When to use each document type
- RFI (Request for Information) — you’re exploring the market. Use it to prequalify suppliers with a structured questionnaire before committing to a formal process. No pricing, no line items — just questions and answers.
- RFP (Request for Proposal) — you know what you need but want suppliers to propose how. You define proposal sections and weighted evaluation criteria; suppliers respond with narrative proposals and an overall price.
- RFQ (Request for Quotation) — the scope is fully defined. You list line items with quantities and units, and suppliers compete on price. This is the most common path to a purchase order.
The sourcing chain
Documents can be promoted forward, never backward:- RFI → RFP → RFQ → PO — the full sequence for complex purchases.
- RFI → RFQ — skip the proposal stage when the scope is already clear.
- RFP → PO direct — award a winning proposal and generate the purchase order without an RFQ step.
- RFQ → PO — always via the award flow; an RFQ never promotes to another document type.
Promoting between document types
Promotion creates a new draft document linked to its source. You can promote from three places:- The 3-dot menu on any row in the Requests tracker (Promote to RFP / Promote to RFQ, shown only for valid transitions).
- The 3-dot menu on an RFI or RFP detail page.
- The primary button on an issued RFI, which becomes Promote to RFP.
- Copies the title, description, category, organizational context (division, department, project), budget, currency, tax, incoterm, and addresses.
- Copies the supplier shortlist, with every supplier reset to invited (no emails are sent yet).
- Gets a fresh document number, starts in Draft status, and receives a new deadline 14 days out — review and adjust it.
- Does not copy RFI questions, RFP sections, or line items; you build the type-specific content in the new document.
Lineage breadcrumb
Every document in a chain shows a Lineage breadcrumb under its title — for exampleRFI-0003 → RFP-0001 → RFQ-012 → PO-0044. Each chip is a link, the current document is highlighted, and resulting purchase orders appear at the end of the chain. Standalone documents show no breadcrumb.
Creating a new request
Click New Request to open the picker — three cards explaining RFI, RFP, and RFQ. Choosing one immediately creates a silent draft (named “Untitled RFI/RFP/RFQ”) and opens that type’s editor. Nobody is notified: drafts are private work-in-progress, and notifications only go out when you actually issue the document to suppliers. You can also start from each tracker’s own New entry point, which opens a basics-only form (title, description, deadline, requester) and creates the draft only when you click Save as draft. Only buyers, PMs, and admins can create sourcing documents. Requestors submit intake requests instead, which a buyer can later turn into an RFQ.Detail pages vs Edit pages
Each document has two faces:- Detail page (read-only) — the canonical view: status pill, lineage, KPI strip (deadline, invited suppliers, content count, created date), tabbed content, and the audit History feed. This is where lifecycle actions live.
- Edit page — opened via Edit in the 3-dot menu. Fields, questions/sections/line items, and the supplier list are editable here. Saving returns you to the detail page.
Primary action lifecycle
The main button on a detail page changes as the document moves through its life:- Draft — the button reads Publish (RFI/RFP) or Publish RFQ. Publishing emails invitations to every shortlisted supplier; you must add at least one supplier first.
- Issued — the next step appears: Promote to RFP on an RFI, Award & generate PO on an RFP (jumps to the Evaluation tab), and Award RFQ on an RFQ once quotations arrive. An issued RFQ with no quotes shows Issued (disabled) until you edit it, which enables Re-send.
- Final (awarded, closed, or cancelled) — no primary button; the status pill tells the story.