San Ramon, CA August 16, 2001 As a result of partnering with its build-to-order, discrete manufacturing and maintenance organization customers, Relevant Business Systems' INFIMACS II Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) now allows users to automatically generate and print requests for quotation (RFQ) from suppliers for inventory and non-inventory items, as well as for services and estimates. Generated from requisitions and estimates, the RFQs are then processed through a cycle that includes supplier selection, price approval and purchase order (PO) creation.
"While creating the new RFQs, users save a great amount of time because the system automatically generates a selection list of potential vendors based on the standard INFIMACS II item/supplier PO history," said Chuck Stevenson, Relevant Business Systems' vice president of marketing and sales.
RFQs can be generated from estimates, as well as from PO requisitions, for direct material, indirect material and service items. New requests generate new RFQ master records or can be added to existing RFQ records. Once RFQ records are created, users can modify the bidding supplier list for each item.
When used in conjunction with the INFIMACS II Estimate Workbench, users can generate new RFQs for each estimate item and view old RFQs for all items. They can then select the desired RFQ and automatically update the item's cost in the Estimate Item Master.
A given RFQ can consist of multiple items as well as multiple delivery schedules for each item. The RFQ mailing form, similar to a PO, includes a list of each item and each delivery date for which a quote is required.
When quotes are received from a vendor, the prices and special charges are entered into the RFQ records, and the winning vendors are selected. The RFQ Workbench then automatically converts the RFQ to a new PO or to a new line on an existing PO. If a prospective supplier is selected as the winning supplier, the Workbench automatically adds it to the Vendor Master record when the PO is created.