Operational and strategic RFQs – two worlds, but equally important

Whether you need spare parts at short notice or are planning project investments, formalized price inquiries (RFQs, short for Request for Quotation) help you compare quotations and make better decisions. However, operational and strategic RFQs have different requirements: While some need to be processed quickly and efficiently, others require structure, depth of detail, and close coordination.  Both can be combined – through clearly defined requirements, appropriate processes, and digital support designed for both scenarios– and ideally, integrated into SAP.

What is an RFQ?

RFQ means Request for Quotation. It is a formal procedure used by companies to invite several suppliers to submit a quotation for a clearly defined service or product – and this can be the case for both C-items and large projects. The importance of an RFQ lies primarily in its structure and comparability: if you want to compare quotations properly, you need standardized requests.

The decisive factor here is not the volume, but the clarity of the requirements: The more standardized and precise the service are described, the better the RFQ process works – and the more comparable are the quotations.

For larger projects or strategic procurements, additional functions are crucial for comparing quotations in a meaningful way – such as scoring models, variant comparisons, or weighted evaluation criteria. A clearly structured RFQ process creates exactly the basis needed to make such complex decisions in a well-founded, transparent, and traceable manner.

RFQ details: What should be included in a structured price inquiry?

For an RFQ to work, it takes more than just a request to submit a quote. The following information is essential to a compreheinsive request for quotation:

• Service description: as precise as possible, with technical data, quantities, quality specifications

• Time frame: Delivery date, submission deadline, period of implementation

• Evaluation criteria: E. g. price, quality, service level, sustainability requirements

• Awarding process: Procedure, contact persons, queries, conditions

• Format specifications: How the quotation should be submitted (formats, portals, templates)

In certain areas, such as construction, there are also fixed standards for the structure of service requests, e. g. the GAEB format in Germany. These standards facilitate the digital exchange and automated processing of item lists.

👉 Two use cases, two requirements for RFQs

The following two use cases illustrate how differently requests for quotation are used in everyday business – and where the biggest hurdles and the greatest potential lie in each case: One in operational purchasing and one in strategic project business.

🔹 Use case 1: Price inquiries for strategic requirements

Example: A company is planning to purchase a new production facility. The costs are in the millions, and various suppliers must submit quotations.

Challenges:

• Long lead times: Quotations are often unstructured, as suppliers submit different service scopes or technical alternatives.
• Lack of comparability: Offers are often unstructured, as suppliers offer different scopes of services or technical alternatives.
  
• Manual quotation evaluation: Because RFQs are often handled outside the system – via Outlook and Excel – there is no basis for automated comparisons. Price, service, and performance factors must be weighted manually, which takes time and makes transparent decisions difficult.

What is helpful in practice?

Digital sourcing solutions create real added value by structuring the entire RFQ process end-to-end while also efficiently integrating the supply side. They provide a framework for scoring models and defined evaluation criteria, variant comparisons, and automated evaluations, even for complex service scopes.

Centralized data access for purchasing and specialist departments reduces coordination efforts and speeds up decision-making. Strategic RFQs also benefit from early market transparency: Suppliers can be compared in a targeted manner, prices can be realistically assessed, and decisions can be justified on a sound basis.

Digital processes not only create efficiency, but also a solid, documented basis for decision-making – particularly relevant for large investments and internal governance.

FUTURA follows a clear philosophy in this context: Managing RFQs seamlessly from within SAP – without media discontinuity, with end-to-end supplier connectivity and full process transparency. This allows even complex awardings to be handled in a structured and efficient manner – directly in the SAP system.

🔹 Use case 2: Price inquiries for operational requirements

Example: A company regularly needs small quantities of office supplies, IT equipment or spare parts. The cost per purchase order is low, but the expenses add up over the course of a year.

Challenges:

• RFQs are considered "too costly" for small requirements: Such requirements are often awarded directly – either due to time constraints or because suppliers shy away from the effort involved.
• Processes are unstructured: Price comparisons and documentation are set aside, and transparency and traceability are lacking because they are overshadowed by strategic awarding.
• Operational purchasing is overloaded: Many small requests end up directly with Purchasing, without standardized templates or processes.

What is helpful in practice:

In the case of small, operational requirements, one thing matters above all else: Process efficiency. In this context, digital solutions provide the necessary framework: Predefined templates, automated workflows, and simple query options enable structured requests without unnecessary complexity.

Particularly important: The involvement of the consumers. If, for example, AI-supported suggestions provide the right data as soon as the requirement is reported, this reduces queries and incorrect information – and the purchaser can go ahead with the request instantly.

In addition, on the supplier side, the effort must be proportionate to the volume. Digital platforms with low-threshold submission options (e. g. via link or self-service portal) make it easier to respond quickly and without media discontinuity, even for smaller RFQs.

FUTURA supports this approach with particularly easy access for suppliers – including direct submission of quotations without registering to the system. The solution is seamlessly integrated into SAP, making operational RFQs efficient, traceable, and system-supported – without additional hurdles for purchasers or suppliers.

Conclusion: Why RFQs play a key role in every purchasing strategy

Regardless of the size of the requirement, RFQs have the potential to accelerate purchasing, reduce costs, and create market transparency. As current studies show, RFQs are not used to their full potential in many companies – even though they offer exactly what purchasing needs today: speed, structure, and comparability.

• Operational requirements can be handled without frictional losses – efficiently, transparently, and automatically.

• Strategic requirements can be better managed through structured RFQs – with clear criteria, coherent comparisons, and well-founded awarding decisions.

In short, thinking strategically about RFQs strengthens purchasing – regardless of the scope, and especially when processes can be mapped directly in the leading system, such as SAP, without manual detours.

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