RFQ Management & Lifecycle

📖 An RFQ, or Request for Quote, is a formal invitation issued by your business or through your dedicated buyer on Ply to solicit price quotes from suppliers.

Here’s how it works within Ply:

Detailed Information: Each RFQ includes comprehensive specifications about the desired goods or services, such as scope, quantities, quality standards, and delivery timelines.

Submission Process: Suppliers receive the RFQ via a PDF or a link generated by Ply and submit their bids accordingly.

Evaluation and Selection: You then assess these bids, considering price, quality, supplier reputation, and capability to meet delivery schedules, among other criteria.

Creating and RFQ and Sending to a Supplier

How Quickly Can I Expect to Receive Bids on Ply?

💬 Ply is committed to delivering bids promptly, often aiming for a turnaround of 30 minutes under standard conditions. However, there's no rigid SLA for bid submission times due to various influencing factors:

Queue Volume: The number of bids awaiting processing can impact speed.

Order Complexity: Detailed orders with numerous items may require more time for thorough and competitive bidding.

Item Availability: Hard-to-find items might lengthen the bidding period as our team seeks out the best sources.

Time of Day: Bids requested during peak business hours or off-hours might face slight delays.

Despite these variables, Ply leverages a vast SKU database and strong supplier connections to expedite the quote process. Our customer support is also available to address any urgent needs or timing concerns. Plus, full transparency is provided through the ‘Activity’ tab, showcasing all the actions taken by your dedicated buyer.

What Should I Do If My RFQ Receives No Bids?

If your RFQ does not attract bids within a few days, don’t worry—this can happen, especially with specialty items or materials that are discontinued or rare.

Here’s what you can expect:

Communication: Your supplier will reach out to inform you of any known delays or issues, providing as much detail as possible about the cause.

Factors Influencing Availability: Several elements could affect bid reception, including limited inventory by the manufacturer, regional distribution challenges, or the age and scarcity of the material.

Strategic Planning: If bids are not forthcoming, your supplier will discuss with you the next steps and strategies to source the required materials or equipment.

We understand that prompt bid reception is crucial, and we stand by to assist with alternative solutions if your initial RFQ does not yield immediate results.

How can I share an RFQ with a supplier?

What is a Mixed-Bid?

A mixed bid is an aggregate of all supplier bids that selects the ‘best of’ all material line items and displays that theme selection as the option. It's a dynamic selection mechanism that sifts through all supplier bids, identifying and highlighting the most advantageous options for each material line item based on your specified criteria. As suppliers update their quotes or as you adjust pricing and lead times, Ply's algorithm refreshively curates the best possible combination, offering an up-to-date 'best of' compilation.

Ply enhances this process by offering three distinct types of mixed-bids:

Mixed-bid by lead time: provides you an aggregate view of the best lead time based on the supplier provided quotes.

Mixed-bid by price: provides you an aggregate view of the best pricing for each of the material items based on the provided pricing from the supplier.

Custom mixed-bid: allows you to create your own mixed-bid from the provided supplier quotes giving you control over pricing, lead time, and supplier selection

What is a swapped material?

🔁 In Ply, a swapped material refers to an alternative suggestion for a material, piece of equipment, or tool that differs from the one initially requested. Often known as a substitution, this option comes into play when a supplier proposes an equivalent or better item that serves the same purpose.

How is it indicated in Ply?

In the supplier bid, a swapped material is clearly indicated by striking through the original requested item. Just below, a downward arrow draws attention to the newly recommended material, complete with its details for your review.

What Does 'Unavailable Material' Indicate?

🔴 An unavailable material status in Ply signifies that a supplier cannot fulfill a specific item from your RFQ due to lack of inventory or because it's not part of their product offerings.

How is it represented?

In your RFQ, any material that's unavailable will be marked with a red dot icon. Additionally, the item will be crossed out, clearly indicating that you'll need to seek an alternative for that particular material.

How Does Ply Calculate Lead Times?

⏳ Lead times on Ply are determined primarily by supplier input, but that's just the beginning. We take accuracy seriously, so we employ a data-informed approach to give you the most reliable estimates:

Supplier-Provided Data: Initially, lead times are provided directly by the suppliers for each item.

Historical Insights: Our system analyzes historical data from suppliers and logistics providers to add context and adjust for variances, offering a realistic projection.

Buyer's Expertise: Your dedicated buyer may further refine these times based on their extensive experience, enhancing the accuracy of the estimates.

Item-Level Specificity: Lead times are detailed for each material item, ensuring clarity and precision in planning.

Transparency in Uncertainty: If lead times are not yet available or haven't been received from the supplier, we'll mark these items as ‘unavailable’ to maintain clear communication.

With Ply, you're not just getting numbers; you're getting a comprehensive, informed snapshot of your order timeline.

How do I accept a bid on Ply?

✅ Accepting a bid on Ply is a decision that moves your procurement process forward.

Here’s how to do it:

Selecting the Bid: Review your bids and when you've made your choice, click on the one you want to accept.

Final Review: After selecting a bid, take a moment for a last review to confirm it meets all your requirements.

Acceptance: Click the 'Accept' button to formalize your decision.

Payment Options: Upon acceptance, you'll be prompted to select a payment method. You can choose 'Direct Pay' or, if your business is eligible, 'NET Terms'.

Transaction Completion: Your acceptance puts things in motion, but Ply will only place the order once you've completed the payment transaction.

What Happens when I reject a bid?

📌 Should you find a bid unsuitable due to pricing, lead time, or any other factors, you can reject it by selecting ‘reject’. Your RFQ will remain open for more bids or bid adjustments from the same suppliers.

Here's what happens next:

Record Keeping: The rejected bid remains a part of your RFQ's historical data, ensuring you have a complete record of all bids received for future reference and analysis.

Transaction Lock: Once rejected, the bid is preserved in the history but is no longer active; you cannot proceed with any transaction based on that particular bid.

Notification: Your buyer is automatically alerted when you reject a bid, keeping all relevant parties informed and up-to-date on the RFQ's status.

Rejecting a bid is a simple yet tracked action in Ply, ensuring the decision-making process is transparent and recorded for your RFQ's lifecycle.

What is a dedicated buyer and how do I contact them?

🤵 A dedicated buyer at Ply acts as your businesses personal procurement assistant, responsible for a variety of tasks to streamline your purchasing process.

This person or people are assigned at onboarding and may change depending on the types of projects you’re working on to optimize for domain knowledge within a space.

Here’s how they assist you:

Organizing RFQs: They meticulously arrange the details of your RFQs throughout the whole process.

BOM Coordination: They collaborate with your team to gather Bill of Materials (BOM) data.

Transcription of Field Notes: They convert on-site observations into detailed RFQs.

Supplier Relations: They liaise with your chosen suppliers and our extensive network.

Status Updates: They keep you informed about the progress of your RFQs.

Expert Recommendations: They provide tailored advice to optimize your procurement.

Logistics Coordination: They manage delivery details to ensure timely arrivals.

App Support: They offer assistance with any application-related queries.

Getting in Touch:

Direct Contact: Use the phone number or email address provided to reach out to your dedicated buyer directly.

In-App Chat: For real-time assistance, use our app's chat feature, which will connect you promptly to your dedicated buyer.

Your dedicated buyer is your go-to expert, ensuring your procurement needs are met with the highest level of personalized service.

What are Draft RFQs?

📌 Draft RFQs on Ply are preliminary requests for quotations that are prepared for review and approval before being finalized and sent out to suppliers:

Approval Process: These drafts are typically created by field technicians and are then sent to the warehouse manager, back office, or business owner for approval.

Not Ready to Send: A Draft RFQ is not yet a complete RFQ; it's a work-in-progress that requires further validation.

Tech-Created Lists: Through the field tech mobile app, technicians can compile a list of materials they 'need', which the system then converts into a Draft RFQ.

Warehouse vs. Order: The app distinguishes which items can be supplied from existing warehouse stock and which need to be ordered. This selection process forms the basis of the Draft RFQ.

Draft RFQs facilitate a controlled and efficient procurement process by ensuring all material requests are accurate and authorized before proceeding to the bidding stage.

🛍️ RFQ Management & Lifecycle