Evolution of the RFQ

Evolution of the RFQ:

Acronyms are becoming a part of everyday purchasing lingo. Here are just a few we are becoming accustomed to: TCO, RFQ, RFI, RFP, LOU, LOI, ABC, SPC. It does seem like every year there is a new term being introduced into the purchasing arena. For the experienced purchasing agent, the most familiar of the above terms would be the RFQ and it is a document which has evolved and become more complex over the years.

Well TCO is Total Cost of Ownership, SPC is Statistical Process Control and it is used in manufacturing, ABC relates to classification of your inventory and RFQ is a Request for Quote.   The good old RFQ which all of us COP’s – Crusty Old Purchasers understand very well as it was the only document utilized in early purchasing. A request for quote has been around the longest and in the old days everything went out or was issued as a request for quotation or quote. It was sometimes called an invitation to quote or invitation to tender and these both are part of the RFQ family.

Then came the RFP which is a request for proposal. This is where the vendor