Competitive sourcing

Step by step

1. Scope Buyer

   Buyer creates the RFQ from an approved requisition or as a standalone exercise. Department, cost centre and each line’s category support the later approval path. The scope retains quantities, units, need-by dates and original requisition references. Buyer sets the response deadline and evaluation weights before sending; a standalone exercise has no spend authority merely because it exists.

   • scope and routing dimensions prepared
   • Updates RFQs, RFQ lines, Purchase requisitions

2. Invite Buyer

   Buyer chooses eligible Active suppliers and checks the category’s current verified qualification evidence. Each invitation retains its delivery and response state. Scope and weights freeze when sent through the configured supplier channel. A changed requirement needs a reviewed re-issue so bidders are compared against the same request.

   • eligible invitations sent; scope and weights frozen
   • Updates RFQs, RFQ invited suppliers, Supplier certifications

3. Send and respond Supplier

   Supplier receives the invitation through configured access and submits its own priced lines, quoted lead times, commercial terms and proposed alternatives. Buyer controls sending; Supplier controls its response before the deadline. Withdrawals and revisions preserve their history. After the deadline, response changes cannot silently alter the comparison already under review.

   • supplier response retained for the issued scope
   • Updates RFQs, RFQ responses, RFQ response lines

4. Compare Buyer

   Buyer reviews calculated price and quoted-lead-time scores alongside the latest published quality score with usable inspection observations. Missing quality history uses the documented neutral basis. Delivery punctuality remains separate evidence. Alternates, incomplete coverage, expired offers or incomparable quantities need explicit review before a low total can support an award.

   • comparable offers scored and recommendation recorded
   • Updates Bid comparison scores, Supplier performance

5. Award Buyer or Procurement Manager

   Buyer records the selected offer and reason. Procurement Manager reviews a proposed departure from the recommendation before that exception is used. The award retains the response and decision evidence and creates a draft order. No acceptable offer leads to no award with its reason. Supplier notifications use the configured channel and remain separate delivery records.

   • reviewed offer selected or no award recorded
   • Updates RFQs, RFQ responses, Purchase orders
   ApprovalA person approves before the work moves on.

6. Order approval Approver or Controller or Procurement Manager

   The resulting order must have matching unconsumed spend authority. Otherwise Approver, Controller or Procurement Manager decides the assigned matrix tiers. Standalone RFQ orders require matrix approval and cannot use the Buyer-limit exception. Procurement Manager separately clears price exceptions. A standalone RFQ award supplies no authority by itself. Buyer can propose a draft contract rate from the award for Procurement Manager activation.

   • spending authority and separate pricing decisions completed
   • Updates Purchase orders, Approval steps, Spend approvals, Spend approval lines, Commitment allocations, Contract rates
   Approvalwhen prior authority is insufficient

Buyer

Scopes, invites, compares and awards.

Supplier

Submits its own offer.

Procurement Manager

Reviews recommendation and pricing exceptions.

Approver

Decides assigned business tiers.

Controller

Decides its financial tier.

Requester

Supplies the original need and sees its outcome.