Five core export documents: from quotation to shipment
From first inquiry to payment, an export deal typically passes through several documents. TradeDocs covers five fixed types: Quotation (QT), Proforma Invoice (PI), Sales Contract (SC), Commercial Invoice (CI), and Packing List (PL). Knowing each role prevents duplicate data entry and mismatched versions sent to buyers.
Typical sequence
A common path: Quotation to confirm interest → PI for payment and delivery terms → Sales Contract to lock clauses → Commercial Invoice before or after shipment → Packing List with cargo or to the forwarder. Industries may skip a step, but all five share overlapping fields and fit one deal-centric workflow.
What each document solves
Quotation supports pricing and specs; PI moves toward firm terms and often includes bank details; Sales Contract emphasizes legal clauses; Commercial Invoice supports customs and buyer accounting; Packing List describes cartons, weights, and volume. In TradeDocs, switch among five views on one deal — letterhead and lines stay in sync.
Why fixed layouts beat Word templates
Word templates drift — fields get dropped and versions diverge. Fixed layouts keep buyer-facing table structure consistent so staff focus on data accuracy. TradeDocs is not a drag-and-drop designer, but logo, theme color, and PDF language packs give enough brand control without layout chaos.