Purchase Requisition, Vendor Assignment and RFQ Management in SAP S/4HANA

Efficient procurement begins with a clear purchasing requirement, the right person responsible for sourcing, and a structured process for inviting vendors to submit quotations.

In SAP S/4HANA, this process starts with a Purchase Requisition (PR). Once the PR is approved, the purchasing team assigns a responsible purchaser, selects suitable vendors, and creates a Request for Quotation (RFQ). Vendors can then review the requirements and submit their commercial offers through the configured vendor portal or another approved communication channel.

Keiro's vendor portal supports these activities by bringing purchasing requirements, vendor assignment, RFQ management, and quotation submission into a connected workflow.

This article explains how to manage the process from Purchase Requisition creation through vendor quotation submission.

1. What Is a Purchase Requisition?

A Purchase Requisition is an internal request to purchase materials or services. It communicates the organization's requirement to the purchasing department and provides the information needed to begin sourcing.

A requester can create a PR directly in SAP S/4HANA or through the portal if portal-based PR creation is configured.

Purchase Requisition Process

1. The requester enters the required purchasing information.

2. The PR is submitted for approval.

3. The designated approver reviews and approves or rejects the request.

4. Once approved, the eligible PR item appears in Keiro under Open PR.

5. The Purchasing Head assigns the PR item to a responsible purchaser.

Purchase Requisition Fields

Relevant SAP Transaction

Configuration Considerations

• Configure PR document types and number ranges.

• Set up the required approval or release strategy.

• Define the applicable approver determination rules.

• Configure the portal's Open PR list to display eligible approved PR items.

The exact approval and integration setup depends on the organization's SAP S/4HANA edition and implementation.

2. Purchaser Assignment

After a PR is approved, the Purchasing Head assigns each relevant line item to a responsible purchaser. This helps establish ownership and distributes purchasing activities according to category, plant, or workload.

How to Assign a Purchaser in Keiro

1. Open the Open PR list.

2. Select the required PR line item or items.

3. Choose Purchaser Assignment.

4. Select the responsible purchaser.

5. Save the assignment.

The assigned item should then appear in the purchaser's worklist according to the configured portal workflow.

Purchaser Assignment Details

SAP and Portal Considerations

The available standard assignment options depend on the SAP S/4HANA edition and configured Fiori applications. The source process document references the Assign and Process Purchase Requisition Items application.

If the assignment is performed through Keiro, the implementation team must confirm how the responsible purchaser is maintained and synchronized with SAP.

3. Assign Vendors to the Purchase Requisition

After receiving the assigned PR item, the purchaser selects the vendors who should be invited to submit quotations.

Vendor selection may use the source list maintained for the relevant material and plant. Where permitted, a one-time vendor can also be used when the vendor is not maintained as a regular source.

Vendor Assignment Process

1. Review the material and purchasing requirement.

2. Check the relevant purchasing info record and source list, where applicable.

3. Open the PR line item in Keiro.

4. Select Assign Vendor.

5. Choose the appropriate vendor or vendors.

6. Save the assignment.

The selected vendors are then associated with the PR item and can be considered for RFQ creation.

Vendor Selection Options

Relevant SAP Transactions

The source process also describes a portal option for maintaining the relationship between a material, plant, and vendor.

One-Time Vendor: Key Points

A one-time vendor may not have a vendor portal login. The quotation process may therefore require an authorized administrator to enter quotation information on the vendor's behalf.

If the organization decides to work with the vendor regularly, the vendor's details can be maintained in the portal or SAP through the applicable master-data process.

For repeat purchasing requirements, maintaining an appropriate regular vendor record can help support consistent purchasing information and price history.

4. Create a Request for Quotation (RFQ)

A Request for Quotation is a formal request asking selected vendors to provide commercial offers for a purchasing requirement.

An RFQ generally communicates the relevant material or service requirements, requested quantity, delivery expectations, quotation deadline, and other applicable purchasing details.

How to Create an RFQ in Keiro

1. Open the assigned PR line item.

2. Select the required line item or items.

3. Choose Create RFQ.

4. Confirm the RFQ type, purchasing organization, purchasing group, quotation deadline, validity, and vendor list.

5. Save the RFQ.

6. Make the RFQ available to the selected vendors through the configured communication channel.

In the source process document, SAP transaction ME41 is identified for creating an RFQ with reference to a PR.

RFQ Information

Relevant SAP Transactions for RFQ Monitoring

RFQ Configuration Considerations

• Define the applicable RFQ document types and number ranges.

• Configure output determination and communication settings.

• Maintain quotation deadlines and relevant validity information.

• Confirm how the RFQ references the original PR item.

• Validate how the portal updates the PR item status after RFQ creation.

• Establish controls to prevent unintended duplicate purchasing activities.

The RFQ may be made available through the portal or communicated through configured email or print processes, including where a one-time vendor does not have portal access.

5. Vendor Quotation Submission

After receiving an RFQ, the vendor reviews the requirement and submits a quotation containing the requested pricing and commercial information.

The source process describes two ways to enter a quotation: direct submission by the vendor or entry by an authorized administrator on the vendor's behalf.

Quotation Submission Methods

Information Required in a Quotation

The fields available to the vendor depend on the portal's configuration and the information requested by the purchasing team.

Vendor Notification

After a vendor is assigned to an RFQ, the system can send a notification through the configured communication channel, such as email or a portal notification.

The vendor can then log in, review the assigned RFQ, and submit the quotation before the deadline.

Quotation Management Controls

To maintain quotation accuracy and traceability:

• Record who entered or modified a quotation.

• Restrict unauthorized changes after quotation comparison has started.

• Allow reopening only through the authorized process, with a reason recorded.

• Ensure each quotation is saved against the correct RFQ and vendor.

• Apply appropriate permissions to vendors and administrators.

6. Integration Between Keiro and SAP S/4HANA

The process depends on reliable information exchange between the vendor portal and SAP S/4HANA.

Key Integration Points

The technical integration method must be confirmed for the target SAP environment. The source document mentions a standard PR API or BAPI as a possibility but leaves the final technical approach for the implementation team to confirm.

7. Best Practices for PR and RFQ Management

• Provide complete PR details: Enter the correct material or service, quantity, plant, delivery date, and account assignment.

• Assign clear ownership: Make sure each eligible PR item has a responsible purchaser.

• Validate vendor eligibility: Review the relevant source list and use one-time vendors according to company policy.

• Set clear RFQ deadlines: Give vendors a defined submission deadline and the information needed to prepare their offers.

• Maintain document references: Keep each RFQ linked to the correct PR item.

• Protect quotation integrity: Track administrator entries and control quotation changes.

• Validate integration: Test document creation, status updates, and portal-to-SAP information exchange.

• Review configuration: Confirm that the process matches the organization's SAP S/4HANA edition and procurement requirements.

Conclusion

The PR-to-RFQ process establishes the foundation for structured procurement. By managing Purchase Requisitions, purchaser assignment, vendor selection, RFQ creation, and quotation submission through a coordinated workflow, Keiro helps purchasing teams organize sourcing activities and maintain visibility into vendor communication.

When supported by appropriate SAP configuration and validated integration, this process provides a consistent starting point for quotation evaluation, approval, and subsequent Purchase Order creation.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a Purchase Requisition in SAP S/4HANA?

A Purchase Requisition is an internal request to purchase materials or services. It records the requirement and initiates the purchasing process.

2. What is the purpose of purchaser assignment?

Purchaser assignment gives a responsible person ownership of the PR item and its subsequent sourcing activities.

3. What is an RFQ?

A Request for Quotation invites selected vendors to submit pricing, delivery details, and commercial terms for a purchasing requirement.

4. Can a one-time vendor participate in the quotation process?

Yes, where the configured process permits it. An authorized administrator may need to manage quotation entry if the vendor does not have portal access.

5. Can vendors submit quotations through Keiro?

Yes. In the described process, vendors can open their assigned RFQs in the portal and submit their quotations, subject to the configured access and workflow.