Stop 3 of 8 · Daily
RFQ and pro forma
One fact block that becomes the request for quotation in English and the pro forma in both languages, with the terms set by you.
The same facts, four times a day
A retailer in Tanta wants 2000 LED panels delivered before the end of the month. By the time that request becomes an order, Sherif has written the same facts into a request for quotation to three suppliers, into an internal note, into a pro forma in English for the bank and into a pro forma in Arabic for the customer. Four documents, one truth, and every retyping is a chance for the quantity to change.
Write the facts once. Everything after that is formatting.
The fact block
Keep it in one message at the top of the chat, or in a note you paste each time.
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Product code, quantity, packing | LP-6040, 2000 pieces, 20 per carton |
| Destination and incoterm | Alexandria, CIF Alexandria |
| Required delivery and validity | Ready by 20 October, quotation valid 14 days |
| Payment terms and currency | 30 percent advance, balance against documents, USD |
Nothing in that block is Claude's to choose. The incoterm, the terms and the validity are decisions Sherif makes with the customer's history in front of him.
The request for quotation
An RFQ is only useful if the answers slot into the comparison table from stop 2. That means asking every supplier the same numbered questions, in English, and asking for the price basis rather than a price.
The pro forma
The pro forma is the company's own format, uploaded to the Project as a blank in stop 1. Claude fills it, in both languages, from the fact block and the chosen offer. Then Sherif reads the Arabic against the English, checking product name, quantity, unit price, total, incoterm, payment terms and dates, before it goes anywhere near the customer or the bank.
Using the fact block above, write one request for quotation in English I can send to three suppliers. Numbered questions only: unit price with the price basis, minimum order, carton quantity and packing, lead time in days from purchase order, incoterm at a named port, payment terms, certificates available, and how long the quotation stands. Ask for the price in USD. Under 200 words. No adjectives about our company.
Fill the blank pro forma in this Project from the fact block and this offer. English first, then Arabic, both in the same message, same numbers in both. Use the product names from the product list file for each language. Leave the pro forma number, the date and the bank line for me. List at the end every field you took from the fact block and every field you left blank. [paste the chosen supplier offer]
Put the English and the Arabic pro forma side by side in a table, field by field: product, quantity, unit price, total, incoterm, payment terms, delivery date, validity. Flag any row where the two versions do not say exactly the same thing, and flag any Arabic term that is not in the terminology file.
That third prompt does not replace Sherif reading it. It sorts the document into rows so the reading takes two minutes instead of ten.