Select and purchase FF&E and OS&E faster. Speak to a product expert today.
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the product selection and substitutions process for FF&E and OS&E? Whether you are a hotel owner, designer, procurement agent, or project manager, it’s likely that at some point in your job you have had to deal with RFQs, approvals, and POs. Managing all of these requests can quickly become confusing and overwhelming – which is why having an organized system to simplify the process is key! In this blog post we will discuss a better way to manage product selections and substitutions, from RFQs right through to POs.
Wait, actually you don’t have to do this. All you have to do is send out RFQs (request for quotes) to available vendors and wait for them to come in.
You do have to make sure that your RFQs (or RFPs - request for proposals – whichever stage you’re in) include details like the type of product, quantities, and vendor prices aka your basic info. But also, ask for differentiating factors like hardness rating, ingredients disclosure, recyclability, and more.
Let’s say you already know which vendor you want to purchase a specific product from, but you want to see whether they have alternatives that cost less. Just ask for options when you send your RFQ.
Asking for alternatives only takes one click.
Once all your RFQs are in, you can simply look them over to see how each offering stacks up against the others. Fohlio’s quote manager lets you compare pineapples against pineapples – that is, price against price, lead time against lead time, warranty against warranty, and so on.
Finding the best prices, lead times, and more only takes seconds.
What’s that? You no longer have to make decisions between one nebulous cloud versus another? Yes please!
Learn more: Select, Approve, and Purchase FF & E and OS&E Faster Than Ever Before
Besides upfront cost, you also want to see how much FF&E and OS&E will cost you over its lifetime. Shipping, taxes, installation fees, vendor support, end of life costs – these all factor into how much you actually spend on materials.
Before pulling the trigger, give your vendors’ terms and conditions one more read: You want to know what you’re agreeing to. This is especially important when it comes to clauses such as cancellation policies, return policies, warranty information, and customer service policies.
Again, these all factor into potential cost. If you’re having to pay more for the assurance that you can return materials within a certain time frame without penalties, it could cost you less compared to being unable to use what you bought and have no way to return them.
Maybe you only like 8 out of the 10 products you requested a proposal for. No problem! Simply approve the ones you want and push the product information (vendor price, etc.) to your dashboard.
Time to make your purchase! You’ll be thrilled to know that this part of the process is as easy as the next. To create a PO, simply select the product/s from your dashboard and click “Create Purchase Order.” From there, fill out the form and send it to your supplier.
Generating POs really is that easy.
By the way, not a single part of this process involves email – another way you’re saving time and effort!
By using Fohlio to compare vendor quotes, select materials, and manage substitutions, you can make sure that you are getting the best deal for your purchase while also saving time.With its easy-to-use interface and comprehensive comparison tools, Fohlio makes it easier than ever to find the best solution for your needs.