Quotations — User Guide

Module: Purchase
Audience: Procurement staff, buyers, approvers
Version: 1.0.0
Last updated: 2026-07-22

Overview

A quotation (purchase estimate) is a formal price offer from a vendor, usually linked to a purchase request. You can create quotations manually, pull line items from an approved purchase request, send PDF copies to vendor contacts, run them through approval, and compare multiple vendor quotes on the purchase request Compare quotes tab. The winning quote is marked Quote awarded and can be used when creating a purchase order.

Prerequisites

Step-by-step: View the quotation list

1. Go to Purchase → Quotations.
2. Optionally filter using the dropdowns:
   • Purchase request — one or more PRs
   • Vendor — one or more vendors
3. Click a quotation number to open the preview in the right panel (split view).
4. Use the angle-double-left toggle to expand or collapse the preview pane.

Toolbar: Create new estimate appears when you have Create permission.

List columns: Number, Amount, Tax, Vendor, Purchase request, Date, Expiry date, Approval status.

Step-by-step: Create a quotation

1. Go to Purchase → Quotations.
2. Click Create new estimate.
3. Complete the header:
   • Vendor — selecting a vendor loads vendor details and bank accounts
   • Purchase request — optional; choosing an approved PR copies its line items into the table
   • Vendor bank account — select when shown
   • Number — assigned using system estimate numbering rules
   • Buyer — internal staff responsible for the quote
   • Currency, Date, Expiry date
4. Add line items using the item selector above the table. Enter quantity, unit price, tax, and discounts as needed.
5. Enter Shipping fee if applicable.
6. Review Vendor note and Terms and conditions (defaults may come from Purchase settings).
7. Click Submit.

Expected result: You are redirected to Purchase → Quotations with the new quotation open in the preview. If quotation approval rules are configured, the status starts as Draft; otherwise it may be Approved immediately.

Step-by-step: Edit a quotation

1. Open the quotation from the list (or use row options → Edit).
2. In the preview, click the pencil icon, or open Edit from the row menu.
3. Update header fields or line items.
4. Click Submit.

Note: You cannot edit quotations that are Approved or Quote awarded. The edit links are hidden for those statuses.

Step-by-step: Preview tabs and actions

When a quotation is open in the preview panel:

Action buttons (top right of preview):

Status ribbon on the preview: Draft, Approved, Rejected, or Quote awarded.

Step-by-step: Send a quotation by email

1. Open the quotation preview.
2. Click Send a quote (envelope icon).
3. In the modal, select vendor contacts and edit the message if needed.
4. Optionally attach the PDF.
5. Send.

Requires email (SMTP) to be configured in system settings.

Step-by-step: Approval workflow

When Purchase → Settings → Approval process includes rules for Quotation:

1. Create or open a Draft quotation.
2. Click Send request approve.
3. Assigned approvers receive notifications and use Approve or Deny on the preview.
4. Some stages may require E-signature sign.

Users with Change approval status permission can override status using the Change status to dropdown without going through the full chain.

Step-by-step: Link to purchase requests and bid award

Quotations are often created in response to a purchase request:

• On the quotation form, select an approved Purchase request to copy its items.
• On the purchase request, open the Compare quotes tab to evaluate multiple vendor quotations, score bids, and select a winner.

When a quote is selected as the winning bid on the PR, its status becomes Quote awarded. That quotation cannot be edited or deleted from the quotation list.

See Purchase requests for the full compare-quotes and bid-approval workflow.

Step-by-step: Use a quotation on a purchase order

When creating a purchase order, you can copy an approved quotation’s lines into the PO form (quotation selector on the PO screen). If your organization requires bid approval, only the Quote awarded quotation may be copied when multiple quotes exist for the same purchase request.

Vendor profile

To see all quotations for one supplier: Purchase → Vendor → open the vendor → Quotations tab.

Common issues

Related features

• Purchase requests — RFQ, compare quotes, bid award
• Vendors — supplier master data and vendor quotations tab
• Purchase orders — edit — copy quotation lines into a PO
• Purchase → Settings → Approval process (Quotation rules)
• Vendor portal — vendors can submit quotations externally (separate feature cluster)