The Sourcing Library in oboloo is a powerful tool that helps streamline the creation and management of sourcing activities by allowing users to store and reuse key sections. These sections are used to either provide suppliers with necessary information about the sourcing event (Internal Sections) or to collect specific details and documents from suppliers in response to the sourcing event (Supplier Sections). The library helps your organisation ensure consistency, save time, and maintain a clear structure across all sourcing activities.
The Sourcing Library is divided into two main types of sections:
- Internal Sections, which provide information to suppliers and require no response.
- Supplier Sections, which are used to collect responses and documents from suppliers, asking them to detail how they will meet the requirements set by your organisation.
This guide provides an in-depth overview of how the Sourcing Library is used in oboloo, the differences between internal and supplier sections, and how each type of section functions within a sourcing event.
Also below is a step-by-step guide on how to create, clone, edit or archive/unarchive Sourcing Library Sections.
Creating New Sourcing Sections
Cloning Existing Sections
Editing Existing Sections
Archiving and Unarchiving Sections
Understanding Internal Sections
Internal Sections in the Sourcing Library are designed to deliver important information from your organisation to suppliers. These sections do not require input or response from the suppliers; rather, they provide context and guidance to help suppliers understand the sourcing event and your organisation’s requirements. Internal sections are typically pre-built and reused across multiple sourcing events to maintain consistency and save time. The content under Internal Sections are created by you, the client, not the supplier.
Some common examples of Internal Sections include:
- About Us: Provides background information about your organisation, including its mission, values, and goals. This section helps suppliers understand your company and the overall objectives of the sourcing event.
- RFP Rules: Outlines the rules and guidelines for responding to the request for proposals (RFP), including submission formats, deadlines, and communication protocols.
- Project Overview: Offers a summary of the project or sourcing event, explaining its scope, timeline, and key objectives. This helps suppliers gain a clear understanding of the purpose of the event.
- Company Values: Describes your organisation’s core values, ethical standards, or sustainability goals that may be important in the supplier selection process.
Internal sections provide suppliers with essential information but do not require any action or response from them. These sections can be reused across sourcing events, helping to maintain a consistent structure and message.
How Internal Sections Are Used: When building a sourcing activity, internal sections are added via the Sourcing Wizard. These sections serve as informational content that suppliers can review before submitting their responses. Since these sections are meant to provide information, they do not contain any input fields for suppliers. Instead, they guide suppliers in understanding the requirements of the sourcing activity and how to engage with your organisation.
Understanding Supplier Sections
Supplier Sections in the Sourcing Library are designed to collect specific information from suppliers as part of their response to a sourcing event. These sections are simpler to set up than internal sections, as they primarily require a title and a description that outlines what is expected from the supplier’s response.
Unlike internal sections, supplier sections are filled in by suppliers when they submit their responses. Suppliers are required to provide the requested information, often in the form of written text. These sections allow your organisation to gather critical details from suppliers, such as their understanding of the project requirements or their standard contracts.
Common examples of Supplier Sections include:
- Understanding of Requirements: Suppliers are asked to explain their understanding of the project requirements, ensuring they are fully aligned with your needs.
- Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Suppliers provide details about their SLAs, outlining the performance standards and commitments they are willing to meet.
- Supplier Standard Contracts: Suppliers may be asked to upload their standard contract documents, which you can review as part of the evaluation process.
- Project Delivery Approach: Suppliers are requested to detail how they plan to execute the project, including key milestones, resources, and timelines.
How Supplier Sections Are Used: Supplier sections are added during the creation of a sourcing activity using the Sourcing Wizard. For each section, you provide a title and a brief description explaining what you expect from the supplier in their response. The supplier will then fill in these sections or attach documents when responding to the sourcing activity.
For example, if you add a section titled "Understanding of Requirements," you can include a description such as, "Please describe your understanding of the project scope and how you will meet our specific requirements." The supplier would then provide a detailed written response in this section when submitting their proposal.
Differences Between Internal and Supplier Sections
The primary difference between Internal Sections and Supplier Sections lies in their purpose and functionality:
- Internal Sections are informational. They provide key details about your organisation or the sourcing event but do not require a response from the supplier. Internal sections might cover your company’s background, values, or submission guidelines. These sections ensure that suppliers are well-informed about your expectations and the parameters of the sourcing event.
- Supplier Sections are interactive. They are designed to collect responses or documents from suppliers as part of their proposal submission. Supplier sections are simple to set up, requiring only a title and a description of what information you expect suppliers to provide. Suppliers will complete these sections when responding to the sourcing activity by filling in written responses.
Internal Sections are typically more detailed and may be reused across multiple sourcing events, while Supplier Sections are designed to gather specific responses or documents that are critical for the evaluation of each supplier’s proposal and can also be reused across multiple sourcing activities.
Using the Sourcing Library for Internal and Supplier Sections
The Sourcing Library in oboloo allows you to create, store, edit, clone and reuse both internal and supplier sections across multiple sourcing activities. This ensures that your sourcing events are consistent, efficient, and well-structured.
When setting up a sourcing event in the Sourcing Wizard, you can easily pull sections from the Sourcing Library and customise them if necessary. The Internal Sections can be reused across various events with little modification, while Supplier Sections can be tailored to each specific project by adjusting the title and description based on the information you need to collect from suppliers.
Additionally, oboloo’s Sourcing Library allows you to:
- Create new sections: You can build entirely new internal or supplier sections from scratch, ensuring that your sourcing activity is fully aligned with your project’s requirements.
- Clone and modify sections: If a section from a previous sourcing activity needs minor adjustments, you can easily clone it, make the necessary changes, and save the updated version for use in the current sourcing event.
- Archive sections: If you no longer wish for your organisation to use a certain section in future sourcing activities, you can archive them.
- Manage section content: You can review, update, or delete sections within the library to keep the content up-to-date and relevant to your organisation’s evolving needs.
Conclusion
The Sourcing Library in oboloo is a critical tool for maintaining consistency, efficiency, and flexibility in your sourcing activities. By understanding the key differences between Internal Sections and Supplier Sections, you can optimise how you structure your sourcing events to ensure that suppliers receive the necessary information and provide the relevant responses.
- Internal Sections give suppliers crucial context and background, helping them understand your organisation and how to respond correctly.
- Supplier Sections enable you to gather specific responses or detailed information that will be critical in evaluating suppliers’ proposals.
The Sourcing Library enables you to streamline this process by creating, storing, and reusing sections, helping you maintain a well-organised and efficient sourcing process across multiple events.