CREATE SUPPLIER QUOTATION Window

General Description

The window Create Supplier Quotation is the module where formal requests for prices and commercial conditions to suppliers are prepared. This window fulfills three functions depending on the document status: create new quotations from scratch, edit existing quotations that have not been finalized, or view already closed quotations in read-only mode.

A quotation is the stage prior to the formal purchase. Unlike a purchase order, it does not generate a purchase commitment or affect inventory; its purpose is to consult prices, compare offers and document the selection process before making a purchase decision.

What is a Supplier Quotation?

A Supplier Quotation is a consultation document through which the company formally requests from one or several suppliers information about prices, availability and commercial conditions for specific products. This document is essential for:

  • Comparing offers from different suppliers before buying.
  • Negotiating better commercial conditions based on multiple offers.
  • Documenting the supplier selection process for audits.
  • Creating a price history for future analysis.
  • Converting directly into a Purchase Order once the best offer is selected.

Key features:

  • It does not generate a purchase commitment.
  • It does not affect inventory or accounts payable.
  • It can be converted into a Purchase Order when the decision is made.
  • It allows editing until the document is finalized.
  • It can only be printed after being finalized.

Window Structure

The window is organized into several clearly differentiated zones:

Upper Zone - Third Party Selectors

At the top left there are two fundamental double selectors:

Supplier Selector:

Allows selecting the supplier from whom the quotation will be requested. The selector works in two ways:

  • Text field: The third party's code can be typed directly. When doing so, the third party's name automatically appears in a label next to it.
  • Search button: Clicking the button with the magnifying glass icon located in front of the field opens a dialog box where the supplier can be searched for and selected from a complete list.

Quoter Selector:

Allows identifying which person or internal area is requesting this quotation. It works the same way as the supplier selector, with a text field and magnifying glass button.

Real-time validation:

If a nonexistent third party code is typed in either of the two selectors, the field turns red background color, immediately indicating that this code does not exist in the database. This validation also runs before saving the document, guaranteeing that both the supplier and the one who quotes really exist.

Upper Zone - Document Information

Document number:

  • When a new quotation is being created, the word appears in this field "NEW", indicating that the document has not yet been saved and therefore has no assigned number.
  • After saving the document, the system automatically assigns a unique consecutive number.

Date selector:

Allows setting the quotation date. By default it takes the current date, but it can be modified if necessary.

Save Document Button:

At the top right there is a large, prominent button that says "Save document". This button persists the changes in the system.

Central Product Grid

Central Zone - Quoted Products List

In the center of the window there is a large grid where the products to be quoted are shown. The grid columns are:

  • Code: Unique identifier of the product.
  • Name: Product description.
  • Quantity to quote: Number of units being requested from the supplier.
  • Amount: Unit price of the product.
  • IVA: IVA percentage applied.
  • Total IVA: IVA amount in money.
  • Subtotal: Value of the product before IVA.
  • Total: Total value of the product including IVA.

By default, this grid appears empty when a new quotation is created. Products are added using the controls located at the bottom.

Add Products to the Quotation

Bottom Left Zone - Product Selector

To add products to the quotation, the controls located at the bottom left are used:

Product selector:

  • Text field: The product code can be typed directly.
  • Magnifier button: Clicking the button with the magnifying glass icon opens a dialog box where the product can be searched for and selected from a complete list.

Units field:

Numeric field where the number of units to be quoted of the selected product is typed.

Add button:

A button with the "+" symbol that transfers the selected product with the specified quantity to the central product grid.

Adding process:

  1. Select the product in the selector (by code or with the magnifying glass).
  2. Enter the number of units to be quoted.
  3. Click the "+" button.
  4. The product is automatically added to the central grid.
  5. As many products as necessary can be added.

Editing Products in the Grid

Once the products have been added to the central grid, it is possible to modify their information before finalizing the document:

Quantity editing:

To modify the quantity of a product already added:

  1. Select the product by clicking on it in the grid.
  2. Double-click the "Quantity" column.
  3. Edit the numeric value.
  4. Totals are recalculated automatically.

Amount and IVA editing:

The unit value and the IVA percentage of each product can be modified by double-clicking the corresponding columns. When any of these values is changed, the system automatically recalculates the subtotals, IVA and totals of the product and of the entire document.

Deleting products:

To delete a product from the quotation:

  1. Select the product by clicking on it in the grid.
  2. Press the key Delete on the keyboard.
  3. The product is immediately deleted from the list.

Document Totals

Lower Right Zone - Financial Summary

At the bottom right of the window, the consolidated financial calculations of the quotation are shown:

  • Subtotal: Sum of the values of all the products before discounts and IVA.
  • Discount: Total discounts applied (if any).
  • Total: Final value of the quotation including IVA and applying discounts.

These totals are automatically recalculated every time the quantities, values or IVA of the products in the grid are modified.

Saving and Finalizing the Document

The saving process has an important particularity: when clicking the button "Save document", the system shows a confirmation pop-up window that allows deciding the status of the document.

"Finalize Supplier Quotation" Window

This pop-up window presents the following options:

Information displayed:

  • The total of the quotation in an informative way.

Main question:

"Do you want to finish now or do you prefer to leave the document open to finish it later?"

Available options:

Finalize later:

  • The document remains in draft or "open" status.
  • It can continue to be edited at any future time.
  • Products can be added, modified or deleted later.
  • It cannot be printed while it is in this status.
  • Useful when the quotation is incomplete or additional information is being awaited from the suppliers.

Finalize now:

  • The document is completely finished and closed.
  • It can no longer be edited (nor can products be added, modified or deleted).
  • The option to print the quotation is enabled.
  • The document is ready to be sent to the suppliers.
  • It can be converted into a Purchase Order when the decision is made.

Implications of the choice:

The decision between finishing now or later is fundamental because it determines the subsequent workflow:

  • If it is finished later, the document remains editable but not printable. This is useful for quotations in the process of being prepared where products still need to be added or prices confirmed.
  • If it is finished now, the document is locked for editing but enabled for printing and sending. This is the correct option when the quotation is complete and ready to be formally presented to the suppliers.

Recommendation:

You should only choose "Finish now" when you are completely sure that the quotation contains all the necessary products with the correct quantities. Once finalized, any correction will require creating a new quotation.

Document Statuses

A supplier quotation can be found in two main states:

Status: Open (Not finalized)

  • Just created or in the process of being edited.
  • It can be freely modified (add, edit, delete products).
  • It cannot be printed.
  • The word "NEW" appears if it has not yet been saved for the first time.
  • It can remain in this state indefinitely until it is decided to finalize.

Status: Finalized (Closed)

  • It has been marked as completed using the "Finish now" option.
  • It can no longer be modified (neither quantities, nor values, nor products).
  • It can be printed to send to suppliers.
  • It is ready to be converted into a Purchase Order.
  • It serves as a formal document for requesting prices.

Typical Workflow

The complete process of creating a supplier quotation follows these steps:

Step 1: Create the quotation

  • Open the "Create Supplier Quotation" window.
  • Select the supplier using the text field or the magnifying glass button.
  • Verify that the supplier's name appears correctly (field without a red background).
  • Select who requests the internal quotation.
  • Verify the document date.

Step 2: Add products

  • For each product to be quoted:
    • Select the product in the bottom selector (by code or with the magnifying glass).
    • Enter the number of units to be quoted.
    • Click the "+" button to add it to the central grid.
  • Repeat for all the required products.

Step 3: Adjust information

  • Review the central product grid.
  • Double-click quantities, values or IVA to edit if necessary.
  • Verify that the totals at the bottom right are correct.
  • If it is necessary to delete a product, select it and press the Delete key.

Step 4: Save the document

  • Click the "Save document" button at the top right.
  • The "Finish Supplier Quotation" window opens.
  • Review the total shown in an informative way.

Step 5: Decide the document status

  • If the quotation is incomplete: Choose "Finish later" to continue editing later.
  • If the quotation is complete: Choose "Finish now" to close it and enable printing.

Step 6: Print and send (only if it was finalized)

  • Go to the "Supplier Quotation List" window.
  • Locate the finalized quotation.
  • Right-click on it.
  • Select "Print quotation".
  • Generate the physical document or PDF.
  • Send it to the supplier (email, fax, physical).

Step 7: Receive the supplier's response

  • The supplier sends their offer with prices, availability, and conditions.
  • Record the response in the system or in external documentation.

Step 8: Compare offers (if quotations were requested from several suppliers)

  • Review the quotations from different suppliers.
  • Compare prices, delivery times, payment conditions.
  • Identify the most convenient offer.

Step 9: Convert into a Purchase Order (optional)

  • Once the best offer is selected, go to the "Supplier Quotation List" window.
  • Right-click on the winning quotation.
  • Select "Convert document" → "Purchase order".
  • The system automatically creates a Purchase Order with all the information from the quotation.
  • Adjust if necessary and save the Purchase Order.

System Validations

The window implements several validations to guarantee data integrity:

Real-time third party validation:

  • If a nonexistent supplier or requester code is typed, the field immediately turns red.
  • This validation also runs when saving the document.

Product validation:

  • Only products that exist in inventory can be added.
  • The product selector with the magnifying glass only shows valid products.

Quantity validation:

  • Quantities must be positive numbers.
  • The system does not allow negative or zero quantities.

Amount validation:

  • Unit values must be valid numbers.
  • IVA percentages must be within valid ranges.

Validation on finalizing:

  • The system verifies that there is at least one product in the quotation before allowing finalization.
  • All totals are recalculated to guarantee consistency.

Relationship with Other Windows

Supplier Quotations List Window:

Shows all the quotations created, allowing searching, filtering, viewing, printing, deleting and converting quotations. It is the management center of the quotation process.

Create Purchase Invoice (Purchase Order) window:

When a quotation is converted into a Purchase Order, this window opens with all the information pre-loaded from the quotation.

Purchase Orders List Window:

Shows the purchase orders generated from converted quotations.

Third Parties List Window:

Provides the list of suppliers and requesters used in the selectors of this window.

Inventory Window:

Provides the list of products available for quotation. Products must exist in inventory to be added to the quotation.

Usage Recommendations

Always verify the third parties

Before adding products, make sure that both the supplier and the requester are correctly selected. Observe that the fields do not have a red background, which would indicate nonexistent codes.

Use the magnifying glass search when you do not know the codes

If you do not remember the exact code of a supplier or product, use the magnifying glass button to search by name. It is more practical and avoids typing errors.

Add products accurately

Carefully verify the quantities before adding each product. Although they can be edited later, it is more efficient to do it correctly from the start.

Edit directly in the grid

Take advantage of the double-click functionality to edit quantities, values and IVA directly in the central grid. It is faster than deleting and re-adding products.

Use Delete to remove products

If you need to remove a product from the quotation, simply select it and press the Delete key. It is faster than trying to edit it to zero.

Review the totals before saving

Make sure that the subtotal, discount and total correctly reflect what is going to be quoted. These values will be the ones presented to the supplier.

Carefully decide between finishing now or later

  • Choose "Finish later" only if you really need to continue editing later.
  • Choose "Finish now" only when the quotation is complete and ready to send.
  • Remember that once finalized, it cannot be edited.

Do not finalize prematurely

If you have doubts about any product or quantity, it is better to save with "Finish later" and review before definitively closing the document.

Quote multiple suppliers

For important purchases, create separate quotations for different suppliers. This allows comparing offers objectively.

Document the supplier responses

When the suppliers respond to your quotation, record the prices and conditions offered. This information is valuable for future negotiations.

Convert only the winning quotation

If you requested quotations from several suppliers, convert only the selected supplier's quotation into a Purchase Order. The other quotations remain as consultation history.

Keep a file of quotations

Although the system saves the entire history, it is good practice to print or save as PDF the most important finalized quotations for physical filing.

Use the notes for relevant information

If there are special conditions, expected response deadlines, or any particularity, document it in the document notes for future reference.

Take advantage of the price history

Previous quotations are an excellent reference for negotiating with suppliers. You can show past quotations to justify requests for better prices.

Coordinate with the purchasing department

If you are not the one who will ultimately approve the purchase, make sure that the quotation contains all the information necessary for the approver to make an informed decision.

Review pending quotations

Periodically review the quotation list to identify those that are in "open" status and decide whether they are finalized or discarded.

Kardex Tauro - Professional Inventory Management System

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