Collecting & Comparing Quotes
How supplier quotes are auto-extracted, reviewed, versioned, and compared with an AI-powered report — and how to make your decision.
How Quotes Are Captured
When a supplier replies to your RFQ with pricing, Buyer24's AI reads the email and automatically extracts structured quote data. This happens in the background — you don't need to do anything:
- Email received — the reply arrives at the RFQ's built-in email address (or your connected Gmail/Outlook)
- Classification — AI classifies the message type: quote, question, rejection, or general information
- Extraction — if it's a quote, AI extracts structured data from the email and any attached PDFs
- Quote created — a new quote card appears in the RFQ's Quotes tab
- Notification — you're notified that a new quote is available
The whole process typically takes 30 seconds to 2 minutes after the email arrives. The raw supplier email stays visible in the Messages thread for reference.
Supported Source Formats
- Plain text emails — most common; very high accuracy
- HTML emails — including formatted tables and lists
- PDF attachments — spec sheets, formal quote documents
- Excel/CSV attachments — price lists and bills of materials
Note: Image-only documents (scanned PDFs, photos of quotes) may have reduced accuracy. If extraction is incomplete, you can manually edit the quote data.
What Gets Extracted
Line Items
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Item description | Product name, part number, or description |
| Quantity | Units quoted |
| Unit price | Price per unit |
| Line total | Quantity × unit price |
| Lead time | Days to manufacture or source (if per-item) |
Terms & Conditions
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Total price | Sum of all line items |
| Currency | Currency of the quote |
| Payment terms | e.g., Net 30, payment in advance, 50/50 |
| Delivery date | Committed delivery date or lead time |
| Warranty | Warranty period and what's covered |
| Quote validity | Date until which the price is guaranteed |
| Minimum order | Minimum order quantity (if specified) |
| Shipping | Shipping cost and method |
The AI also captures metadata: the quote date, the supplier's own reference number (if provided), and which contact sent it. Each quote links back to the original supplier email or PDF it was extracted from, so you can always verify details against the source.
Reviewing an Extracted Quote
- Open your RFQ and click the Quotes tab
- Click a quote card to open it
- Review the extracted line items and terms
Each quote card shows the supplier, date received, total price, delivery date, and status (active, superseded, or archived).
When Extraction Is Incomplete
AI extraction is highly accurate, but sometimes a supplier's email format is unusual or the information is ambiguous. If extracted data looks incomplete or incorrect:
- Click Edit Quote on the quote detail page
- Manually correct or fill in any missing fields
- Click Save
You can also add notes to the quote for context (e.g., "Price confirmed verbally by phone"). This review is worth doing before you generate a comparison — the comparison is only as accurate as the underlying data.
Quote Versions
If a supplier sends a revised quote after negotiation, Buyer24 creates a new version and marks the previous one as superseded. You always see the latest version by default. Expand the Quote History section on the quote detail page to see all previous versions and what changed — a full audit trail of the negotiation.
Manually Creating a Quote
Sometimes you receive a quote verbally, by phone, or in a format the AI can't process. You can enter it manually:
- In the Quotes tab, click Add Quote Manually
- Select the supplier
- Fill in all the relevant fields
- Click Save
Generating the AI Comparison
Once you have two or more quotes from different suppliers, click Generate Comparison in the Quotes tab. The AI analyzes all active quotes and produces a report — generation usually takes 10–30 seconds, and you'll get a notification when it's ready.
What the Report Includes
1. Side-by-side table — each supplier's quote data in columns for easy comparison:
| Item | Supplier A | Supplier B | Supplier C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Widget X (100 units) | $1,200 | $1,100 | $1,350 |
| Shipping | $80 | $0 | $120 |
| Total | $1,280 | $1,100 | $1,470 |
| Delivery | April 15 | May 1 | April 10 |
| Payment | Net 30 | Net 60 | Payment in advance |
| Warranty | 1 year | 2 years | 6 months |
2. AI recommendation — which supplier offers the best overall value, with the key trade-offs explained in plain English:
"Supplier B offers the lowest total price ($1,100 vs. $1,280 for Supplier A), includes free shipping, and offers the best payment terms (Net 60). The main trade-off is a 2-week longer delivery compared to Supplier C. If the April 15 deadline is firm, Supplier C provides the fastest delivery but at 33% higher cost."
3. Risk flags — things worth knowing before you decide:
- Very short quote validity (e.g., "valid for 3 days only")
- Unusual payment terms (e.g., 100% payment in advance)
- Missing information (e.g., delivery date not specified)
- Any quote that exceeds your budget
Regenerating
If a new quote arrives after you generated a comparison, click Regenerate Comparison to include it. The same applies after you correct any extraction errors — fix the data first, then regenerate.
Exporting Quotes and Comparisons
- Export a single quote — open the quote, click Export → PDF or Excel
- Export the comparison report — open the comparison, click Export → PDF or Excel
Exported files include the comparison table and AI summary — useful for presenting options to a manager for approval or archiving alongside a purchase order.
Making Your Decision
After reviewing the comparison:
- Decide which supplier you'll proceed with
- Send them a message confirming the order or next steps
- Optionally send a brief "thank you, we went another direction" note to the others
- Mark the RFQ done once the procurement is complete
You don't need to formally "select" a supplier in the system — the decision is tracked through the message history.
Tip: If all received quotes exceed your budget, send a follow-up to each supplier asking if they can adjust pricing, or add a new supplier to get a fresh perspective.