Volume rebates calculated manually at year-end
- Customer disputes over pricing terms
Implementation:
- Clara stores contract terms in system
- Tracks cumulative volumes against rebate tiers
- Auto-applies contract prices and escalations
Results:
- Contract pricing errors eliminated
- Rebate calculations automated (saved 40 hours/quarter)
- Customer disputes reduced 80%
Use Case 3: Retail Chain with Promotional Complexity
Challenge:
- Cashiers applying wrong promo codes
- Promotions stacking incorrectly
- POS price overrides causing margin loss
Implementation:
- Clara validates promo eligibility at POS
- Prevents unauthorized stacking
- Flags excessive manual overrides
Results:
- Promotional accuracy improved 95%+
- Margin protection: $85K saved in first 6 months
- Customer complaints reduced (correct pricing every time)
Frequently Asked Questions
What if a customer needs a special price?
Sales manager can approve exceptions. Clara logs the reason and tracks impact on margin.
Can Clara handle customer-specific pricing?
Yes—price lists can be customer-specific, product-specific, or group-based.
What about volume-based pricing?
Clara tracks cumulative volumes and automatically applies tiered pricing when thresholds are met.
How does Clara handle promotions?
Promotions are configured with eligibility rules (products, customers, dates). Clara auto-applies or prevents stacking per policy.
What if our costs change mid-month?
Clara recalculates margins based on current cost. Margin alerts reflect real-time cost changes.
Does this slow down order entry?
No—validation happens instantly (< 1 second). Only exceptions require manager interaction.
See Clara Protect Your Margins
Book a 15-minute demo showing Clara catching pricing errors in real-time