If you create purchase quotes in Business Central, you normally cannot do it directly from the planning process. With the Purchase Order Management app activated, you can create quotes straight from the requisition worksheet or the planning worksheet.
The standard requisition worksheet only lets you carry out the action message, which creates a purchase order. It does not give you the option to create a quote.
When you activate Purchase Order Management, the worksheet gains two extra related lines and the option to handle the line as a journal or send it by mail to the vendor. From there you can choose whether to create orders or quotes, and the same quote can be sent to several vendors.
This is not a standard Business Central feature. It is a possibility you get when you use the Purchase Order Management app.
Creating purchase quotes from the planning process in Business Central
In standard Business Central, working with purchase quotes and planning at the same time is not possible. You first have to create the purchase quote, and the planning side of the system does not connect to that process. The only thing you can do directly from the standard requisition worksheet is carry out the action message, which results in a purchase order.
That works fine if you always want an order. But if your process involves asking vendors for a quote before you commit to an order, the standard worksheet does not support that step.
What the Purchase Order Management app adds to the requisition worksheet
When you activate the Purchase Order Management app, the requisition worksheet changes. You get two more related lines, and the worksheet can look up to a quote, so you can see directly on the line whether a quote already exists.
You also get the option to handle the line as a journal or send it as a mail to your vendor. When you handle the journal, a menu asks whether you want to create orders or create quotes. Choosing quotes creates a purchase quote directly from the worksheet.
The same quote can go out to several vendors, so you can request pricing from multiple suppliers at once before deciding where to place the order.
Where you can create the quotes from
You are not limited to one entry point. You can create the quote from the requisition worksheet, or you can do it from the planning worksheet, whichever fits your process better. The quote that appears in your list of quotes is then the one created directly from the worksheet.
What this means for your purchasing process
This functionality is not part of standard Business Central. It comes with the Purchase Order Management app. If your purchasing workflow includes a quoting step before ordering, this lets you handle planning and quoting in one flow instead of creating quotes separately and disconnected from your planning.
Q&A
Can you create purchase quotes from the planning process in standard Business Central?
No. In standard Business Central you cannot work with planning and purchase quotes at the same time. The standard requisition worksheet only lets you carry out the action message, which creates a purchase order, not a quote.
How do you create a purchase quote from the requisition worksheet?
Activate the Purchase Order Management app. When you handle the line as a journal, a menu asks whether you want to create orders or quotes. Choose quotes, and the system creates a purchase quote directly from the worksheet.
Can you create the same quote for several vendors?
Yes. The Purchase Order Management app lets you send the same quote to several vendors at once.
Can you create quotes from the planning worksheet as well as the requisition worksheet?
Yes. You can create the quote from either the requisition worksheet or the planning worksheet, depending on what fits your process.
Is creating quotes from the worksheet a standard Business Central feature?
No. This is not a standard feature. It is a possibility you get when you use the Purchase Order Management app.