Inquiry (economy)
Under a request is understood in the economy , the non-binding obtaining information , in particular to submit a bid .
General
Inquiries are non-binding and do not result in any obligations for the inquirer . From a legal point of view, inquiries are regarded as an invitation to submit an offer . They belong to the operational function of procurement ( purchasing ), where they are drawn up and sent out if necessary (e.g. for the purpose of comparing offers ). Inquiries represent an invitation to all potential suppliers to submit an offer for a possible delivery . They are an important indicator of future orders (or order quantities ) for the addressee of the request . The aim of the inquiries is to determine the optimal supplier in terms of reliability , delivery readiness , quality and purchase price .
Request factor
The so-called inquiry factor states how many inquiries ultimately led to an order. It is calculated as follows:
- .
Since processing inquiries is labor-intensive , the inquiry factor should be very high for reasons of productivity . A low request factor indicates that the offers apparently largely did not meet customer expectations .
International
In international business , the following inquiries are possible, depending on the degree of liability:
- Service request ( English request for information ): whether a supplier can deliver certain quantities,
- Price inquiry ( English request for quotation ) can maintain a certain purchase price if a supplier,
- Invitations to tender ( english request for proposal ): the supplier is invited to a mandatory tender.
The invitation to submit an offer is still non-binding, even if it gives the potential supplier a clear signal to order.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Berthold Schneider, Purchasing Preparation , 2013, p. 8
- ↑ Klaus Hölzel, Gabler Lexikon Material Wirtschaft &kauf , 1983, p. 18
- ↑ Manfred Burghardt, Project Management , 2012, p. 58