Create RFQ

The Quoting module enables you to use a previously uploaded BOM (BOM Insight module) or Demand (Demand Management module) to create an RFQ to send out to your suppliers for quotation. To create and submit an RFQ, you will follow the sequential steps shown as tabs:

1. Details
2. Line Items
3. Assignments
4. Submit

After creating your RFQ, you can then navigate the Responses, Review & Implement, Comments and History tabs as you manage supplier’s responses and work your quote.

Step 1: RFQ Details

The first step in creating your RFQ is to click on +Add New RFQ within Quoting.

This will take you to the “Create New RFQ” page to fill out the RFQ’s details. The left section is your Basic Details, in the middle Other Details, and then RFQ Reminder on the right side.

Set the Required fields of RFQ Name, Supplier Due Date, and Number of Quantity Breaks in order to proceed. Note that the * symbol indicates required fields.

You can fill in the following RFQ details:

• RFQ Name*
• Supplier Due Date*
• Project Due Date
  • This gives buyers time to process the RFQ after the due date for the supplier is met. The Project Due Date is greater than or equal to the due date for the suppliers.
  • The Project Due Date will not be displayed on the supplier portal.
• Number of Quantity Breaks*
  • Depending on your admin settings, you can set up to 6 breaks. It will pull in the actual quantity breaks defined in your BOM and/or demand source file(s). Then it’ll show them “As Loaded” and populate the lines with the corresponding quantity breaks. If multipliers were used in a BOM source, it will allow you to set its quantity breaks manually. When using multipliers in your RFQ creation, the multiplier field will become read-only after RFQ submission.
• Description
  • A short descriptor field of up to 280 characters. This description will be visible to suppliers once the RFQ is submitted.
• RFQ Type
  • This informational field helps suppliers know your intention for the bidding process. Choose either Bid for Buy, or Bid for Bid
  • Your selection does not affect the way the quoting process is handled
• Allow Crosses
  • This indicator field helps inform suppliers if you would like them to provide "crosses" (ie alternates) in their bid
  • Selecting “No” indicates to the supplier that you do not want to be quoted alternates. Suppliers will still be able to submit part corrections regardless of choice.

• Accept Partial Responses
  • YES - When "Accept Partial Responses" is marked 'Yes' as accepted:
    • This will allow your suppliers to submit their responses, even when some columns identified as "Required" are missing data.
    • When the supplier submits, then their lines will receive a status of “Submitted” even if data is missing from the “Required” columns.
  • NO - When “Accept Partial Responses” is marked as “No”:
    • When the supplier submits, their lines will receive a status of “Submitted” only if all of their data in the “Required” columns exist.
• End Customer Name / Location
  • Use this text field to store the End Customer you are quoting and/or the Location for tracking purposes
• Internal ID
  • This field allows you to add your own reference ID to the Supplyframe RFQ. This can help you identify the reference ID in your own external systems to the corresponding Supplyframe RFQ when integrating your system with the Supplyframe solution.
• Req. Manufacturer
  • This option allows you to decide if you want to use the Req. Manufacturer (Requested Manufacturer) or Manufacturer when a BOM is added as the source file in an RFQ.
  • Choose Req. Manufacturer when you want the suppliers to quote the original manufacturer name as it was imported
  • Choose Manufacturer when you want the cleaned or changed Manufacturer name to be the one shown to suppliers
• Consolidate By
  • “Consolidate By” allows you to aggregate your part quantities per your field selection(s). When the data is identical across your field selection(s), then those rows will be combined and their quantities aggregated. You can consolidate by:
    • CPN/IPN
    • Manufacturer
    • Subcontractor
    • MPN
    • Plant
  • Checking more options for consolidation makes for a more unique "key" and will thus produce more lines for quote. Checking fewer options will allow more more opportunities for parts quantities to be aggregated together.
  • Consolidating by MPN and Manufacturer is a recommended starting point
• Choose Folder
  • Select to file this RFQ within an existing project folder by using the Choose Folder dropdown.
• RFQ Reminder

  • Set automated email notifications to suppliers. Check "Enabled" and then specify the timing and frequency. The notifications will continue indefinitely until a supplier has marked their RFQ submission as "Complete". More information is available in the RFQ Reminders article.

Click on Next to save your selections and information to move on to Step 2: Line Items.

Once you click on “Next”, then the Number of Quantity Breaks and Consolidate By are no longer editable. Those sections will be grayed out and unable to be edited.

Step 2: Line Items

The next step is Line Items, from which you’ll add the source file(s) for your RFQ line items.

Choose RFQ Sources

You can only create RFQs from previously uploaded BOMs or Demand lists, by clicking on either:

“Choose Existing BOMs” - Previously created BOMs (from BOM Insight).

From BOM Insight, the following data from a BOM will continue on in an RFQ:

• • IPN/CPN and MPN
  • Manufacturer Name
    • When no Manufacturer Name is identified in the BOM, then Req. Manufacturer will become Manufacturer in an RFQ when it exists.
  • Quantity (Qty)
  • Data displayed in the BOM under the "Expand View", based on the “Internal RFQ” settings defined in its Part Categories.

When working with BOMs uploaded through BOM Insight, then the settings per its Part Category Templates will define which columns will be visible in an internal/external RFQ.

“Choose Existing Forecasts” - Previously created Demands that have a Ready for RFQ status (from Demand Management).

From Demand Management, the following data from a list continues on in an RFQ:

• • Columns viewable/editable based on Demand Template Settings.
  • Demand lists are uploaded in Demand Management with Demand Templates. The RFQ will include all of the columns from various demand templates if more than one source is selected. The columns will be visible and editable in the RFQ per each of the Template Setting’s rules.

When you choose more than one source for an RFQ, then it will consolidate shared parts based on the previous step's Details "Consolidate By" selections. 

Set Quantities

You will need to enter the quantity break(s) for each source if it was not originally mapped within the source file. When more than one quantity was mapped in the source file, then what was mapped in the source will be the set quantities within the RFQ up to your RFQ number of quantity's specification. This is not editable. The source's set quantities will say "As Loaded".

When there are more quantities in your source file than in your RFQ's specification, will only use the number of quantity columns up to your specified break will count for your RFQ. 

Once you have entered your quantity break(s) for each source when needed, then click on the checkmark to apply and save them.

Line Items below will show the total calculated counts based on your entered quantity break(s). The number in the name of a Qty column (such as Qty1, Qty2, etc) refers to the quantity breaks.

Once you are finished adding BOMs or Demand lists, click on the Assignments tab to go to the next step in creating your RFQ.

Step 3: Assignments

Once you’ve successfully imported your RFQ source data from BOM Insight or Demand Management, then the next step in your RFQ creation is the Assignments. This provides the ability to assign your suppliers to line items, use sourcing levels, make internal assignments, and bring in as available a reference price for your line items. You can apply these functionalities to all of the line items or just to pre-selected individual lines. By default, it will apply to all line items, unless you already selected the individual lines.

The section at the top displays your RFQ name, the folder location, and a count of all the line items within the RFQ. There’s also a “Search” text field to the right above your line items, which allows you to quickly lookup an IPN/CPN, MPN, or Manufacturer.

The Assignments below are your list of parts that you can assign. The columns displayed in your RFQ may vary depending on your BOM/Demand and settings. Any cell that is clickable within the line items can be edited. Simply enter the updated information and hit Enter/Return to save the changes.

When needed, use the Currency button to modify line items specific currency during your assignments.

Sourcing Level

You can choose to use a Sourcing Level based on a previously uploaded matrix. When the matrix exists, this feature will populate the Sourcing Level column. The Sourcing Level function in the RFQ will assign a sourcing level to each of the lines by matching the Category and Manufacturer Name. 

Using the Sourcing Level is optional and works together with your Approved Vendors Lists (AVL) to further customize the supplier assignment in your quote. When you are sourcing directly from manufacturers, this can help set specific rules to ensure a line always gets assigned to the manufacturer, regardless of an AVL match. This will happen whenever a “G” or “L” exists as a sourcing level in the RFQ, helping to manage smaller AVLs that include only franchised distributors. Your Sourcing Level matrix can be accessed / managed by admins.

Once line items have a Sourcing Level and you have checked the option to “Use Sourcing Level Rules”, then supplier assignments will take into account the defined rule for each line within an existing sourcing level.

If sourcing level information is missing on RFQ lines and “Use Sourcing Level Rules” is checked, then the assignment will take place just based on the AVL.

Assign Suppliers

The next step is to click on Assign Suppliers, and choose to perform your line item assignments by either Line Card, Manually Assign to Selected Suppliers, or Assign by AVL.

Assign by Line Card

The option of Assign by Line Card uses your supplier’s line cards (franchised manufacturers) to assign the parts in your RFQ. 

Looking at the Manufacturer specified for a line item, Quoting then assigns parts to all the suppliers with that manufacturer on their line cards. Only suppliers with enabled contacts are applied.

Choose to Apply to "All Items" or "Only Selected Items" and then click on Assign. 

Manually Assign

When you use the Manually Assign to Selected Suppliers, you can customize assignments by individually selecting each supplier you want to assign. Choose to Apply to "All Items" or "Only Selected Items" and then click on Assign. 

To add additional suppliers to a part after an assignment was already made, make sure to select the original suppliers as well. Otherwise, the follow-up assignments will take place only with the currently selected suppliers and clear out any previously assigned suppliers. 

Manually assigning suppliers to lines that have already been assigned and have multiple suppliers will clear supplier assignments for the group and re-assign only what you have manually selected. When no selection is made, clicking “Assign” will clear any existing supplier assignment. Use this to unassign specific lines.

AVL Assignment

The option of Assign by AVL lets you choose one or multiple approved vendor lists (AVLs) and decide the logic for assignments by checking from applicable options:

• CPN/IPN
• MPN
• Manufacturer
• Category 
• Region
• Plant

When selecting a combination of options, each line will get a supplier assigned based only on an exact match for all the selected attributes.

Check the box in the Assign by AVL tab when wanting to "Use Sourcing Level Rules". When checked, then your suppliers are assigned based on the rule defined for the sourcing level of a line item in RFQ. If the box is unchecked, or a sourcing level is missing, then the assignment will be based on the AVL.

Choose if to Apply to "All Items" or "Only Selected Items" and then click on Assign. 

Unassign lines

Select the Remove Assignments button from the Supplier Assignments drop down function:

Legacy/alternate method for unassigning lines:

To unassign lines that haven’t been submitted yet, then select those lines to be unassigned. You can use the Manual Assignment functionality without any suppliers selected, and click Assign. Then the existing selected assignments will be cleared out and all line items will show as as unassigned. This action can be done depending on your supplier assignment permissions. 

Once lines have been submitted in the RFQ to suppliers, then the "Unassign" button functionality on the Responses page should be used instead. 

RFQ Internal Assignments

During RFQ Assignments, you can trigger Internal Assignments and use your company's internal matrix to assign parts to your team’s respective buyers. The matrix must be already loaded by admins into your company’s account for this function. There's also an option to manually make internal assignments instead of using a matrix. Being an Assignee in the RFQ may grant you as a member different rights, depending on your "Permissions" configuration by admins.

To use Sourcing Level and Internal Assignments, the order to apply them is by how the buttons are ordered from left to right. You would need to click on Sourcing Level first, then use the Assign Suppliers, and lastly followed by clicking on Internal Assignments. 

While Sourcing Level can be skipped if it's not going to be used, you must have completed the Assign Suppliers for the Internal Assignments functionality to work.

When you click on Internal Assignments, you can choose to use the "Internal Assignment Matrix", or opt instead of complete the “Internal Assignment Manually”. Utilizing the first matrix option will open the Internal Team Assignment Based on Matrix window.

Internal Assignment Matrix

From the Internal Assignments drop down click on Internal Assignment Matrix. Select if you want to apply assignments of your internal buyers to “All Items” or only “Selected Items”. Then specify if you want to “Notify Assignee” when a line item is assigned to them. This triggers an email notification to be sent to the "Assignee". Manually changing the Assignee on a line will not trigger an email notification. Click on Assign to finish.

Lines will get assigned to the applicable team member based on a match to your Internal Assignment matrix for Category, Sourcing Level, and Supplier. When there isn’t an exact match for all three attributes, then a close match is considered and used by just the Category and Supplier. 

When a close match is not found, then a line will not be overwritten and the original Assignee will remain. The "Buyer" by default, who is the user who originally uploaded parts as a BOM or Demand, will be the Assignee.

Internal Assignment Manually

From the Internal Assignments drop down click on Internal Assignment Manually. This will open up the Assignee window. Within the "Choose Assignee" text field, start typing the name of the person that you want to assign. It will pre-populate as you type and show the available options of people you can select. Choose in the "Apply to" section if this should be for "All Items" or "Only Selected Items". Then specify if you want to “Notify Assignee” when a line item is assigned to them. This triggers an email notification to be sent to the "Assignee". Click on Assign to finish.

Ref Pricing

The purpose of Ref Pricing is to match lines with prices agreed to in advance with your suppliers through your previously uploaded Contract Pricing, Purchase Orders, or Quote History. Setting a Ref Price allows the different "Spend and Savings" to show you a comparison to previous negotiation cycles. The Ref Pricing functionality is only possible if you are an admin or have the “Create RFQ” permission checked.

Clicking on Ref Pricing during RFQ: Assignments will populate the following columns (as available) from one or more of the Contract Pricing (CP) or Purchase Order (PO) file(s) as selected:

• Ref. Quota: "Quota" column from CP or PO - used as one of the allocation criteria for new quota to calculate savings.

• Ref. Unit Cost: "Unit Cost" from CP or PO - used to calculate spend.

• Ref. Unit Price Currency:  "Unit Price Currency" from CP or PO - used to convert to a unit cost per the default currency setting of the customer for Spend & Savings calculations.

• Ref Actual Spend: Using the Unit Cost * (Ref. Quota/100) * Qty.

• Ref. Markup: "Markup" from CP or PO.

• Markup: "Markup" from CP or PO.

  • When no price is found for a line and if Supplier = Vendor then, populate "Markup" with 1.

  • If the Supplier is not the same as the Vendor, then it'll leave it blank. 

• Ref. Vendor: Vendor from CP or PO.

• Vendor: Vendor from CP or PO. When no price is found for a line, the Vendor is populated the same as the Supplier, ensuring each line will have a Vendor.

• Ref. Supplier: Supplier from CP or PO.

• Ref. Qty: "Qty" from CP or PO.

Select the specific files that you want to reference or you can use the Select All to easily check all files listed. Based on the “Match By” selection below (to one or multiple), a line item will populate with the identified reference information (Contract Price or Purchase Order) when it matches across all selected attributes.

• CPN/IPN

• MPN

• Manufacturer

• Supplier

• Plant

• Quantity

• Subcontractor

If two matches are found when it’s applying the Ref Pricing, then the file with the most recent “Start Date” will be selected for a line item. (In Contract Pricing, the most recent “Contract Price ID” is used. The “Expire Date” is not taken into consideration.)

On the Assignments page, the “Ref. Price Source” column will identify where the “Contract Price” or "Purchase Order Price" for a line item in the RFQ originated from. The “Ref. Price Source” column will be populated automatically when clicking on Populate Pricing to trigger the Ref. Pricing.

When your assignments are finished, click on the Submit tab to go to the last step in RFQ creation.

Step 4: Submit

When assignments are completed, the Submit tab is where lines can be sent to your assigned suppliers. Counts are provided for submitted and assigned CPNs & MPNs. The page will have three tabs:

• Supplier - your list of suppliers and line items you’re submitting to them. Click the cube next to the suppliers name to see their information or the contacts you have loaded for them.
• Unassigned - for reviewing the parts left unassigned.
• Attachments - for attaching documents or files to be sent to the suppliers along with your RFQ. This may include a cover letter, or any other information that should be shared with all suppliers. Note that part specific drawings are better suited to be added at the part level.

Supplier Tab

From the Supplier tab, submitting an RFQ can be done for just a selection of suppliers or all your suppliers at once. You can also set individual Supplier Due Dates.

Select the lines that you wish to send and then if submitting for:

• Unsubmitted Items
  • Previously unsubmitted items will be submitted to suppliers and only suppliers assigned to these items will be notified of RFQ.
• All Items
  • Selecting to submit all items removes suppliers' responses for you and suppliers.
  • Select this if you are submitting for the first time or you made major edits in the RFQ from an initial submission and you want suppliers to re-work the RFQ.

Once you've made your selection, then click on Confirm to complete.

Note: Using the option of "Unsubmitted" items will not send notifications to your supplier contacts if the lines were submitted previously. Also, for any new supplier contacts, the RFQ will be present for them, but they will not be notified. Alternatively, using submit "All Items" will notify all contacts for the selected supplier. 

Unassigned Tab

On the Unassigned tab, review the items that were left unassigned and re-do assignments if needed. Lines display as unassigned if either no match is identified per the AVL assignment or if there’s no contact for that manufacturer/supplier.

Attachments Tab

You can provide attachments at the RFQ level for suppliers in the form of docs, spreadsheets, and images. These will be available in the supplier portal for suppliers to download. 

That completes your RFQ creation!