How RFQ Response Ranking Works in iDempiere
RFQ Response Ranking evaluates completed vendor quotations and automatically selects the best supplier based on system-defined comparison logic. It acts as the decision gateway between vendor evaluation and document creation, ensuring consistent, auditable procurement decisions without manual judgement.
Eligibility and Control Conditions
Ranking is not a free action. The system enforces a strict lifecycle before ranking can be performed.
Only RFQ responses that are fully completed and validated are allowed into the ranking process. This ensures partial, draft, or outdated responses do not influence supplier selection.
Before ranking becomes available:
- RFQ must remain active
- RFQ responses must be marked complete
- Response lines and response quantities must exist
- Pricing data must be entered at quantity level
If any response is incomplete, the ranking process is blocked.
Ranking Execution Logic
When the rank responses process is executed from the RFQ window, the system evaluates responses using quantity-based comparison, not document-level averages. Each RFQ line quantity is treated as an independent evaluation unit.
For each quantity:
- All eligible vendor responses are compared
- Price values are normalized internally
- A ranking score is calculated per response
- Lower total ranking score indicates better commercial value
This design allows vendors to win specific quantities, not necessarily the entire RFQ, depending on configuration.
Automatic Winner Determination
After ranking is complete, iDempiere automatically assigns the selected winner flag. This is a system-controlled action and does not require manual confirmation.
Key behaviors:
- Only one response per quantity is marked as winner
- Ranking value is stored on RFQ Response
- The Selected winner checkbox is auto-updated
- Non-winning responses remain visible but inactive for ordering
This guarantees traceability and prevents manual bias.
Workflow Transition After Ranking
Once a winner is selected, the RFQ moves into an execution-ready state.
The system now enables downstream actions without additional validation.
From this point:
- Purchase order creation becomes available
- Sales order creation becomes available (if applicable)
- RFQ is ready for closure after document creation
Ranking therefore acts as the bridge between evaluation and execution.
Business Purpose and Outcome
RFQ response ranking exists to standardize supplier selection in multi-vendor procurement scenarios. It ensures decisions are:
- Price-driven
- Quantity-aware
- System-approved
- Audit-compliant
- Clear supplier selection
- Reduced negotiation cycles
- Faster order creation
- Zero manual comparison errors
- Fully traceable procurement decisions
RFQ response ranking transforms RFQs from data collection documents into executable procurement decisions.