How do you stop an old wholesale quote from becoming the current offer?
Format: Article.
Keep an old quote for history, but make clear that it is not the current offer. Give each version you send its own reference. Save the exact file the customer got. Then match their response to that version. The latest email may attach an old PDF. A quote number alone may not tell you which terms they saw.
Ask two questions: which offer did the customer accept, and who can approve those terms? Software can gather the records. It should not choose the terms based on the file's save time. If the response is unclear, keep it open for sales review. This is a work check, not a legal ruling on a disputed offer.
Keep a quote version register
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Quote family and revision | Stable family reference plus a distinct version |
| Issued artifact | Exact customer-facing document and issue time |
| Offered lines | Items, units, quantities, delivery terms, and approved prices |
| Validity | Expiry date and any agreed time-zone or cutoff rule |
| Revision reason | What changed from the prior offer |
| Authority | Staff approver and approved customer recipient |
| Current status | Draft, issued, superseded, expired, or acceptance under review |
| Acceptance evidence | Customer response, referenced revision, accepted lines, and qualifications |
These are suggested work labels, not states built into every quote tool. Keep the issued file with the register. A row that says “revision three” is not enough. Staff need the exact third version sent to the customer. “Superseded” means a newer offer has replaced that version in the staff view.
Microsoft Business Central lets staff change and resend quotes while discussing terms. It also has a Quote Valid Until Date field. [S06] Those features help staff track an offer. They do not prove which version the customer accepted or settle a dispute about its terms.
Apply three acceptance checks
Expired offer: Check the reply date against the offer's end date and cutoff rule. If the offer expired, send it to the sales reviewer. Do not extend it on your own or assume an old price is still allowed. The reviewer can decide whether to send a new offer under the normal process.
Revised offer: Match the customer's reference and file to the version you sent. If they reply to version one after you sent version two, ask which they mean. Keep both messages. “Looks good” may not tell you whether they saw the new count, freight term, or delivery rule.
Partial acceptance: List the items and counts the customer agreed to buy. Did a discount depend on buying the full set? Do not carry that discount to a smaller purchase without review. Keep rejected and undecided lines apart. Staff must not mistake them for a promise to buy.
Hypothetical example: the missing freight term
A made-up wholesaler sends quote Q-72 version one for shelves and storage bins. In version two, it changes the freight terms and takes out the bins, as the customer asked. The customer later sends “Approved” with version one attached.
The register shows version two as the latest offer sent. That does not make it the one the customer accepted. Do not change their file to match it. Sales marks the response for review and asks which version and items they meant.
The customer says they want only the shelving, with the freight term from version one. That mixes terms from two offers. It is not a clear match to version two. The sales manager must decide whether to offer that mix. Keep the case open until the agreed offer and the customer's response refer to the same terms.
No price is changed by this example. It shows why version control is a decision record, not just a file naming rule.
Make superseded versions hard to misuse
Keep old versions for history, but put their state beside the file link. Use a clear “superseded” or “expired” label. If the customer needs a new copy, staff should choose the right issued file. Do not rebuild an old quote with today's prices and pass it off as the original.
Check where staff save quotes outside the main tool. Look at shared drives, customer portals, saved emails, and account files. The main tool may have the right version while sales still forwards an old copy. Record which one went to the customer. Do not just list the newest one saved inside the business.
Test for the ambiguity that matters
Test with an old file, a reply that names no version, and a reply that accepts only part of the offer on new terms. Staff should get a clear question to answer in each case. If the system marks the offer “accepted” without proof, the test fails.
Core Agentic builds custom AI software to fit current sales tools. A proposed quote view could compare versions and show the customer's reply beside them. Agree on access, how long to keep files, who can approve terms, and what may go to a cloud model. This is not a live quote product. It would not set prices on its own.
To discuss keeping issued offers and customer acceptance aligned, Book a Demo.
Sources
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