Use manual entry for a small, readable set, an existing spreadsheet when suppliers provide one, or Docling when repeated document extraction justifies setup. Check source terms, identify comparable offers, and prepare supplier questions. Rank offers after the required quantity, specification, currency, and cost scope are aligned.
In this guide
- Which buying decision are you trying to make?
- Should you use a spreadsheet, AI, or document extraction?
- What should the finished comparison help you decide?
- Start with one buying requirement and the original quotes
- Extract one document before processing the set
- Build a source-linked comparison table
- What does the practice comparison actually establish?
- Ask AI to identify the next questions
- Resolve the gaps before making a buying decision
- Ask the question that could change the buying decision
- Questions that change your tool choice
Which buying decision are you trying to make?
Write the decision in one sentence, such as comparing a first order of 120 units delivered to a named location. Put the must-have specification, required date, and budget beside it so the comparison has a clear purpose.
First order: keep the commitment within budget
Compare the quantity you must buy and the payment schedule as well as the unit price. A larger minimum order changes the cash needed and the stock you will hold.
Repeat order: find what changed
Keep each revision with its quote date and source file. Compare unit price, freight, minimum order, and delivery terms with the previous accepted offer before deciding whether the apparent saving remains.
Alternative supplier: establish equivalence
Record the required specification and delivery need. Ask the supplier to confirm differences in materials, dimensions, packing, or included services before treating an alternative as a like-for-like offer.
Should you use a spreadsheet, AI, or document extraction?
For a document-capable AI service you already use, ask for a source-linked draft table with the same fields. Check its upload policy and your account's fees, then validate the extracted values against the originals. Keep field extraction and the buying recommendation as separate steps.
| Your documents | Suggested route | What still needs your attention |
|---|---|---|
| A small set of short, readable quotes | Enter the fields manually in a spreadsheet or Grist. Use the comparison and review steps below. | Read each term in its source and keep the file/page beside the value. Setup time may outweigh extraction work for a one-off. |
| Suppliers provide CSV or spreadsheet files | Import the structured files, map their columns, and preserve the originals. Use the cleanup workflow when formatting differs. | Check whether quantity, currency, tax, and shipping refer to the same product row and offer revision. |
| Repeated PDF quotes with different layouts | Try Docling on one representative PDF, inspect its Markdown, then build the checked comparison table. | Allow for Python/model setup and field correction. Extracted text still needs to be mapped to the right product and conditions. |
| Scans, photographs, or difficult tables | Use an OCR-enabled route in your chosen document software, inspect one page, and enter unresolved fields from the source. | Check digits, decimal points, currency signs, and column alignment. Request a clearer or structured quote when the original is ambiguous. |
What should the finished comparison help you decide?
Give each offer a review status such as needs clarification, does not meet a stated requirement, or ready for buyer review. Once material gaps are resolved, apply the buyer's stated criteria, for example delivery feasibility followed by total comparable cost. An attractive price alone cannot define those priorities.
- Which offers meet the must-have product, quantity, and delivery requirements.
- What each known amount includes, which currency it uses, and which costs still need confirmation.
- What must be paid before production or dispatch, using the actual quoted payment terms.
- Which questions would make the remaining offers comparable, with a source reference for each question.
Start with one buying requirement and the original quotes
This workflow is for a small-business operator comparing supplier offers. Write down the required product/specification, quantity, delivery location, and currency policy first. Keep the original documents beside the working table.
The three one-page PDFs are original fictional teaching documents. The reference CSV is manually specified from those documents, not a Docling extraction result. The practice buyer needs 120 DS-10 units.
Extract one document before processing the set
- Prepare Docling in a separate environment using the tool guide. Keep the three PDFs and example Python script in one working folder.
- Run the script with that environment's Python interpreter. It writes Markdown into extracted-quotes and stops instead of overwriting an existing output.
- Open one extracted Markdown file beside its PDF. Check the supplier, currency, quantity, decimal points, and payment/lead-time conditions.
- After checking the first result, inspect all three. The script supplies extracted text; you still need the field review and comparison below.
Build a source-linked comparison table
Use the reference CSV as a field layout, or create a table in Grist. Record quote ID, supplier, product, currency, quoted quantity, minimum order, unit price, shipping, tax, payment, lead time, validity, source file/page, and review flags.
A blank or unstated shipping fee stays unknown. A source passage should support each important term. If extraction misaligns a row or column, return to the PDF before using the value.
What does the practice comparison actually establish?
These are known arithmetic amounts within their stated scope. They are not final landed costs. No winner can be established from these three figures alone.
Q-A · USD 1,045 before unspecified tax
120 × 8.50 plus 25 shipping. MOQ is 120. Confirm tax and the missing issue date needed to apply its 14-day validity.
Q-B · USD 1,640 for goods only
The lower 8.20 unit price requires 200 units. Shipping and tax are not stated. This is not a complete cost for the buyer's 120-unit request.
Q-C · EUR 964 before unspecified tax
120 × 7.70 plus EUR 40 shipping. No exchange rate is supplied, and DS-10 equivalence remains unconfirmed. Do not rank its amount directly against USD.
Ask AI to identify the next questions
TASK: Review this supplier-quote comparison for a buyer. BUYER REQUIREMENT: [Exact specification, quantity, destination] CHECKED FIELDS: [Paste source-linked comparison] UNRESOLVED: [Fees, taxes, currency conversion, validity, specification] Separate comparable facts from unresolved conditions. Retain currencies, minimum quantities, payment triggers, and lead-time conditions. Check arithmetic within each quote, naming which costs are included. Missing fees are unknown, not zero. Do not invent exchange rates or choose a winner from incomparable offers. Return a source-linked issue list and questions to ask each supplier. Do not contact suppliers or place an order.
Resolve the gaps before making a buying decision
- Each price and condition agrees with the correct source file and page.
- Compared quantities meet the buyer's requirement and supplier minimums.
- Currencies remain distinct until an explicit dated conversion rule is supplied.
- Missing shipping, tax, and validity information stays visible.
- Specification equivalence is confirmed before comparing alternatives.
- A person approves the final comparison; sending questions or orders is a separate action.
Ask the question that could change the buying decision
Send a request through your usual supplier channel after reviewing it. Keep the reply and the revised quote as a new version, then update the comparison and its status. Retain the earlier version so a changed term remains traceable.
| Offer | Clarification to request | Decision it unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Q-A | Confirm tax, quote issue date/expiry, and delivery to the buyer's destination. | Establish whether the known USD 1,045 amount remains valid and what the full payable amount includes. |
| Q-B | Ask whether 120 units can be quoted, and request freight and tax for the relevant quantity. | Compare the buyer's actual requirement or consciously budget for the larger 200-unit minimum. |
| Q-C | Confirm the exact DS-10 specification, validity, and tax. Supply a dated conversion rule if comparing in USD. | Decide whether the EUR alternative meets the product requirement and can be compared on the same basis. |
Draft clarification questions for this supplier. BUYER REQUIREMENT: [specification, quantity, destination, required date] QUOTE ID/REVISION AND SOURCE: [file, page, date if supplied] CHECKED TERMS: [facts with their source positions] OPEN ITEMS: [specific missing or incompatible terms] Ask concise questions needed to compare this offer. Quote existing values as quoted terms and ask for confirmation where needed. Include a request for a revised dated quote. Preserve stated conditions. Return a message draft and fields to update when the reply arrives; a person will review and send it.
Questions that change your tool choice
Is extraction worth setting up for two quotes?
Try the manual field sheet first when the documents are short and readable. If the task repeats, compare your entry/review effort with a small extraction trial using your own documents.
Can I ask AI to choose the cheapest supplier?
First supply aligned quantities, confirmed specifications, dated currency rules, and the same cost scope. Ask it to calculate and explain a shortlist under your criteria, then check the underlying values before approving a purchase.
What if the PDF is a scan?
Use an OCR-capable setup and compare the result with the visible page. When a digit or clause remains ambiguous, request a clearer quote or a structured version from the supplier.
What if prices change while I am comparing?
Keep a revision/date field and record which version your comparison uses. Ask for current validity before approval and recalculate affected amounts from the updated terms.
References
Continue the task
When a comparison is difficult, check whether the problem lies in extraction, record identity, or the decision brief.