Requests for quotation at scale

Why

Asking five suppliers the same question should take the time of asking one.

What

A request is one set of lines sent to many suppliers, each with their own answer link and their own supplier quote.

How

Build the lines, pick the suppliers, send, then compare and award from the request.

Build and send

1. 1
   Step 1.

   Open /app/suppliers?view=rfqs and choose New request. Request a quote on a supplier's record starts one for you, as do Build a shortage list and Request quotes on the Stock Reorder view.

2. 2
   Step 2.

   On Lines, search the catalogue or choose Add a line for something you do not stock. Set the quantity, unit, need by date and target price.

3. 3
   Step 3.

   On Suppliers, tick who to ask. Suppliers already linked to the saved lines are listed first, so choose Save after adding lines by hand. Choose a contact (the primary contact is picked for you) and a channel: Email, or Link only when you send the answer link yourself.

4. 4
   Step 4.

   On Settings, set Currency requested, Due, Deliver to, Incoterm and whether suppliers may quote their own break quantities.

5. 5
   Step 5.

   Choose Send request. Each supplier gets their own answer link and sees only their own prices.

A request carries at most 200 suppliers, and a workspace sends at most 2,000 request emails a day.

How answers arrive

Compare and award

1. 1
   Step 1.

   Open the Comparison tab: a row per line, a column per supplier that answered. Switch the basis between Quoted price, Landed cost and Lead time.

2. 2
   Step 2.

   Choose Award best price or Award best landed cost, or pick a cell per line by hand, then Award.

3. 3
   Step 3.

   One draft purchase order is raised per winning supplier. Nothing is sent to anybody until you send the orders.

Every supplier quote also appears in /app/quotes?view=supplier. A supplier quote is cost, never a sell price; it never counts in the sales pipeline.