Compete vendors before you commit.
Run RFQs, invite vendors into structured responses, compare side by side, and award — whole or split by line — so the winning bid becomes the order, not an email thread.
RFQ-088 · 3/4 quoted
Filter packs · Plant 2
Best $18.4k
RFQ-087 · 2/5 quoted
Structural bolt package
Best $41.2k
RFQ-086 · 4/4 quoted
Sealant call-off
Best $6.1k
Competition should leave a record.
RFQs fail when invites, quotes, and awards are inbox archaeology. Structured responses and deliberate award are how the winning bid becomes the order.
Quotes as attachments
Vendors reply in PDFs and spreadsheets. Comparing like-for-like means retyping every line into a buyer’s private matrix.
Award in a hallway
Who won, why, and at what price lives in chat. Split awards across vendors are tribal knowledge.
Winner lost at the PO
The purchase order is typed from scratch. AP never sees the RFQ that justified the price — or which bidder was regretted.
Invite from the partner record.
Add bidders from qualified vendors — issue emails invites with delivery state (sent / skipped). Follow-ups are intentional, not a BCC list that disappears.
RFQ-088 · bidders
Harbor Steel Supply
RESPONDEDCoastal MEP Co.
RESPONDEDDelta Fasteners
SENTNorthline Spares
DECLINED
Quotes side by side — not in a private matrix.
Structured responses land against the same items and UoMs. Default weights favor price, with lead time and quality on the dial — comparison is a workspace, not a retyped spreadsheet.
Compare · RFQ-088
| Vendor | Total | Lead | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harbor SteelAward | $18.4k | 5d | 92 |
| Coastal MEP | $19.1k | 7d | 84 |
| Delta Fasteners | — | — | — |
Whole RFQ or split by line.
Split awards are the point — give each line to the right vendor. Awarded and regretted bidders stay on the record so the decision is auditable.
Line awards · RFQ-088
- Harbor Steel
10 · SPA-Filter pack A
Full qty
- Coastal MEP
20 · SPA-Gasket kit B
Split · better lead
The winning bid becomes the order.
Convert awarded RFQs into purchase orders without retyping. Continuity through receipt and AP is why competition belonged on the record in the first place.
One PO per awarded vendor
Split awards become separate purchase orders — each carries its winning lines and partner terms.
RFQ story intact
Receipt and bill still see who won the quote. Regretted bidders stay visible for audit.
Seeded from need
Lines can start from a requisition — competition doesn’t mean rebuilding the ask.
Compete on the record — then order
Invite, compare, award (whole or split), convert to PO — so AP still sees who won the RFQ.