Can HublerX handle custom or bespoke product RFQs, not just standard SKUs?

For custom formulations, HublerX uses the closest comparable standard SKU as the basis for the capacity and material estimate, and flags the custom elements — formulation development, trials, regulatory approval — as additional lead time items for the commercial team to assess. The feasibility check is not fully automatic for customs, but HublerX structures the information the planner needs to make the assessment.

Can HublerX submit responses to government e-tender portals?

HublerX generates the quote data and documentation. Where a government tender requires submission through a specific portal — GeM, CPPP, or state-level portals — the quote is exported in the required format for the sales coordinator to submit. Direct API integration with government portals is available for select platforms on request.

How does HublerX handle RFQs that require price negotiation across multiple rounds?

HublerX tracks each quote revision in the RFQ record — original quote, revised quote, final accepted price. Where a revision is needed, the commercial director adjusts the price in HublerX and the revised quote is routed for re-approval. The full negotiation history is visible against the RFQ record.

When an RFQ is won and converts to a sales order, how does the capacity reservation work?

When the commercial team marks an RFQ as won in HublerX, the confirmed quantity and delivery date are used to create a sales order in the ERP. The production planner is notified to schedule the corresponding work orders — using the capacity assessment from the RFQ as the planning basis. The capacity is reserved in the production plan from the moment the order is confirmed.

RFQ Response Automation

The Problem

The institutional buyer sends an RFQ on Monday. The response is ready Thursday. They've already placed the order elsewhere.

Responding to a B2B or institutional RFQ in food and FMCG requires data from at least three functions: the sales team needs the price (commercial), the planner needs to confirm capacity and lead time (production), and procurement needs to confirm raw material availability (supply chain). In most operations, assembling that data is a sequential, manual process — the salesperson emails the planner, the planner checks the ERP and replies, the salesperson emails procurement, procurement checks stocks and replies. The full loop takes 24–72 hours.

In competitive RFQ situations — government tenders, large institutional buyers, export inquiries — response speed is a direct input to win probability. A buyer who receives a qualified response in 4 hours and a competitor response in 4 hours will choose on price. A buyer who receives the competitor response in 4 hours and the manufacturer's response 2 days later has often already moved. The information needed to respond was available in the ERP and the production plan; the delay was the time to assemble it.

Current Workaround

What most operations do today: Most operations today: the sales coordinator receives an RFQ by email, forwards it to the planning head and procurement lead, waits for responses, assembles the information, and then routes the draft quote for commercial director approval before sending. Each hand-off adds a lag. Urgent RFQs are chased by phone. The quote often goes out without a confirmed lead time or with a capacity commitment that hasn't been validated against the actual production schedule. Errors in the quote — wrong price, unavailable material, capacity not available — lead to order acceptance issues after the quote is won.

The HublerX Approach

An RFQ response requires four inputs — available capacity, material availability, lead time, and price — all of which are in the ERP and the production plan. HublerX pulls those inputs automatically when an RFQ is logged, generates a draft response with the confirmed figures, and routes it to the commercial director for review and approval. The sales team sends a qualified response in hours, not days. The capacity and material commitment in the response is based on real data, not an estimate.

How It Looks in HublerX

Live workflow view

RFQ Pipeline Board

9 RFQs in pipeline this month

RECEIVED2

Zomato Corporate — Snack Pack AssortmentCustom 4-SKU assortment · 12,000 packs/month · Monthly orderData gatheringReceived today 11:30 AM · Custom formulation check needed

DRAFT READY2

State Bank of India — Festive Gift Box8,400 boxes · 4 SKUs · Diwali delivery requiredAwaiting approvalUrgent · Due in 2 daysDraft ready · ₹18.4L · Lead time 22 days · Kavya S to approve

IRCTC — Travel Pack Biscuits2,40,000 travel packs · Monthly standing orderAwaiting approvalDraft ready · ₹9.6L/month · 30-day delivery · Approval pending

QUOTE SENT3

Tata Group Canteen — Assorted Biscuits1,20,000 units · Monthly · Quote sent MondayAwaiting responseResponse due Friday · ₹4.2L/month · Follow-up Thursday

Airport Retail — Travel Snack Pack36,000 packs/month · 3 airportsAwaiting responseQuote valid until next Friday · ₹3.1L/month

School Mid-Day Meal — Fortified BiscuitGovernment tender · 12,00,000 units · AnnualAwaiting responseLarge volumeTender response submitted · Decision in 3 weeks

CLOSED3

Hindustan Unilever Canteen — Won60,000 units/month · ₹2.4L/month · 6-month orderWonSO raised · Production scheduled · First delivery next week

Café Coffee Day — Snack Range · Won24,000 units/month · Won after 2nd revisionWonStanding order active · Delivering since Monday

Export Inquiry — Middle East · LostPricing above market · Lost to local supplierLostLost on price · Commercial review to assess cost structure

How HublerX Coordinates It

The step-by-step sequence

1
RFQ logged in HublerX
When an RFQ is received — by email, portal, or phone — the sales coordinator logs it in HublerX: customer, SKU or product specification, quantity, required delivery date, and any quality or certification requirements. The RFQ is immediately visible to the planning, procurement, and commercial teams.
On RFQ receipt
2
Capacity availability checked
HublerX checks the production schedule for available capacity against the RFQ quantity and required delivery date. For standard SKUs, the check is immediate — line loading, existing work orders, and available shift capacity are read from the ERP or production plan. For custom formulations, a feasibility estimate is generated based on comparable products.
On RFQ logging · automatic
3
Material availability confirmed
HublerX checks raw material stock and inbound PO positions for the materials required to produce the RFQ quantity. Where stock and committed inbound purchases can cover the requirement, materials are flagged as available. Where additional procurement is needed, the lead time and approximate cost impact are estimated.
Simultaneously with capacity check
4
Lead time and delivery date calculated
HublerX calculates the earliest confirmed production start date (based on material availability and capacity), the production duration (based on quantity and line rate), and the earliest delivery date. Where the customer's required date cannot be met, the earliest achievable date is surfaced alongside the gap.
On capacity and material confirmation
5
Draft quote assembled and routed for approval
HublerX generates a draft RFQ response: confirmed quantity, price (from the applicable customer or channel pricing scheme), earliest delivery date, validity period, and quality or certification details. The draft is routed to the commercial director for review — with the underlying capacity and material data visible for verification.
On data assembly completion
6
Quote approved and sent · Follow-up tracked
Once approved, the quote is sent from HublerX with a validity date. The follow-up timeline is tracked — when the response is due, when the customer should be chased, and what the outcome was (won, lost, no decision). Won RFQs convert to confirmed sales orders; the capacity and material reservation confirmed in the quote flows through to the production plan.
On commercial approval