A Request for quote (also known as RFQ) is sent to one, or several suppliers, requiring information about:
- items purchase prices
- when the supplier(s) can deliver the items (dispatch date)
The RFQ can be created automatically via the Create request for quote menu item, or manually via the Work with requests for quote menu item. It is also possible to create a RFQ from a purchase requisition. See Create requests for quote from purchase requisitions.
Automatic creation of RFQ
By entering different selection criteria in the Request for quote creation program, the system will search through the Item file and the Business partner file and create a RFQ based on your selection criteria. Automatically created RFQs contain items from the Item file and suppliers from the Business partner file.
Manual creation of RFQ
When you create a RFQ manually, you define to which suppliers the RFQ should be sent and which items to request. You can request quotations from suppliers defined in the Business partner file, as well as from suppliers which are not registered in the Business partner file. In addition, the items requested do not have to be registered in the Item file.
Response
In return, the supplier can send either a quotation or a price catalogue. If the supplier sends the quotation or price catalogue through any Data Interchange (DI) method (for example through EDI/400), the Request for quote file can automatically be updated with the information in connection with your retrieval of the quotation/price catalogue through DI.
If your company accepts the quotation/price catalogue, various files in IBS Enterprise can automatically be updated. For example, if you accept a quotation, you can automatically update the purchase prices in the Item file with the prices defined on the quotation. See Update purchase prices from a supplier quotation or supplier price catalogue.
Content of RFQ
The items on an RFQ do not necessarily need to be requested from all suppliers defined on the RFQ. The relation between the suppliers and the items on a RFQ is depicted below:
According to the above picture:
- Item 1 is requested from Supplier A and Supplier B
- Item 2 is requested from Supplier B
- Item 3 is requested from Supplier A and Supplier C
Enquiries
- Supplier quotation enquiry