When many people in the manufacturing industry think of quotes, they envision sending out estimates to interested customers. Manufacturing companies, however, must also send out requests for quotes on a consistent basis. In order to gather the proper parts and materials for production, those in the manufacturing industry evaluate offers from outside vendors in order to find the best prices--just like their customers.

The process of requesting and vetting quotes from other companies can slow down procedures in one's own. While quotes are being looked at, manufacturing can be impacted due to the lack of particular items needed to complete projects. Quote evaluation also uses up precious staff time, thus making the process all the more costly.

Here at Bowen & Groves, we've put a module in our M1 ERP software designed specifically for the purposes of gathering estimates from outside sources. The Purchasing Request for Quotation (RFQ) module saves much of the time it usually takes to find an appropriate vendor for supplies. This module creates concise and detailed quote requests and allows employees to spend less time in the process.

The Purchasing RFQ module maintains records of previously generated quote requests. These saved files can then be configured to easily create an identical request for a new vendor. The system also allows for the immediate creation of purchase orders from quote requests, thus decreasing the paperwork needed for any given order. For more information about this and other M1 modules, contact us by phone at 866-617-6389, or via e-mail at sales@bowen-groves.com.