How Do eQuotes (EDI 843) Work? A Step-by-Step Breakdown

A successful B2B sale involves multiple steps, including the complex and time-consuming quoting process.

Incorrect quotes can cause serious consequences for the business, including lost revenue and damaged relationships due to perceived under or overcharging. When quotes are handled manually, it can be challenging for managers to track the quotes salespeople create, leading to pricing that is not advantageous to the business. On top of this, a manual quote takes a long time to put together and deliver to the buyer, who must then approve it and return it to the supplier—all of which can cause significant delays that affect business continuity.

The complex process that used to be a headache is now streamlined thanks to eQuotes or EDI 843. Supplier quotes are delivered electronically, directly into the buyer’s eProcurement system, using the EDI 843 transaction or its cXML equivalent.

What are eQuotes (EDI 843)?

This complicated and often lengthy process can be modernized and streamlined with the use of eQuotes, also known as EDI 843. By integrating into existing eProcurement systems, eQuotes:

• Automate and streamline quote building and delivery
• Improve the buyer experience
• Reduce errors

How eQuotes work: Step by step

Technically, the EDI 843 is the ANSI X12 “Response to Request for Quotation” transaction set. A supplier sends it in reply to a buyer’s EDI 840 (Request for Quotation), and it carries everything the buyer needs to act: line-item pricing, product details, terms, availability, and quote validity dates. In the standard EDI transaction chain, the 843 sits between the request and the order: 840 (RFQ) → 843 (quote) → 850 (purchase order).
Many eProcurement platforms exchange quote data in cXML rather than X12 EDI. T — the workflow is the same, and TradeCentric supports both formats, so buyers and suppliers can connect regardless of which standard their systems speak.

1. The buyer requests a quote: The buyer submits an RFQ or builds a draft cart in their eProcurement system (e.g., SAP Ariba, Coupa, Oracle).
2. The supplier receives and prices the request: The request lands in the supplier’s eCommerce or quote management platform, where the sales team applies contract pricing, discounts, and terms.
3. The quote is generated electronically: The supplier’s system produces the quote as an EDI 843 (or cXML) document. No need for rekeying or PDFs.
4. The buyer is notified: The buyer receives an alert that the quote is ready and reviews pricing, terms, and validity dates.
5. The quote transfers into the buyer’s eProcurement system: With one click, the full quote, including line items, pricing, and terms, moves into the buyer’s procurement workflow for approval.
6. The quote becomes a purchase order: Once approved, the quote converts directly to a PO (EDI 850), with every field carried over exactly as quoted.

eQuotes rely on integration between the buyer’s eProcurement system and the supplier’s eCommerce store – a technological pairing that can create extra expenses, delay, and headaches if not mapped properly. That’s where TradeCentric comes in.

TradeCentric’s purpose-built B2B Integration Platform pairs seamlessly with any eCommerce store and any eProcurement system, facilitating data exchanges between otherwise incompatible platforms.

A scalable, sustainable process

eQuotes simplify the quote creation process for both buyers and suppliers. Without a properly integrated system, buyers submit an RFQ, often by email. The supplier must then consult their catalog and create a quote document. When the buyer receives it, the details are manually entered into their eProcurement system and, once approved, are then manually re-entered into the supplier’s eCommerce store.

This is a lengthy process with many opportunities to introduce errors.

Compared with a manual quoting process, eQuotes are:

• Fast: Quotes are entered into a standardized quote builder interface, and the integration software takes care of data transfers between platforms.
• Error-free: Once the initial quote is created, there is no need to rekey order details manually.
• Transparent: Quote data is readily available and transparent to managers at the selling business and to everyone authorized to access quotes and orders in the buyer’s eProcurement platform.
• Easier to win with: faster, cleaner quotes are easier to approve, shortening the path from RFQ to order.

EDI 840 vs. EDI 843: What’s the difference?

With the addition of purchase order automation, the order can also be transferred back to the eCommerce system once approved. Other automation features such as electronic invoicing (eInvoicing) create a seamless procure-to-pay system.

The two documents are a matched pair: the EDI 840 asks for a quote, and the EDI 843 answers it.

	EDI 840 — Request for Quotation	EDI 843 — Response to Request for Quotation
Who sends it	The buyer	The supplier
What it contains	Items, quantities, and terms the buyer wants quoted	Pricing, availability, terms, and quote validity dates
What happens next	Supplier prices the request	Buyer accepts and converts the quote to a purchase order (EDI 850)

B2B eQuote with TradeCentric

As the eProcurement space becomes more robust, an increasing number of B2B buyers are asking for eQuotes. They recognize the benefits and expect suppliers to provide the necessary platform integration to their eProcurement and enterprise resource planning software.

As part of TradeCentric’s solutions, buyers and suppliers have multiple options for their specific business needs, including:

• A standalone eQuotes solution that provides an interface for users to request quotes and view completed quotes.
• eQuotes with PunchOut catalogs. In addition to the features of the standalone platform, buyers can PunchOut to the supplier’s eCommerce store to create an order.
• eQuotes with PunchOut catalogs and purchase order automation. In addition to PunchOut catalogs, this option delivers a purchase order to the supplier’s eCommerce store or ERP once the quote is approved.
• A complete sales order automation solution that adds eInvoicing for integrated end-to-end digital procurement that starts with a quote and ends with invoicing.

Whether you’re a buyer or supplier exploring how you can improve your quoting process with the use of eQuotes, TradeCentric can bring the advantages of eQuote/EDI 843 functionality regardless of which eCommerce system or eProcurement solution they use.