RFQ (Request for Quotation) automation covers preparing purchasing requirements, matching suppliers and handling replies. VendorIQ uses AI to extract data and prepare proposals. The user approves recipients, sending and the eventual purchasing decision.
How does the VendorIQ workflow work?
- The BOM becomes a project. The system reads a materials list from an email or uploaded file. It shows the items and information needing clarification — missing lines appear in the BOM tab, where you complete them. It does not invent missing part numbers or quantities. If the email did not contain a full BOM, you confirm it is complete once the lines are filled in.
- You choose supplier sources. Your shared company database is the default. You can also enable the VendorIQ catalogue for an individual project.
- You review the proposed matches. The preview shows each supplier, its source, covered BOM items, matching reasons and missing information. Approving the list creates RFQ drafts.
- You approve sending. Review recipients, BOM scope, message count and the reply deadline. Enabling a catalogue or creating drafts does not authorise sending.
- You compare replies and decide. Quotes appear in the project. VendorIQ flags missing data and prepares a recommendation. Accepted quotes form the basis of a purchase order draft.
At every stage the project shows one next step: what to do, where, and what comes after it. When something holds the process up — a missing line, a substitute to decide on or a failed send — a button takes you straight to where you resolve it.
How do the company database and VendorIQ catalogue work together?
Your company database holds the suppliers your team works with, including your contacts, notes and preferences. The VendorIQ catalogue is an additional source. Enable it for one project and leave it off for another.
Matching takes enabled sources, record readiness and supply capabilities into account. Records needing verification are excluded. Catalogue updates preserve your company’s own data, and a supplier block applies across sources.
When the same supplier appears in both databases as one verified identity, its items go into one draft. Companies are not merged solely because they have similar names or share an email address.
A catalogue entry provides data for matching; it does not guarantee stock, prices or lead times. Those terms need confirmation in the supplier’s reply.
Illustrative example
One materials list, different supply capabilities.
Assume the BOM contains sensors, power supplies and enclosures. Supplier A from your company database covers sensors and power supplies. Supplier B from the additional catalogue covers enclosures.
- The preview shows both companies, their assigned items and the reasons for matching.
- Approval creates two drafts, each containing the appropriate items for that supplier.
- Before sending, you check the addresses and reply deadline, then approve the messages.
- If an item has no matching supplier, that gap stays visible for follow-up.
This scenario illustrates the workflow; it does not describe a customer project.
What happens when sources or data change?
Changing sources invalidates an unapproved matching preview. Changes to data affecting the matches require a refreshed preview before approval, so a decision is not based on an outdated list.
Source changes are blocked while approved sending is queued. Sent messages and their history remain linked to the original data. Accepting a substitute and sending a purchase order still require a user decision.
What should you prepare for a presentation and pilot?
Start with one typical purchase: where the materials list comes from, how many suppliers you ask, the formats of their quotes and who approves the order. The first call can use sample data.
Before using company data, we agree email integration, permissions, data handling and deployment scope. Pilot pricing depends on that scope; integration with every ERP or mailbox is not assumed.
Evaluate the time needed to prepare RFQs and comparisons, the number of manual corrections and the completeness of the decision history. The calculator and its assumptions (Polish) illustrate a value scenario to validate against your own data.