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RFQ management is not “a form and a PDF.” It is a controlled chain: RFQ → quotation → revision → approval → order. When this chain lives in email threads and spreadsheets, you lose pricing consistency, miss deadlines, and struggle to prove why decisions were made. This page describes a productised RFQ workflow built for real operations—traceable, auditable, and integration-ready.
RFQ Workflow (Concept)
A controlled RFQ chain with revision history, approvals, and clean handoff to order creation.
RFQ Intake
Structured request, deadlines, scope, constraints.
Quote & Revisions
Line-level pricing, alternatives, revision comparisons.
Approvals → Order
Governance, audit trail, conversion to ERP sales/purchase order.
RFQ management is the discipline of controlling how requests are captured, priced, revised, approved, and converted into executable orders. In manufacturing and wholesale, RFQs often include variable lead times, multi-line BOM-like structures, alternative SKUs, and negotiated commercial terms—making governance essential.
Standard pricing logic, discount rules, and quote templates.
Approvals, exceptions, and role-based permissions with an audit trail.
Approved quotes convert to orders without re-keying or mismatches.
Most RFQ breakdowns are not “people problems.” They are system design problems: missing governance, unclear ownership, and fragile handoffs between CRM, ERP, and email.
Multiple versions circulate without a single source of truth. Sales, ops, and finance lose confidence in the final quote.
Discounts, special terms, and delivery promises happen ad-hoc, leading to margin leakage and disputes later.
Approved quotes are re-entered into ERP as orders, increasing errors and cycle time.
Quotes get approved without validating lead times, stock availability, or procurement constraints—creating fulfilment pressure later.
Below is a practical, implementation-ready RFQ-to-order process. It is designed to work with pricing governance, approvals, and CRM–ERP integration—so the final output is always executable.
Capture requirements as data, not emails: customer, items, quantities, target dates, constraints, delivery address, Incoterms (if relevant).
Controls: mandatory fields, due dates, SLA reminders
Outputs: RFQ ID, scope snapshot, request owner
Capability tags: RFQ Intake, SLA, Validation
Build quotes with price lists, discounts, alternative items, lead time rules, and cost drivers—while keeping a clean audit trail.
Controls: discount ceilings, minimum margin checks, approval thresholds
Outputs: versioned quote (v1), quote PDF/portal quote
Capability tags: Quoting, Price Lists, Margin Control
Each change becomes a tracked revision: what changed, who changed it, why, and which line items were impacted.
Controls: revision reasons, line-level diff view, approvals reset rules
Outputs: quote v2/v3, client-facing “revised offer” timeline
Capability tags: Revision History, Diff View, Audit Trail
Route exceptions to the right approvers based on thresholds (discount, margin, terms, lead time, payment terms).
Controls: role-based approvals, escalation, timestamps
Outputs: approved quote state, compliance-grade decision trail
Capability tags: Approvals, RBAC, Governance
Convert the approved quote into an executable order with stable IDs, consistent taxes/terms, and status sync back to CRM.
Sales Order (ERP)
Line items, delivery schedule, fulfilment rules.
Status Sync
Order confirmation, partial shipment visibility.
Traceability
RFQ → Quote → Approval → Order link preserved.
Capability tags: Order Entry, Integrations, Single Source of Truth
In practice, RFQ management lives at the intersection of sales and operations. The solution is a clear ownership model: CRM owns commercial intent (accounts, opportunities, quoting) and ERP owns execution (orders, fulfilment, invoicing).
Stable identifiers and versioning
Every RFQ/quote/order has consistent IDs and revision states.
Governed API contracts
Clean endpoints, predictable errors, and audit-friendly logging.
Failure-mode design
Retries, idempotency, and visibility when something fails.
Recommended next step
We map your RFQ lifecycle, define approval rules, identify the biggest leakage points, and propose an incremental build plan.
Deliverable: workflow map, data entities, ownership model
Deliverable: approval matrix and exception handling
Deliverable: integration plan (CRM ↔ ERP) with observability
Share your current RFQ process and tools. I’ll respond with a practical roadmap focused on revision control, approval governance, and clean CRM–ERP alignment.