Request for quotation

The RFQ feature allows customers to request a special offer from the merchant. Usually, this is used only for especially large orders for which the customer might expect a special offer beyond that offered by the standard volume discount policy (if one exists).

When a customer submits an order as an RFQ, the RFQ handler must decide what type of offer to make and return the offer back to the customer. The customer then receives an e-mail informing the customer to log on Infor e-Commerce, inspect the offer and then either submit it to the merchant or ignore it. Usually, the returned offer includes an expiry date defined by the RFQ handler at the merchant.

Enabling RFQs for customers

Only users that have a role that includes the "RFQ" feature element can send RFQs (see Roles, segments, and feature elements). In the default Infor e-Commerce setup, this element is part of the "Submit Request for Quotation" user role, which can be assigned by both, the merchant administrator working in the Business Center (see Customer users) and by the reseller administrator for users at his or her own company (see Roles assignable by resellers).

Note: RFQs can only be sent by users who are set up to pay by invoice (not by credit card).

See Administering payment methods for details about assigning payment methods to user segments.

Configuring RFQ handlers

Any employee at the merchant company can be configured as an RFQ handler. All RFQ handlers can see RFQs from all customers. To turn a merchant user into an RFQ handler, assign a user role with the "Admin Quotes" feature element. See Roles, segments, and feature elements.

Handling RFQs

In the default Infor e-Commerce configuration, no e-mails are sent to alert employees at the merchant to the arrival of a new RFQ. Therefore, the RFQ handler(s) must log in to the Business Center from time to time to check for new RFQs and return offers. The procedure for doing this is given in Requesting for quotation.

RFQ offer messages

If you would like to customize the e-mail messages sent to alert customers to a new offer based on an RFQ, please see RFQ offer messaging.