Scoring Supplier Responses in oboloo

Scoring supplier responses in oboloo is a key part of the sourcing evaluation process. The scoring system allows you to assign scores based on specific criteria, such as supplier qualifications, pricing, and questionnaire responses. You can also designate scorers within your organisation to ensure that different team members can evaluate supplier responses in a structured and transparent way. This guide will walk you through how to assign scorers, score supplier responses, and review scores within oboloo.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Setting Up Scoring for a Sourcing Activity

Before you can start scoring supplier responses, you need to assign scorers and configure scoring for the sourcing activity.

1. Login to oboloo using your credentials.
2. From the left-hand menu, navigate to the Sourcing module.
3. Select the sourcing activity you want to set up scoring for or create a new sourcing activity by clicking '+ Create Sourcing Activity'.
4. In the Sourcing Wizard, go to the Scoring Setup section, located in the left-hand menu.

Step 2: Assigning Scorers

You can assign one or more internal team members as scorers. Scorers will be responsible for evaluating specific areas of the supplier responses, such as questionnaires or pricing submissions.

1. In the Scoring Setup section, click ‘Assign Scorers’.
2. Select team members from the list of users in your organisation who will be responsible for scoring the supplier responses. You can assign multiple scorers to each section, or you can assign different scorers to evaluate different sections (e.g., pricing, questionnaires).
3. Assign specific sections for each scorer:
4. Once you’ve assigned scorers, click ‘Save’. Each scorer will receive a notification and will be able to access the scoring sections once supplier responses are submitted.

Step 3: Scoring Supplier Questionnaires

Questionnaires are a common part of sourcing activities, allowing you to evaluate suppliers based on their answers to structured questions. In oboloo, you can assign scores to each question based on the supplier’s response.

1. In the Sourcing Activity Dashboard, go to the Questionnaires Tab once suppliers have submitted their responses.
2. Select a supplier’s questionnaire response to begin scoring.
3. For each question, enter a score based on how well the supplier’s answer meets your criteria. Scores can range from 0 to a predefined maximum score.
4. If weighted scoring was enabled during the questionnaire setup, oboloo will automatically apply the correct weighting to each score. This means that more important questions (e.g., compliance) will have a higher impact on the final score than less critical questions.
5. After scoring all the questions, click ‘Submit Scores’ to finalise your evaluation for that supplier.

Step 4: Scoring Pricing Submissions

Pricing submissions are another critical area where scoring can help you compare and evaluate supplier responses based on cost and value. In oboloo, you can score pricing based on overall cost, specific line items, or additional value-added services.

1. In the Sourcing Activity Dashboard, go to the Pricing Tab.
2. Select a supplier’s pricing response to begin scoring.
3. For each line item or overall pricing, assign a score based on the criteria you’ve established. For example:
4. If weighted scoring was applied to the pricing section, oboloo will automatically calculate the final pricing score based on the weights assigned.
5. After completing the pricing evaluation, click ‘Submit Scores’ to finalise the pricing score for that supplier.

Step 5: Scoring Supplier Sections and Supporting Documents

In addition to questionnaires and pricing, you may also want to score qualitative responses from suppliers, such as how they plan to meet your requirements or their supporting documents.

1. In the Sourcing Activity Dashboard, go to the Supplier Sections Tab or Supporting Documents Tab.
2. Review the supplier’s response for each section, such as how they will deliver the required services or any technical documents they have provided.
3. For each section, assign a score based on the quality and completeness of their response. You may also want to consider factors like delivery timelines, project plans, or service level agreements (SLAs) when scoring.
4. After scoring each section or document, click ‘Submit Scores’.

Step 6: Reviewing and Comparing Scores Across Suppliers

Once scores have been submitted for all suppliers, you can review and compare the final scores for each supplier to help you make an informed decision.

1. In the Sourcing Activity Dashboard, go to the Scores Tab.
2. You will see an overview of the scores submitted by each scorer for each supplier. Scores will be displayed by section (e.g., questionnaires, pricing) and as an overall score for each supplier.
3. Use the side-by-side comparison feature to compare how different suppliers were scored across different areas. This makes it easy to identify which suppliers performed best in key areas such as pricing, compliance, or technical capabilities.
4. If there are significant differences in the scores assigned by different scorers, you can use the scoring insights feature to review how each scorer evaluated the supplier’s response. This provides transparency and helps ensure consistency in the scoring process.

Step 7: Requesting Scoring Adjustments

If discrepancies or disagreements arise during the scoring process, you may need to request adjustments or clarification from the scorers.

1. In the Scores Tab, locate the supplier’s score that needs adjustment.
2. Click on the ‘Request Adjustment’ button next to the relevant score. This will allow you to request a change from the assigned scorer or ask for additional justification for their evaluation.
3. The scorer will receive a notification of your request and can update their score if necessary.
4. Once the scores have been adjusted, the final scores will be recalculated, and you can proceed with the evaluation process.

Step 8: Finalising Scores and Making a Decision

Once all the scores have been submitted and reviewed, you can finalise the evaluation process and make a decision based on the scores.

1. In the Scores Tab, review the final scores for each supplier. You can also generate reports to share with other stakeholders if needed.
2. Use the final scores to identify the top-performing suppliers. oboloo’s scoring system ensures that all responses are evaluated in a structured and fair manner, helping you make a data-driven decision.
3. Once you’ve selected the winning supplier, proceed to the next step of awarding the contract (see the Awarding a Supplier guide for more details).

Step 9: Best Practices for Scoring Supplier Responses

To ensure a fair and effective scoring process, consider the following best practices:

• Assign Multiple Scorers: Involve multiple team members in the scoring process to get different perspectives and ensure a balanced evaluation.
• Use Weighted Scoring: Prioritise key areas such as pricing, compliance, or technical capability by assigning weights to different sections or questions.
• Provide Clear Evaluation Criteria: Ensure that scorers have clear guidelines on how to evaluate and score supplier responses to avoid inconsistencies.
• Track Scoring Progress: Monitor the progress of scorers to ensure all responses are evaluated within the required timeframe.
• Use Scoring Insights: Take advantage of oboloo’s insights and transparency features to identify discrepancies or trends in how different scorers evaluated suppliers.

By following these steps and best practices, you can ensure that supplier responses are evaluated consistently and fairly using oboloo’s scoring system. With the ability to assign scorers, apply weighted scoring, and compare responses across suppliers, oboloo provides you with the tools you need to make informed, data-driven sourcing decisions.