After a site visit, details are fresh. Drafting on your phone helps preserve them. The same applies to a B2B visit, shop sale or maintenance job: you do not need to be on a construction site to need an offer outside the office.
A small screen makes units, quantities and notes easier to confuse. Your method should distinguish what can be written immediately from what needs checking before a final price is sent.
Collect recipient and request first
Record client or company name, useful contact details, proposal subject and location where relevant. For a company, check which site receives the supply and who assesses it. Do not automatically copy the person you met if the commercial recipient differs.
Summarise the required result. “Three devices with installation and initial training” is more useful than “system offer”. If model choice remains open, flag it before assigning a price.
Separate observations from facts awaiting confirmation
A measured quantity and one verbally given by the client have different certainty. Record what needs checking: workstation count, area, access, power supply or product availability. This prevents a draft becoming an unintended promise.
In a warehouse you might check components and accessories; at the client you might clarify timing and access. A phone collects information but does not prove completeness. Keep photos and notes in your usual tools without assuming automatic importing.
Enter short but complete items
For every line, check description, unit, quantity and unit price. A short title can accompany a precise description. “Install device on existing network” exposes an assumption hidden by “installation”.
Illustrative example: 3 devices at €200 total €600. Lump-sum configuration at €180 and transport at €40 produce an €820 subtotal before applicable taxes. One-off transport should not be multiplied by three merely because there are three products.
Check terms before the total
A price is correct only for a defined scope. State included supply, necessary accessories and excluded activities. For technical work, say whether access or repairs need checking. For professional services, define deliverables and included revisions.
Validity, schedule and payment are separate. Old notes are easily reused on a phone: read them carefully. A product's immediate availability does not mean immediate installation can be promised.
Always open the PDF before sharing
Review the document as the client will receive it. Check recipient, every page, line wrapping and the final total. If you constantly need to zoom, consider clearer wording.
- Do client and subject match the request?
- Do quantities use the correct unit?
- Are planned materials and services included?
- Does the total use the correct discount?
- Are conditions awaiting confirmation visible?
- Are you sharing the right version?
Do not rush the review while driving or performing work. Set aside a moment for checking. A mistyped number can cost more than the time saved.
Continue on the web
PreventivOk has a web workflow for creating and viewing quotes and public information about its phone app. Its APIs support data synchronisation between clients, but this does not guarantee offline use or conflict-free simultaneous editing. Before changing devices, confirm the document is saved and expected data is available.
If a draft needs a long description or comparison with technical documents, finish it on the web. Useful speed means collecting information once and finding it again, rather than forcing every step onto a small screen.
If information is missing, communicate the next step
You do not always need a final quote at the end of a visit. Confirm the request, identify the missing check and say when you will reply. A properly retained incomplete draft is more useful than an offer that only appears precise.
Check quantities separately on small screens
After entry, reread quantities independently of descriptions. It is easy to type 30 instead of 3 or use metres instead of square metres while moving between notes and the quote. Compare each number with measurements or the request summary.
Check staffing too. Two technicians for three hours mean six person-hours internally. If selling a lump-sum service, retain the estimate even when hours are not shown. A phone speeds information collection without changing the units of economic reasoning.
Use PreventivOk's mobile quoting workflow and web version, checking saving, items and PDF before sending from your phone. Create your next quote with PreventivOk.