Multi-Round Negotiation
Run competitive rounds to get better pricing from suppliers
What is Multi-Round Negotiation?
Multi-round negotiation lets you create follow-up rounds where suppliers can submit revised quotes. Use this to drive competition and get better pricing without starting from scratch.
When to Use
- Initial quotes are higher than expected
- You want to negotiate target pricing
- Multiple suppliers are close, need tie-breaker
- Requirements changed (quantity, specs, delivery)
- Create competitive tension to lower prices
How It Works
Each round references the original RFQ. Suppliers see their previous quotes and can submit revised pricing. You can adjust quantities or specs between rounds. All rounds tracked in negotiation_rounds table.
Start a New Round
After reviewing initial quotes, create a new negotiation round from the RFQ detail page.
- Go to RFQ detail page → "Quotes" tab
- Review initial quotes
- Click "Start New Round" button
- Select which suppliers to invite (can exclude non-competitive ones)
- Optionally: Adjust quantities or add/remove line items
- Set new deadline for revised quotes
- Add notes explaining what changed or target pricing
- Click "Create Round" to send invitations
Pro Tip
Be transparent about why you're starting a new round. E.g., "Looking for 10% cost reduction" or "Quantity increased from 500 to 1000 units".
Supplier Experience
Suppliers receive email notification about the new round and can see their previous quotes for reference.
What Suppliers See
- Email: "New negotiation round for RFQ [Title]"
- Their previous quote (for comparison)
- Updated requirements (if quantities/specs changed)
- Your notes about the round
- New deadline
- Form to submit revised quote
Important
Suppliers do NOT see other suppliers' quotes. Each only sees their own previous submissions. This maintains confidentiality while enabling competition.
Compare Across Rounds
QuoteBase provides round-by-round comparison to see pricing evolution and supplier responsiveness.
Comparison Views
- Round-by-Round Table: All quotes side-by-side across rounds
- Price Drop Analysis: Shows % reduction from initial to final
- Supplier Responsiveness: Who submitted in each round
- Best Quote per Round: Highlight winner of each round
Filter by round number to see just that round, or view "All Rounds" to see the full negotiation history.
Select Winner
After the final round, accept the best quote and close the RFQ. All losing suppliers are notified automatically.
- Review final round quotes
- Check total amount, delivery time, payment terms
- Click "Accept" on winning quote
- Confirm acceptance (triggers notifications)
- RFQ status changes to "Closed"
- Losing suppliers receive "Not selected this time" email
- Winning supplier receives "Congratulations" email
Pro Tip
Even if you don't award the business immediately, accept a quote to track the winner. You can change it later if needed.