A request run as a Sourcing event has its own journey on the request’s Sourcing tab: six steps from the plan to the award. Each step is a card saying where it stands, and the card at the top of the request always says the one thing to do now.
- Strategy. Press Draft the strategy. The assistant writes the plan from the request: what the event must achieve, the approach, who to ask, a target price and how replies will be judged. Change anything, then Save the strategy. Want a second pair of eyes? Pick a person and press Ask them to agree. They get a task, and the event waits for them.
- Questionnaire. Write the questions every supplier answers next to their price (the assistant drafts them from the strategy), then Ask suppliers. The suppliers named in the strategy, and its reply-by date, are filled in for you. Only need prices? Press Ask for prices only, without a questionnaire.
- Responses. Watch suppliers reply. When one asks a question from their link, you’re told. Answer it, and leave Send the answer to every supplier on so everyone works from the same information (nobody sees who asked). The link closes on the reply-by date. Change the date gives everyone more time, and Close replies now stops early.
- Evaluation. Score each response against the criteria, then choose who goes forward. A price-only event skips this.
- Negotiation. Press Ask for best and final offers. Pick the suppliers, one date for all of them, and a note. Leave Tell each supplier whether they are currently lowest on to make them compete: they never see the other prices or names. Each improves their offer, or presses Keep my current offer, from the same link. Run another round if it is still close.
- Award. Choose the winner. Leave Tell every supplier the outcome on: the winner hears they won, and the others are thanked and told another supplier was chosen. The award shows what the event saved against the first offer, the target and today’s price.
New to tenders? Follow the card at the top of the request. It always names the next step and opens it.
For procurement teams
- Any step except Responses and Award can be skipped, and brought back.
- Changing an agreed strategy asks for it to be agreed again.
- A supplier you added by hand still gets a link when you put them in a round.