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Quotes and RFQs

A typical job starts with an RFQ (request for quote) to one or more vendors, then a Quote to your customer with up to three quantity breaks. All of it happens on the order's Quotes tab.

1. Enter the job as an RFQ​

Create the order as usual (see Creating an order) with the status RFQ, the description and the specifications. Then open its Quotes tab.

An RFQ's Quotes tab: the vendor, the vendors' quotes and the quantity breaks

2. Send the RFQ to vendors​

  1. Click Print in the order's actions, choose Request for Quote, and click Generate.

  2. In the Request for Quote window, tick the vendors to ask (or Select All), and check the Unit and the three quantities (Qty 1, Qty 2, Qty 3).

    The Request for Quote window

  3. Click Generate RFQs. Intelliform makes one RFQ per vendor and shows them in a preview. Use Email to send them, or Open in New Tab to print.

    The RFQ preview toolbar

Each vendor you sent the RFQ to gets a row under Vendor Quotes. A vendor that has not answered yet is marked Awaiting quote.

Vendor Quotes: two vendors have answered, one is awaiting its quote

3. Record the vendors' prices​

When a vendor answers, type their Quote #, the Date, and the Cost for each quantity in their row. To add a vendor you did not send the RFQ to, click Add Quote. The trash can removes a row.

4. Load the best costs and price the quote​

  1. Click Load Quotes. For each quantity break, Intelliform takes the lowest cost from the vendor quotes. Rows still awaiting a quote are skipped.

  2. For each quantity, type a Margin % or a Price. The $ Profit column shows what you make. Setup, Artwork and Rush charges have their own rows.

    Qty 1-3 after Load Quotes, priced at a 35% margin

  3. Change the Status to Quote and click Save Sale.

Here is a finished customer quote with three quantity breaks:

A customer quote: 5, 10 and 25 thousand with costs, margins, prices and profit

5. Send the quote to your customer​

Anything you type in Customer Notes (at the bottom of the Quotes tab) prints on the quote, for example how long the prices are good for:

Customer Notes

Then click Print or Email and choose Quote. See Printing and emailing documents.

6. When the customer orders​

Open the order, put the quantity and price the customer chose on the Order tab, and change the status to Order.

Tips​

tip
  • Printing or emailing a document can move the status for you: an RFQ printed as a Quote becomes a Quote, and a Quote printed as an Acknowledgement or Purchase Order becomes an Order. By default Intelliform asks first. Change this in Settings > Defaults > Automations.
  • Sending a second RFQ to a vendor that already has a row updates that row's unit and quantities; the prices you typed are kept.
  • RFQs show the job's split shipments, if it has any, so vendors can price the freight. See Split shipments.