TheQuote feature in IBM? SterlingConfigure Price Quote on Cloud providesa seller with the capability to create a sales opportunity for a customerand to present one or more quotes to the customer for a potentialsale. For example a Field Sales Representative of ABC Corporationmay see an opportunity to sell computers to a customer XYZ Corporationand present several quotes to XYZ Corporation.

The Quote feature comprises the following components:

• A sales opportunity

  Anopportunity is a container for holding one or more related quotespresented to a customer. Related alternative quotes are a set ofquotes that are separate from each other but are associated witha single sales opportunity. Negotiations can be performed for allthese quotes but a customer can accept only one quote thereby abandoningall the other quotes. In such a scenario when an order is createdfrom a quote the opportunity is closed with the status of Won. Ifthe quotes either expire or are abandoned by the customer the FieldSales Representative closes the opportunity with the status of Lost.

• Oneor more quotes that are related to a single sales opportunity

  A quote represents a legally binding agreement betweena seller and a customer for the purchase of a predetermined set ofitems and the quantities of these items at a predetermined pricewith delivery on a specific date. A quote is created by a Field SalesRepresentative and can be rejected by a customer expire after thequote expiration date or if a customer accepts the quote resultin a single order.

Aquote document consists of a header and line items and contains additionalattributes that support the quote process. For example the quoteheader contains an attribute that enables a quote to be linked toits associated opportunity. Information entered in the quote includesfor example the name of the quote a description of the quote thename of the quote owner customer information shipping informationand items with their applicable quantities and prices. A quote alsocontains an expiration date which is either computed by the systemor is entered or overridden by a Field Sales Representative.

Thequote process involves a seller foreseeing a sales opportunity andpresenting one or more quotes to a customer to initiate the executionof a potential sale. The seller and the customer can negotiate theterms of a quote and a quote approval process ensues. A quote canbe accepted rejected or abandoned by the customer. When a quoteis accepted by the customer an order is created for the correspondingquote and subsequently all the alternative quotes are terminatedwith the status as Abandoned. Quotes can also be abandoned at thecustomer's request or when a quote expires. After an order iscreated from a quote the quotes and their associated opportunityare purged and the order is fulfilled through the Order Fulfillmentpipeline.

For example a Field Sales Representative of ABCCorporation may see an opportunity to sell computers to a softwarecompany XYZ Corporation and may offer the following alternativequotes to this customer:

• Quote A: Buy two laptop computers and receive a5% discount off the list price.
• Quote B: Buy one laptop computer and one desktopcomputer and receive a 6% discount off the list price.
• Quote C: Buy two desktop computers and receivea 7% discount off the list price.

XYZ Corporation is offered a choice between QuoteA Quote B and Quote C and negotiates the terms of each of theseoptions with the Field Sales Representative. When XYZ Corporationdecides to accept
Quote A an order is created fromthat quote Quote B and Quote C are automatically abandoned and thesales opportunity is Won. The order created from Quote A is then fulfilledin the Order Fulfillment pipeline.