A fruit wholesaler may receive several supplier quotations throughout the day. One WhatsApp message quotes apples by carton. Another lists different varieties, origins and grades. A third supplier sends an updated offer with different packing specifications.
The information arrives quickly. The problem is being able to find, check and compare it later.
For a purchasing team, a quotation is most useful when its details remain understandable at the time of the buying decision.
A fruit price without its specification is incomplete
Consider two sample quotations shown in R2U's Price Discovery demonstration:
| Product | Specification | Quoted price |
|---|---|---|
| China Fuji apples | 18 kg carton | S$32.50 |
| New Zealand Pink Lady apples | 15 kg carton | S$39.00 |
Comparing S$32.50 with S$39.00 alone does not establish which offer is better. The varieties, origins and packing sizes differ.
Even two offers for the same apple variety may require closer attention to grade, count, weight, quality, delivery terms and availability. A lower headline price does not necessarily mean a better like-for-like purchase.
What information should a buyer preserve?
Useful company quotation records commonly include:
- Fruit and variety: “Fuji apples” rather than simply “apples”.
- Country of origin: Where the product is sourced from.
- Packing specification: Carton weight, tray configuration or relevant count information.
- Grade or size: Where stated by the supplier.
- Quoted price and currency: With the applicable unit.
- Quotation date: When the offer was received.
- Supplier reference: Kept within authorised company records.
- Offer conditions: Minimum order, delivery basis or validity if provided.
Supplier messages do not always contain every field. Unclear grades, quantities or currencies should be marked for review, not silently guessed.
From WhatsApp message to searchable record
1. Capture the quotation
A staff member takes the relevant supplier message from the company's communication channel and enters it into the approved quotation workflow.
2. Structure the details
The software helps organise the fruit, origin, specification and quoted amount into consistent fields.
3. Review what was extracted
A buyer compares the proposed record with the supplier's original text, especially where abbreviations, mixed languages or non-standard packing descriptions were used.
4. Save and compare the record
Once checked, the quotation is easier to search and compare against other observations held by the same company.
Important: R2U Price Discovery currently describes a paste-and-review process. It should not be described as silently reading all WhatsApp conversations or as receiving a live market-wide price feed.
Historical quotations are valuable when you keep the context
Over time, a purchasing team can ask more useful questions: How does this week's offer compare with the last recorded price for the same variety and packing size? Has a supplier's quotation changed? Are two offers genuinely comparable?
These records can support supplier discussions, but a company's own quotation history is not a complete picture of the market. It reflects the suppliers, products and dates represented in that company's data.
It is not an independently verified wholesale market index or a guarantee that the lowest possible price has been found.
A more useful weekly buying review
When quotations are scattered across conversations, a weekly review often begins with searching through screenshots and retyping prices. Structured records allow the team to start from information already captured and spend more effort considering the decisions.
R2U Price Discovery describes search of recorded quotations, historical comparisons and Excel-compatible CSV exports. A CSV file can be used as a starting point for an internal purchasing report or spreadsheet analysis.
That should not be confused with an automatically formatted native Excel workbook or an independently validated market intelligence report.
Where R2U Price Discovery fits
R2U Price Discovery is designed for fruit wholesalers and purchasing teams organising their own supplier quotations. Its focus is retaining details that give a quoted price meaning: fruit, origin, specification, amount and historical context.
The product is being prepared for separate company workspaces. Multi-user access, company-data isolation and final plan allowances require testing before broader self-service activation.
Its public page currently accepts demonstration and proposed trial enquiries. It does not automatically activate an account or paid subscription.
For a purchasing team considering the workflow, the sensible starting point is a representative supplier quotation and a discussion of how review and access would work.
Frequently asked questions
Does R2U show all wholesale fruit prices?
No. It organises quotations recorded by the participating company. It does not claim to cover every supplier or offer a verified live market-wide feed.
Does it automatically read WhatsApp conversations?
The described workflow involves pasting relevant quotation text and reviewing the extracted record. Any further WhatsApp integration should be confirmed separately.
Can different carton sizes be compared?
Packing specifications can be preserved for review. Buyers must still check whether differences in weight, variety, grade and other conditions make a comparison meaningful.
Can records be exported for use in Excel?
The currently described export is an Excel-compatible CSV. Native formatted Excel files and additional automated reporting functions require separate confirmation.
THE WORKFLOW IN PRACTICE
Price Discovery
The next step is to explore the relevant product and ask how it fits your own operation. Demos and any early-access conditions are confirmed separately.
Explore Price Discovery