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EDIFACT message guide · Ordering

QUOTES Quote

The UN/EDIFACT message a potential seller uses to give prices, delivery schedules and other conditions for a potential sale.

Sent by
Supplier
Received by
Buyer or procurement team
Standard
UN/EDIFACT · Batch message
X12 equivalent
843 Response to Request for Quotation

What is the EDIFACT QUOTES message?

QUOTES is the UN/EDIFACT quote message. The directory defines it as a message that lets potential sellers provide prices, delivery schedules and other conditions for potential sales of goods or services. It is usually the answer to a request for quote (REQOTE).

The quote states the prices, quantity breaks, lead times, validity period and terms the supplier is prepared to honor, line by line. The buyer compares quotes from several suppliers, and the accepted quote often becomes the basis of the order and of the prices later checked on the invoice.

How the EDIFACT QUOTES message worksDiagram of the UN/EDIFACT QUOTES Quote message. Supplier sends it to buyer or procurement team. It usually follows REQOTE. It is usually followed by ORDERS. Inside the UNB and UNH envelopes, the directory D.21A requires, in the start of message: BGM (Beginning of message) and DTM (Date/time/period) and body and segment groups: the required SG27 loop with LIN (Line item) and UNS (Section control). 32 conditional segment groups are listed by their trigger segment.How the EDIFACT QUOTES message worksQuote: who sends it, where it fits and what the directory marks mandatory1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSREQOTERequest for quoteQUOTESSENDERSupplierRECEIVERBuyer or procurementteamCONTRL syntax report back, if agreedUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYORDERSPurchase order2 WHAT DIRECTORY D.21A REQUIRESInterchange: sender and recipient IDsUNB … UNZMessage QUOTESUNH … UNTSTART OF MESSAGEBGMBeginning of messageDTMDate/time/periodBODY AND SEGMENT GROUPSMandatory group SG27 · repeats many timesLINLine itemUNSSection control+ 32 conditional groups, starting with:RFFAJTTAXCUXPYTTODEQDRCSAPRDLMNADTDTPACSCCALCCCI…Blue box: mandatory segment group. Conditional groups are listed by the trigger segment that starts them; a group is sent only when its data applies.Conditional segments outside groups are not drawn.Structure: mandatory segments and groups in the UN/EDIFACT directory D.21A listing for QUOTES. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds itsown requirements.
How the EDIFACT QUOTES message worksDiagram of the UN/EDIFACT QUOTES Quote message. Supplier sends it to buyer or procurement team. It usually follows REQOTE. It is usually followed by ORDERS. Inside the UNB and UNH envelopes, the directory D.21A requires, in the start of message: BGM (Beginning of message) and DTM (Date/time/period) and body and segment groups: the required SG27 loop with LIN (Line item) and UNS (Section control). 32 conditional segment groups are listed by their trigger segment.How the EDIFACT QUOTESmessage worksQuote: who sends it, where it fits and what thedirectory marks mandatory1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSREQOTERequest for quoteQUOTESSENDERSupplierRECEIVERBuyer orprocurementteamCONTRL syntax report back, if agreedUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYORDERSPurchase order2 WHAT DIRECTORY D.21A REQUIRESInterchange: sender and recipient IDs(UNB … UNZ)Message QUOTES (UNH … UNT)START OF MESSAGEBGMBeginning of messageDTMDate/time/periodBODY AND SEGMENT GROUPSMandatory group SG27 · repeatsmany timesLINLine itemUNSSection control+ 32 conditional groups, starting with:RFFAJTTAXCUXPYTTODEQDRCSAPRDLMNADTDT…Blue box: mandatory segment group. Conditionalgroups are listed by the trigger segment thatstarts them; a group is sent only when its dataapplies. Conditional segments outside groups arenot drawn.Structure: mandatory segments and groups in theUN/EDIFACT directory D.21A listing for QUOTES.Your trading partner's implementation guide adds itsown requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends QUOTES, to whom, and which messages usually come before and after it. The lower part shows what the directory D.21A itself requires: the envelopes around QUOTES and the segments and segment groups it marks mandatory. Conditional groups are listed by their trigger segment rather than drawn in full. This is the directory's minimum, not a trading partner's requirement: a message implementation guide, such as an industry subset or a partner’s own guide, usually makes some conditional groups mandatory, restricts the codes and may use an older directory.

Expand diagram Download SVG

When it is used

  • Answering a request for quote
  • Quoting price breaks and lead times
  • Declining or partly quoting requested items

Where it fits in the message flow

Usually follows REQOTE Request for quote
This message QUOTES Quote
Usually followed by ORDERS Purchase order

Structure

Mandatory segments in QUOTES (directory D.21A)

In UN/EDIFACT directory D.21A, the QUOTES message has 178 segment positions arranged in 56 segment groups. These are the segments and segment groups marked mandatory at message level, in order; a mandatory group is shown with the segment that starts it. Segments inside conditional groups are needed only when the group is used. This is the directory’s requirement, not your trading partner’s: each partner’s message implementation guide names the directory it uses, often an older one such as D.96A or D.01B where the structure can differ, makes some conditional segments mandatory and restricts the codes.

  • UNH
  • BGM
  • DTM
  • SG27 (LIN)
  • UNS
  • UNT

Practical example

QUOTES in practice

A foundry receives a REQOTE for cast housings. Its estimating team prices the part, and the foundry's system returns a QUOTES message with unit prices at three annual volumes, tooling cost, an eight-week first-delivery lead time and a 90-day validity. The buyer loads all quotes into its comparison and awards the order.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for QUOTES

  • Return the buyer's request reference on every quote.
  • Quote in the requested currency, units and delivery terms.
  • Make the validity period explicit, since orders may come weeks later.
  • Keep quoted prices aligned with what the order and invoice will carry.

How ECOM helps

Automate QUOTES with ECOM

Solution

Order-to-Cash Automation

Automate the flow from purchase order to payment across every customer channel.

Industry

Industrial Manufacturing

Distributor, OEM customer and supplier integration for industrial manufacturers.

Solution

EDI Integration

Exchange X12 and EDIFACT documents with partners and integrate them directly with your ERP.

Compare X12 and EDIFACT, or see answers to general questions in the EDI FAQ.

Related messages

Related ordering messages

All 7 ordering messages

Need help with QUOTES?

ECOM maps, tests and monitors EDIFACT messages for your trading partners and integrates them with your ERP.

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