# Call for tenders

> Sometimes, companies might want to invite vendors to submit offers for similar goods or services all at once. In Odoo 18, by KMEE.

Fonte: https://docs.kmee.com.br/en/odoo/18.0/modules/compras/cotacoes-alternativas-de-fornecedores/

[]()

Sometimes, companies might want to invite vendors to submit offers for similar goods or services all at once. This helps companies select the cheapest, fastest vendors for their specific business needs.

In Odoo, this can be done by creating alternative requests for quotation (RfQs) for different vendors. Once a response is received from each vendor, the product lines from each RfQ can be compared, and a decision can be made for which products to purchase from which vendors.

Note

Sometimes referred to as a *call for tender*, this process is primarily used by organizations in the public sector, who are legally bound to use it when making a purchase. However, private companies can also use alternative RfQs to spend money efficiently.

## Configuration

To create alternative RfQs, the *Purchase Agreements* feature **must** be enabled in the *Purchase* app settings. To enable the feature, navigate to **Purchase app -> Configuration -> Settings**. Under the **Orders** section, click the checkbox for **Purchase Agreements**.

Then, click **Save** to apply the change.

![Purchase Agreements enabled in the Purchase app settings.](https://docs.kmee.com.br/odoo/referencias-18.0/img/applications/inventory_and_mrp/purchase/manage_deals/calls_for_tenders/calls-for-tenders-enabled-setting.png)

[]()

## Create an RfQ

To create a new RfQ, follow the instructions in the [Requests for quotation](https://docs.kmee.com.br/en/odoo/18.0/modules/compras/solicitacao-de-cotacao/) documentation.

See also

[Odoo Tutorial: Purchase Basics and Your First Request for Quotation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_uI718P1Dc)

[]()

## Create alternative RfQs

Once a PO is created and sent to a vendor, alternative RfQs can be created for additional vendors to compare prices, delivery times, and other factors, to help make a decision for the order.

To create alternative RfQs from the original, click the **Alternatives** tab. Then, click **Create Alternative**. When clicked, a **Create alternative** pop-up window appears.

![Calls for tenders pop-up to create alternative quotation.](https://docs.kmee.com.br/odoo/referencias-18.0/img/applications/inventory_and_mrp/purchase/manage_deals/calls_for_tenders/calls-for-tenders-create-alternative.png)

From this window, select an alternative vendor from the drop-down menu next to the **Vendor** field, to whom the alternative quotation is assigned.

Next to this, there is a **Copy Products** checkbox that is selected by default. When selected, the product quantities of the original RfQ are copied over to the alternative. For this first alternative quotation, leave the checkbox checked. Once finished, click **Create Alternative**. This opens a new RfQ form.

Since the **Create Alternative** checkbox was left checked, the new form is already pre-populated with the same products, quantities, and other details as the previous, original RfQ.

Note

When the **Copy Products** checkbox is selected while creating an alternative quotation, additional products do **not** need to be added, unless desired.

However, if a chosen vendor is listed in the **Vendor** column under a specific product form included in the order, the values set on the product form carry over to the RfQ, and **must** be changed manually, if necessary.

Once ready, create a second alternative quotation by clicking the **Alternatives** tab, followed by **Create Alternative**.

This opens the **Create alternative** pop-up window. Once again, choose a different vendor from the drop-down menu next to **Vendor**. For this particular RfQ, however, *uncheck* the **Copy Products** checkbox. Doing so removes all products on the new alternative RfQ, leaving it blank. The specific products which should be ordered from this particular vendor can be added in as needed.

Once ready, click **Create Alternative**.

Tip

If an alternative quotation should be removed from the **Alternatives** tab, they can be individually removed by clicking on the **X (remove)** icon at the end of their row.

This creates a third, new RfQ. But, since the product quantities of the original RfQ were **not** copied over, the product lines are empty, and new products can be added as needed by clicking **Add a product**, and selecting the desired products from the drop-down menu.

Once the desired number of specific products are added, click **Send by Email**.

![Blank alternative quotation with alternatives in breadcrumbs.](https://docs.kmee.com.br/odoo/referencias-18.0/img/applications/inventory_and_mrp/purchase/manage_deals/calls_for_tenders/calls-for-tenders-blank-quotation.png)

This opens a **Compose Email** pop-up window, wherein the message to the vendor can be customized, and attachments can be added, if necessary. Once ready, click **Send**.

From this newest form, click the **Alternatives** tab. Under this tab, all three RfQs can be seen in the **Reference** column. Additionally, the vendors are listed under the **Vendor** column, and the order **Total** (and **Status**) of the orders are in the rows, as well.

The date in the **Expected Arrival** column is calculated for each vendor, based on any pre-configured lead times in the vendor and product forms.

[]()

## Link new RfQ to existing quotations

Even if a quotation is not created directly from the **Alternatives** tab of another RfQ, it can still be linked to existing RfQs.

To do that, begin by creating a new RfQ. Navigate to **Purchase app -> New**. Fill out the RfQ, according to the [previous instructions](https://docs.kmee.com.br/en/odoo/18.0/modules/compras/cotacoes-alternativas-de-fornecedores/#purchase-manage-deals-create-rfq).

Then, once ready, click the **Alternatives** tab. Since this new RfQ was created separately, there are no other orders linked yet.

However, to link this RfQ with existing alternatives, click **Link to Existing RfQ** on the first line in the **Vendor** column.

![Pop-up to link new quotation to existing RFQs.](https://docs.kmee.com.br/odoo/referencias-18.0/img/applications/inventory_and_mrp/purchase/manage_deals/calls_for_tenders/calls-for-tenders-link-rfq-popup.png)

This opens an **Add: Alternative POs** pop-up window. Select the desired previously-created RfQs, and click **Select**. All of these orders are now copied to this RfQ, and can be found under the **Alternatives** tab.

Tip

If a large number of POs are being processed, and the previous POs can't be located, click the fa-chevron-down **(chevron)** icon to the right of the search bar, at the top of the pop-up window.

Then, under the **Group By** section, click **Vendor**. Vendors are displayed in their own nested drop-down lists, and each vendor's list can be expanded to view open POs for that vendor.

[]()

## Compare product lines

Alternative RfQs can be compared side-by-side, in order to determine which vendors offer the best deals on the products included in the orders.

To compare alternative RfQs, navigate to the **Purchase** app, and select one of the previously-created RfQs.

Then, click the **Alternatives** tab to see all linked RfQs. Next, under the **Create Alternative** option, click **Compare Product Lines**. This navigates to the **Compare Order Lines** page.

![Compare Product Lines page for alternative RFQs.](https://docs.kmee.com.br/odoo/referencias-18.0/img/applications/inventory_and_mrp/purchase/manage_deals/calls_for_tenders/calls-for-tenders-compare-products.png)

The **Compare Order Lines** page, by default, groups by **Product**. Each product included in any of the RfQs is displayed in its own nested drop-down list, and features all of the PO numbers in the **Reference** column.

Note

To remove product lines from the **Compare Order Lines** page, click **Clear** at the far-right end of that product line's row.

Doing so removes this specific product as a selectable option from the page, and changes the **Total** price of that product on the page to `0`.

Additionally, on the RfQ form, in which that product was included, its ordered quantity is also changed to `0`.

Once the best offers have been identified, individual products can be selected by clicking the **Choose** button at the end of each corresponding row.

Once all desired products have been chosen, click **Requests for Quotation** (in the breadcrumbs, at the top of the page) to navigate back to an overview of all RfQs.

[]()

## Cancel (or keep) alternatives

Once the desired products have been chosen from the **Compare Order Lines** page, the remaining RfQs, from which no products were chosen, can be cancelled.

The cost in the **Total** column for each product that wasn't chosen is automatically set to `0`, indicated at the far-right of each corresponding row.

Although they haven't been cancelled yet, this indicates that each of those orders can be cancelled without having an effect on the other live orders, once those orders have been confirmed.

![Cancelled quotations in the Purchase app overview.](https://docs.kmee.com.br/odoo/referencias-18.0/img/applications/inventory_and_mrp/purchase/manage_deals/calls_for_tenders/calls-for-tenders-zero-total.png)

To confirm an RfQ for which products were selected, click into an RfQ, and click **Confirm Order**.

This causes a **What about the alternative Requests for Quotations?** pop-up window to appear.

To view a detailed form of one of the RfQs listed, click the line item for that quotation. This opens an **Open: Alternative POs** pop-up window, from which all details of that particular RfQ can be viewed.

Once ready, click **Close** to close the pop-up window.

In the **What about the alternative Requests for Quotations?** pop-up window, two options are presented: **Cancel Alternatives** and **Keep Alternatives**.

If this PO should **not** be confirmed, click **Discard**.

Selecting **Cancel Alternatives** automatically cancels the alternative RfQs. Selecting **Keep Alternatives** keeps the alternative RfQs open, so they can still be accessed, if any additional product quantities need to be ordered later.

Once all products are ordered, select **Cancel Alternatives** from whichever PO is open at that time.

![Keep or cancel pop-up for alternative RFQs.](https://docs.kmee.com.br/odoo/referencias-18.0/img/applications/inventory_and_mrp/purchase/manage_deals/calls_for_tenders/calls-for-tenders-keep-or-cancel.png)

Finally, using the breadcrumbs at the top of the page, click **Requests for Quotation** to navigate back to an overview of all RfQs.

The cancelled orders can be seen, greyed out and listed with a **Cancelled** status, under the **Status** column at the far-right of their respective rows.

Now that all product quantities have been ordered, the purchase process can be completed, and the products can be received into the warehouse.

See also

[Blanket orders](https://docs.kmee.com.br/en/odoo/18.0/modules/compras/contratos-de-compra-com-fornecedores/)