Purchase Quotation (Internal) Applet

Purpose and Overview

The Purchase Quotation (Internal) Applet is a core procurement module designed to streamline the sourcing and price negotiation phase of inventory acquisition. Rather than relying on scattered email exchanges, spreadsheets, and manual quotations, this applet allows procurement teams to log, structure, and finalize vendor quotations in a single, auditable workspace.

Who Benefits from This Applet?

Purchasers and Procurement Teams:

• Centralized Vendor Sourcing: Log supplier quotation terms, item costs, and validity dates in a structured database.
• Automated Requisition Import: Effortlessly pull approved items from internal Purchase Requisitions via the Knock-Off (KO) flow.
• Supplier Price Comparison: Evaluate credit terms, delivery schedules, and line-item pricing across multiple draft PQs.

Finance Teams and Controllers:

• Posting Integrity: Enforce strict verification using DRAFT vs. FINAL posting controls to lock documents against post-approval modifications.
• Financial Auditability: Track accounts receivable/payable adjustments through integrated Contra balance matching.
• Tax & Ledger Precision: Eliminate manual math errors through automated computation of Net Price, tax rates, and Withholding Tax (WHT).

Operations and Logistics Teams:

• Delivery Coordination: Direct visibility into scheduled delivery arrival dates and special logistics instructions.
• Digital Document Vault: Instant access to original supplier PDF quotations and agreements via the Attachments portal.
• Multi-Dimension Allocation: Track cost allocation across G/L Dimensions, Profit Centres, Projects, and Business Segments.

What Problems Does This Solve?

Key Features Overview

Core Concepts

1. The Golden Triangle of Procurement

Every procurement transaction follows a structured three-phase lifecycle to ensure financial accountability and prevent duplicate purchasing commitments:

2. The Internal Quotation Lifecycle

To maintain complete audit trails, records are governed by operational posting states that control editable permissions and posting authority:

Quick Start Guide: The Purchaser’s Checklist

Follow this standardized 4-step workflow to log and finalize vendor quotations:

Detailed Workspace Breakdown

The applet interface adapts dynamically based on whether you are creating a new record or managing an existing document in the edit workspace.

Create View Tabs

When creating a new quotation, configure the following core parameters:

1. Main Details Tab

Captures essential transaction metadata:

• Branch: The operating company entity issuing the quotation request.
• Location: The specific inventory store or warehouse designated for receiving goods.
• Purchaser: The assigned procurement officer handling vendor negotiations.
• Transaction Date: Official logging date of the quotation.
• Credit Terms: Payment terms (e.g., Net 30, COD). Automatically unlocked and populated after selecting a supplier.
• Reference: External supplier quotation reference number (e.g., vendor proposal ID).
• Remarks: Internal operational notes and comments.
• Permit No: Custom import/customs permit tracking number (hidden if HIDE_PERMIT_NO is enabled).
• Currency: Transaction currency (e.g., MYR, USD, SGD, EUR).
• Tracking ID: Logistics consignment or courier tracking ID (hidden if HIDE_TRACKING_ID is enabled).

2. Account Tab

Dedicated to vendor master data mapping:

• Entity Details: Search and link the Supplier Account (Entity ID and Name).
• Bill To: The company billing address associated with the selected branch.
• Ship To: The physical warehouse receiving address tied to the selected location.

3. Lines Tab

The itemized material and service procurement list:

• Item Details: Material Code and Description selected from item master data.
• Quantity: The requested volume to purchase.
• Unit Price: Negotiated vendor price per unit (configurable as inclusive or exclusive of tax).
• Unit Discount: Line-level margin discounts or volume rebates.
• Tax Code & Tax Rate: Applies appropriate SST, GST, or VAT rates automatically.
• WHT (Withholding Tax): Applies withholding tax rates for cross-border or service quotes where applicable.

4. Delivery Details Tab

Logistics management controls:

• Delivery Instruction: Transport notes and special handling requirements for the carrier.
• Delivery Date: Promised vendor arrival date at the destination warehouse.
• Delivery Message Card: Parameter inputs for custom delivery notes.

5. Payment Tab

Defines proposed settlement structures:

• Settlement Method: Cash, Cheque, Bank Transfer, Credit Card, or Voucher.
• Cash Back for Settlement: Records cash adjustment entries.
• Card Details / Cheque No / Txn No: Reference fields for recording payment credentials and banking transaction numbers.

6. Department Hdr Tab

Financial dimension allocation for multi-department organizations:

• G/L Dimension / Profit Centre / Project / Segment: Maps expense commitments directly to specific internal department budgets or capital project codes.

Edit View Tabs

Editing an active or saved quotation opens additional administrative and analytical tabs:

1. KO For (Knock-Off) Tab

Enables seamless material tracking by importing lines directly from active Purchase Requisitions (PR). See the Knock-Off Flow detailed section below.

2. Contra Tab

Facilitates ledger offsetting between vendor receivable and payable accounts:

• Displays live AR/AP Balances.
• Allows users to specify a Contra Amount to offset outstanding balances prior to final posting.

3. Doc Link Tab

Maintains a full audit history of linked procurement records:

• Copied From: Traces originating upstream records (e.g., Purchase Requisition ID).
• Copied To: Tracks downstream generated records (e.g., Purchase Order ID).

4. Attachments Tab

Centralized digital file repository:

• Drag-and-drop support for supplier quotation PDFs, technical spec sheets, and email correspondence.
• Records File Name, File Size, Upload Timestamp, and Uploaded By user ID.

5. Export Tab

Document distribution tools:

• Export as PDF: Renders the quotation into an official branded printable document based on configured system templates.

KO For (Knock-Off) Flow

The Knock-Off (KO) engine forms the cornerstone of controlled procurement by linking quotations directly to approved requisitions.

    sequenceDiagram
    autonumber
    actor P as Purchaser
    participant PQ as Purchase Quotation (DRAFT)
    participant PR as Purchase Requisitions (Active)
    
    P->>PQ: Open "KO For" Tab in Edit Workspace
    PQ->>PR: Query available active Requisition lines
    PR-->>PQ: Return unfulfilled items & remaining quantities
    P->>PQ: Select target PR lines and click Import
    PQ->>PQ: Auto-populate items, quantities, and map Doc Links
    Note over PR,PQ: Requisition quantities are reserved<br>to prevent duplicate sourcing
  

Key Operational Rules:

• Visibility Conditions: The KO tab renders only when the quotation status is DRAFT and HIDE_KO_FOR_TAB is set to false.
• Quantity Lock: Knocked-off quantities are locked in the source PR. This guarantees that multiple purchasers cannot quote or order against the same requisition lines.
• Single vs. Multi-KO: Admin settings (ENABLE_MULTIPLE_KO) control whether a quotation can pull lines from multiple PRs or is restricted to one source PR per quotation.

Line Items Page (Cross-Document Grid)

Located on the main left navigation menu, the Line Items workspace acts as an enterprise-wide procurement analysis tool.

Key Analytical Capabilities:

• Global Item Visibility: Displays line items across all quotations in the system on a single grid.
• Vendor Price Comparison: Filter by Item Code to compare quoted unit prices, lead times, and credit terms across different suppliers.
• Ag-Grid Data Operations: Group, sort, and filter lines by date range, branch, or material category.
• Export Capabilities: Export structured line data to CSV or Excel for executive reporting and sourcing audits.

Configuration and Settings

System administrators can customize applet behavior using tenant-level configuration parameters:

Personalization Options

Individual purchasers can set personal preferences under Personalization > Default Selection:

• Personal Defaults: Set personal default Branch, Location, and Purchaser fields to auto-fill every time a new quotation is initiated.
• Grid View Persistence: Custom column arrangements, widths, and sort orders saved on the listing grid persist across user sessions.

FAQ & Troubleshooting

Q: Why is the CREATE or SAVE button disabled?
A: Creation is blocked if mandatory fields are missing. Ensure that:

1. Branch and Location are selected in Main Details.
2. A valid Supplier Account is selected in the Account tab.
3. At least one valid item line exists in the Lines tab.

Q: Why is the KO For tab missing in the Edit workspace?
A: The KO For tab will not appear if:

1. The document has already been posted to FINAL. (KO import is strictly allowed only in DRAFT status).
2. The system administrator has enabled the HIDE_KO_FOR_TAB setting.

Q: What is the difference between DISCARD and VOID?
A:

• DISCARD: Used for DRAFT records. Permanently deletes unposted drafts from the database.
• VOID: Used for posted FINAL records. Marks the transaction as inactive while preserving the record permanently for financial audit compliance.

Q: How do credit terms populate automatically?
A: Credit terms are linked to vendor master records. Select a Supplier under the Account tab first; the system will automatically fetch and populate their default credit terms into the Main Details tab.