[FR] Add "Request for Quote" (RFQ) Feature to Inventree

[jrobelia]

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Problem statement

We build systems that include fabricated custom components (machined aluminum, bent sheet metal, etc.) that we design but 3rd party fabricators manufacture. These items, sometimes 10-20 parts at a time, need to be quoted before we know the price, sometimes from multiple suppliers/fabricators. We get prices by issuing RFQs or request for quotes. They look almost exactly like purchase orders but without a price. Currently it is somewhat time consuming to add supplier information to each part for each of the multiple fabricators getting the RFQ (maybe 2-3 different suppliers). Also, fabrication pricing changes over time just like off the shelf parts so the original RFQ pricing expires and RFQs need to be sent out multiple times if you are building something 30-60 days after the first build. Having a way to add pricing and supplier information for a larger number of parts quickly would be helpful and being able to save RFQ for reissue/duplicate at a later date for pricing updates would be helpful as well.

Suggested solution

This would end up looking a lot like the PO system.

Under the main BUY drop down there would be another section called RFQs. This would look almost exactly like the Purchase Order section. You could make new RFQs for a specific supplier and add IPNs to a list, just like POs. However, there would NOT be a requirement that the IPN have a supplier part for the given supplier at that time. When all IPNs are added to the RFQ a report can be generated with qtys to send to the supplier for pricing. The RFQ could also be duplicated allowing the same RFQ list be send to multiple suppliers for quoting. When the RFQ is returned from the supplier with pricing, the pricing at qty could be added to each line item of the RFQ and a supplier part, sku (usually the IPN), and price could be created automatically each line item. When the price information has been added to an RFQ there could be a button to automatically create a PO from the RFQ for the given supplier with price and QTYs transferred.

Interesting thoughts:

• Just like POs, RFQ line items and qtys could be added directly from line items in Build Orders. Allowing you to pull items and qtys you need for a specific build into an RFQ.
• There could be an upload button just like on POs that let you upload a list of IPNs to be added to the RFQ (again not requiring a supplier part for the IPN to exist). This would allow for advanced filtering of full multi-level BOMs in a spreadsheet.

Describe alternatives you've considered

We generate list of IPNs to quote by downloading BOMs with all levels and then selecting the groups of custom parts to be ordered. We have been adding IPN as supplier skus manually for each part for each supplier then generating a PO for the part and titling it as an RFQ instead of a PO (the add supplier part during the add PO line item step is helpful). Then going back to each part individually when we get the RFQ back and entering price information. Then actually issuing the PO to the supplier we choose to go with and deleting the POs of any suppliers we don't choose to use at that time.

Examples of other systems

The now retired Parts & Vendors by Trilogy Design did exactly this. RFQs could be generated for a specific vendor by adding IPNs to a list. When the RFQ came back from the vendor you could add the price for each IPN at a specific QTY and that data would be stored in each IPN. POs could be generated from RFQs with one click. RFQs could also be generated from assemblies by selecting items from a BOM or Build list.

Aside: Through what seems like a case of convergent evolution Inventree is approaching the complete functionality of Parts & Vendors 6.0 by Trilogy Design. The RFQs and ECOs are the only major features missing, minus some specific functionality of the other main features. I used P&V for many years at a small custom equipment manufacturer and loved it.

http://web.archive.org/web/20220115232512/http://www.trilogydesign.com/

A download of Software is still available. You can run it in Demo mode. Available here: http://web.archive.org/web/20220430085850/http://www.trilogydesign.com/downloads/Pv6setup.exe

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[matmair]

This could open up interesting interactions with POs / Builds and help streamline communications. Most needed structure is there but there would need to be a bit more specification around the workflows. Things like possible states, state transitions and needed core features (change tracking, metadata, transition hooks, ...) should be fixed before somebody can implement this. There is probably 15-20 hrs of coding work in here once the requirements are clear, maybe someone from the core team is interested in picking it up @inventree/triage?

[SchrodingersGat]

@jrobelia certainly this would be a feature that dovetails nicely with what we already have. Additionally, adding quotes for outgoing (sales) orders might fall under this scope too.

Would your company be willing to fund (or partially fund) the development of this feature?

[jrobelia]

@jrobelia certainly this would be a feature that dovetails nicely with what we already have. Additionally, adding quotes for outgoing (sales) orders might fall under this scope too.

Would your company be willing to fund (or partially fund) the development of this feature?

We are a small open source hardware company and may not be able to offer any large amount of funding at this time, but I will bring it up with the team. I have been looking for a piece of software like Inventree for many years and am grateful that the team has put some much effort into making it as robust as it is, thank you all.

[matmair]

We appreciate everything you can give towards it, partial funding is one of the big benefits with polar.sh

[matmair]

@SchrodingersGat do you see this in main? Maybe for 1.0? I would be interested in sketching these flows and data structures out.
The original FR is a bit much, and the first PR would be a bit simpler but I see great mid-term possibilities - especially in combo with #7950, #7951

ECOs would also be very interesting to move into general MES territory - see #4826