Promotional Merchandise - Tender Brief to Quote Submission

Brief or tender document received. Review for eligibility: submission deadline, estimated order value, product categories, budget range, and lead time viability. Log as a lead opportunity and assign to a sales or account manager.

Brief broken down into individual product lines. Decoration method, quantity, PMS colour specs, packaging requirements, and delivery locations identified per line. Internal @mentions used to loop in sourcing specialists with relevant product experience.

RFQs sent to 2-3 suppliers per product line specifying quantity, decoration method, PMS colours, packaging format, required lead time, and sample availability. Supplier response deadline set to allow time for pricing before the brief submission date.

Quote built from supplier responses. Margin applied per product line with correct setup fees and run charges for each decoration variant. Delivery costs checked per destination. Overall quote verified against brief budget range and margin targets.

Quote packaged with product visuals, decoration simulations, and a delivery timeline. Samples requested from shortlisted suppliers for premium products where the brief timeline allows. Submission formatted to client's required format - email, PDF, or tender portal.

Quote submitted before the deadline. Follow-up call or meeting booked within 48 hours of submission. Outcome recorded against the lead record. If won, order confirmation opened and jobs created. If lost, reason noted for future brief analysis.

A complex brief arrives with 12 product lines across 4 suppliers - pricing is built in a spreadsheet, and a run charge gets missed on one product, silently removing the margin from an entire line on an order worth thousands.

Supplier lead times are not checked at brief stage, so the quote is submitted with a delivery promise that turns out to be impossible once the order is confirmed, requiring an expensive rush or a difficult client conversation.

After submission, there is no system for logging follow-up calls or tracking which briefs are still open - opportunities go cold without a decision being recorded, and won business takes longer to convert to a confirmed order.