Complete these setup steps before creating your first request for quote (RFQ). [Optional]
A consistent setup makes it easier for buyers to find suppliers, reuse item templates, create complete requests, and compare bids across sourcing events.
Some setup decisions may be managed by an RFQ administrator or procurement leader. Confirm your organization’s standards before creating new categories, suppliers, or templates.
What you’ll set up
Before creating your first RFQ, you’ll:
- Decide how to organize suppliers.
- Build your supplier address book.
- Plan and create item templates.
- Prepare the information needed for your first RFQ.
Most of this work only needs to be completed once. Supplier records and item templates can be reused across future RFQs.
Decide how to organize suppliers
RFQ includes a supplier address book that is separate from your ERP.
You can add existing or potential suppliers without first creating supplier records in your ERP. Suppliers do not receive a notification simply because they have been added to the address book. SourceDay contacts them when you invite them to a published RFQ.
Before adding supplier records, decide how your organization will use categories.
Categories can group suppliers by:
- Commodity
- Part or material type
- Department
- Business unit
- Geographic region
- Supplier capability
- Another sourcing category used by your organization
A supplier can belong to more than one category.
Use shared naming standards so buyers do not create duplicate or overlapping categories.
[Create and manage supplier categories]
Build your supplier address book
Add the companies and contacts you expect to invite to RFQs.
This can be done in two steps (outlined below) or in bulk via import. [Add in bulk with imports]
Add supplier companies
For each supplier company, prepare:
- Company name
- Supplier ID, if applicable
- One or more categories, if applicable
- Primary contact name
- Primary contact email address
A supplier ID is optional and can be used to connect the record to the way your organization identifies the supplier in its ERP or other systems.
[Add and manage supplier companies]
Add supplier contacts
Add each person who may need to receive an RFQ invitation.
For each contact, you’ll need:
- Supplier company
- Contact’s full name
- Contact’s email address
Each contact must be added individually before you can invite that person to an RFQ.
If a supplier has contacts for different commodities, locations, or business units, add each contact and establish an internal process for selecting the correct person.
[Add and manage supplier contacts]
Review your supplier records
Before creating an RFQ, confirm that:
- Company names follow a consistent format.
- Duplicate supplier companies have not been created.
- Supplier contacts have valid email addresses.
- Contacts are associated with the correct companies.
- Categories are applied consistently.
- Inactive or outdated contacts have been corrected.
Accurate supplier records help ensure RFQ invitations reach the right people.
Plan your item templates
An item template defines the information included for each item in an RFQ.
Templates contain two types of information:
- Buyer-provided information – Details you give suppliers, such as part number, description, quantity, unit of measure, material, or drawing number.
- Supplier-response information – Details suppliers provide with their bids, such as unit cost, available quantity, lead time, delivery date, or minimum order quantity.
Before creating a template, decide what information your buyers will provide and what suppliers must return.
Required template fields
Every template must include fields mapped to:
- Part number
- Quantity
- Cost
- Unit of measure
You can include additional fields based on the information your organization needs to request or evaluate bids.
Required and optional supplier responses
For each supplier-response field, decide whether the response is:
- Required – The supplier must enter a value before submitting the bid.
- Optional – The supplier can enter a value, but it is not required.
- Buyer provided – The field is completed by the buyer and is not open for supplier entry.
Only require information that is necessary to evaluate the bid. Too many required fields can make supplier responses more difficult to complete.
Decide how many templates you need
You may need different templates for different sourcing processes.
For example:
- Direct materials
- Indirect materials
- Manufactured parts
- Services
- Capital equipment
- Requests with price breaks
- Requests that require delivery or lead-time commitments
Avoid creating a new template for every RFQ. Build reusable templates around meaningful differences in the information suppliers need to provide.
Use clear template names so buyers can select the correct one when creating a request.
[Create and manage RFQ item templates]
Establish RFQ naming and content standards
Agree on a consistent approach before buyers begin creating requests.
RFQ titles
Use titles that make requests easy to identify and search.
A title might include:
- Project or product
- Item or commodity group
- Location or business unit
- Response deadline
Example: Stadium renovation | Electrical fixtures | November 2026
RFQ descriptions
The description should help suppliers quickly understand:
- What is being requested
- How the items will be used
- Important delivery requirements
- Special pricing or quantity expectations
- Any important terms or qualifications
Keep the description focused. Use attached documents for detailed specifications, drawings, or terms.
Response deadlines
Establish expectations for:
- How much time suppliers should receive
- When deadline extensions are appropriate
- Who can approve an extension
Supporting documents
Determine which documents buyers should add to applicable RFQs, such as:
- Drawings
- Specifications
- Bills of material
- Terms and conditions
- Quality requirements
- Packaging or shipping instructions
Make sure documents use clear filenames and do not contain information that should not be shared with invited suppliers.
Prepare your first RFQ
Before creating your first request, gather:
- A clear RFQ title
- A supplier-facing description
- The response deadline
- The item template you’ll use (typically the header level of your BOM)
- The item list and requested quantities (the items from your BOM)
- The supplier contacts you’ll invite
- Supporting documents
- Frequently asked questions
- Any questions suppliers must answer
At least one supplier contact and one item are required before an RFQ can be published.
Optional: Run a test RFQ
Consider testing the workflow before sending your first live request.
Use a test contact with an email address different from your buyer login. This allows your team to review:
- The supplier invitation
- Account setup
- Request details
- Item fields
- Required responses
- Documents and questions
- Bid submission
- Buyer comparison and award workflow
Do not invite a real supplier to a test request unless they have been told that it is a test.
Setup checklist
Before your organization begins using RFQ, confirm:
- Buyer profiles and time zones are accurate.
- Supplier category standards have been defined.
- Supplier companies and contacts have been added.
- Supplier email addresses have been verified.
- Reusable item templates have been created.
- Required and optional response fields have been reviewed.
- RFQ title and description standards have been established.
- Common supporting documents are ready.
- The end-to-end process has been tested, if needed.
What happens next?
Once your profile, suppliers, and item templates are ready, you can create and publish your first RFQ.