Create & Send RFQs

Creating an RFQ in Purchaser brings all your RFQs, vendors, and responses together in one place. Our flexible RFQ builder offers several ways to start, making it easy to send RFQs out to your existing vendors or new vendors.

Getting Started

To begin, simply select Create RFQ on your RFQs tab and choose the option that best suits your needs.

You can start with a document, an existing template, copy from an existing spreadsheet, or start from scratch.

• Start with a Document: Instantly convert a previous quote, project brief, spreadsheet, or even a screenshot into a draft RFQ in seconds. We’ll automatically extract key details and highlight any missing information for your review before you hit send.

• Start with a Template: Create custom RFQ templates featuring your frequently used specs and instructions, or use our standard template—pre-configured with a line items table and dedicated sections for delivery, certifications, and inspections. Our reusable RFQ templates can streamline and standardize your RFQ process. To learn more, visit our Using RFQ Templates guide.

• Copy from a Spreadsheet: Copy a table directly from an existing spreadsheet into our RFQ editor. We'll re-create the table for you automatically enabling you to edit cells, add new rows, and more.

• Start from Scratch: You can write your RFQ from scratch. Our flexible text editor enables you to add a table, upload files, color or style of your text, add a comment or hyperlink, and more.

Add an Email Signature

Adding an email signature provides a professional touch to your emails, enhances brand recognition, and ensures recipients have your contact information readily available.

To add an email signature:

1. Create a new RFQ or open an existing RFQ that you haven't sent out to any vendors yet.
2. In the formatting menu bar at the bottom of the RFQ editor, select Insert.
3. Choose Email Signature from the Inset menu.
4. This will open a signature canvas where you can customize your signature with any formatted text, links, or images.
5. Once your signature is complete, select Save Changes.

Your new signature will now automatically appear in the current RFQ and all future RFQs you create.

If you already have an email signature in your Google workspace, you can import your signature. To learn how to visit our Integrate With Your Email guide.

To Edit or Remove Your Signature:

To update your signature, open the signature canvas within any draft RFQ. After selecting Save Changes, your updated signature will automatically apply to all future RFQs.

To remove your signature, simply delete all the content from the text field and select Save Changes. This will remove your signature from all future RFQs.

Add RFQ Properties

Before sending your RFQ, you can fill in optional properties that can help you organize and track your RFQ even before it is sent. While these fields remain accessible after sending, configuring them now may help streamline your process.

• Title: Assign a unique identifier to make the RFQ easy to search and track.
• Labels: Categorize your RFQ using workspace labels for better organization across all statuses.
• Assignee: Designate a team member to manage the RFQ; they will be alerted that they have been assigned the RFQ to add details or manage the RFQ moving forward.
• Subscribers: Add team members who need to stay informed of updates to the RFQ based on their notification preferences.
• Submission Deadline: Set a clear target date for when quotes are expected prior to the RFQ being sent out.
• Custom Properties: Manage any additional fields specific to your workspace settings.

Adding these details now ensures your RFQ is organized from the moment it’s created. You can still edit or adjust any of these fields after the RFQ is sent.

Send Test RFQ

For complex RFQs, you have the option of sending a test email to yourself to verify formatting, attachments, and overall clarity. Select Send Test to deliver a preview to the email you're currently logged in as. While the RFQ editor provides a preview of the email, the test email ensures you see exactly what your vendors will receive to help you make sure your RFQ is ready to send.

Send RFQ

Once your draft is ready, select Next Step to proceed to the Configure & Send step of creating an RFQ. At this step you can finalize your email settings, including the subject line, sender address, and recipient list.

• Subject: The Subject is the email subject line your recipients will see. Our platform automatically generates a subject based on your RFQ’s content that you can edit.
• Connect Your Email: This is email that the RFQ will be sent from. While we provide an automatically generated email address by default, connecting your work email can significantly improve your response rates. To learn more, visit our Integrate With Your Email guide.

Add Vendors/Recipients:

This is where you can to add vendors that you want to send this RFQ to. Unlike traditional email, Purchaser automatically groups contacts by company and sends separate, individualized emails to each vendor. This ensures your vendor list remains private and prevents accidental disclosure of your bidding pool.

• Add Contacts: Search for and select from your existing contacts.
• Add a List: Search for a contact list by name or look up a specific contact to add their entire group as recipients. For more information on organizing your vendors, visit our Manage Contact Lists guide.
• Add New Emails: You can directly add any email address as a recipient, even if it's not saved as a contact.

Once you're satisfied with your recipients, select Send RFQ to email your RFQ to all the recipients you’ve added.

Once your RFQ is sent, Purchaser helps you effortlessly manage responses and compare quotes. We organize all incoming responses, making it simple to track which RFQs have received replies, which have quotes, and more. This significantly streamlines the entire process for you and your team.

To dive deeper into how we simplify RFQ management, explore our Respond to RFQs guide.

Still got questions? Contact Us or Book a Demo to learn more about how Purchaser can fit into your workflow.