Upload and compare supplier quotes
Rounding up three quotes and figuring out which one wins almost always ends in a hand-built spreadsheet and a lot of second-guessing. In Supplier Quotes you upload the PDF, the photo, or even the text that landed in your WhatsApp, and Matterial reads each one, lines it up against your project budget, and sets them side by side so you can decide with clear numbers: price, coverage, tax, freight, and delivery.
- Upload several quotes at once (PDF or photo, up to 10) or paste the text from WhatsApp or email; the AI pulls out the supplier, materials, prices, tax, freight, and delivery.
- Each line links itself to a budget line item on its own: green means a safe match, amber is worth a second look before you compare.
- Pick 2 to 5 quotes and tap Compare to see the side-by-side matrix, or the By product tab to build a split purchase.
- Generate Matterial's recommendation and share a link so your director can approve or reject it, no account needed.
- Reading costs about 3 credits per document and the recommendation about 2, drawn from the monthly pool your company shares; every other module runs without AI.
- 1
Open Supplier Quotes and pick the project
Head into Supplier Quotes and choose the project in the top right. Everything you upload gets compared against that project's budget, so double-check it's the right one before you start.
- 2
Upload the quotes
Drag the PDFs or photos onto the dotted zone (several at once, up to 10) or use the Upload quote button in the top right. Got it in a WhatsApp message or an email? In that same button pick the Pasted text option and drop the text in as is. Matterial reads each document for about 3 credits.
- 3
Check what the AI read
On the Review what was extracted screen, fix anything that's off: supplier, total, delivery, and the line items (Material, Qty, Unit, Unit price). Each row comes with a suggested budget line item, green is a safe match and amber is worth a look. Give it a Category and finish with Save quote.
- 4
Sort and find
In the list, every quote carries its Category (Steel and rebar, Cement and aggregates, Finishes...). Use the search box, the category filter, and the date range to round up the ones from the same purchase; switch between card and table views, and export the list for your accountant if you need to.
- 5
Compare side by side
Check the box on 2 to 5 quotes and tap the scales icon to Compare. On the Summary tab you get the matrix with prices, coverage, tax, freight, and risks by supplier. On By product, Matterial groups the same material across suppliers and suggests a split purchase, so you buy each item from whoever sells it cheapest.
- 6
Decide, share, and create the order
Tap Generate recommendation so Matterial can suggest the winner (about 2 credits), and Share for approval to send your director a link where they approve or reject with no account. Once you decide, use Create purchase order: the PO moves into Purchasing with its line items, and along the way you can push those prices into your materials catalog.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need the budget loaded to compare?
It's not required. You can upload and compare quotes even with no line items captured; the only catch is that without a budget there are no line items to link and no coverage against your project. If you want that automatic match, capture the line items in Budgets and come back to the quote.
What formats can I upload and how big can they be?
PDF or image (a photo of the quote works fine), up to 20 MB each and up to 10 per batch. If the quote came in as text over WhatsApp or email, you don't need a file: use the Pasted text option and drop the content in.
How many credits does it use, and what if they run out?
Each read costs about 3 credits and the AI recommendation about 2, drawn from the monthly pool your whole company shares. If they run out mid-batch, the upload stops on its own and lets you know; top them up in Matterial Credits. The rest of the screen keeps working without AI.