Quotation to shipment: document timeline for one deal
One deal needs different documents at different stages. A timeline beats isolated “make a PI” tasks. Below is a typical T/T + FOB order — what to issue at each milestone.
Stage 1: inquiry and quotation
Output: Quotation (QT). Buyer compares price and specs. Check: Incoterms, validity, MOQ, delivery. TradeDocs: create deal, enter lines, download QT.
Stage 2: order confirmation and payment
Output: PI (+ optional SC). Buyer pays deposit/full against PI. Check: bank details, payment split, delivery promise. Produce after funds received.
Stage 3: production, shipment, documents
Output: CI + PL (+ other customs docs). Forwarder needs PL weights/volume; customs needs CI; buyer accounting needs CI. Run checklist before ship; update final qty on one deal, export CI and PL.