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Review Vendor Quotes

Learn what happens when vendors respond to your RFQ, how quotes appear in SubBase, and how to review them using Extraction or Leveling.

Written by Andrew Rapinchuk
Updated over 3 months ago

This article explains how vendor quotes move through RFQ statuses, how to tell how a vendor submitted pricing, and which review tools are available once quotes are provided.

Overview

After you send a Request for Quote (RFQ), vendor responses move through specific statuses in SubBase. Once at least one vendor responds, the RFQ is ready for review.

Depending on how vendors submit their pricing, you will review quotes using either the Extraction Drawer or the RFQ Leveling Tool.

Who Can Do This

  • Admin: Full access to review, extract, and level vendor quotes.

  • Purchaser: Can review vendor quotes, confirm extraction, and perform leveling.

Before You Start

  • An RFQ must already be sent to one or more vendors

  • At least one vendor must respond for the RFQ to move forward before placing an order from the RFQ

  • Vendors may respond by uploading a quote file or entering prices directly on the SubBase Vendor platform

RFQ Quote Statuses Explained

After an RFQ is sent, it appears under one of the following statuses:

  • Quote Requested

    • The RFQ has been sent

    • No vendor responses yet

  • Quote Provided

    • At least one vendor has submitted pricing or uploaded a quote file

    • The RFQ is ready for review

How Vendor Quotes Are Received

Vendors can submit pricing in two different ways. The submission method determines whether extraction is available.

Step 1: Vendor Uploads a PDF Quote

When a vendor uploads a PDF under Vendor Attachments:

  • SubBase automatically runs AI/OCR extraction

  • Pricing, quantity, and unit of measure (UOM) are read from the file

  • Extracted data becomes available in the Extraction Drawer

You will need to review review and confirm these values before moving forward.

Step 2: Vendor Enters Prices Directly

When a vendor types prices directly into the editable quote table:

  • No extraction runs

  • Pricing appears immediately under Quote Provided

  • You review line items directly in the quote view

Steps to Review Vendor Quotes

Step 1: Locate the RFQ

  • From Orders → Quote Provided → select the RFQ you want to review.

  • If multiple vendors were included, open the specific vendor copy you want to review.

Step 2: Review Vendor Data

  • Inside the vendor’s RFQ:

    • Identify whether pricing came from:

      • A vendor-uploaded PDF

      • Directly entered pricing

  • If a PDF was uploaded:

    • A notification banner appears indicating extraction is available

    • Select Open to launch the Extraction Drawer

  • In the Extraction Drawer, you review extracted pricing, confirm materials, and verify totals.

  • If no extraction is available (when a pdf file isn't uploaded):

    • Review pricing directly in the quote table

Note: Opening the file from Vendor Attachments only displays the document. To review extracted data, always use the Open button in the extraction banner.

Step 3: Confirm or Adjust Pricing

  • If pricing needs adjustment:

    • Update the line item values

    • Add a message explaining what was changed

    • Select Update Vendor to send clarification

Best Practice: Always include a short message when updating pricing. This creates a clear audit trail and keeps vendors informed.

End State

After reviewing vendor quotes:

  • The RFQ remains under Quote Provided until an order is placed

  • You can move into the Leveling Tool to finalize comparisons

  • Selected vendor quotes are converted into Orders after approval

Troubleshooting

Extraction did not run or did not behave as expected

If extraction does not run, stops partway through, or produces incomplete or incorrect results, review the sections below.

Confirm the file type and quality

  • Verify the uploaded file is a PDF

  • Confirm the PDF is clear and text-based

  • Image-only PDFs may not extract automatically

Understand common extraction limitations

  • Extraction issues can be reported directly from the Extraction Drawer using the reporting option

  • AI/OCR is continuously learning and may occasionally misinterpret materials or struggle to match items correctly

Second quotes on the same RFQ

  • If pricing was adjusted by your team and the vendor later uploads a second quote to the same RFQ, extraction will not rerun automatically

  • This is intentional to prevent pricing updates without your knowledge

  • Previously extracted values remain unchanged until manually reviewed or updated
    ​

If extraction does not appear at all

  • Confirm the vendor actually uploaded the quote

  • Vendors can drag and drop quote files directly into the RFQ

  • If the vendor sent the quote by email, you can upload the file on their behalf under Vendor Attachments

FAQs

Can I review a quote by opening the uploaded file only?

No. Opening the file only displays the document. Extracted data must be reviewed using the Open button in the extraction banner.

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