Sourcing Agent

Runs RFQ processes and finds alternative suppliers for procurement teams.

Overview

Runs structured RFQ processes for higher-value purchases and identifies alternative suppliers for single-sourced or high-risk categories. Distributes requests, normalizes responses, and delivers ready-to-review comparisons and shortlists to the buyer.

+ Details- Close

The Sourcing Agent runs two procurement workflows: structured RFQ execution and alternative supplier discovery. For RFQ cycles, it distributes requests to supplier contacts, collects responses, normalizes them into a consistent comparison format, and surfaces the output to the assigned buyer for decision. For single-sourced or high-risk categories, it queries supplier databases, trade directories, industry associations, and historical RFQ records to identify candidates, issues the standard qualification questionnaire to each, follows up on non-responses, and compiles a shortlist for buyer review. It operates within the organization's procurement and supplier management systems, filing all responses and qualification results against the relevant category record. Decisions on supplier selection and award remain with the buyer.

What it does

  • Runs RFQ processes for higher-value purchases

    Distributes requests to suppliers, collects and normalizes responses, and prepares side-by-side comparisons ready for the buyer to review and decide on.

  • Finds alternative suppliers for at-risk categories

    Searches supplier databases, trade directories, and industry associations to identify candidates for categories that are single-sourced or flagged as high-risk.

  • Qualifies candidate suppliers

    Sends each candidate the standard qualification questionnaire, follows up on outstanding responses, and files the results as they come in.

  • Assembles shortlists for buyer review

    Consolidates qualification results into a ranked shortlist and delivers it to the buyer with enough information to make a sourcing decision.

How it works

  1. Trigger

    Runs RFQ processes for higher-value purchases

    Distributes requests to suppliers, collects and normalizes responses, and prepares side-by-side comparisons ready for the buyer to review and decide on.

  2. Step 1

    Finds alternative suppliers for at-risk categories

    Searches supplier databases, trade directories, and industry associations to identify candidates for categories that are single-sourced or flagged as high-risk.

  3. Step 2

    Qualifies candidate suppliers

    Sends each candidate the standard qualification questionnaire, follows up on outstanding responses, and files the results as they come in.

  4. Resolution

    Assembles shortlists for buyer review

    Consolidates qualification results into a ranked shortlist and delivers it to the buyer with enough information to make a sourcing decision.

Why it matters

  • RFQ responses compared without manual work

    so that buyers receive a normalized, ready-to-review comparison and can make award decisions without spending hours reformatting supplier quotes.

  • Single-source risk addressed before it becomes a disruption

    so that procurement teams hold a qualified shortlist of alternative suppliers before a price increase, capacity constraint, or supplier failure forces a rushed search.

What it needs

Supplier master and category data
Connects to the ERP (e.g. Infor LN/M3/CloudSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365, IFS Cloud, or SAP S/4HANA) to read the supplier master, category risk flags, and purchase history. Writes back RFQ comparison summaries and supplier shortlists for buyer review. Without this access, the agent cannot identify which categories are single-sourced or high-risk, and has nowhere to post outputs for buyer decisions.
Outbound email or messaging channel
Uses the organisation's email infrastructure (e.g. Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace) to distribute RFQ documents to suppliers, send qualification questionnaires to candidates, and issue follow-up reminders to non-respondents. Without a send-capable outbound channel, the agent cannot execute the distribution or response-chasing steps in either use case.
External supplier database access
Queries external supplier databases, trade directories, and industry association registers (e.g. Dun and Bradstreet, Kompass, or sector-specific bodies) to locate candidate alternative suppliers outside the existing vendor master. Without at least one external source, the supplier discovery use case is constrained to historical internal records and prior RFQ respondents only.
Sourcing Agent — Riff