RFQ SOFTWARE FOR THE SELLER’S SIDE
RFQ software for the distributor on the receiving end
Most RFQ software is written for the buyer: it helps a purchasing team build a request for quotation, send it to suppliers and compare the replies. This page is for the other side. If you are the distributor who receives requests for quotation (RFQs, or requests for quote) and has to price them, Qotora AI is RFQ software for your side of the table.
It reads the RFQ as it arrives, finds each line in your own catalogue, applies your own prices for that customer and prepares the response for a person on your team to review before it goes back to the buyer.
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Two sides of every RFQ, two kinds of software
An RFQ has a sender and a responder, and their jobs have almost nothing in common. Searching for “RFQ software” returns tools for the first. Qotora is for the second.
| What it is about | The buyer | The distributor |
|---|---|---|
| The job | Write the RFQ, send it to suppliers, collect and compare replies. | Read the RFQ, find each item, price it for this customer, reply by the deadline. |
| The hard part | Getting comparable answers from many suppliers. | Turning a messy request into correct lines against your own catalogue. |
| The software | Sourcing and procurement tools. | Qotora AI. |
- What Is an RFQ? A Distributor’s Guide
New to the term? Definitions of RFQ, RFP and RFI, and how an RFQ differs from a quote.
What an RFQ looks like when it lands in your inbox
Most RFQs do not arrive in a format your system can import. In practice you receive:
- A spreadsheet from the buyer’s template, sometimes with 100 or 200 lines.
- A PDF, sometimes scanned, with the buyer’s item numbers and their own descriptions.
- An email that lists items in the body and attaches a drawing or a spec.
- A short message with a deadline: “need pricing on these by Thursday”.
- Conditions that matter as much as the lines: quantities by ship-to, delivery dates, “or equal” allowed, validity of the quote.
Someone then reads every line, decides which of your products it is, finds the price that customer gets, checks stock and retypes the lot into a quote. Qotora prepares that work and leaves the decisions to you.
How Qotora AI prepares your response to an RFQ
- Drop in the RFQ: the email, the PDF, the Excel file, a photo, or all of them together.
- Qotora extracts the lines, with quantities and units, and keeps the buyer’s original wording next to each one.
- Each line is matched to your catalogue. A buyer’s own item numbers rarely mean anything in your system, so Qotora matches on the description, and on a cross-reference when your catalogue holds one. A match your team confirms is remembered for the next request.
- Your prices are applied for this customer: their tier, your discounts and your margin rules, from your own data. Qotora never invents a price or a margin.
- Anything unclear is flagged with a precise question. Lines you do not stock are marked, and equivalents are proposed only for you to confirm.
- A person on your team reviews every line and the total, then sends the quote in your own template. Nothing is sent automatically.
What the buyer’s spreadsheet says
- Line 1: 12×12×12 RSC, 32 ECT, 2,000 pcs
- Line 2: stretch film 18 in, 80 ga, 40 cs
- Line 3: clear tape 2 in × 110 yd, 20 cs
The response, ready to check
| Description / part no. | Qty | Unit price | Line total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corrugated box 12 × 12 × 12 in, 32 ECT, slotted — BX-121212 | 2,000 | $0.86 | $1,720.00 |
| Stretch film 18 in × 1,500 ft, 80 ga, case of 4 — SF-18-80 | 40 cs | $64.00 | $2,560.00 |
| Carton sealing tape 2 in × 110 yd, clear, case of 36 — TP-2-110 | 20 cs | $76.00 | $1,520.00 |
| Total (sample) | $5,800.00 | ||
Illustration with sample products and prices. In your own account, part numbers and prices come from your catalogue and your price rules, and a person on your team reviews the response before it is sent.
A typical request takes seconds to under a minute to prepare once your data is connected. Long spreadsheets and PDFs take longer, times vary with the request, and your team’s review time is on top.
When you do not stock what the RFQ asks for
RFQs often include items you do not carry, and a response with gaps loses to one without. Qotora marks each missing line instead of blocking the quote. It can propose an equivalent from your own catalogue, same family and compatible specifications, which you accept or reject.
On the Team and Network plans, Qotora can also draft a price request to the right supplier for a missing line, ready to open in your email. The request never names your end customer or their project. When the supplier answers, their purchase price goes through your margin rule before it reaches the quote.
Control, and what Qotora does not do
- You decide whether to answer. Qotora does not bid for you; the price, the terms and the decision to respond stay with your team.
- Read-only on your systems. Qotora never writes into the software you use.
- It prepares your quote in your own template. It does not fill in a buyer’s own response form or submit into a customer’s procurement portal, so if the buyer requires one, your team copies the prices across.
- It does not run RFQ events or compare bids. That is the buyer’s tool.
What it costs
The Counter plan is US$49 for the first month, then US$149 a month, for up to 150 quotes sent per month and unlimited users. Setup is included, and there is a 7-day money-back guarantee, counted from your first quote sent. Distributors that answer more RFQs can choose Team (US$349 a month, up to 500 quotes sent) or Network (US$799 a month, up to 2,000).
Frequently asked questions
Is this RFQ software for buyers or for sellers?
For sellers. Qotora AI is for the distributor who receives RFQs and prepares the quote in response. It does not help a buyer write or send an RFQ or compare supplier replies.
What is the difference between an RFQ and a quote?
An RFQ is the buyer’s request for prices on a list of items. The quote is the seller’s priced response. Qotora turns the first into a draft of the second for your team to review.
Can it read an RFQ spreadsheet or PDF with many lines?
Yes. Excel and CSV files, PDFs, emails and photos can all be read. Long documents take longer than a short message, and any line that cannot be read or matched with confidence is flagged.
How does it handle the buyer’s own item numbers?
Buyer numbers rarely exist in your catalogue, so Qotora matches on the description, and on a cross-reference when your catalogue holds one. When your team confirms or corrects a match, Qotora remembers it for the next request.
Does it send the response automatically?
No. A person on your team reviews every quote before it is sent. There is no automatic sending.
Does it work with the software I already use?
Qotora works with whatever software you use: we connect it with read-only access, or import your catalogue, stock and prices. It never writes into your software. The free consultation is where we check your system.
Can it reply through a customer’s procurement portal?
No. Qotora prepares a quote in your template for you to send by email or link. If a buyer insists on their own portal or form, your team copies the prices across.
What does it cost?
US$49 for the first month, then US$149 a month on the Counter plan, with a 7-day money-back guarantee counted from your first quote sent. Setup is included and users are unlimited.