Connected record path
Supplier selection workflow
Choosing a supplier defensibly means showing that a real need existed, that you asked more than one supplier, and that you compared like with like.
Each step keeps its own record. Retain the source document rather than editing it, and review dates, parties, references, and totals before the new document becomes part of your work history.
Record the internal need
A purchase requisition captures who asked, for what, and why, before any supplier is contacted. This is the document that separates a purchase from an impulse.
Request quotations
Send every supplier the same specification and the same response deadline. Quotes answering different questions cannot be compared afterwards.
Compare the responses
Score price against lead time, terms, and specification fit, and keep the comparison. Without it, the reason you chose a supplier is undocumented.
Issue the purchase order
Order against the chosen quote, quoting its reference so the agreed price and lead time are carried onto the commitment.