How do you configure a smart digital sourcing process?

Solution

Martin is no stranger to the ins and outs of an organisation: "Of course, you can run a quotation process manually with email and spreadsheets. This is often time consuming, dependent on a single mailbox and the progress of the quotation process is difficult to monitor within a procurement team. It is better to digitise the RFQ process and use an RFQ solution, such as Sourcing. With this, you ensure procurement procedures, including compliancy requirements, and create a more efficient and orderly RFQ process within your team and organisation."  

Improve internal processes

With an RFQ, it is important that the buyer knows what requirements they have for the product or service before the request is sent out. Since procurement needs can basically come from any department in the organisation, there may be several people involved in the process. Availability of RFQ templates, containing appropriate questions including requirements and desired documents (such as certificates), is important to easily and quickly start the RFQ process.  

Martin advises: "Within Sourcing, you have the ability to define RFQ templates with questionnaires and workflows. Of course, this can be changed and supplemented per RFQ. By defining different templates for IT or HRM, for example, RFQ processes can be launched quickly and reviewed by the right people. This defines exactly who needs to answer which questions, which vendors are invited, and you make sure the right people can review the RFQ in advance. The entire process is also logged within such an application. Know exactly what has been done, by whom, at what time and create transparency within the quotation process."   

Maintain clarity in the RFQ process

"When you're emailing back and forth with different suppliers to answer questions about the quote, it's not uncommon to lose track," Maarten acknowledges. Therefore, he recommends: "When you have tender specifications, questions and schedules in one central place, you and your vendor can maintain clarity. Have the supplier answer the RFQ in the Supplier Portal, which is also the place to ask questions. That way you avoid ambiguity about the questions."   Read more about the Supplier Portal in our blog.

"When you have tender specifications, questions and schedules in one central place, you and your vendor can maintain clarity.”

- Maarten de Ru, Director Partners & Alliances | ISPnext