For someone new to procurement, RFQs, auctions, requisitions and orders can look like different names for similar screens. In fact, each records a different decision. Understanding the distinction makes it easier to know what information belongs at each stage of a digital purchasing process.
A requisition is not a quotation or an order
A requisition records an internal need: what is required, how much and by when. A quotation states the price and conditions under which a supplier can meet that need. An order follows evaluation and the required approvals, recording the selected commercial arrangement.
Consider an illustrative maintenance purchase of 20 bearings. The buyer asks three suppliers for prices, the technical team checks suitability and an order is created for the chosen offer. The existence of a requisition for 20 bearings does not make every quoted amount actual company expenditure. Keeping these stages separate prevents misleading reports later.
When should you use an RFQ or an e-auction?
An RFQ collects comparable quotations. Item descriptions, quantities, units, delivery location and expected commercial conditions should be clear. An e-auction provides a defined mechanism for competition. Not every purchase needs a live auction: a service with an uncertain scope may first require clarification and technical evaluation.
CIPS treats specification and supplier selection as distinct stages of the procurement cycle. The useful lesson for a beginner is to establish what the supplier must respond to before asking for a price. Otherwise, different suppliers may quote for different requirements without anyone noticing.
What should the first comparison check?
- Are quantities and units equivalent? Is the number of pieces in a box clear?
- Are transport and installation included in the price?
- How long is the quotation valid?
- Do payment and delivery conditions meet the requirement?
- Has the technical team accepted any alternative product offered?
If an answer is missing, request clarification instead of entering zero or marking the offer as compliant. Missing information should not silently become an evaluation result. A short checklist used consistently is more helpful than trying to remember every detail during the first few purchases.
What does a digital platform make easier?
Keeping items, suppliers and quotations in one process reduces the work of finding files and reconstructing decisions. Preparing a sound specification and making the commercial decision remain responsibilities of the relevant teams. A ranking on screen does not prove that the first offer is best under every condition.
In Tenflex, a requirement can begin as a requisition, move into an RFQ or auction at the appropriate stage and proceed to order creation after offer selection. Start with a small, familiar item list. This makes it easier to learn the interface while recognising where your company's existing decision and approval responsibilities still apply.
