Customer Quotations

What is the Quotations Module?

The Quotations module is where you build priced proposals for your customers. A quotation takes the cost data from your supplier quotes and adds your trading margin to arrive at a sell price for each line item. Tawridy automates the margin calculation, handles multi-currency conversions, applies approval workflows for quotations with margins below your organization's threshold, and generates professional bilingual PDF documents ready to send to the customer. The module also tracks quotation revisions, win/loss outcomes, and conversion rates, giving your sales team full visibility into the pipeline from proposal to close.

How It Connects

Quotations sit downstream of Inquiries and supplier Quotes, and upstream of Invoices and Projects.

• Inquiries (input) -- Quotations are typically created from an inquiry. The inquiry's line items become the quotation's line items.
• Quotes (Supplier) (input) -- The cost basis for each line item comes from the awarded or best supplier quote. Cost is pulled automatically.
• Invoices (output) -- When a customer accepts a quotation, it converts into a proforma or tax invoice.
• Projects (output) -- For project-based work, an accepted quotation can create or link to a project with BOQ and budget tracking.
• Approvals (workflow) -- Quotations below the minimum margin threshold or above a value ceiling require manager approval before sending to the customer.

Inquiry + Supplier Quotes
            |
            v
       Quotation (Cost + Margin = Sell Price)
            |
            +---> Approval Workflow (if needed)
            |
            v
       Send to Customer (PDF)
            |
            +---> Accepted --> Invoice / Project
            +---> Rejected --> Revise or Close
            +---> Expired --> Follow up or Close

Step-by-Step Guide

Creating a Quotation

1. Navigate to Sales > Quotations.
2. Click + New Quotation -- or click Create Quotation from an existing inquiry.
3. Select the Customer (auto-filled if created from an inquiry).
4. The Quotation Number is auto-generated (e.g., QTN-2024-0089).
5. Set the Validity Period -- how many days the quotation is valid (default: 14 days).
6. Set the Currency (defaults to the customer's preferred currency).

Adding Line Items and Setting Margins

7. Line items are pre-populated from the inquiry. For each item:
   • Cost Price is pulled from the awarded supplier quote.
   • Set the Margin % -- Tawridy calculates the sell price automatically.
   • Alternatively, set the Sell Price directly and Tawridy back-calculates the margin.
   • Review the Total for each line.
8. Add any additional cost components:
   • Freight / Shipping costs.
   • Customs Duty (if applicable).
   • Handling / Warehousing charges.
   • These can be shown as separate line items or absorbed into the unit price.
9. Review the Quotation Summary:
   • Subtotal, VAT, and Grand Total.
   • Overall blended margin percentage.
   • Comparison to the customer's default margin %.

TIP

Use the Margin Analyzer (click the chart icon next to the total) to see a visual breakdown of margin by line item. This helps you identify which items are dragging down the overall margin so you can adjust selectively.

Approval Workflow

10. If the quotation's blended margin is below your organization's minimum threshold (set in Settings > Approvals), the quotation enters the approval queue.
11. The designated approver receives a notification.
12. The approver can Approve, Reject, or Request Revision with comments.
13. Once approved, the quotation status changes to Ready to Send.

WARNING

Quotations in "Pending Approval" status cannot be sent to the customer or exported as PDF. Always check the status before promising the customer a delivery timeline for the quotation.

Sending the Quotation

14. Click Generate PDF.
15. Select the language: English, Arabic, or Bilingual (side-by-side).
16. Preview the PDF -- it includes your company logo, customer details, line items, terms, and validity.
17. Click Send to email the PDF directly to the customer's registered email.
18. Alternatively, click Send via WhatsApp to share through the integrated WhatsApp channel.
19. The quotation status changes to Sent.

Tracking Revisions

20. If the customer requests changes (different quantities, added items, price negotiation), click Create Revision.
21. Tawridy creates a new version (e.g., QTN-2024-0089-R1) linked to the original.
22. Make changes to the revised quotation and send again.
23. All revisions are tracked with timestamps and the user who made each change.

Recording Win or Loss

24. When the customer responds:

• Accepted: Click Mark as Won. This updates the pipeline and enables invoice creation.
• Rejected: Click Mark as Lost and select a loss reason (price too high, competitor won, project cancelled, etc.).
• No Response: After the validity period expires, the status changes to Expired. You can follow up or close.

Key Fields Explained

Field	Description	Required
Quotation Number	Auto-generated unique identifier with revision suffix (e.g., QTN-2024-0089-R1).	Auto
Customer	The customer receiving this quotation.	Yes
Inquiry Reference	Links back to the originating inquiry (if applicable).	Auto
Validity Period	Number of days the quoted prices are valid.	Yes
Currency	Transaction currency for this quotation.	Yes
Cost Price	Unit cost from the supplier quote (not visible to the customer).	Yes
Margin %	Your markup percentage on top of the cost price.	Yes
Sell Price	The price shown to the customer (Cost + Margin).	Auto-calculated
VAT	Tax amount calculated based on your organization's VAT rate.	Auto
Grand Total	Total amount including all items and VAT.	Auto
Blended Margin	The overall margin percentage across all line items.	Auto
Status	Draft, Pending Approval, Ready to Send, Sent, Won, Lost, Expired, Cancelled.	Auto
Revision	Revision number (R0 = original, R1 = first revision, etc.).	Auto
Loss Reason	Why the quotation was lost (required when marking as Lost).	Conditional
Terms & Conditions	Free-text terms printed on the PDF. Uses your default template but can be customized per quotation.	Recommended
Internal Notes	Notes visible only to your team. Not printed on the customer-facing PDF.	Optional

Tips & Best Practices

• Always verify the cost price before sending. If the supplier quote has expired or the exchange rate has shifted, the cost basis may be outdated. Re-confirm with the supplier before quoting the customer.
• Use the bilingual PDF for government customers. Government entities in the GCC often require Arabic documentation. The bilingual option shows English and Arabic side-by-side, satisfying both your internal team and the customer's compliance requirements.
• Set realistic validity periods. In volatile commodity markets, a 30-day validity may expose you to supplier price increases. Consider shorter validity periods (7-14 days) for price-sensitive items.
• Track your win/loss ratio by customer and product category. The Quotations dashboard shows conversion rates. A low win rate on a specific product category may indicate your pricing is off or your suppliers are not competitive.
• Use revision tracking instead of creating new quotations. When a customer asks for changes, always revise the existing quotation rather than creating a new one. This preserves the audit trail and gives you accurate conversion metrics.
• Add terms and conditions. Default T&C templates can be set in Settings > Templates > Quotation Terms. These cover delivery, warranty, payment, and liability. Customize per quotation when dealing with non-standard arrangements.

TIP

Enable auto-follow-up reminders. Go to Settings > Automation and configure automatic email reminders to customers 3 days before their quotation expires. This simple automation significantly improves win rates.

FAQ

Q: Can I create a quotation without an inquiry? A: Yes. Click + New Quotation and add line items manually. This is useful for repeat orders or proactive proposals. However, linking to an inquiry is recommended for traceability.

Q: What happens if a supplier changes their price after I have quoted the customer? A: The cost price on the quotation is locked at the time of creation. If the supplier price changes, you need to create a new revision of the quotation with the updated cost. Tawridy flags the margin impact of the change.

Q: Can I send a quotation to multiple contacts at the same customer? A: Yes. When clicking Send, you can add additional email recipients (CC). You can also share a direct link to the quotation through the customer portal.

Q: How do I handle quotations in a currency different from my base currency? A: Select the customer's preferred currency when creating the quotation. Tawridy converts the supplier cost to the quotation currency using the exchange rate at the time of creation. The margin calculation happens in the quotation currency, and a base-currency equivalent is shown for your reference.

Q: Can I clone a quotation for a different customer? A: Yes. Open the quotation, click Actions > Clone, and select the new customer. All line items are copied, and you can adjust pricing and margins for the new customer. The clone is a new quotation with no link to the original customer.

Q: How does the approval workflow handle multiple approvers? A: You can configure sequential or parallel approval chains in Settings > Approvals. Sequential means Approver 1 must approve before Approver 2 sees it. Parallel means all approvers are notified simultaneously and all must approve. The quotation proceeds only when all required approvals are granted.