Working Evidence · Synthetic

← AI-Native Market Entry / Paul’s TradecraftForeign trade RFQ

RFQ → Quote Decision: Human × AI Workflow

See how an incomplete foreign-trade RFQ is reconstructed into evidence, judged by a person, and returned to review when new information changes the case.

Built and operationally red-teamed · not field validated

Singapore distributor inquiry

Regional distributor · commercial interior / building-material product · no live customer or external communication

AI does

Reconstructs context, compares evidence, finds gaps, drafts questions, updates state.

Human decides

Whether to continue, what risks to accept, and whether a quote or promise is justified.

System controls

Unknowns remain unknown; external sending and commercial commitment stay approval-gated.

01 / RFQ arrives

Start with the work as it arrives.

A real-looking request is rarely a complete decision. The first move is to preserve the original signal before anyone cleans it up.

02 / Context reconstruction

AI separates signal from missing context.

The system does not fill the gaps. It makes the gaps easier for a person to see.

Case state: reconstructedUnknowns preserved

Known

  • Acoustic wall panels
  • Approx. 2,400 m²
  • Singapore destination
  • Late-October target

Unknown

  • Final technical specification
  • Contracting entity / buyer role
  • Certification requirement
  • Payment terms

Conflict / verify

  • Delivery timing may conflict with an unresolved fire-rating and specification path
  • “Target” is not yet a binding date
03 / Qualification

Prepare the judgment. Do not replace it.

The inquiry is commercially relevant, but relevance is not readiness. The work now is to make the decision legible.

Commercial relevance

Regional distributor, plausible product category, meaningful estimated quantity.

Technical fit

Potentially suitable, but the final specification and fire-rating requirement remain open.

Resource exposure

Engineering review, sample preparation, production feasibility, and senior commercial attention.

Questions requiring confirmation

Buyer role, project status, certification, payment, and whether late October is required or preferred.

Human judgment required

Does this opportunity deserve more organizational attention before the evidence is complete?

Choose a bounded path

Continue discovery does not authorize a quotation or commercial commitment.

04 / Evidence gap

AI prepares the minimum questions.

The machine absorbs coordination work. A human still reviews what the company is about to ask another party.

  • Confirm the final panel specification and fire-rating requirement.
  • Confirm the buyer or contracting entity for this project.
  • Confirm whether certification is mandatory and which standard applies.
  • Confirm payment terms and whether the target date is required or preferred.
  • Confirm project status: budgeted, specified, awarded, or exploratory.

Human review before evidence V1

AI has prepared the questions. This synthetic case now supplies confirmed answers for the first human decision. No external message has been sent.

05 / Evidence V1 · Human decision D1

Enough evidence for a decision — at this moment.

The synthetic case now has a coherent basis for a quote decision. The human decides; the evidence does not decide itself.

Specification · VERIFIED

Rev A — acoustic wall panel, fire-rated finish confirmed for this review.

Certification · VERIFIED

Required certification standard confirmed for the current scope.

Payment · VERIFIED

30/70 terms confirmed for the current commercial review.

Quantity / delivery · VERIFIED

2,400 m²; late-October delivery is sufficiently confirmed and feasible for this synthetic case.

Human judgment gate · Decision D1

AI has prepared the evidence. It has not selected the commercial decision.

06 / Evidence V2 · State reversal

The world changed after approval.

A later buyer message changes material commercial evidence. D1 is not rewritten — its current applicability changes.

New buyer evidence · 14:20“Our finance team requires 90-day OA. Also, please use revised specification Rev B attached to our latest request.”
Payment terms30/70→90-day OA
SpecificationRev A→Rev B
Previous decision · D1

QUOTE READY → STALE — REVIEW REQUIRED

Approved against Evidence V1 at 09:40. The decision was valid then. Material evidence changed afterwards.

Payment acceptanceINVALIDATED / REQUIRES REVIEW
Pricing assumptionsREQUIRES REVIEW
Specification feasibilityREQUIRES REVIEW
Delivery feasibilityIMPACT UNKNOWN — REVIEW REQUIRED
07 / Human re-review · Current decision D2

Make today’s decision against today’s evidence.

The old decision remains part of the history. It is no longer the current approval.

Human judgment gate · Evidence V2

AI may explain what changed. A human must choose the current state.