Requests for quotes

A request for quotes asks several suppliers to price the same list of items, so you can see who is cheapest and fastest before you commit. Use one when the price is not already agreed: a truckload of 500-gallon tanks for the season, a year's supply of regulators, or a new line of cylinder valves. When you finalize it, AimRack creates one supplier quote per supplier and can email each supplier a private link to enter their prices.

How to ask several suppliers for prices when you are buying something new

1. Open Purchasing → RFQs and select Add RFQ.
2. Fill in:
   • RFQ Date and Due Date (when you need the answers back).
   • Receiving Location: the bulk plant, warehouse or yard the goods would go to.
   • Buyer: the person in your office running the request.
   • Suppliers: every supplier you want to ask.
   • RFQ ID comes from your numbering unless you type one.
3. Add a line per item with Part, Description, Purchase Unit of Measure and one or more Quantity values. Ask for several quantities, for example 25, 50 and 100 tanks, when you want to see how the price drops at volume.
4. Select Preview to see the request the way a supplier will.

How to send the request when the lines and suppliers are set

1. Select Finalize. It is enabled only while the request is Draft, has at least one line, and has at least one supplier. Otherwise the header shows Cannot send RFQ or RFQ has no suppliers.
2. In Send RFQ to Suppliers, pick a Contact (optional) for each supplier. Suppliers with a contact get an email with their private link. When your company has no email set up, the dialog says Email notifications not configured, and you share the links yourself.
3. Confirm. AimRack creates one supplier quote per supplier from the request's lines, links each quote back to the request, and moves the request to Requested.

After finalizing, Share on the header lists each supplier's link to copy and send yourself.

How to compare the answers when suppliers have quoted

Each supplier enters prices on their own quote. Once at least one quote is Active, select Compare Quotes on the request to see every supplier's price, lead time, shipping and total side by side at the quantity you choose. Order from the winner on its supplier quote with Order. That creates the purchase order and links it back to this request.

How to change or close a request when plans change

• Reopen returns a Requested request to Draft, to add a line or a supplier. Finalize it again afterwards.
• Cancel closes the request (status Closed) and marks every supplier quote created from it Cancelled. It works while the request is Draft or Requested.
• Delete RFQ removes a request created by mistake.

Where this fits

A request for quotes is optional:

• It starts the supplier quotes that lead to a purchase order.
• When you already know the price, add the purchase order directly.
• The suppliers you can invite are the ones set up under Suppliers.