RFQ to Contract
Guide to creating Purchase Contracts from the Request for Quote (RFQ) process.
Overview
RFQ TO CONTRACT WORKFLOW
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
BUYER VENDOR CENTER BUYER
───── ───────────── ─────
┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐
│ Create RFQ │ │ Vendor Views │ │ Evaluate │
│ │─────────►│ & Submits │─────────►│ Quotes │
│ │ │ Quote │ │ │
└──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘
│
▼
┌──────────────┐
│ Create │
│ Purchase │
│ Contract │
└──────────────┘
Prerequisites
Feature Enablement
ENABLE RFQ FEATURE
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Navigation: Setup > Company > Enable Features
Transactions Tab:
☑ Request For Quote (Required)
☑ Purchase Contracts (Required)
Web Presence Tab:
☑ Vendor Center (For vendor quote submission)
Creating an RFQ
Step 1: Create RFQ Record
CREATE REQUEST FOR QUOTE
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Navigation: Transactions > Purchases > Enter Request For Quote
Header Information:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Employee: John Smith │
│ Memo: Q1 2026 Widget Sourcing │
│ │
│ RFQ Dates: │
│ Open Date: 01/15/2026 │
│ Close Date: 01/31/2026 │
│ │
│ Send Method: ● Email │
│ ○ Print │
│ ○ Fax │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Step 2: Add Items
RFQ ITEMS SUBTAB
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Add items you want quotes for:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Item Description Quantity Units │
│ ──── ─────────── ──────── ───── │
│ WIDGET-100 Widget Standard 1,000 Each │
│ WIDGET-200 Widget Premium 500 Each │
│ SUPPLY-001 Office Supplies 2,000 Box │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Optional: Add quantity pricing tiers for vendor to quote
Step 3: Select Vendors
RFQ VENDORS SUBTAB
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Select vendors to receive the RFQ:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ☑ Vendor Email Sent │
│ ──────── ───── ──── │
│ ☑ ABC Supplies Inc. sales@abc.com ○ │
│ ☑ XYZ Manufacturing quotes@xyz.com ○ │
│ ☑ Global Parts Ltd. bids@global.com ○ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Click "Send" to email RFQ to selected vendors
Vendor Quote Submission
Vendor Center Access
VENDOR CENTER - QUOTE SUBMISSION
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Vendor logs into Vendor Center:
Navigation: Vendor Center > Requests for Quote
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Open RFQs │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ RFQ# Company Close Date Status │
│ RFQ-0042 Your Company 01/31/2026 Open │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Click to view and respond
Submitting Quote
VENDOR QUOTE RESPONSE
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Vendor completes pricing for each item:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Item Quantity Your Price Lead Time │
│ ──── ──────── ────────── ───────── │
│ WIDGET-100 1,000 $22.50 14 days │
│ WIDGET-200 500 $42.00 21 days │
│ SUPPLY-001 2,000 $4.75 7 days │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Quantity Pricing (Optional):
Qty 1-500: $24.00
Qty 501-1000: $22.50
Qty 1001+: $21.00
Terms: Net 30, FOB Destination
[Submit Quote]
Evaluating Quotes
Quote Comparison
RFQ QUOTE COMPARISON
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Navigation: Open RFQ Record > Submissions Subtab
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Item: WIDGET-100 (1,000 units) │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Vendor Price Lead Time Terms Select │
│ ────── ───── ───────── ───── ────── │
│ ABC Supplies $22.50 14 days Net 30 ○ │
│ XYZ Manufacturing $23.00 10 days Net 45 ○ │
│ Global Parts $21.75 21 days Net 30 ● │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Total Quote Comparison:
ABC Supplies: $47,250
XYZ Manufacturing: $48,500
Global Parts: $45,625 ← Lowest
Accepting a Quote
ACCEPT VENDOR QUOTE
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1. Review all submissions
2. Select winning bid per item (or all items from one vendor)
3. Click "Accept" on chosen vendor submission
Actions After Acceptance:
• RFQ status changes to "Awarded"
• Option to create Purchase Contract
• Notification sent to vendor
Creating Contract from RFQ
Convert to Contract
CREATE PURCHASE CONTRACT FROM RFQ
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
After accepting quote:
1. Click "Create Purchase Contract" button
OR
Select Actions > Create Purchase Contract
2. Contract is pre-populated:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Vendor: Global Parts Ltd. (from winning bid) │
│ Items: Pre-filled with RFQ items │
│ Rates: Vendor's quoted prices │
│ │
│ Complete additional fields: │
│ Effectivity Date: 02/01/2026 │
│ Expiration Date: 01/31/2027 │
│ Min Amount: $10,000 │
│ Max Amount: $50,000 │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
3. Save contract
4. Submit for approval (if required)
RFQ Statuses
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Open | RFQ sent, accepting quotes |
| Closed | Close date passed, evaluating |
| Awarded | Quote(s) accepted |
| Cancelled | RFQ cancelled |
RFQ to Contract Relationship
RFQ-CONTRACT LINKAGE
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
RFQ Record (RFQ-0042)
│
├── Related Records
│ ├── Purchase Contract: PC-00125 (Created from RFQ)
│ └── History: Shows contract creation
│
└── Contract Record (PC-00125)
├── Source: RFQ-0042
├── Vendor: Global Parts Ltd.
└── Items: From RFQ with quoted prices
Best Practices
RFQ Management
| Practice | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Timing | Allow 2+ weeks for vendor response |
| Vendors | Include at least 3 vendors |
| Items | Be specific with quantities |
| Terms | Specify payment and delivery terms |
| Follow-up | Send reminders before close |
Common Issues
| Issue | Cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor can't see RFQ | Not in Vendor Center | Enable Vendor Center access |
| Quote not received | Email blocked | Verify vendor email, resend |
| Can't create contract | RFQ not awarded | Accept a quote first |
| Wrong pricing on contract | Edited after award | Verify quote acceptance |
Related Topics
- Contract Setup - Manual contract creation
- Contract Pricing - Tiered pricing
- Approval Workflow - Contract approval