Digital RFQ: how to run a multi-supplier tender without Excel or email

What an RFQ is and when to use it

An RFQ (Request for Quotation) is a standardized document sent to several suppliers to get their prices on goods or services with known and stable specifications.

It's the simplest sourcing tool. It differs from an RFP (Request for Proposal), used when technical solutions still need to be invented, and from an RFI (Request for Information), which only qualifies the market.

For an OHADA SME, the RFQ covers most recurring purchases: office supplies, consumables, standard services, maintenance contracts. Anything that fits a one-page spec.

The cost of the manual RFQ

The manual RFQ always follows the same pattern. The buyer prepares a specs document in Word. They email 3-5 suppliers. They receive replies in mixed formats (PDF, Excel, sometimes a scan of handwritten document). They consolidate manually in a spreadsheet. They compare. They award.

Total time runs between 4 and 12 hours per RFQ depending on complexity. Multiplied by recurring purchases, this can total more than one FTE a year at an SME.

The worst part isn't the time. It's the lack of traceability. When the statutory auditor or tax authority requests supplier-choice documentation during an audit, the buyer has to dig through scattered emails in several inboxes.

The digital RFQ, step by step

First, create a structured RFQ in the tool with specs, quantity, unit, target lead time, payment terms. Same format for every invited supplier.

Second, select suppliers from the SRM base. The tool shows their score, history, seniority to help compose a balanced panel.

Third, send the RFQ. Suppliers get a secure link to a portal where they enter their bid in a structured form. No email, no spreadsheet.

Fourth, at RFQ close, the tool generates a side-by-side comparison with unit prices, totals, terms and lead times. The decider awards in one click. The PO is generated automatically.

Traceability and compliance

A digital RFQ leaves a full audit trail. Send date and time per supplier. Receipt date and time per bid. Detail of every response. Award criteria.

This traceability matters for two reasons. First, it meets the AUDCIF Article 17 requirements on a full audit trail of purchase operations. Second, it protects the company from supplier disputes (a losing supplier claiming they never received the invitation).

For sensitive engagements (donor-funded procurement, public procurement, co-financed projects), RFQ traceability is often a contractual requirement.

How Procura digitizes the RFQ

Procura ships native RFQ workflow. Creation from the Sourcing module with a per-category template (supplies, services, equipment).

Suppliers receive an email invitation with a link to the Procura portal to submit their bid. No prior account required. The portal works on mobile for suppliers without a desk setup.

At close, the comparison shows up in the decider's browser, with configurable multi-criteria scoring (price 50%, lead time 30%, compliance 20%, for example). Award triggers PO creation, dispatch to the winning supplier, and notification to the others.