> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.seloria.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Sourcing Overview > How RFIs, RFPs, and RFQs work together in Seloria — from first market scan to purchase order. Seloria's sourcing module covers three document types that take you from "who's out there?" to a signed purchase order. All three live together under **Requests**, share the same supplier directory, and can be chained so you never re-enter data as a sourcing process matures. ## 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. You don't have to start at the beginning. Most day-to-day purchases start directly as an RFQ. ## 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**. A confirmation dialog explains what carries over before anything is created. The promoted document: * 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. Buyers, PMs, and admins on your organization receive a notification when a document is promoted. ### Lineage breadcrumb Every document in a chain shows a **Lineage** breadcrumb under its title — for example `RFI-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: 1. **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. 2. **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**. 3. **Final** (awarded, closed, or cancelled) — no primary button; the status pill tells the story. Publishing and awarding are restricted to **buyers, PMs, and admins**. ## The Requests tracker The **Requests** page lists all sourcing documents with tabs for **All / RFI / RFP / RFQ**, search, column filters, and per-row 3-dot actions (**View**, **Edit**, **Promote**, **Delete**). Deleting asks for confirmation and is irreversible.