Automated RFQ (Request for Quotation) to approved vendors

Purpose

1.1. Automate the generation and submission of Request for Quotation (RFQ) documents to all approved vendors for required salvaged components, instantly notifying suppliers and tracking responses.
1.2. Automating the RFQ process ensures every inventory need or new sourcing requirement prompts a standardized bid request to pre-qualified vendors without staff intervention.
1.3. This automation reduces manual email creation, avoids oversight, enables bid comparison, manages vendor communications, archives RFQ correspondence, and feeds procurement data into business systems.

Trigger Conditions

2.1. Automator initiates RFQ when stock of specific salvage components drops below reorder threshold.
2.2. Automatable workflow activates upon project manager or buyer request for pricing on special items via internal portal.
2.3. Scheduled automation triggers RFQs for recurring procurement cycles (e.g., monthly, quarterly) for core components.
2.4. Automatedly triggered if new vendor is added to approved list with missing recent RFQ activity.

Platform Variants

3.1. Microsoft Power Automate
• Flow: Automate RFQ email creation using “Send an email (V2)” with dynamic fields for vendor contacts.

3.2. Zapier
• Trigger: Automates RFQ creation from spreadsheets/CRMs; Action: Automate sending emails using Gmail or Outlook integrations.

3.3. AWS Lambda
• Function: Automatable code execution for generating RFQ documents and emailing via SES API.

3.4. Google Apps Script
• Script: Automated generation of RFQ Google Docs from template, automatedly sharing with vendors.

3.5. Salesforce Flow
• Action: Automates RFQ record creation and email dispatch via Salesforce’s Standard Email Action.

3.6. HubSpot Workflows
• Workflow: Automatedly sends RFQs to vendor list segments using email automation feature.

3.7. ServiceNow
• Flow Designer: Automate Supplier Request workflows, configure Approval and Notification steps for vendors.

3.8. Jira Automation
• Rule: Automators trigger RFQ task issues and send automated notifications to vendor contacts.

3.9. Oracle Procurement Cloud
• API: “Create RFQ” and “Send to Supplier” endpoints for fully automated RFQ lifecycles.

3.10. SAP Ariba
• Integration: Automate RFQ creation and vendor invitation using Open API for sourcing events.

3.11. Slack
• Workflow Builder: Automate RFQ alerts to procurement channels, trigger vendor notification bots.

3.12. Twilio SendGrid
• API: Automates bulk RFQ email distributions with dynamic templates per vendor.

3.13. Box
• Automation: Automatedly stores RFQ PDFs in vendor-shared folders with access notifications.

3.14. DocuSign
• Integration: Automating RFQ document signature requests for legal acknowledgement by vendors.

3.15. Airtable Automations
• Trigger: RFQ record addition fires off vendor notification via email or SMS automators.

3.16. Smartsheet
• Automation: Automatedly creates a sheet row and emails vendors with RFQ details using “Send Row” action.

3.17. Monday.com
• Recipe: Automates when a new procurement item is created, instantly outputting RFQs to a contact group.

3.18. Pipedrive
• Workflow Automation: Sends RFQ emails when deal stage changes to “RFQ Needed”.

3.19. Notion
• Integration: Automated RFQ task page creation, pushing emails via connected automation tools.

3.20. Django REST Framework (Custom)
• View/API: Automated generation and email dispatch of RFQ PDFs using back-end triggers on inventory events.

Benefits

4.1. Accelerate procurement cycles by automating RFQ creation and vendor outreach.
4.2. Minimize human error and manual workload in supplier communications via automated workflows.
4.3. Enable full RFQ process oversight with automatable tracking and audit logs.
4.4. Improve supplier response rates and bid competition through reliable automated broadcasts.
4.5. Automating correspondence archives reduces compliance risk and increases operational visibility.